Objectification of female cosplayers in Indonesian digital communities: A case study of Ai Kirishima
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v18i1.310Keywords:
Cosplay, Gender, Media, Victim BlamingAbstract
The problem in this research lies in how the representation of female cosplayers in the case of Ai Kirishima reflects gender bias in digital spaces. Public comments demonstrate the normalization of victim blaming and sexual objectification, which reproduce gender inequality within pop culture expressions such as cosplay on social media. This study aims to analyze how netizens’ comments on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram reflect gender discourses that reproduce patriarchal values and justify violence against women, particularly in the context of objectification toward cosplayers in Indonesia’s digital space. This research employs a qualitative method using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis to examine 120 selected comments. The data were thematically coded and interpreted across three levels textual, discursive practice, and social context. The findings reveal that digital spaces reproduce patriarchal discourse, positioning women particularly cosplayers as passive objects within narratives of violence. Through comments characterized by victim blaming, objectification, defense of perpetrators, and limited empathy, the dominance of gender bias becomes evident, marginalizing women and obscuring perpetrators’ accountability in public discourse. This study contributes to understanding how digital spaces function as arenas for the reproduction of patriarchy through the objectification of women. The findings enrich gender and digital media studies in Indonesia and encourage efforts to create more equitable, gender-sensitive, and violence-aware online spaces.
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