Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2025
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Communication
Degree Program
Communication, MA
Committee Chair
Coker, Calvin
Committee Member
Della, Lindsay
Committee Member
Dike, M. Ruth
Author's Keywords
Gender studies; social media; feminist humor; digital identity; gendered consumption; online culture
Abstract
This thesis examines the viral “Girl Dinner” trend as a case study in how gendered consumption, digital identity, and feminist humor intersect in digital spaces. Using “Girl Dinner” as a rhetorical artifact, this thesis explores how women use gendered trends to navigate visibility, labor, and autonomy in online spaces. Through thematic analysis of TikTok content, media coverage, and branded adaptations, the research traces the evolution of the trend from a lighthearted joke to a site of cultural negotiation. This study reveals that while “Girl Dinner” may appear empowering and relatable on the surface, it often reinforces traditional gender expectations under the guise of choice or self-care. This project concludes that online trends, such as “Girl Dinner,” serve as cultural artifacts that both reflect and reshape identity formation in algorithmically driven media environments. Even casual, humorous content carries cultural weight, offering insight into how femininity is constructed, commodified, and consumed online.
Recommended Citation
Tudor, Claire, ""That’s not a meal, bestie”: Humor, identity, & feminized consumption in “Girl Dinner”." (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4628.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd/4628
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Rhetoric Commons, Social Media Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons, Women's Studies Commons
