Abstract
This study is positioned at the intersection of the philosophical and linguistic arenas multimodally analyzing para/linguistic information. In this study, I explore the representation of sexual minorities in the Japanese media, including variety shows and kids’ cartoon shows. Based on the theories of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault, I examine features of representations of sexuality, dynamically produced power, and ideologies utilizing discourse analysis. My research questions are: 1) How is the relevance of representations revealed within different types of shows? and 2) How do ideological strategies work on representations and how is the “subversion” of representations possible? As a result of the analysis, I revealed that although there are similarities within different types of media, new (non/fictional) characters are making changes to representations and these changes generate “subversion” even though seemingly stable representations are produced from different (and multilayered) ideological strategies.
