AMERICAN LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS AND THE BOURGEOISE PUBLIC SPHERE: EXAMINING FEMALE MARGINALIZATION IN JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE AND THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT

Abstract

The paper explores female marginalization in selected clips of two American  talk shows ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ from 2021 and 2022, using Habermas’s concept of the Bourgeoise Public Sphere. Data was analyzed through Conversation Analysis and  Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis highlighting the underlying mechanisms that sustain gender disparities in talk show discourse. The comparison between the  public sphere and the talk show underscored  power imbalances in both forums often considered free and emancipatory spaces of debate and deliberation. It is argued that American talk shows resemble the bourgeoise public sphere in their marginalization of women through the public/private conflation, non-inclusiveness and media control. The findings show famous Hollywood celebrities Michele Williams and Katy Perry being denigrated through stereotyping, under representation and media manipulation. The paper calls for  gender equality in talk shows by raising awareness about the debilitating effects of undermining and misrepresenting female voices on broadcast media.