The 'Vice' generation: Subculture, consumerism and third-wave feminism

This thesis addresses the politics and aesthetics of Vice magazine and clothing company American Apparel's brand of "punk entrepreneurship" as it relates to changing notions of feminism and consumerism. Both of these companies have gained considerable financial and cultural success using subcultural authority as a basis for their rhetorical strength, and both function as cultural provocateurs whose sexually explicit and anti-politically-correct messages have raised a considerable amount of controversy. They rely upon generational difference and authenticity as key concepts in establishing subcultural capital and economic growth. The use of sexually charged imagery and claims to authenticity reflect larger ideas in contemporary advertising, emphasizing the right to sexual freedom and empowerment. The linguistic and visual strategies of Vice and American Apparel correlate with certain third-wave feminist claims and reflect debates within the feminist movement.