Narrative Magic and the Construction of Selfhood in Antidepressant Advertising Export

@article{citeulike:2180166, abstract = {This article examines the way in which selfhood is constructed in direct-to-consumer advertisements for antidepressant medications. The sample consists of advertisements that appeared in nine popular magazines between 1997 and 2005, television commercials that ran between 2003 and 2005, and online promotional Web sites. The analysis is divided into three sections. First, it is argued that the ads rely on metaphors of communication, information exchange, and plenitude to construct a relationship between biology and selfhood. Second, in offering the choice for antidepressant treatment, the ads grant individuals a new capacity for the exercise of personal agency. Third, the author describes antidepressants as pills that perform a narrative "magic." In contrast to religious and psychoanalytic narratives that required individuals to incorporate disavowed elements of their selves into an ongoing life narrative, antidepressants are medications that allow individuals to put aside, or jump over, inexplicable and painful moments in their life. 10.1177/0270467606295973}, author = {Stepnisky, Jeffrey N.}, citeulike-article-id = {2180166}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0270467606295973}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://bst.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/1/24}, day = {1}, doi = {10.1177/0270467606295973}, journal = {Bulletin of Science Technology Society}, keywords = {advertising, couples, medicine}, month = {February}, number = {1}, pages = {24--36}, posted-at = {2007-12-29 15:07:30}, priority = {4}, title = {Narrative Magic and the Construction of Selfhood in Antidepressant Advertising}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0270467606295973}, volume = {27}, year = {2007} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:2180166 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2180166 N2 - This article examines the way in which selfhood is constructed in direct-to-consumer advertisements for antidepressant medications. The sample consists of advertisements that appeared in nine popular magazines between 1997 and 2005, television commercials that ran between 2003 and 2005, and online promotional Web sites. The analysis is divided into three sections. First, it is argued that the ads rely on metaphors of communication, information exchange, and plenitude to construct a relationship between biology and selfhood. Second, in offering the choice for antidepressant treatment, the ads grant individuals a new capacity for the exercise of personal agency. Third, the author describes antidepressants as pills that perform a narrative "magic." In contrast to religious and psychoanalytic narratives that required individuals to incorporate disavowed elements of their selves into an ongoing life narrative, antidepressants are medications that allow individuals to put aside, or jump over, inexplicable and painful moments in their life. 10.1177/0270467606295973 IS - 1 JF - Bulletin of Science Technology Society EP - 36 TI - Narrative Magic and the Construction of Selfhood in Antidepressant Advertising VL - 27 SP - 24 KW - advertising KW - couples KW - medicine AU - Stepnisky, Jeffrey PY - 2007/02/01/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0270467606295973 ER -