AMERICAN LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS AND THE BOURGEOISEPUBLIC SPHERE:EXAMINING FEMALE MARGINALIZATION IN JIMMY KIMMEL LIVEAND 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.