The Representation of Beauty on TikTok: A Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

This study looks at the effects of beauty representation in TikTok in its ability to create effects on the audience based on visual texts created by users of the platform. This study allows studying four chosen videos by two famous creators, @tasyafarasya and @bellaclrs., through the prism of the qualitative approach and the semiotic framework by Roland Barthes. The analysis shows that there are three levels of meaning such as (1) the denotation, which is composed of makeup routines, fashion displays, and reviews of products; (2) the connotation, which implies the contemporary values of beauty like fairness, flawlessness, and fashionable look; and (3) the myth, which supports the ideology that beauty is determined by fairness, flawlessness, and fashionable appearance. These are symbolic structures that later create a diversity of effects to an audience. The positive effects are inspiration towards self care, creativity motivation, and social bonding and the negative effects are insecurity, social comparison, anxiety and loss of self esteem. The research concludes that the effects of representation of beauty do not manifest themselves immediately because of the content, but because of the cultural myth and ideological meaning coined by repetitive visual signs. The present research adds to the interpretation of TikTok as a new space that shapes and enhances the ideology of beauty in digital culture.