Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Open Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Humanities

Advisor 1

Sarah A. Bell

Committee Member 1

Andrew Fiss

Committee Member 2

Jason Archer

Abstract

In the realm of television, audiences are interactive viewers who decode meaning based on their lived experiences. Given that each culture has its own set of cultural codes it uses as a lens to navigate life, meanings do not remain constant. This cultural media study breaks down three advertisements to study the effectiveness of these advertisements in relation to religious and cultural codes. Using Stuart Hall’s (1980) encoding/decoding model, an oppositional reading was employed to understand the disconnect that may be caused between an audience of rural Pakistani women and the producers. Objects of focus were nonverbal codes such as wardrobe, styling, and language. Results indicate a disconnect via an array of unfamiliar and uncomfortable double humor and connotations, starting with the brand spokesperson herself. Brands need to localize their campaigns in relation to the audience of rural Pakistani women if the advertising is to be inclusive.

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