Gender Deconstruction and Personal Branding in the News of Luna Maya's Wedding

Abstract

Celebrity weddings often draw public attention as well as media coverage, such as the marriage of Indonesian actress Luna Maya and Maxim Bouttier. Their wedding, marked by a ten-year age gap, also became a unique point of interest. In Indonesian society, the stigma surrounding women who marry at a later age is still viewed negatively. This study seeks to analyze mass media and social media coverage of this celebrity wedding. The research focuses on how the media frames issues of gender and personal branding in the marriage of public figures, employing a qualitative approach with framing analysis methods. The study concludes that the mass media not only present facts but also construct social perceptions regarding the ideal age for marriage, gender roles, and the measure of a woman’s success. Through speeches, life stories, and emotional symbols conveyed by Luna Maya, the media successfully deconstruct traditional gender myths. The coverage also contributes to shaping Luna Maya’s personal branding as a resilient and independent figure. This wedding coverage becomes a site of dialectics between Indonesia’s patriarchal culture and efforts toward gender deconstruction. The study affirms that mass media act as agents in both constructing and deconstructing issues of gender and the personal branding of public figures.