月經意象在女性衛生用品中的概念隱喻：以網路經驗分享文和廣告為例

Abstract

本研究旨在探討女性月經相關概念如何透過隱喻在女性自身敘述的語言文字和女性衛生用品廣告圖像中呈現，以及存在這些月經隱喻背後的身體認知和社會評價。 長久以來，月經向來是人們禁忌的話題，然而現今網路虛擬世界提供女性一個既隱密又自由的談論環境。隱喻不僅是人類思考及認知的重要機制，也有傳達價值判斷的功能。本文之月經隱喻主要基於概念隱喻理論(Conceptual Metaphor Theory)以及西蒙波娃「女人是後天形塑而成」的觀點，採取兩個分析視角：由女性所撰寫之網路經驗分享文代表女性自身的角度，女性衛生用品的平面廣告則代表社會大眾的視角。藉由隱喻，了解女性自身以及社會外界如何看待月經，描繪出相對完整的月經意象。 本研究有兩個主要發現。第一，網路經驗分享文中比例最高的隱喻有：經血是人(MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS HUMAN)、棉片是壞人(SANITARY PAD IS BAD PEOPLE)、棉條是親密之人(TAMPON IS INTIMATE PEOPLE)；廣告圖像中比例最高的隱喻有：經血是水(MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS WATER)、經血是敵人(MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS ENEMY)、棉片是物品(SANITARY PAD IS OBJECT)、棉條是物品(TAMPON IS OBJECT)。女性自身傾向將月經相關事物形容為人，傳達出月經為同路夥伴的意象；社會外界則傾向把月經相關事物形容為無生命之物，並視之為威脅或脆弱的狀態。第二，無論是經驗分享文或是平面廣告，對月經的態度在棉片和棉條中皆有所差異。經驗分享文中，棉片使用者對於月經經驗多半持負面態度，而棉條使用者對月經經驗有較為正面的反應；平面廣告中，棉片廣告對月經持有正面且溫和的意象，但棉條廣告則對月經抱持較多敵意，認為月經是應該被打敗的競爭對手。 除了探討月經相關概念隱喻，在語料觀察中也發現，即使是非面對面的網路言談，也大多以代名詞代指「月經」，且真正的經血從未出現在女性衛生用品廣告中。由此反映出大眾對於月經採取隔離避諱的態度，在這樣的社會脈絡下，更加深了女性在現實中必須努力隱藏月經的壓力，以維持社會價值認同的「正常的」身體。 本論文彌補了以往月經相關研究採取的單一觀點，根據女性自身和社會大眾兩種隱喻分析觀點，反映出兩方對月經意象認知的落差，以此提供一個更為全面的月經意象建構。

The present study aims to examine how menstrual-related concepts are represented through metaphors in female’s online self-experience sharing articles and feminine hygiene product print advertisements, and probe into female body image and its social evaluation underlying these metaphors. Throughout history, menstruation has long been a taboo topic; however, nowadays Internet provides a private yet free environment for females to talk about it. Conceptual metaphor is not only considered as an important mechanism of human thinking, but a device to reflect social values. Basing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Kövecses, 2002; Lakoff, 1993; Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and Simone de Beauvoir’s view of “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”, this study adapts two analytical perspectives: verbal output from female’s self and visual input from the society. By means of metaphor, we expect to understand how female’s self as well as the public see menstruation, and sketch out a relatively complete image of menstruation. There are two main findings in this study. To start with, the most seen menstrual-related metaphors in online experience sharing articles are: MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS HUMAN, SANITARY PAD IS BAD PEOPLE, and TAMPON IS INTIMATE PEOPLE; the prominent metaphors in print ads are: MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS WATER, MENSTRUAL BLOOD IS ENEMY, SANITARY PAD IS OBJECT, and TAMPON IS OBJECT. Women themselves tend to regard menstruation as a life journey companion, while commercial ads describe menstrual-related ideas as non-living objects, and see them as threats or vulnerable states. Second, attitude differences are found between sanitary pad users/ads and tampon users/ads in both experience sharing articles and print ads. In female’s self-narration, sanitary pad users hold a negative attitude toward menstruation, but tampon users hold a positive attitude toward it. On the contrary, in print ads, sanitary pad ads have a positive and gentle image toward menstruation, but tampon ads express hostility toward menstruation and see it as a rival to be defeated. In addition to menstrual-related metaphors, we found that despite in non-face-to-face online discourse, menstruation is usually mentioned in substitute names, and real menstrual blood has never actually been showed in feminine hygiene product commercials. The concealment reflects that people tend to hold isolation and avoidance toward menstruation, and this has strengthened the pressure of requesting women to well hide their menstrual period to satisfy society’s image of a “normal” body. The current study takes two analytical perspectives from both female’s self and the public, not only complementing single view from either female or the public in literature, but also providing a more general and complete image construction of menstruation.