Explain how your skills in the creative use of digital technology developed over time. Refer to a range of examples from your media productions in your answer.
I think my skills have developed in creativity and use of digital technology in the from AS to A2 as I have learnt to use more of a range of software and digital equipment which helped me use more creativity in my work. We have had to produce a film opening in the first year and a trailer with a magazine front cover and also a film poster in the second year, both of these use a range of digital technology and helped develop my creativity. I am going to structure this essay so that I break it down into pre-production, production and then post-production.
For first year, I was using a lot of the technologies for the first time and found myself developing my skills through the use of various examples of experimentation. In pre-production, I used technologies such as Google in order to research different genre types and to influence the direction in which I would take my product. As I began to take influences from various different directors and films, I took my inspiration to iMovie which allowed me to experiment with different editing styles, and tweak my visual style and remove any bad parts within my work. This software was easy to access for someone who had never used an editing software before and it helped me dramatically when I moved on to the production stage with more complex editing softwares such as Premiere Pro. As I planned aspects within my film opening, I tested certain experimental aspects within my film such as the use of whip pan and pass by transitions within iMovie, allowing me to break down the process of film directors such as Edgar Wright. This allowed me to remove anything which did not look good while also allowing me to think how to better film for the editing process by leaving in longer shots to cut shorter and to transition. For second year, I used a similar process. I instead used my editor of choice, Premiere pro, in order to confirm different visual styles that I would take on to use within my film trailer. For example, I began researching the different uses of aspect ratios within films using Google and what effect they can give and what genres they typically lend themselves to. I found that using thicker black bars at the top and bottom of the screen would cause the film to appear more serious in tone and more cinematic, while a comedy may use minimal black bars in order to give a lighter tone to the film's appearance. I looked at a film which had a visual style and tone which I felt would reflect well into the genre in which I was trying to develop. I used a frame from Skyfall and placed the image directly into Premiere Pro. As Premiere Pro would only crop using percentages, I used the frame from sky fall in order to reflect the exact aspect ratio of the film by placing two images side by side. As a result I found that the percentage to crop would be 30% from the top and bottom. I was now aware of how I should be composing my images in-camera in order to make sure that I did not remove too much visual information within the editing process.
Digital technology was crucial within the use of my production phases. In order to film my footage, I utilised a Canon 70D. For my first year, I was not very experienced with this technology and was not aware of how to adjust all aspects of the camera in order to achieve the best images. As a result, a lot of the images were not as good of a quality as they could have been due to the lack of light getting into the lens in some locations. I also used only one lens, which did not affect my production greatly but I lacked the knowledge to plan shots with the use of an appropriate lens. In second year, my knowledge became increasingly more vast as I was able to experiment with my camera more. I realised that I could control the amount of light that gets into the camera in order to compensate for bright or dark situations by adjusting ISO, f-stop and shutter speed. I also was able to understand the use of different lens'. Where in first year, I only used a zoom lens, in second year I was able to understand and use a zoom lens, wide angle lens and a prime lens. I was able to use new additions such as the wide angle lens in order to widen interiors and present distorted close ups. I was able to avoid bad quality within my film by using my expanded knowledge however in some cases I was limited by the low-light capabilities within the DSLR.
In post productions, some of my most essential experimentation in order to create a good quality product. I relied on Premiere Pro within my first and second year. I used Premiere Pro in first year to experiment with cross dissolves in order to hide shot transitions. I experimented with colour grading in a way which I had previously not within my first year prior to my film opening. I used Google in order to research different methods for colour grading and attempted to apply some of them to my work. I used the three way colour corrector, RGB curves and brightness and contrast in order to create a cinematic style. I took inspiration from Edgar Wright again and looked to apply genre-specific colours to my film, much like he had done to Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End. I used the colour grade as a result to highlight green tones within the film as it offered connotations to the Sci-fi genre. In second year, I became heavily more experimental within the editing process as I felt that I now had enough knowledge within the software of Premiere Pro in order to use different assets and tools within the software in order to take my film trailer into different creative directions. I developed my idea of colour connotations and applied them through the use of red in order to imply violence within the tone. I also experimented with the use of film grain in order to remove the clean digital appearance of some shots and replace them with film grain that is popular within the crime genre in order to give the film a more gritty appearance. I was also able to improve the stability of many shots which may have been unusable through the use of warp stabiliser which is a tool which was completely new to me.
To conclude, I was able to dramatically develop my skills with the use of digital technology in a way that critiqued aspects of my first year work while developing aspects which did work. I was able to take full creative advantage of the different technologies as my knowledge of them became more expansive.
Monday, 6 June 2016
Monday, 23 May 2016
1B Exam Revision
"A process needed for problem solving…not a special gift enjoyed by a few but a common ability possessed by most people"-Jones 1993
Post production research and planning
Links to my first year in terms of deciding in post production to film more and add to the film in order to achieve a longer film of a better quality. Links to second year as I restructured much of the trailer for pacing. Also had to change dramatic plot/trailer elements due to location constraints such as the car park.
"The making of the new and the re arranging of the old"-Bentley 1997
Media conventions, post production, digital technology
Links to my film within ancillary task as I was able to take a classic poster appearance from artists such as Saul Bass who's work featured within the advertisement of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
"Creativity results from the interaction of a system composed of three elements: a culture that contains symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain, and a field of experts who recognise and validate the innovation."-Csikszentmihalyi 1996
"There is no absolute judgement [on creativity] All judgements are comparisons of one thing with another."-Donald Larning
Media conventions
Who was your product aimed at?
Predominantly male, working class, age 20-40. Themes of drugs, location, genre all help secure this demographic. Also could talk about how I attempted to expand my audience by appealing to women through a questionnaire.
Media Language:
I used action code within numerous examples such as the gun being shot and the follow up of blood. Enigma code is seeded throughout the trailer as the use of the final act of the film first which takes place in an interrogation room with bruised features. This causes the audience to wonder how he managed to get himself into this condition. Semantic code of the use of red within the trailer/title used to highlight connotations to villainy and violence, idea of violence before it happens is granted from tools they carry.
Within first year-Enigma code featured strongly throughout the opening in order to give the audience a sense of mystery surrounding the images that are flashing within the person's mind.
Monday, 16 May 2016
Discuss how one or more groups of people are represented through the media
Main point Grebner: The more time people spent ‘living’ in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television’
Youth:
Gender:
Youth:
- Quadrophenia (gang culture, violent, drug using, variation of schizophrenia shows how mentally unstable youth were)
- Ill Manors, Attack the block, Bullet Boy (broken Britain, criminal, drug user, even most redeemable characters are criminals, estate, lower class)
- Ill Manors a year after London Riots, shows how media is shaped by fears of older theory
- Giroux: Youth becomes an empty category which reflect the anxieties and interests of adult society.
- Gramsci: Much of the media controlled by the dominant group in society and the view points associated with the group inevitably become embedded in the product themselves
Gender:
- Fairy Liquid advert 1966 (depicts a woman within a kitchen environment, wearing apron and assuming her gender stereotype)
- Laura Mulvey Male Gaze Theory (Massagic Shoes in 1974 shows naked woman looking at a shoe saying 'keep her where she belongs') media created with male consumers in mind
- Patriarchy: The idea of a society of men run by men for men. Male Power.
- Modern Day
- Introduce the Female Gaze 1988 showing that media is taking women audience into consideration
- Diet Coke advert 2013 supports this notion
- This idea was introduced in 1984 Hanson Put forth the idea that women are also able to view male characters as erotic objects of desire.
NEED TO DISCUSS HOW THESE REPRESENTATIONS MAY CHANGE WITHIN THE FUTURE
Theory
Buckingham – representation of people
‘A focus on identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and the consequences for social groups.’
Giddens – Structuration – How society is changing and how the media represents society have changed because of this. -
Gauntlet - Because 'inherited recipes for living and role stereotypes fails to function', we have to make our own new patterns of being, and it seems clear that the media plays an important role here’
‘ Identity is complicated – everyone thinks they’ve got one’
Gerbner – Cultivation Theory – The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spent ‘living’ in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television’
Acland – Representation of Youths – to maintain social order – hegemony. ‘ The idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring’
Giroux – ‘Youth becomes an empty category which reflect the anxieties and interests of adult society.’
Studler – Female Gaze 1988 – In Masochism as in the infantile state of dependence, pleasure does not involve mastery of the female or submission of her body and he gaze. This pleasure also applies to the infant the masochist and the film spectator.
Hanson – 1984- Put forth the idea that women are also able to view male characters as erotic objects of desire.
Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze – ‘For women the result of media being presented from the perspective on men and through the male gaze, women find themselves at times taking of the male gaze. Women then gaze at other women in the same way as a man would, and thus end up objectifying other women.’
Hebdige – 1979- ‘Subculture brings together likeminded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity.’
Branston and Stafford – Sterotypes – Soap rely on archetypal characters and stereotypes- ensure ready accessibility because stories have universal appeal about families and communities. Stereotypes depend on shared cultural knowledge – some part of the stereotype must ring true.
Dyer – 1979 – ‘Stereotypes are always about power. Those with power stereotype those with less power’
Collective Identity – ‘Individual sense of belonging to a group or collective who share a set of traditions and values’
Gramsci- ‘Much of the media controlled by the dominant group in society and the view points associated with the group inevitably become embedded in the product themselves, even if the promotion of these views isn’t conscious – dominant views come to be seen as the norm.’
Patriarchy – the idea of a society of men run by men for men. Male Power.
22% of people in the media are women, which means the media is mainly influenced by men.
‘A focus on identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and the consequences for social groups.’
Giddens – Structuration – How society is changing and how the media represents society have changed because of this. -
Gauntlet - Because 'inherited recipes for living and role stereotypes fails to function', we have to make our own new patterns of being, and it seems clear that the media plays an important role here’
‘ Identity is complicated – everyone thinks they’ve got one’
Gerbner – Cultivation Theory – The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spent ‘living’ in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television’
Acland – Representation of Youths – to maintain social order – hegemony. ‘ The idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring’
Giroux – ‘Youth becomes an empty category which reflect the anxieties and interests of adult society.’
Studler – Female Gaze 1988 – In Masochism as in the infantile state of dependence, pleasure does not involve mastery of the female or submission of her body and he gaze. This pleasure also applies to the infant the masochist and the film spectator.
Hanson – 1984- Put forth the idea that women are also able to view male characters as erotic objects of desire.
Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze – ‘For women the result of media being presented from the perspective on men and through the male gaze, women find themselves at times taking of the male gaze. Women then gaze at other women in the same way as a man would, and thus end up objectifying other women.’
Hebdige – 1979- ‘Subculture brings together likeminded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity.’
Branston and Stafford – Sterotypes – Soap rely on archetypal characters and stereotypes- ensure ready accessibility because stories have universal appeal about families and communities. Stereotypes depend on shared cultural knowledge – some part of the stereotype must ring true.
Dyer – 1979 – ‘Stereotypes are always about power. Those with power stereotype those with less power’
Collective Identity – ‘Individual sense of belonging to a group or collective who share a set of traditions and values’
Gramsci- ‘Much of the media controlled by the dominant group in society and the view points associated with the group inevitably become embedded in the product themselves, even if the promotion of these views isn’t conscious – dominant views come to be seen as the norm.’
Patriarchy – the idea of a society of men run by men for men. Male Power.
22% of people in the media are women, which means the media is mainly influenced by men.
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Attack the Block-Questions
-Identify at least 3 key theories that can be used in the representations of Youth and ethnicity within the film.
• “ A focus on Identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups” David Buckingham
• “ A focus on Identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups” David Buckingham
• Identity is now consciously constructed, and the media provides some of the tools to help us construct our identities. The media contains a huge number of messages about identity and acceptable lifestyles.
• Youth becomes an empty category in representation – reflects adult concerns. Giroux
-Do you agree with Buckingham's statement in relation to this film?
- Yes, since the film is taking all stereotypes and reflecting them within each character. The film does not accurately depict the reality of the situation as not everyone associated with this lifestyle takes part within crimes.
Do you agree with Gauntelett's statement in relation to this film?
- It can be argued that the media has shaped the identity for this Youth Culture by putting emphasis on the bad stereotypes. This has caused the representation of youth culture to be tainted by negative views.
Exam Prep
Section A
Identify digital technologies that you have used to construct media text (Year 1+Year 2)
What new techniques have you learnt (year 2)
Year 1:
Identify digital technologies that you have used to construct media text (Year 1+Year 2)
What new techniques have you learnt (year 2)
Year 1:
- Photoshop
- Premiere Pro
- imovie
Year 2:
- Better at Photoshop
- Camera knowledge improved. Understand ISO, Lens types, Aperture
- Colour Grade, Film Grain, new assists such as aspect ratio and warp stabiliser, experimented with black and white film uses.
Technology hindering production:
- DSLR is not great in low light situations, had to compensate.
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
Explain what is meant by 'collective identity' and the role of media in its construction
Collective identity is a concept that refers to a set of individuals' sense of belonging to a social group or collection. Over the years the media has had a massive role to play in the tarnishing of certain individuals through their representation within media. This can have massive implications for those who are being represented and can often result in bad attitudes, stereotypes and a pollution of ideas about reality.
Films such as Ill Manors (2012) reflect a gritty interpretation of a broken Britain. Within the film we are introduced to a number of characters who are all criminals in one form or another. The audience can see drug taking, sexual activity, harassment and violence stem from the same social group. Since it is a common stereotype to associate underclass people living within London to be taking part in these activities, they are often subjected to a constant criticism and hate from the public. Other films such as Fish Tank (2009) and Attack the Block emphasise ideas about this collective identity, reflecting them as poorly spoken, uneducated criminals. This representation culminates to cause anyone involved with these social classes to be subjected to the same stereotypes despite them not being true. This coincides with Grebner's cultivation theory which states that "the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television'. An earlier example of a collective identity being affected by media representation can be seen within films such as Quadrophenia (1979) in which they portray gang culture of the Rockers and the Mods. All of the youths within the film are seen taking drugs, committing crimes and having mental disorders. This film represented anyone associated with this culture as dangerous individuals. This had bad implications as it singled them out from the rest of society because of their representation. Gidden's structuration theory can be used in this instance as it claims that social structure is established through traditions and established ways of doing things which requires the individual to follow these structures. In examples such as Ill Manors, the social structure is shaped by the representation of youth within the film, causing stereotypes to become apart of the social structure by causing the audience to assume this is the "established way of doing things" resulting in a poor representation of youth overall.
Another collective identity that has fallen victim to poor representation within the media is women. Within the 1950s, companies such as Fairy Liquid would only show a sexist representation of women as they were often depicted as stay at home mothers who's husband would be out working. The adverts would always feature a woman within a kitchen environment or with a child in order to further enhance these stereotypes. Other adverts would use women and their body image in order to sell products to a male audience. This coincides with Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory which actually reflects the sexism of the time as advertisement would only focus on the male audience instead of the female audience. The stereotypical representation of women during this time made it impossible for them to rise above anything other than an accessory of a man. As media has progressed, some issues within the female representation has eased down. Women are still shown within sexist environments but as advertisements such as the Persil campaign depicting two men arguing over the washing up shows, the issue has reduced considerably. The issue with body image has developed into something more now as assets such as Photoshop are now being used in order to airbrush women in order to create a model that is deemed perfect by the media. There have been many examples of this within brands such as Calvin Klein and Cosmopolitan and have changed appearances drastically. As a result, the media is held responsible for the further objectification of women as they are being digitally manipulated in order to appeal to the male audience and what they deem 'attractive'. The construction of this collective identity can also have drastic effects on those who are being represented as they feel they are not apart of a group causing them to adopt bad eating habits and risk their lives in order to achieve a media body type. This links to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality which causes audience to not properly distinguish between the world that the media sets up and its consequences, and the one in which we live in.
Islam is also a culture which suffers greatly with its representation within the media post 9/11. Islam is a word which wrongly conjures connotations to terrorism. Existing ideas about Islam was enhanced by the bombing of the world trade centre. This stemmed an idea that our enemy was hidden among us and as a result caused the world to often segregate people within this religion. This mass hysteria has been a wide source of influence for the media as they attempt to direct their messages towards those who fear this, targeting Islam as the enemy. Examples of this ruthless targeting by the media include newspapers such as the Sun who released an outlandish statement, claiming '1 in 5 Brit Muslims' sympathy for Jihadis'. This statement was after the recent Paris shootings in 2015 and was an attempt to target a large percentage of the public who were experiencing hysteria, similar to how they were feeling during 9/11. This targeted representaion would allow for more people who feel affected to purchase a copy of the newspaper. The term Jihad immediately draws connotations to terrorism, mainly because the media such as the Sun and The Daily Telegraph have used this term at every opportunity. The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle and effort, which is often misunderstood as solely a holy war however, there are three kinds of struggle, the first being an internal struggle to live out the Muslim as well as possible. The second struggle is to build a good Muslim society, the third is a holy war to defend Islam with force if necessary. This third idea is a concept that causes mass confusion as the media constantly label all Jihads under this idea. It can have drastic effects for those who are peaceful as they are singled out as if they have committed the crime.
To conclude, collective identity is massively dictated and victimised by the media, causing those concerned with the group to be singled out from the public. It becomes clear that the media creates all of these negative stereotypes about different social groups purely for the benefit of whatever media that is being sold. The public promote the media's depictions of these collective identities as they love to watch gritty British films depicting street life, they buy magazines with models that are being objectified, and they give in to hysteria by purchasing newspapers and promote hateful ideology.
Films such as Ill Manors (2012) reflect a gritty interpretation of a broken Britain. Within the film we are introduced to a number of characters who are all criminals in one form or another. The audience can see drug taking, sexual activity, harassment and violence stem from the same social group. Since it is a common stereotype to associate underclass people living within London to be taking part in these activities, they are often subjected to a constant criticism and hate from the public. Other films such as Fish Tank (2009) and Attack the Block emphasise ideas about this collective identity, reflecting them as poorly spoken, uneducated criminals. This representation culminates to cause anyone involved with these social classes to be subjected to the same stereotypes despite them not being true. This coincides with Grebner's cultivation theory which states that "the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television'. An earlier example of a collective identity being affected by media representation can be seen within films such as Quadrophenia (1979) in which they portray gang culture of the Rockers and the Mods. All of the youths within the film are seen taking drugs, committing crimes and having mental disorders. This film represented anyone associated with this culture as dangerous individuals. This had bad implications as it singled them out from the rest of society because of their representation. Gidden's structuration theory can be used in this instance as it claims that social structure is established through traditions and established ways of doing things which requires the individual to follow these structures. In examples such as Ill Manors, the social structure is shaped by the representation of youth within the film, causing stereotypes to become apart of the social structure by causing the audience to assume this is the "established way of doing things" resulting in a poor representation of youth overall.
Another collective identity that has fallen victim to poor representation within the media is women. Within the 1950s, companies such as Fairy Liquid would only show a sexist representation of women as they were often depicted as stay at home mothers who's husband would be out working. The adverts would always feature a woman within a kitchen environment or with a child in order to further enhance these stereotypes. Other adverts would use women and their body image in order to sell products to a male audience. This coincides with Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory which actually reflects the sexism of the time as advertisement would only focus on the male audience instead of the female audience. The stereotypical representation of women during this time made it impossible for them to rise above anything other than an accessory of a man. As media has progressed, some issues within the female representation has eased down. Women are still shown within sexist environments but as advertisements such as the Persil campaign depicting two men arguing over the washing up shows, the issue has reduced considerably. The issue with body image has developed into something more now as assets such as Photoshop are now being used in order to airbrush women in order to create a model that is deemed perfect by the media. There have been many examples of this within brands such as Calvin Klein and Cosmopolitan and have changed appearances drastically. As a result, the media is held responsible for the further objectification of women as they are being digitally manipulated in order to appeal to the male audience and what they deem 'attractive'. The construction of this collective identity can also have drastic effects on those who are being represented as they feel they are not apart of a group causing them to adopt bad eating habits and risk their lives in order to achieve a media body type. This links to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality which causes audience to not properly distinguish between the world that the media sets up and its consequences, and the one in which we live in.
Islam is also a culture which suffers greatly with its representation within the media post 9/11. Islam is a word which wrongly conjures connotations to terrorism. Existing ideas about Islam was enhanced by the bombing of the world trade centre. This stemmed an idea that our enemy was hidden among us and as a result caused the world to often segregate people within this religion. This mass hysteria has been a wide source of influence for the media as they attempt to direct their messages towards those who fear this, targeting Islam as the enemy. Examples of this ruthless targeting by the media include newspapers such as the Sun who released an outlandish statement, claiming '1 in 5 Brit Muslims' sympathy for Jihadis'. This statement was after the recent Paris shootings in 2015 and was an attempt to target a large percentage of the public who were experiencing hysteria, similar to how they were feeling during 9/11. This targeted representaion would allow for more people who feel affected to purchase a copy of the newspaper. The term Jihad immediately draws connotations to terrorism, mainly because the media such as the Sun and The Daily Telegraph have used this term at every opportunity. The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle and effort, which is often misunderstood as solely a holy war however, there are three kinds of struggle, the first being an internal struggle to live out the Muslim as well as possible. The second struggle is to build a good Muslim society, the third is a holy war to defend Islam with force if necessary. This third idea is a concept that causes mass confusion as the media constantly label all Jihads under this idea. It can have drastic effects for those who are peaceful as they are singled out as if they have committed the crime.
To conclude, collective identity is massively dictated and victimised by the media, causing those concerned with the group to be singled out from the public. It becomes clear that the media creates all of these negative stereotypes about different social groups purely for the benefit of whatever media that is being sold. The public promote the media's depictions of these collective identities as they love to watch gritty British films depicting street life, they buy magazines with models that are being objectified, and they give in to hysteria by purchasing newspapers and promote hateful ideology.
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Exam Post Mark
I have been researching teenagers
and their identity. I’ve been looking into how the media shown teenagers.
I will relate this to Misfits and
Fishtank, and explain their collective identity.
Misfits is a british tv series based on a group of teens
who are all facing community service.
We learn all there individual identity’s and are made to
believe they have no hope. We meet 5 teenagers who are all stereotypically
shown with anti-social behavior. In the group there is a party girl, sports
runner, cocky one etc.
Tajfel and turner quote that ‘people tend to
categorise themselves into groups which they then build their identity’s’. I disagree
with this as these have been emerged
together as they have all been in crime. These include drugs, drink driving,
fighting etc.
Historically this can relate to
Skins and grange hill, these are all school based although skins covered more
controversial issues. We see petty crimes which aren’t as serious as the ones
in misfits. Tajfel
and turner quite is related to skins as they are all a group of friends and
they build there identity together.
Fishtank a 2009 film,
teenagers are portrayed differently. We get to see Mia a 15 year old girl who has no hope. She
has a dream of dancing but with young single mothered mum who shouts and swears at children she has a poor
family structure to help her. David Buckingham quotes that the media don’t just
offer a transparent window of the world but a mediated one.
Mia smokes, binge drink and has underage
sex. The audience are made to believe that all teenagers are like this. He young mother who gets
a boyfriend, he wants to help Mia and find her identity. He often asks her to
dance to his favourite song although when she does we see them having sex.
David Buckingham quote can be related to misfits, we are made to believe that
all teenagers have convicted crimes. In Bullett Boy we see a gang of boys who are all
involved in drugs and crime. The media show teen culture in a very bad way.
Misfits is released on TV past the water shed times as they all swear etc. It is shown on both E4
and channel 4,
their website contains games, podcasts, blogs etc. On the blogs you can
communicate with other fans. They have a facebook and twitter page with all individual accounts. David
Gauntlett explains that identity’s are complicated however everyone thinks they
have one.
In Fishtank her mothers boyfriends finds a dance
event she can attend Mia then believes she made have found her identity when she gets there she is called up on
stage for which she didn’t know it was pole/lap dancing.
The media then show how teenagers have
no hope or luck.
Historically this could be related
to Dawson’s creek as we are made to look down on the anti-social behaviour
teens. It could also relate to Waterloo road which is a tv series on a school who the youngens follow the
action of the olders.
We then get to see the mother having
a party in her council estate flats with family and friends. Her two children aren’t invited an stay upstairs. This
shows the lack of family structure at home. We meet Mia’s little sister tyler with a friend both who are
swearing and smoking.
The audience are left to believe all young mums live in broken britain and teenagers have no hope at all.
Mia was kicked out of school and
they receive a letter which is accepting her to a place in an anti-social
behaviour school.
Exam Preparation
Media and Collective identity:
- How do the contemporary media represent: nations, regions and ethnic/social/collective groups of people in different ways?
-How does contemporary representations compare to previous time periods?
-What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?
- To what extent is human identity increasingly 'mediated'?
Critical Perspectives in Media
Candidates may analyse the representation of and/or the collective identity of one or more group(s) of people.
-National cinema, television representations, magazines and…gender, representations of youth and youth culture, post 9/11 representations of Islam, absence/presence of people with disability in two media.
Theoretical Approaches to Media Representations of Youth
Essay guidelines:
Utilise: Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20)
Show examples of collective identity, analyse the example and show how it relates to media theory relating to representations and Collective Identity.
Explain the effects of media representation on individuals/or society as a whole
Use historical (older than 5 years) and contemporary (less than 5 years old).
Use of Examples (16-20 marks)
Be very clear in the examples
'CK-One' verses Calvin Klein 1994 advertisement of CK-One shows gender ambiguity.
Examples of theories, texts and industry knowledge are clearly connected together in the answer. History and the future are integrated into the discussion with conviction.
Use of terminology-(8-10 marks)
You should
- How do the contemporary media represent: nations, regions and ethnic/social/collective groups of people in different ways?
-How does contemporary representations compare to previous time periods?
-What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?
- To what extent is human identity increasingly 'mediated'?
Critical Perspectives in Media
Candidates may analyse the representation of and/or the collective identity of one or more group(s) of people.
-National cinema, television representations, magazines and…gender, representations of youth and youth culture, post 9/11 representations of Islam, absence/presence of people with disability in two media.
Theoretical Approaches to Media Representations of Youth
Essay guidelines:
Utilise: Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20)
Show examples of collective identity, analyse the example and show how it relates to media theory relating to representations and Collective Identity.
Explain the effects of media representation on individuals/or society as a whole
Use historical (older than 5 years) and contemporary (less than 5 years old).
Use of Examples (16-20 marks)
Be very clear in the examples
'CK-One' verses Calvin Klein 1994 advertisement of CK-One shows gender ambiguity.
Examples of theories, texts and industry knowledge are clearly connected together in the answer. History and the future are integrated into the discussion with conviction.
Use of terminology-(8-10 marks)
You should
Wednesday, 24 February 2016
Has the mediation of gender changed, does this reflect changes in society?
During the period of the 1950s onwards, it could be argued that media was mainly concerned with the male audience as women were often treated as second class citizens who were inferior to the opposite sex. Women were largely sexualised within the media as can be seen in advertisements such as clothing or cigarettes. Within these adverts, we see women completely objectified and represented according to Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory. This over sexualised representation of women clearly shows that they were not taken seriously within the media world. This point is highlighted further within this time as women were also represented as dull or stereotypical stay at home mothers. This can be seen within advertisement campaigns such as Fairy Liquid adverts within 1965 which depict this stereotype as a selling point. Apart from these representations women were not really shown as much else within the media. Women were often represented as lesser beings than the male, this was also done because it was thought that men would be buying these items for the women so it was often implied that the women needed what was being advertised because they were unable to cope without it.
Since this point, gender representation has stepped into the modern age and has seen some changes along the way. The role of women has become more general, stepping away from stereotypes. This can be seen in adverts such as Persil which now feature a man doing the washing instead of the woman doing it. Nutella also had an advertisement campaign in the year 2013 which depicted multiple people of varying genders and ethnicities. This marked a change from the previous campaign in the year 2011 which instead depicted a stereotypical stay at home mum in her morning routine of taking care of the children. This shows significant progress and how the lines between gender are becoming blurred. This can also be said for the fashion world, which despite having made little progress in the way it objectifies women actually has taken the views of women into consideration. Now we see men being overly sexualised just as much as women as can be seen in brands such as Calvin Klein. Now theorists must consider the female gaze within media as it now plays such a big role. This much attention to what women want to see would definitely have not been seen within the media of the 1950s. The media has also become accepting of changing genders, a concept that would not have been tolerated years prior has now become a large part of media. Examples of this include Brad Pitt's Rolling Stone cover in which he wears a dress, blending gender stereotypes of both sides, and the Caitlyn Jenner reveal for Vanity Fair which sparked a wave of support and controversy.
To conclude modern media has changed drastically from the small concerns of male audiences to a wide variety in which all gender classes are represented differently but much more equally than before. A lot of these developments can be owed to society and how events within history has influenced the ways in which different classes are represented. As women began to campaign for equal rights throughout throughout the 1960s-1970s period in America it made the idea of strong women move into mainstream media. As celebrities such as Bruce Jenner begin to undertake in life changing surgery, more and more media outlets have begun to cover this subject matter in television such as Orange is the New Black, and in advertisement such as MAC.
Changing Gender Roles
An example of changing gender roles: Male models becoming overly sexualised in the same sense as women now. This is a negative affect in the sense that males are now objectified but it also does show that there is more equality between genders within this sense now. It shows that the media is now considering what appeals to women instead of just what appeals to men.
Women are now less associated with stereotypical, stay at home roles and audiences can now see men being represented in the job roles of women in adverts such as the Ariel advertising campaign. However, some of these sexist ideas still remain prevalent within todays culture. Adverts such as the Oven Pride range off an opposite idea about sexism, reversing the male and the female roles.
Male representation in Media:
Women are now less associated with stereotypical, stay at home roles and audiences can now see men being represented in the job roles of women in adverts such as the Ariel advertising campaign. However, some of these sexist ideas still remain prevalent within todays culture. Adverts such as the Oven Pride range off an opposite idea about sexism, reversing the male and the female roles.
Male representation in Media:
- Dominant
- Objectified
- Unaware of how basic things work
- Tough
- Violent
Female Representation in Media:
- Inferior
- Weak
- More intelligent than the male
- Stay at home/Take care of the kids
- Caring
- Objectified
Representation of women
-Beauty (Within narrow conventions)
-size/physique (again, with narrow conventions)
-Sexuality (as expressed by the above)
-Emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
-Relationships (as opposed to independence/freedom)
This image of Brad Pitt wearing what appears to be a dress can be an indicator of how some of the ideas have changed since the beginning of advertising. Brad Pitt is literally blending aspects of both gender roles by wearing a dress and a kitchen glove. You would not have seen a man dressed like this during the 1950s period, let alone feature on the front cover of a major magazine. This clearly shows us that the public and media have become more accepting of gender and are beginning to blur the line within their portrayal within the mainstream media.
This image shows women being portrayed in a more natural way as opposed to the very mediated images that create women that the media deem beautiful. This shows a massive evolution as a more honest media is represented that doesn't use Photoshop to create a hyperreality. This also allows women to feel more comfortable with themselves as they can acknowledge that there a multiple body types.
Nutella Adverts:
Advert 1: Depicts the morning routine of a mother as she attempts to help her children get ready for the day ahead. The husband cannot be seen within the advertisement so it is assumed that he is working or just not concerned with the kids. There is more of a focus placed on the woman's role of a sat at home mother as it really focuses on these stereotypes.
Advert 2: Shows multiple families of varying genders and ethnicity all enjoying the use of Nutella. The representation within this video is more broad and general a opposed to focused on an individual. Stereotypes are not common within the advert and each gender and race is given equal representation. This shows a change in ideas from stereotypical and gender focused to a much more general and carefree representation.
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
What is your view on the male Body Image to what extent do you think that the representation of male body image is changing?
Throughout the years, the media's representation of the male physique has drastically changed. Where before, men would not have felt pressured to have perfect body types they are now extremely self conscious about the matter. This is due to a proliferation of media over the years which bombards male audiences with images of models and edited appearances which can combine to make them feel that they have to make drastic, and somewhat harmful changes to their lifestyle in order to achieve unrealistic goals.
When people think about body image and the negative effect that it has, they commonly associate this issue with females. This is because throughout periods such as the 1950s, there was an enormous amount of pressure being focused on their body type as advertising of the time began embracing the idea of using pin up girls as a way to sell product. From that point onwards, women have been concerned with their appearance and have strived to achieve the image that men want. Meanwhile, men of the time had little concern over this matter as there wasn't a lot of media products which highlighted the male form in a way that would force the audience to feel self-conscious.
As years went by, the world saw an influx of media products. Attitudes towards women and their place in the world began to change, as a result distributors began to create media products that would appeal to women in the same way that the pin up girls used in advertisement would have appealed to men. This ushered in a new era of male models and a focus on appearance that had never been seen before. Men are now overly sexualised, almost to the same extent as women in order to sell product. Examples of this can be seen in adverts such as the Diet Coke advertising campaign where a man with an often sought after physique is represented within the female gaze, highlighting certain features in order to gain a reaction out of its desired audience. The proliferation of media products means that variations on male body image can be seen everywhere you go in life. This can be seen on Twitter, television, film, posters, fashion magazines, and so on. This can be overwhelming for the male audience as they see so much of it to the point where they begin to think that this is a natural body type. The result causes men to feel discontent about their own appearance and begin to do erratic things in order to feel happy with themselves.
Media has set unreachable standards within the male physique and has had a extremely negative impact on the audience as a result. The worst thing about the new standards is that they are often false, using new technology such as Photoshop in order to airbrush and contour models, giving them more defined features which the male audience then attempts to achieve. This confusion between the real world and the world in which the media creates for us is referred to as Hyperreality. This theory from Baudrillard is extremely relevant within todays society as young men often confuse the two worlds and then go to extreme lengths such as plastic surgery and life-shortening routines in order to achieve this standard.
When people think about body image and the negative effect that it has, they commonly associate this issue with females. This is because throughout periods such as the 1950s, there was an enormous amount of pressure being focused on their body type as advertising of the time began embracing the idea of using pin up girls as a way to sell product. From that point onwards, women have been concerned with their appearance and have strived to achieve the image that men want. Meanwhile, men of the time had little concern over this matter as there wasn't a lot of media products which highlighted the male form in a way that would force the audience to feel self-conscious.
As years went by, the world saw an influx of media products. Attitudes towards women and their place in the world began to change, as a result distributors began to create media products that would appeal to women in the same way that the pin up girls used in advertisement would have appealed to men. This ushered in a new era of male models and a focus on appearance that had never been seen before. Men are now overly sexualised, almost to the same extent as women in order to sell product. Examples of this can be seen in adverts such as the Diet Coke advertising campaign where a man with an often sought after physique is represented within the female gaze, highlighting certain features in order to gain a reaction out of its desired audience. The proliferation of media products means that variations on male body image can be seen everywhere you go in life. This can be seen on Twitter, television, film, posters, fashion magazines, and so on. This can be overwhelming for the male audience as they see so much of it to the point where they begin to think that this is a natural body type. The result causes men to feel discontent about their own appearance and begin to do erratic things in order to feel happy with themselves.
Media has set unreachable standards within the male physique and has had a extremely negative impact on the audience as a result. The worst thing about the new standards is that they are often false, using new technology such as Photoshop in order to airbrush and contour models, giving them more defined features which the male audience then attempts to achieve. This confusion between the real world and the world in which the media creates for us is referred to as Hyperreality. This theory from Baudrillard is extremely relevant within todays society as young men often confuse the two worlds and then go to extreme lengths such as plastic surgery and life-shortening routines in order to achieve this standard.
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
Image From Poldark 1975-
The image gives a sense of male dominance as the male character leans over towards the female. He is fixing her view towards him with his hand, suggesting that she is able to be manipulated. The woman does not appear to feel the same way about the male as her arms are crossed, a clear indicator that she does not wish for the man to continue. Regardless, he still continues to move toward her.
Poldark Modern
Poldark Modern
Focuses on the Female gaze instead, highlighting key features such as physical frame with each aspect being focused on in an overly sexualised way. This shows how the focus has shifted from a predominantly male perspective to a more female perspective. This implies that the roles between genders have changed because women would have been the subject of sexualisation because the female role was seen as inferior to the male.
What is body image?
Body image is the way we think and feel about the size, shape, weight and overall appearance of our bodies.
"What is your view on the male Body Image to what extent do you think that the representation of male body image is changing."
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Disability -
a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities
Branston and Stafford (2001) -
Soaps rely on archetypal characters and stereotypes - sure ensure ready accessibility
because stories have universal appeal about families and communities
Paul Hunt (1966)-
expressed the views of many when he wrote 'We are tired of being statistics, cases, wonderfully courageous examples to the world, pitiable objects to stimulate funding’.
Dyer (1979) -
Stereotypes are always about power, those with power stereotype people with out power.
Examples in The Media:
Dickens - Tiny Tim / Silas Wegg
A Touch of Frost - Billy
Eastenders - Stacey Slater
The Undateables
The video wrongly suggests that all disabled people can
not look after themselves. This representation within the media can result in the public forming stereotypes surrounding the disabled public, suggesting that they are dependent on others.
This presents disabled people as
dependant on Charity
and dependent on others
Object of Violence
Charles Darwin and “survival of the fittest”
Is a set of beliefs and practices that aims at improving the genetic quality of the human
population.
Eugenicists reiterated ancient traditional fears that disabled people were a serious threat to
British and European society. They set out to safeguard humanity's future by preventing the
reproduction of 'defectives' by sterilisation and segregation
Disabled children are more likely to be abandoned than their able bodied peers
They have less chance of being adopted
More prone to physical and sexual abuse.
Effects of these representations
Disabled people are helpless,
Pitiable
Unable to function without protection,
The Eugenic conviction that the 'natural' solution to the problems associated with impairment
is a violent one.
Does British Society undervalue disabled people, in what why?
I think that disabled people are undervalued in British Society because they are under
represented in the media as there aren't that many disabled characters that feature in
television programmes and therefore some disabilities are not represented at all. Also as
there is a lack of representation of disabled people in the news many story lines containing
disabled people are not always shown on the TV.
Sinister and Evil
Bond Villans with disabilities
Blow-feldt
Dr No
Jaws
Roaul Silva (Skyfall)
Disabled people are more likely to be introverted and sensitive than violent and aggressive,
They are more likely to avoid rather than attack others
The bible there are over 40 instances in which 'the cripple' is connected to sin and sinners
Representation of difference in society are often used to confer evil and suspicion from
Medieval times
Atmosphere or Curio
Disabled people are sometimes included in the story lines of films and TV dramas to
enhance a certain atmosphere, usually one of menace, mystery or deprivation, or to add
character to the visual impact of the production. This dilutes the humanity of disabled people
by deducting them to objects of curiosity.
In what way does the film support views on eugenics.
This films supports the views on eugenics because it suggests that they have to be the
prefect specimens and wherever you see evil with in the film you will see a person with a
deformity or disability suggesting that in this film anyone with a disability is evil and anyone
without a disability are good. The atmosphere is quite dark and has a sinister feel about it
and the people in the room are adding to the atmosphere within the room.
Affects of these Representation
Such exhibitions represent little more than disability voyeurism because they encourage lewd
fascination with impairment.
The non- disabled public's morbid preoccupation with physical difference is also kept alive in horror
and science fiction films. These depictions nurture and perpetuate the unfounded belief that
appearance is inextricably linked to a person's moral character and value
Super Cripple
Disabled person is assigned super human abilities
Blind people are portrayed as visionaries with a sixth sense or extremely sensitive hearing.
News stories about disabled people's achievements -either extra-ordinary or managing to fit
into a 'normal life' -both on television and in the press. On television they account for over a
quarter of all news stories about disabled people.
Effects of these representation
Misguided assumptions about disabled people's abilities can result in them being denied
essential services.
Focusing on a disabled individual's achievements such imagery encourages the view that
disabled people have to overcompensate to be accepted into the community.
Object of Ridicule
Disabled people have been a source of amusement for non-disable
people for centuries.
Effects of these representation
Being mocked publicly is only acceptable if the negative images which ensue can be offset against
positive ones, or if those being ridiculed are able to defend themselves should they choose to.
At present there are virtually no positive images of disabled people in the media disabled people do
not have the resources or a legal framework within which to fight this type of discrimination.
To what extent does this TV comedy drama raise or reinforce issues on the representation of
disability?
The TV comedy drama 'life's too short' reinforces many issues of the representation of people with
disabilities. The main character is featured to have a reliance on other people in order to reach high places, implying that he is inferior to those who aren't disabled. However he attempts not to be helped by others and resist his stereotype. Disabled people
are sexual abnormal when the lady behind the till asks him if the condoms are right for him and then
asks a co-worker if they will fit him.
a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities
Branston and Stafford (2001) -
Soaps rely on archetypal characters and stereotypes - sure ensure ready accessibility
because stories have universal appeal about families and communities
Paul Hunt (1966)-
expressed the views of many when he wrote 'We are tired of being statistics, cases, wonderfully courageous examples to the world, pitiable objects to stimulate funding’.
Dyer (1979) -
Stereotypes are always about power, those with power stereotype people with out power.
Examples in The Media:
Dickens - Tiny Tim / Silas Wegg
A Touch of Frost - Billy
Eastenders - Stacey Slater
The Undateables
The video wrongly suggests that all disabled people can
not look after themselves. This representation within the media can result in the public forming stereotypes surrounding the disabled public, suggesting that they are dependent on others.
This presents disabled people as
dependant on Charity
and dependent on others
Object of Violence
Charles Darwin and “survival of the fittest”
Is a set of beliefs and practices that aims at improving the genetic quality of the human
population.
Eugenicists reiterated ancient traditional fears that disabled people were a serious threat to
British and European society. They set out to safeguard humanity's future by preventing the
reproduction of 'defectives' by sterilisation and segregation
Disabled children are more likely to be abandoned than their able bodied peers
They have less chance of being adopted
More prone to physical and sexual abuse.
Effects of these representations
Disabled people are helpless,
Pitiable
Unable to function without protection,
The Eugenic conviction that the 'natural' solution to the problems associated with impairment
is a violent one.
Does British Society undervalue disabled people, in what why?
I think that disabled people are undervalued in British Society because they are under
represented in the media as there aren't that many disabled characters that feature in
television programmes and therefore some disabilities are not represented at all. Also as
there is a lack of representation of disabled people in the news many story lines containing
disabled people are not always shown on the TV.
Sinister and Evil
Bond Villans with disabilities
Blow-feldt
Dr No
Jaws
Roaul Silva (Skyfall)
Disabled people are more likely to be introverted and sensitive than violent and aggressive,
They are more likely to avoid rather than attack others
The bible there are over 40 instances in which 'the cripple' is connected to sin and sinners
Representation of difference in society are often used to confer evil and suspicion from
Medieval times
Atmosphere or Curio
Disabled people are sometimes included in the story lines of films and TV dramas to
enhance a certain atmosphere, usually one of menace, mystery or deprivation, or to add
character to the visual impact of the production. This dilutes the humanity of disabled people
by deducting them to objects of curiosity.
In what way does the film support views on eugenics.
This films supports the views on eugenics because it suggests that they have to be the
prefect specimens and wherever you see evil with in the film you will see a person with a
deformity or disability suggesting that in this film anyone with a disability is evil and anyone
without a disability are good. The atmosphere is quite dark and has a sinister feel about it
and the people in the room are adding to the atmosphere within the room.
Affects of these Representation
Such exhibitions represent little more than disability voyeurism because they encourage lewd
fascination with impairment.
The non- disabled public's morbid preoccupation with physical difference is also kept alive in horror
and science fiction films. These depictions nurture and perpetuate the unfounded belief that
appearance is inextricably linked to a person's moral character and value
Super Cripple
Disabled person is assigned super human abilities
Blind people are portrayed as visionaries with a sixth sense or extremely sensitive hearing.
News stories about disabled people's achievements -either extra-ordinary or managing to fit
into a 'normal life' -both on television and in the press. On television they account for over a
quarter of all news stories about disabled people.
Effects of these representation
Misguided assumptions about disabled people's abilities can result in them being denied
essential services.
Focusing on a disabled individual's achievements such imagery encourages the view that
disabled people have to overcompensate to be accepted into the community.
Object of Ridicule
Disabled people have been a source of amusement for non-disable
people for centuries.
Effects of these representation
Being mocked publicly is only acceptable if the negative images which ensue can be offset against
positive ones, or if those being ridiculed are able to defend themselves should they choose to.
At present there are virtually no positive images of disabled people in the media disabled people do
not have the resources or a legal framework within which to fight this type of discrimination.
To what extent does this TV comedy drama raise or reinforce issues on the representation of
disability?
The TV comedy drama 'life's too short' reinforces many issues of the representation of people with
disabilities. The main character is featured to have a reliance on other people in order to reach high places, implying that he is inferior to those who aren't disabled. However he attempts not to be helped by others and resist his stereotype. Disabled people
are sexual abnormal when the lady behind the till asks him if the condoms are right for him and then
asks a co-worker if they will fit him.
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Explain what is meant by 'collective identity' and the role of media in its construction
Collective identity can be described as the shared sense of belonging in a group. Gender has had some bad association within the media, from the stereotypical ideology of the 50's advertisements to the over-sexualised representations that we see within brands and magazines today. It has been widely debated by many theorists as to whether we as a society are in a post feminist state. This argument takes into account, the changes that are present in the expectations and representations of women and men within the media, however some lingering issues within this subject must be considered as they have the potential to serial this entire theory.
During the 1950-60 period, women were often represented poorly within adverts such as Fairy liquid and cigarette posters. Within the fairy liquid advert, we can see a woman teaching her daughter about the washing up process and the different advantages of using Fairy Liquid. The woman is a stereotypical, stay at home mother who spends her time cooking and cleaning within the kitchen. This was representative of the expectations which men had of women throughout this time period as they were expected to marry and stay at home with the children while the father goes out to work in order to provide for his family. The idea that she is explaining all this to her young daughter implies that the advert attempts to push this ideology onto the next generation. Posters at the time would conform to this idea of 'pin up girls' and could possibly implement such theorists as Laura Mulvey who refer to this idea of advertisement focusing on the male gaze. This would imply that the media is being shown from the perspective of a heterosexual male whenever women were represented. It is assumed that the perspective of the male gaze is intended to be dominant to the person who is being viewed.
As time moves on, women begin to have a more active role within society and this expectation of 'stay at home mothers' start to become a thing of the past. While attitudes toward women begin to change, so does the ways that sexism is shown in the media. Media companies now use the idea of the male gaze to promote advertisement more than ever. Advertisement attempts to use this idea of 'sex sells' in order to have a larger audience appeal. However, it can be argued that the genders involved within this form of advertisement has been equalised by having members of both genders represented in this way. Now the female gaze has become implemented more than ever within everyday advertising. Advertisement for companies such as Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch have been objectifying male models in ways that had not previously been seen. Gidden's theory of a changing social structure can be applied within this idea as men are beginning to be treated similarly to males within the media world. However these are not massive changes and it is only when compared to an older time that the changes become more apparent. While this shows that females are no longer singled out in this sense, it does not mean that conditions have become better for gender as a whole. It could be argued that little progress has been made as a result and the focus has just shifted between genders.
Newspapers such as the Sun objectify women by having them appear in glamour shoots for every issue. Even magazines where the intended audience is for women, they are still objectified. The appearance of models are adjusted through the use of software such as photoshop to make them more attractive by reducing fat, sharpening features and enhancing others. This idea that all women within media must be attractive and fall into the same sexist principles that were seen within 50s advertisements, the technology used has just become more advanced. This occurrence is reffered to as hegemony which highlights the ways that appearance is influenced by magazines and advertisements. Mulvey's male gaze theory can again be brought into consideration as the women are enhanced to the extent that is deemed attractive and are then plastered onto advertisements and magazine covers such as Maxim or Cosmopolitan. The same is done for male models, a famous example being Justin Bieber's Calvin Klein shoot
To conclude, media has often had a bad effect on the ways in which different gender identities are represented. Throughout the 1900's, women were thought to be inferior to the opposite sex. This is evident from the amount of advertisement that would present women as stay at home mothers who take care of the children while the husband works. Other advertisement would be extremely suggestive, using the male gaze in order to attract the attention of the mainly male audience. As time has moved on there has been a considerable shift in gender representation as theorists such as Buckingham have argued, however it does not necessarily mean that it was a good one. Men have become subjected to begin objectified by media and while the position of women has changed from stay at home to a more independent role, their representation within media has remained dependent on the male gaze. This has become more of a problem as airbrushing and other techniques have been used to set up unrealistic opinions on what human appearance should be. This has caused many people, including young girls to lose dangerous amounts of weight and hate their own opinions.
During the 1950-60 period, women were often represented poorly within adverts such as Fairy liquid and cigarette posters. Within the fairy liquid advert, we can see a woman teaching her daughter about the washing up process and the different advantages of using Fairy Liquid. The woman is a stereotypical, stay at home mother who spends her time cooking and cleaning within the kitchen. This was representative of the expectations which men had of women throughout this time period as they were expected to marry and stay at home with the children while the father goes out to work in order to provide for his family. The idea that she is explaining all this to her young daughter implies that the advert attempts to push this ideology onto the next generation. Posters at the time would conform to this idea of 'pin up girls' and could possibly implement such theorists as Laura Mulvey who refer to this idea of advertisement focusing on the male gaze. This would imply that the media is being shown from the perspective of a heterosexual male whenever women were represented. It is assumed that the perspective of the male gaze is intended to be dominant to the person who is being viewed.
As time moves on, women begin to have a more active role within society and this expectation of 'stay at home mothers' start to become a thing of the past. While attitudes toward women begin to change, so does the ways that sexism is shown in the media. Media companies now use the idea of the male gaze to promote advertisement more than ever. Advertisement attempts to use this idea of 'sex sells' in order to have a larger audience appeal. However, it can be argued that the genders involved within this form of advertisement has been equalised by having members of both genders represented in this way. Now the female gaze has become implemented more than ever within everyday advertising. Advertisement for companies such as Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch have been objectifying male models in ways that had not previously been seen. Gidden's theory of a changing social structure can be applied within this idea as men are beginning to be treated similarly to males within the media world. However these are not massive changes and it is only when compared to an older time that the changes become more apparent. While this shows that females are no longer singled out in this sense, it does not mean that conditions have become better for gender as a whole. It could be argued that little progress has been made as a result and the focus has just shifted between genders.
Newspapers such as the Sun objectify women by having them appear in glamour shoots for every issue. Even magazines where the intended audience is for women, they are still objectified. The appearance of models are adjusted through the use of software such as photoshop to make them more attractive by reducing fat, sharpening features and enhancing others. This idea that all women within media must be attractive and fall into the same sexist principles that were seen within 50s advertisements, the technology used has just become more advanced. This occurrence is reffered to as hegemony which highlights the ways that appearance is influenced by magazines and advertisements. Mulvey's male gaze theory can again be brought into consideration as the women are enhanced to the extent that is deemed attractive and are then plastered onto advertisements and magazine covers such as Maxim or Cosmopolitan. The same is done for male models, a famous example being Justin Bieber's Calvin Klein shoot
To conclude, media has often had a bad effect on the ways in which different gender identities are represented. Throughout the 1900's, women were thought to be inferior to the opposite sex. This is evident from the amount of advertisement that would present women as stay at home mothers who take care of the children while the husband works. Other advertisement would be extremely suggestive, using the male gaze in order to attract the attention of the mainly male audience. As time has moved on there has been a considerable shift in gender representation as theorists such as Buckingham have argued, however it does not necessarily mean that it was a good one. Men have become subjected to begin objectified by media and while the position of women has changed from stay at home to a more independent role, their representation within media has remained dependent on the male gaze. This has become more of a problem as airbrushing and other techniques have been used to set up unrealistic opinions on what human appearance should be. This has caused many people, including young girls to lose dangerous amounts of weight and hate their own opinions.
Collective Identity
The Male Gaze- Laura Mulvey
The Male gaze suggests that the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male, through suggestive camera angles. Camera moves such as tilts can be used to show the body of a female.
Jonathan Schoeder- 1998
Psychological relationship, the gaze is superior to the object.
Giddens- Structuration and changing social structure
Female Gaze- Gaylem Studlar
The Female Gaze- Hanson
Put forward to the idea that women are also able to view male characters as erotic objects of desire
David Buckingham-
Argues identity is complicated and complex. He says that 'a focus on identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups'
EXPLAIN WHAT IS MEANT BY 'COLLECTIVE IDENTITY' AND THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN ITS CONSTRUCTION.
Non Fictional Media
Due to the Patriarchal nature of our society- women are less likely to be the source of leading news stories.
"Media odes not just offer us a transparent 'window on the world' but a mediated version of the world"
Fairy Liquid:
Women in the kitchen cleaning
Stay at home mum (housewife)
Concerned with looking pretty
Hegemony-
In advertising and magazines, we see this narrow range of representation. They are shown as young, slim, and overwhelmingly white.
Hypodermic needle theory- Feeding the audience a message or information
Post feminist? Do we no longer need feminism?
Gender Fuck refers to the self to the self conscious effort to "fuck with" or play with traditional notions of gender identity, gender roles, and gender presentation. It falls under the umbrella of the transgender spectrum.
The Male gaze suggests that the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male, through suggestive camera angles. Camera moves such as tilts can be used to show the body of a female.
Jonathan Schoeder- 1998
Psychological relationship, the gaze is superior to the object.
Giddens- Structuration and changing social structure
Female Gaze- Gaylem Studlar
The Female Gaze- Hanson
Put forward to the idea that women are also able to view male characters as erotic objects of desire
David Buckingham-
Argues identity is complicated and complex. He says that 'a focus on identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups'
EXPLAIN WHAT IS MEANT BY 'COLLECTIVE IDENTITY' AND THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN ITS CONSTRUCTION.
Non Fictional Media
Due to the Patriarchal nature of our society- women are less likely to be the source of leading news stories.
"Media odes not just offer us a transparent 'window on the world' but a mediated version of the world"
Fairy Liquid:
Women in the kitchen cleaning
Stay at home mum (housewife)
Concerned with looking pretty
Hegemony-
In advertising and magazines, we see this narrow range of representation. They are shown as young, slim, and overwhelmingly white.
Hypodermic needle theory- Feeding the audience a message or information
Post feminist? Do we no longer need feminism?
Gender Fuck refers to the self to the self conscious effort to "fuck with" or play with traditional notions of gender identity, gender roles, and gender presentation. It falls under the umbrella of the transgender spectrum.
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
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