People with power are given that power from us so we can take it away
Simon Cowell arguably has as much power as politicians but we can't vote against him
Web 1.0 is like a back garden, Web 2.0 is like an allotment
Web 2.0 is together and converged
The media were 'like gods' because of the information they gave us
We now have UGC's so the media are no longer as important
Saturday 23 October 2010
Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
"Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class", Daily Mail
Parents say that The Simpsons should be replaced by Shakespeare
The school say that it helps students to become critical and analytic in moving image an gain a better understanding of audience and narrative
They also say that studying the opening of The Simpsons is just as challenging as studying the opening of Dickens' Great Expectations
"Tories to tackle the Media Studies Menace", The Independent
Hard subjects should carry greated weight than 'soft' subjects
Vocational subjects should be downgraded
Increase in students doing Media Studies in state schools rather than private schools
"'Worthless qualifications' give false hope to state pupils, says Harrow head"
Students who receive free school meals are more likely to do Media Studies than Chemistry
Media Studies boosts state schools' positions in league tables
Elite universities allegedly blacklist Media Studies
Media Studies is not acedemic enough and is a 'Mickey Mouse' subject
We should do Media Studies because we are going to destroy civilisation!
Parents say that The Simpsons should be replaced by Shakespeare
The school say that it helps students to become critical and analytic in moving image an gain a better understanding of audience and narrative
They also say that studying the opening of The Simpsons is just as challenging as studying the opening of Dickens' Great Expectations
"Tories to tackle the Media Studies Menace", The Independent
Hard subjects should carry greated weight than 'soft' subjects
Vocational subjects should be downgraded
Increase in students doing Media Studies in state schools rather than private schools
"'Worthless qualifications' give false hope to state pupils, says Harrow head"
Students who receive free school meals are more likely to do Media Studies than Chemistry
Media Studies boosts state schools' positions in league tables
Elite universities allegedly blacklist Media Studies
Media Studies is not acedemic enough and is a 'Mickey Mouse' subject
We should do Media Studies because we are going to destroy civilisation!
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Post-Feminism Reading/Research
POST-FEMINISM AND POPULAR CULTURE
Bridget Jones's Diary
1. "It is not at all unusual to pass young women in the street wearing T-shirts bearing phrases such as “Porn Queen” or “Pay To Touch” across the breasts"
2. "Young women quite happily attend lap dancing clubs"
3. "The repudiation of a feminism invoked only to be summarily dismissed"
Bridget Jones's Diary
1. "She is the product of modernity in that she has benefited from those institutions (education) which have loosened the ties of tradition and community for women"
2. "We immediately know that what she is thinking is “what will it be like if I never find the right man, if I never get married?”"
3. "Feminism has intervened to constrain these kinds of conventional desires. It is then, a relief to escape this censorious politics and freely enjoy that which has been disapproved of"
Wonderbra
1. "Looking down admiringly at her substantial cleavage"
2. "A textbook “sexist ad” dimension"
3. "Taking feminism into account by showing it to be a thing of the past, by provocatively “enacting sexism”"
Citreon
1. "A self-consciously “sexist ad”"
2. "Feminism is “taken into account,” but only to be shown to be no longer necessary"
3. "There is nothing remotely naive about this striptease. She seems to be doing it out of choice, and for her own enjoyment"
Lad Mags
1. "It is not at all unusual to pass young women in the street wearing T-shirts bearing phrases such as “Porn Queen” or “Pay To Touch” across the breasts"2. "Young women quite happily attend lap dancing clubs"
3. "The repudiation of a feminism invoked only to be summarily dismissed"
Understanding Post-feminism
1. A more positive look at post-feminism - Post-feminism can make a positive impact on life
2. Post-feminism as a backlash to feminism - Gender equality still hasn't been achieved and post-feminism makes people forget that
3. The ambiguity of the prefix 'post' - People may think that it means feminism is over as it is ambiguous
4. Post-feminism as a colloquialism - People think that post-feminists are against men and against feminism
Bianca's Essay
What are the different representations of women in adverts and how are they signified?
The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.
Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.
The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.
Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.
Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.
In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.
Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.
A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.
The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.
Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.
In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.
In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.
The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.
Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.
The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.
Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.
Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.
In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.
Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.
A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.
The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.
Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.
In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.
In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.
Monday 11 October 2010
Gender and Advertising Research
Kinder Bueno White - Sexualising Men
The man in the advert is gardening, a sterotypically female activity. This subordinates him by giving him more feminine qualities. However, to retain his masculinity, he is dressed in a masculine way, as well as the actor being quite built. Although he is represented as being a sex object for the three women to watch, he is still the hero as he picks the girl up after she 'falls'. The other two females in the advert sit to watch him, showing that he is pandering to their 'female gaze'.
Hugo Boss - Positive Representation of Men
Usually in female perfume adverts, the women do not say anything. However, the man in this advert starts with dialogue. This shows his power over women. The advert is all CGI apart from the man, which represents him as being important because he is the only real thing and the rest of the mise-en-scene is built around him to be exactly how he wants it as it changes with him when he moves. There are two women in the advert. However, he doesn't look at them, but just leaves them to look at him, subordinating them. Everything goes into the bottle when he wants it to, showing his authority over everything, which is reinforced by the line "the rest is up to you".
Hugo XY XX - Post-feminst
The advert takes place in a boxing ring, and rather than there being two men or two women, there is one of each, showing that the woman is just as strong as the man. Although the woman in this advert is being sexualised, she still asserts her position as a strong and powerful woman. The first time that she is shown, she looks at the camera, showing that she has control. The man stands still while she circles him, almost like she is checking her prey. The advert is for two perfumes, one male and one female, but the woman in the advert is in the frame for a lot longer than the man, showing her importance. There is a medium close up of her legs, fetishising parts of her body. However, the duration of this shot is short and straight after it, she is seen pushing the man away, showing that although she is flirtatious, she is also poweful and assertive.
Gender and Advertising Questions
1. Women were rarely shown working, but when they were, they did stereotypically female jobs such as hairdressing. They were also stereotypical in their advertising roles, such as adverts for cleaning products. However, men were shown as being authoritative.
2. Of all the adverts featuring women, 3/4 were for kitchen and bathroom products. They were also more than twice as likely as men to be seen in the house in 1970's advertising.
3. The 'symbolic annihilation of women' can still be seen in 21st century advertising to an extent. Although women are represented in a lot more roles as they used to be, they are still subordinated by the need to be portrayed as being sexy for the male gaze. Whether or not they are shown in powerful roles and above men in certain respects, they are still always objects for the male gaze. Therefore, the quote is still relevant. Although they are represented in a lot more roles and are seen more often in advertsing, some people may still think that they are under-represented as there isn't as much of a variety of women that are represented as there is of men.
4.
5. I don't agree that the representation of women is fully accountable for women being unhappy with their body image because although some women see better looking women in the media, which makes them unhappy, the female sex are generally very insecure and would always find some way of complaining because they are weak and emotional. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11566054
6. Although men are more frequently being represented as sex objects, which some people would think of as a negative representation, some may think that this is empowering for men as they are now more open about embracing their own bodies and it is more acceptable for a man to be portrayed as a sex object than it is for a woman because men are already 'above women' so they are at a high enough position to be able to be sex objects without it subordinating them to the same extent as a woman would be subordinated.
2. Of all the adverts featuring women, 3/4 were for kitchen and bathroom products. They were also more than twice as likely as men to be seen in the house in 1970's advertising.
3. The 'symbolic annihilation of women' can still be seen in 21st century advertising to an extent. Although women are represented in a lot more roles as they used to be, they are still subordinated by the need to be portrayed as being sexy for the male gaze. Whether or not they are shown in powerful roles and above men in certain respects, they are still always objects for the male gaze. Therefore, the quote is still relevant. Although they are represented in a lot more roles and are seen more often in advertsing, some people may still think that they are under-represented as there isn't as much of a variety of women that are represented as there is of men.
4.
5. I don't agree that the representation of women is fully accountable for women being unhappy with their body image because although some women see better looking women in the media, which makes them unhappy, the female sex are generally very insecure and would always find some way of complaining because they are weak and emotional. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11566054
6. Although men are more frequently being represented as sex objects, which some people would think of as a negative representation, some may think that this is empowering for men as they are now more open about embracing their own bodies and it is more acceptable for a man to be portrayed as a sex object than it is for a woman because men are already 'above women' so they are at a high enough position to be able to be sex objects without it subordinating them to the same extent as a woman would be subordinated.
Sunday 3 October 2010
Representations of Women
Negative Representation - Virgin Atlantic
The women in the advert are wearing red, which connotes passion and seductiveness. This represents the women negatively as it shows them as being promiscuous. Different parts of the women's bodies are shown before their faces, including their legs, feet and shoulders. Focusing on different parts of the bodies objectifies the women, as well as fetishising their bodies. They are all wearing short dresses, which is self-objectification as they are opening themselves up to the male gaze. The woman are all standing in a row and all do and wear the same thing. They are all the same, which is a negative representation of women as it shows them as replaceable objects and shows that they are not individual, but all useful for the same purpose. The lighting is on the women, which shows that women want to be in the spotlight and are vain. Also, it helps to attract the male gaze to the women. As well as the main women, there are a few 'drab and dreary' women that are shown watching the better looking women in envy. This is a negative representation of women as it portrays them as being jealous of beauty as if that is an important factor. Among all the women is one man, showing the women as loose as they are all sharing one p.i.m.p. Not only are the women represented negatively, but the cartoon woman also is. It is wearing a swimsuit, which is quite indecent, and winks playfully and seductively.
Positive Representation - Race for Life
(I don't know why the video plays twice)
The women in the advert are all dressed in pink. This connotes cheer and brightness, as well as fun, which is also portrayed through the music, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. This shows a positive representation of women as it shows them as being lively and happy although they have suffered from a loss, which also shows them as brave. The women are doing the run in memory of people, "in memory of my mum", which is positive as it shows them as being respectful and caring. All of the women in the advert are of different ages, however, they are all still united and equal to each other in the race. The fact that the race is for women only shows that women can raise the money without male help. The words "help beat cancer" show women as being strong and powerful as they are beating something that people have been trying to beat for a very long time.
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