MIGRAIN Index

September > Media Consumption > Media Consumption Audit 
September > Language & Genre > RBK Advert Analysis 
September > Language & Genre > Own Print Advert Analysis 
September > Institution > The Guardian PowerPoint Presentation 
September > Institution > Media Institutions 
October > Institution > BBC 3 Profile 
October > Institution > Brand Values 
October > Institution > Cool Brands 
October > Narrative > Narrative Theory YouTube Clip Analysis
October > Audience > Psychographic Test
October > Audience > Psychographics Presentation 
November > Audience > Audience Theory 
November > Audience > Dependency Theory 
November > Representation > Dominant and Alternative Representations 
November > Representation > Photoshop Task 
November > Representation > Django Unchained Analysis 
November > Representation > Representations YouTube Clips 
November > Representation > Media Magazine Articles & Questions 
December > Ideology > Magazine Summaries 
December > Ideology > Binary Oppositions 

Binary Oppositions & Ideology

Russell Brand & Nigel Farage clash over immigration on Question Time

The most identifiable and explicit binary opposition is between the two themselves; Nigel Farage is the polar opposite to Russell Brand in every way shape and form, the fact that these two people look so different primarily, indicates their conflict and difference and also due to their opposing political ideologies it causes the two to almost repel one another and become conflicted. 

Brand is represented as a conventional working class citizen and he emphasises this by exaggerating the fact that he is 'just like you,' causing the audience members to identify with him and his ideologies because they share similar backgrounds. Brand highlights how Farage was brought up within a privileged family and attempts to use this to create an emotional and personal identification with the ordinary people within the audience. 

Within the audience, there are characters that hold different ideologies and there are some which oppose the majority and some which reinforce the majority; the man who speaks first stimulates the crowd to oppose Brand's views, which were initially the ones that majority of the audience conformed too and agreed with. This man's ideologies of believing that Brand cannot have his say unless he runs for parliament emphasises the importance and the effects of ones ideologies and how they can stimulate different responses from different cultural backgrounds, some being positive and some being negative. This is reinforced by the woman in the audience opposing the views of the man in the audience and supporting Brand's ideologies. This therefore presents a binary opposition between ordinary people as their views are conflicting with one another. 

Too Fat To Work | This Morning - Katie Hopkins and Jay Cole Interview

This clip is very interesting as there is an obvious binary opposition between Katie Hopkins and Jay Cole but then there is also Holly and Philip, who have their own opinions which also conform to each of the two interviewees. It is apparent that Hopkins is completely against the idea of employing someone who is fat and admits that she is a 'fattist,' whilst the person in that position of wanting to be hired completely disagrees with this and finds it an abomination to think that this is the case in this generation. Holly also agrees with her and there is tension between her and Hopkins as she agrees with Cole and believes in equality; both conforming to this particular ideology of equality. I would argue that Philip is almost siding with Hopkins yet still plays the devils advocate due to his subtle highlighting of the way the world is today; when he says that 'you can't change you race or whether you're disabled or not but you can change your weight,' it almost conforms with the ideologies presented by Hopkins and there is a binary opposition now between Holly and Philip and also Cole and Hopkins. 

The ideologies presented by Hopkins are discriminative and she believes that fat people should not be employed as they are 'lazy and lack ambition.' The fact that her ideologies are so strong and dominant shows her clarity and the fact that she is so set in her ideological beliefs that she becomes passionate when addressing the issue, similar with Cole as she is in the position of being the unemployed woman. The fact that she is in this position to know how it feels causes her ideologies to almost become much stronger as the audience sympathise with her however, her ideologies may be dominantly read by some people or completely opposed by others like Hopkins. The ideologies presented are completely conflicting and present the two binary oppositions in dispute.

Ideology - Magazine Summaries

The World of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia and Propaganda 

'The Hunger Games' trilogy addresses ideology, media saturation, reality TV and celebrity culture. There is a dystopian representation within Mockingjay and the Marxist theory assesses this representation as the poor are kept under control by the higher class. There is an ideological element to the way the country is run; those that are in power control ideas. There is a dictatorship, under the control of President Snow, a man who focuses on his supremacy rather than the people. He spreads fear through the propaganda and the media by using previous hunger games and airing the current ones on TV in order to distract the audiences from organising a revolution. According to Marxist theory, the people always find ways to rebel and resist power, not through voting and campaigning within political systems but through organising and connecting in other ways like citizen journalism and social media - this is what Mockingjay revolves around. The Mockingjay pin is the signifier of hope and strength and this is past on throughout the period when the Hunger Games are taking place. The protagonist was aware of the media surrounding her but throughout the films she learns to manipulate them; she was used to represent the 'false consciousness' of the Games, which is another Marxist idea, and she has now become a symbol of radicalism. Overall, the film  is not just a film, it comments on a capitalist society, which is then reflected into the future, in a dystopian tradition. 

What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?

The film presents a capitalist society reflected in the future. The society is run by a dictatorship but one that faces several problems, perhaps reflecting our own capitalist society negatively. The ruling class keep the poor under control and anyone who defies the law will ultimately be punished severely; this reflects our society as we have laws and rules that must be obeyed and the ideologies of those who commit crimes are essentially negative. The use of the media in our society is very influential and this is mirrored in The Hunger Games with the protagonist influencing the media, as a sort of celebrity, and therefore manipulating the dystopia society that she lives in, which could therefore act as a mirror to our society in which celebrities, and more generally the media, manipulate audiences in order for them to buy a product or watch something or behave in a particular way. 

Within a capitalist society there are two basic classes; the working class and then the bourgeoisie, who exploit the working class so in this case it would be President Snow. He cares more about himself and his supremacy rather than the people, which would inevitably lead to a dystopia. The Hunger Games comments on the ideologies that are presented in today's capitalist society but expands them and accentuates them in order to present a dystopia society. 

What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?

The protagonist allows other people to control her to influence the media and she understands how to manipulate the media that is surrounding her. The idea of her becoming a symbol of radicalism presents her understanding of the media influence and manipulation. The use of propaganda portrays the society realistically and therefore encourages more people to rebel as they believe in the ideologies that are presented by the protagonist. The use of symbols create meaning and influences. According to the Marxist theory people will always find a way to rebel to resist power through social media and the media itself, so the protagonist's Mockingjay pin acts as a symbol of hope and strength to encourage those that support her ideologies. According to the semiotic theory the pin represents all things relating to togetherness, which therefore influences more people to believe the same thing. 

They Live: Ideology

"The ideas that make up the dominant ideology in Britain do not remain static – they change as new ideas develop, people discuss them, and they enter the mainstream." Dominant ideologies in Britain for example are that people should put their families first; people should work hard for their money and women should behave in feminine ways and look after their appearance. These ideologies appear natural and accepted within society. Consensual views are ideologies that we accept. 

Slavoj Zizek explores how we now accept our control but are still completely dominated. He suggests that pleasure and the self are the main concerns in the 21st century. Gramsci’s Hegemony concept is

central to Zizek’s ideas, as the acceptance of being obedient, consuming, marrying and reproducing, and not questioning authority has become part of the natural order. Hegemony is the ability of the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are dominated by it (the masses), accept it as ‘common sense’ and ‘natural’. John Carpenters 'They Live' focuses on how we are controlled and manipulated by ideologies; it is about how the media cleverly controls and manipulates our behaviour. The film suggests that we desire the media and the pleasures of consumerism is what drives ideologies within society. 

Gramsci and Hegemony - he introduced the concept of hegemony and it's role in social control; he defined hegemony as "an important way in which those in power maintain their control through consent, rather than the use of force. He argued that the power of ideology derives primarily from ideas and structures which support, and thus serve the purpose of, an elite social group which is able to dominate through ideas, rather than militaristic strength or fear."

Althusser - his view was that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms of control: 'Repressive State Control/Apparatus' (RSAs) - These state agencies regulate social behaviour and repress the masses through violence, punitive law, and fear. The other is 'Ideological State Apparatus' (ISAs), such as the church and media, which dominate implicitly through common sense, acceptance and social norms rather than fear.

What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

- Realise your true potential 

- Be yourself 

- Lead a satisfying life 

- Money will bring happiness and a fulfilled life 

What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?

Gramsci defined hegemony as an important way in which those in power maintain their control through consent, rather than the use of force. The power of ideology is dominated by an elite social group, rather than militaristic force or violence. The hegemonic view in western society is that money will bring happiness and a fulfilled life. The dominant and elite class are able to control the masses in order to influence them to consider particular ideologies as common sense, forcing them not to question the ideology; this therefore presents hegemony as a controlling tool which is able to encourage the masses and influence them in both positive and negative ways. 

What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?

Althusser has a theory about how we are controlled through ideology. He believes that ideology is the greatest material power that dominates our society and it is based around 2 key forms of control: 

- Repressive State Apparatus (RSAs) through major institutions in society such as the police and the government. These institutions regulate social behaviour and repress the masses through violence and fear. 

- Ideological State Apparatus (ISAs) such as the media and the church. These institutions dominate implicitly dominate through common sense and social norms rather than fear. This supports the idea of hegemony. 

We consume through advertising and marketing because material things make us happy; the dominant global ideology is that we want to buy things because we like material wealth.

Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite? 

Yes, I agree that the media is an extremely influential tool in society, which can manipulate us to do certain things through the use of advertising and marketing but I also think we are able to have self control and are able to not be manipulated by the media. The issue is however, the power of the media is so great that we are unaware of the impact it has on us and we are unthinkingly doing the things that we do not necessarily know we are doing such as buying a particular item of clothing; we buy that item of clothing for a reason, is it because we like the product itself or because we like the brand? Personally, I like brand names and the idea of wearing a brand name makes me feel better than wearing something unbranded as it almost adopts no satisfaction. The economic elite definitely runs the media with the intent to manipulate us to buy certain things and do particular things, if they did not want us to do certain things, nothing would ever go through the process of editing. 

Media Magazine Reading Task

MM50

1. The article is about how most media platforms use Caucasian women size 0-2, whilst the average woman is a size 14. The brand 'Dove' banned size 0 models and have started to use a wider range of women with different sized bodies. Body image experts accuse the 'media machine' for destroying illusions and those impossible body images, which have a negative impact on women and their self confidence. The idea of having the perfect body is linked to Mulvey's 'female gaze.'
2. The film which has sparked the debate on female body image and female representation is called 'A Perfect 14.' It is a documentary which challenges the idea of beauty and what is beautiful and normal, rejecting the traditional concept of what the conventional woman should look like. 
3. The 'female gaze' differs from the 'male gaze' as the women are also looking at the women and are consuming the image. Whilst, with the 'male gaze,' men simply look at women and the women are very passive however it works both ways with the 'female gaze.' It also causes a decline in self-confidence as women consume images of beautiful, intangible women, which causes a great deal of anxiety as they do not feel adequate enough. 
4. I believe 'real' women should appear more in the media, especially on TV. We always see these celebrities as size 0, with defined cheekbones and literally no fat, which is seriously unhealthy and produces a negative impact on both young people and elder people as they don't feel adequate enough in their own body. Healthy women should be shown, not size 0-2 but the average sized ones in order to promote the right body image and also a healthy one. 
5. 'A Perfect 14' is trying to get across the message that you should feel comfortable in your own body and not feel as though you should achieve an impossible body image. The main character of the documentary is diagnosed with cancer, which provides an emotional identification with the character. The whole film positively shows plus size models and the reality of what really is beautiful.

MM51

Representations are always mediated by someone else's point of view and they carry their particular views or values so they are ideological. An understanding of representation therefore aids us to identify the way media products create ideological meaning. 

Media producers create the thing being seen by an audience in a particular way, in order to get their point and their vision across, therefore some representations are positive and some are negative. The images are controlled by the controller and can be photoshopped and edited in order to create a different impression on the photo. It can be used positively to support the person or negatively to publicly humiliate the person. 

We must always consider who is creating the image and for what purpose. The producer considers 4 things: 

• the expectations and needs of the target audience
• the limitations provided by genre codes 
• the type of narrative they wish to create 
• their institutional remit. 

Roland Barthes talks about the idea of 'naturalisation' and how the media have chosen certain things and used certain things purposely, however the audience believe it is natural and normal. Barthes also says 'the silencing of difference' which means if something seems natural there is no point in questioning it. 

Stuart Hall devised the 'Encoding/Decoding Model.' Hall believes that the audience do not passively accept the ideology of texts but instead social and cultural experiences effect their interpretations. There is a relationship between the reader/viewer and the text. Some people may accept the intended meaning, however Hall thinks that others may only partially accept it, which is called the 'negotiated meaning.' He also says other people may completely disagree with the reading and this is called the 'oppositional meaning.' 

New media now makes it possible for people to share themselves online and can engage in an act of self-representation. When people post images and thoughts they are able to construct themselves and show the world what they want them to see and read about themselves. In different groups we may construct ourselves in different ways in order to relate to that specific online group. Furthermore, people who are from a minority also get to self-represent themselves in the same way as anyone else, which provides a voice for everyone. 

Old media also constructs a view to their audience. The example is during the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to millions of homes, representing it's own concept of England. The whole paper was about 'English Identity' and was a positive approach to the monarchy. The new media, social media, was able to highlight peoples voices and their rejection towards the tabloid. The new media offered people to voice their views and opinions about the traditional old media. 

I am not exactly a fanatic when it comes to social media, however when there is a particularly interesting moment in my life and a picture that I really like, I do occasionally post on Instagram. When I do post, I do go through that construction process in my head, I have to think about whether or not I like the picture, whether I want to present myself in this particular way or not and then the caption underneath. To be honest, it doesn't take too much thought, I don't really spend hours thinking about it, if I want to post something online I usually just do, I don't really go through a tedious, long winded process - just a simple one. 

I think institutions definitely have more power as the audience are passively receiving the text or the different broadcast. They are fully in control of what we see and I believe the audience choose whether or not they want to see it or not, even though this shows some self-control, I believe the media is such a large institution that it almost controls the world. Everywhere we go, we consume media; books, TV, social media. There are a vast amount of different platforms and we do it so subconsciously now that the institutions have become so powerful. For example, the cinema, the social event is fun and interesting but we go with our friends or family to consume media, we don't go to talk for 2 hours, instead we consume media for that time. This shows the power of the media and how we don't even realise we are controlled by it everyday. Our news, comes from the media, everything we need day to day is the media. We choose whether we want to consume that media but I still feel as though we are powerless as we have become slaves to the media generation. 

Representations

Graham Norton, BBC1 - Schwarzenegger 

Men are presented in a variety of ways in this clip as the host, Graham Norton, is more feminine whilst Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very stereotypical man, who is seen as a body building icon. He is the dominant representation of men, whilst Norton is an alternative representation of males. The portrayal of Schwarzenegger links to Perkins' as the stereotype is positive as he has made himself a success. Graham Norton on the other hand is gay, which means he would reinforce Medhurst's theory as "The image of the screaming queen does not just mean 'all gay men are like that', it means 'all gay men are like that and aren't they awful', which in turn means 'and they are awful because they are not like us'." 

The woman, Miranda, although she doesn't speak her physical appearance is an alternative representation of females due to her short her and broad structure. This subverts the stereotype and opposes Perkin's theory. 

London 2012 - Bond/Queen 

London is presented as an expensive area and quite a wealthy, posh part due to the grandeur appearance. The soldiers are presented stereotypically and the black cab is a stereotypical London vehicle. This is the dominant representation of the place and therefore links to Dyer's theory and also Perkin's as the representation is predominantly positive. 

James Bond is presented very stereotypically in a tuxedo and in a smart way. This stereotypical 'Bond' representation is a dominant portrayal of the character as they have followed the conventions of him being a smart, powerful and also good looking man. The idea of the 'female gaze' may therefore be presented here as Daniel Craig is being looked at and admired through his power. 

The Queen is presented as a posh, wealthy woman; the conventions of a Queen are all presented through this clip, her jewels, her whole attire is just a typical ideology. This supports Perkin's theory as it is a stereotype which is the truth. 

Some Girls - BBC3 Trailer 

The portrayal of the 4 girls is alternative as they are all part of a football team, which subverts the stereotype of girls being inactive. However within the 4, the characters conform to different ideologies and also challenge others; there's the 'dumb blonde,' who isn't aware of what she's doing and rationality. She's presented as a very pretty girl, who cares about her looks substantially. This is a dominant portrayal of blonde girls and links to Medhurst's theory as the stereotype is very negative and often not true of course. 

The next girl is very violent, which is an alternative representation of girls in general, however the appearance of the girl being quite large and participating in sporting events such as football presents her as quite a violent girl and one that looks stereotypically violent, in terms of her appearance. This links Dyer's theory of stereotypes as this is a trailer, she has been immediately presented in that explicit way in order to get her character across. 

The Asian girl is the most blunt of them all and she has been presented substantially less than the rest of the characters, perhaps this is because she is not as key of a character than the rest. 

The black girl is the protagonist, which subverts the conventions of the typical white girl being the protagonist in programmes such as these. The alternative portrayal subverts Dyer's theory. 

Representation Task: Django Unchained

'Django Unchained' presents different groups in a variety of ways, confirming stereotypes yet simultaneously subverting others.

'Django Unchained' presents young African Americans as slaves and highlights the historical context of black people, which is politically correct, however the protagonist of the film, Jamie Foxx, challenges the stereotype and reinforces Perkins theory as the stereotype is able to change. The emancipation of the protagonist shows the alternative representation of African males in the slavery times. Furthermore, the protagonist reinforces Fanons 'Black Skin, White Masks' theory due to the way he carries himself through the film alongside the white community, almost masking himself within their society. The other African Americans reinforce the conventions and this is seen midway through the clip. The two males are brawling and acting violent, which supports the stereotype of all black males being aggressive and more generically males being aggressive. This supports Medhurst's theory as the negative representation of the minority group is shown, which also links to Dyer's theory.

On the other hand, the white Americans portrayed in this clip are seen as dominant and supreme, producing an accurate portrayal of the historical context. This reinforces Dyer's theory as those with the power, stereotype those with less power and generalise them all as one, racially discriminating them as subhuman. However this also supports Perkins theory as the white Americans were in power during the 1600s, which reveals the truth about the situation rather than the stereotype. The main white American, Leonardo DiCaprio, is presented in the highest status and shows the dominant portrayal of his class. Through his clothing (mise-en-scene), in comparison to the Africans, who are wearing barely nothing, we can infer immediately from his skin and his clothes that he is a dominant character.

The white German male in this clip is the foreigner, he should stereotypically be the 'villain' of the clip according to Propps theory and his stock characters, however the character is seen more as the 'villain' within the actual reality of the film but as a 'hero' to the audience. The character emancipates Django and shows the alternative portrayal of foreign characters. This therefore subverts Dyer's theory and approaches the situation from an alternative angle. The ideologies of foreign people are stereotypically negative, however there is a binary opposition within this clip between the foreigner and the white Americans and also the white Americans and the African Americans. The fact that the foreign character aids the protagonist subverts the stereotype of the conflict of skin colour.

In addition to this, there is a dominant portrayal of women in this clip. The main protagonist aims to rescue his wife, the potential "damsel in distress," reinforcing the stereotype of women being weak and needing a man to help them, supporting Medhurt's theory. Furthermore, in the clip there is a moment where the woman is naked and emerging from a lake, which supports Mulveys theory of 'the male gaze,' as the woman is being looked at and seen sexually due to her being naked. Also the idea of her emerging from the purity of the water and being naked, again suggesting purity, highlights the stereotype of women being quite soft and loving. This also objectifies women as being able to do anything requiring strength or skill, which supports Medhurst's theory and Dyer's theory of negative representations to generalise the female group.

Overall the film shows a dominant portrayal of the characters, however the protagonist and his 'helper' subvert their conventions and therefore provide alternative representations.

Representation: Photoshop Task

Dominant Representation of men 

These images reinforce the stereotype of men; all the images are associated with the conventional man.

 Alternative Representation of men 

These images subvert the stereotype of men; they challenge the stereotype as they are not typically associated with men

Representation

Django Unchained 

Young black males - They are racially discriminated against as they are presented as slaves. The historical context reinforces the fact that black people were forced into slavery. However the emancipation of the protagonist, Django, shows the alternative representation of black males in the slavery times as a white man freed him and therefore subverts the stereotype of whites and blacks in conflict. This is a realistic portrayal of slavery times. The protagonist also reinforces the Black Skin, White Masks theory as Django obtains power in a white dominated world. 

Old american males - They have superiority over the black males, revealing the racial discrimination and also this is a dominant portrayal of white Americans as they are seen as powerful characters.

Women - There is a dominant portrayal of women as they are seen simply as the "damsel in distress" or the lover. This therefore reinforces the stereotype. 

White German male - The foreign character in films are most predominantly seen as the villains of the film, however this character would be seen as the villain within the film but to the audience he would be considered as more the hero, who emancipates the protagonist. This is an alternative portrayal of the foreign character and subverts the convention. 

Location - The locations seen in the trailer are quite rural and raw, presenting the area in a rather realistic way. The bar is quite western looking and depicts this well, it reinforces the western stereotypes and bars and also follows conventions.

Dependency Theory

I use the internet for both information and entertainment. If I need help with homework or want to find out something quickly, I would use the internet first and foremost. I also use it for entertainment, such as watching movies and series' online. The great thing about the internet is the fact that you can find almost anything on there. This may be considered as both a good and a bad thing simultaneously. I also use the internet for shopping online as it is much easier to look online than to go out to shops. It is also easier to find exactly what you're looking for as it is all there on one screen.

I think, we as society, are really dependent on the media. The media runs the world, we get our news from the media, to keep up to date with current affairs; we use it for entertainment and almost everything and anything. Due to the fact that content is so easy to retrieve, it makes us dependable on the internet and on the media world. We assume that the media will provide us with all the knowledge we require in today's society.

The dependence on the media in the last 10 years has changed substantially. Social media has almost exploded within the world, almost every person belongs to a social networking site. Social media has actually taken over society, especially with young people. We are so dependent on socialising online that we cannot socialise adequately in real life any more. We are so dependent on sending a message and having a conversation online rather than actually going out and having a conversation in person.

There is a lot of truth within the article that the Telegraph published as it supports the dependency theory due to the fact that four out of five people feel lost without the internet. It is almost sad to think that we cannot live without the internet in this day and age. However I also believe that the internet is amazing, it is such a great thing to use as everything is so efficient. So whilst the internet could be considered as both a positive and negative thing, I think it is actually a great source but something we should not rely on so much as I believe we should be more independent.

Audience Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Model 

The mail online article links to the hypodermic needle model. The violent video game was said to have influenced the children who played the game for 3 consecutive days, however the racing game did not have any influence on the children and their behaviour. The exposure to violent games for enough time will apparently increase aggression, according to the results shown from the study.

The hypodermic needle model theory is based on the media influencing their audience by getting the response that they desire. In this case, the violence led to aggression and therefore had a dangerous effect on the audience playing the game. 

The actual study however is very simplistic, in the article nothing has been explained about the actual participants. How many of them had a good upbringing? What class were they? There are many different questions to consider when it comes to the relation to violence and video games. They may actually have been brought up within a family who were aggressive or unstable. The hypodermic needle theory is so crude and the blaming of the media is merely a scapegoat as it is down to the individual rather than the game itself.

The TalkTalk hacking case links to the hypodermic needle model as they say he was a 'violent game addict.' They say that he was influenced by the media and the game however the Daily Mail were criticised for this due to them being biased. They are supporting the fact that video games influence a young person and cause them to do certain things yet they have not explained anything other than his addiction to games; what about his uprbringing?

The Two-Step Flow Model

The two step flow model is a theory that highlights the importance of social factors. It also suggests that the audience are influenced by 'opinion leaders.' These opinion leaders mediate how the audience react to media texts. 

TotalBiscuit is a gaming commentator and critic on YouTube; he is an opinion leader who other people look up to and are influenced by, in regards to his opinions and critiques. This fits into the two-step flow model as his audience are interested into what he says and due to his large number of subscribers, it is evident that he has a large fan base, who value his opinion and would therefore be encouraged to support this man's views and regard his critiques as valuable and important. 

The Telegraph's article on influential tweeters reveals that One Direction have a larger following than the Prime Minister, David Cameron. This fits into the two-step flow model as it shows how we are influenced by social factors. Musicians are opinion leaders as whatever they say has an influence on their fan base, which is huge. 

Jamal Edwards is extremely influential due to him spiralling into a millionaire from such a young age. He his somebody who a lot of young people would look up to as he is an amateur, who has become something out of nothing, which supports the two-step flow model as people would be influenced by his opinions and his views, making him an opinion leader.

Uses and Gratifications 

Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine - entertainment

Eastenders fits perfectly with diversion as the conventional audience would want to escape their own life and be part of another world, where everything seems much worse than their own life. It makes people feel better about themselves as it allows them to see other people living in a worse condition than themselves. It also means people get that half an hour to just relax and be entertained.
Personal Relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction

The audience would use Instagram for interaction and in order to connect and identify with friends and other people. This social networking site enables a relationship to develop or even grow further as people can see what their friends and family are doing and posting. It also helps you to keep up to date with what your friends and family are doing, therefore there would be a further attachment and interaction created. 
Personal Identity: finding ourselves reflected in texts or learning behaviour and values from the media. Reality TV or documentary

The use of the multi-strand narrative within The Only Way Is Essex allows the audience to relate to at least one of the characters. There is a sense of difference within all of the characters, which therefore allows the audience to relate and therefore find themselves within the show. In TV shows such as The Only Way Is Essex, the audience may not actually find themselves reflected within the show but instead may aspire to be like one of the characters, be it having the same body as one of them or even adopting their behaviours or characteristics. 

Surveillance: Information useful for living 

BBC News is a very important aspect of most peoples lives, be it through the app (E-Media) or through TV. The BBC is a public service broadcaster, therefore we expect the news to inform us and educate us in our every day lives. The information that the BBC provide to us should not be biased and therefore the information that they do provide is extremely useful for living. The different platforms, such as E-Media, aids the efficiency of receiving this important information and helps us in our day to day lives. 

Psychographics Presentation

Young & Rubicam's Psychographic Test

Result: Succeeder

Although I do have a strong goal orientation, I actually thought I was a reformer rather than a succeeder. I'm not too focused on the quality of the packaging rather than their contents and I value the small things in life. I'm not very materialistic but still do like nice things. However I think I have traits that belong equally to both psychographic groups, therefore I think I may be both a succeeder and a reformer.

Cool Brands

YouTube 

YouTube is a video-sharing site that focuses on everything as anyone can post videos on there. All of Dyer's lines of appeal can be associated with YouTube as everything is on the site. The site itself is very diverse and varied. I personally like YouTube because it helps me with literally everything and anything as there is so much on there; music is also easily accessible on YouTube, which was one of the main reasons why I use it. 

Rolex 

Rolex is a luxury brand, predominately aimed at the upper class demographic due to it's unbelievably high priced watches. It would fit in with Dyer's line of appeal, rich, luxurious lifestyles and would also fit in with successful careers as the wearers and buyers of a Rolex would most likely have a high earning job. They would also be seen as very rich as they are willing to spend so much on a watch. I like Rolex simply because I love watches and I think their manufacturing is very stylish and beautiful.

Netflix 

Netflix provides on-demand media, from films to documentaries. The site itself appeals to everyone due to it's diversity, similar to YouTube. The main reason for this is because it has something for anyone and everyone. I like Netflix because I am able to watch anything at any time and quickly find a film to watch. 

Bose 

Bose is a brand that appeals to music lovers as it is such a well-known brand. Dyer's line of appeal, self-importance and pride can be associated with Bose as when you buy a Bose product you feel more important simply due to the brand name. I love listening to music so I like brands that provide high quality audio but also look stylish and cool, just like Bose. 

Sony 

Sony is such a diverse brand, specialising in technology. It is such a well-known brand that is also reasonably priced and provides great quality technology. Dyer's line of appeal happy families could be applied with the Sony brand as technology in general brings people together and Sony can help doing this. I like Sony because it is classic, it has built up a great reputation over the years, which makes it clear to me that it is a good brand. 

I think these 5 brands were part of the top 20 coolest brands because they are so reputable now, especially with young people. If you were to wear a Rolex watch you would be unbelievably cool as it is something that not everyone can afford and is something you would desire. If you were to have Bose speakers and a Sony TV you would be considered cool because they are also such reputable brands that everyone has heard of and everyone wants. Everyone uses Netflix and YouTube, if you didn't use the sites you would be seen as quite odd, therefore they have to be cool for people to want to use it and people to have to want to use it too.

Narrative

American Sniper 

We can clearly identify the protagonist of this film being Bradley Cooper, the male character. This is made explicit by the use of the initial close up and the fact that he is the only one we are able to identify with, within this trailer, as he is the only character that we see close up. Regarding Propp's stock characters, we can assume that the protagonist is the 'hero' of the film, trying to save the country (the princess) and of course the war being the villain in this situation. From this short trailer we are able to understand the narrative of the film due to the mise-en-scene; army clothing and weaponry, revealing a war scene. This film could potentially follow Todorov's theory as the equilibrium would have been when the protagonist was with his wife/girlfriend and was happy within his family life as he just had a child. This would then be disrupted by him being called to fight in a war, causing the disequilibrium and then of course a new equilibrium would result from this, be it positive or negative. The binary opposition would be harmony versus imbalance. Furthermore, there is a very tense enigma code created by the end of this trailer, 'will he shoot the boy?'  The trailer is left on an unbelievably tense cliff hanger. Also, we want to know whether he will get back to his family or not. 

Dexter 

We can identify that the protagonist of this TV show is Dexter, mainly because the title of the show is Dexter but more importantly because of the use of the non-diegetic sound of the voice over, which immediately highlights the importance of this character seeing as the audience are able to follow his train of thought along with him. Barthes enigma code is actually within the clip as Dexter asks the questions that the audience are thinking but we still want to know how the body was severed and how the person was killed. We also want to know whether or not the police will find the killer and who the killer could be. Dexter subverts Propp's stock characters substantially as he could be considered as both a villain and a hero simultaneously. We can infer that he wants to find the killer but then again we can tell that he is a deluded, psychopathic character as he asks himself why he didn't think of that, implying that he has murdered people before, revealing his 'villainous side.' Masuka is the donor, however he provides information that does not help Dexter but still makes him wonder, which is also an action code as we now assume that Dexter will try to hunt down this killer. Within this clip only,  Todorov's theory can be applied as the equilibrium would be Dexter doing his job and coming to a crime scene; then the disequilibrium would be Masuka telling him there is no blood, which disrupts his job and then of course the fact that the person has been murdered. 

The Great British Bake-Off

Propp's stock characters cannot necessarily be applied directly in this situation, however the thing that seems to be creating the complication for the contestants is their dough, therefore we may say that the villain is the dough and it's proving time. The helper for this woman, who is the central figure of the clip, is the microwave as she believes it can help her with her baking. The literal dispatchers would be Paul and Mary, who have set this initial task. Furthermore, the audience would be asking and wondering whether or not the microwave will prove her dough quicker than the rest and will it actually work? These enigma codes create an element of mystery and tension for the viewers as we want to know whether or not she is successful. This clip confirms Todorov's theory; the equilibrium would be before everyone starts their bakes, then the disequilibrium would be when they have to prove their dough and they would have to wait an hour and a half, which causes a great disruption with their baking processes. The new equilibrium for the female character would be that her microwave worked and she was able to cut her proving time by half, resolving her issue. A binary opposition has also been created, contestants versus dough. 

Brand Values: 100-10-1

Reebok 

Reebok is a sports, fashion brand that would appeal to a more working class demographic as it is quite in budget in terms of the pricing range. The brand uses celebrity endorsements, the most recent one being Kendrick Lamar, promoting his new Reebok trainers and also promoting the brand - this synergy makes the brand identity more well-known and fits in with Dyer's line of appeal, elite people. It would also fit in with self importance and pride as when you wear a Reebok product, you would feel more self-worth; the consumer would potentially feel of a higher status. 

The brand is about making the individual feel more important.

Pride 

Lacoste 

Lacoste is a very upmarket brand that sells high-end clothing. In reference to Dyer's lines of appeal, Lacoste would fit in with luxurious lifestyles, due to the fact that their clothing is very expensive; it would also fit into successful careers as the conventional person who would purchase a Lacoste item would predominately be middle or even upper class, with a reasonably high earning career. People who wear the brand would conform to this and would be seen as quite luxurious individuals; wearing the green crocodile identifies you and makes you appear of a higher status than someone wearing Nike, for example.

The Lacoste brand is about luxurious lifestyles, style and status. 

Luxury

Maserati 

The Maserati brand's tagline is "luxury, sports and style cast in exclusive cars." The tagline itself conforms with Dyer's line of appeal, rich, luxurious lifestyles as you would aspire and desire having one of these cars. The logo is a trident, which makes the brand seem dominant and supreme, fitting in with self-importance and pride as the typical owner would be upper class due to the expense. Also it would fit in with dreams as it is a desirable brand, one that is for people with successful careers and are essentially rich because the brand is so elite and prestigious. 

The brand is about exclusiveness and being an elite individual.

Unique

McDonalds 

The McDonald's brand is one of the most well-known brands in the world, having an unbelievably recognisable brand identity. The fast food restaurant would fit into Dyer's line of appeal, happy families - everyone wants to belong to the McDonalds brand, everyone goes to McDonalds and there is a sense of community within as it does not discriminate against anyone, rich or poor, you can still go into McDonalds. It's a brand that brings people together and although it is unhealthy, it is still the world's largest burger chain. 

The brand is about togetherness and a sense of belonging.

Symbolic 

Cow & Gate 

The Cow & Gate brand appears as a very loving and nurturing brand and we see this through the two interlocking hearts as the logo - connoting mother and child perhaps. The brand identifies with a few of Dyer's lines of appeal; happy families as there is a sense of togetherness within the brand; childhood as in advertising they would use cute babies to tap into a mother's nurturing instincts and finally successful romance and love, the main associations that come with a baby is a successful romance, therefore this would create a sense of love. 

The brand is about childhood and the importance of family.

Family 

BBC 3 Profile

The typical BBC 3 Programme
Channel airs from 7pm - 4am

The conventional programme on BBC 3 would be quite low-brow, therefore would appeal to a younger audience. The target audience for the channel is 16-34 year olds and pretty much any genre programme would be aired on the channel; from comedies to current affairs, however the one constant between these is that they are aimed predominantly at youths. The whole institution aims to "provide innovative content to younger audiences." Therefore the programmes aired on the channel would be quite relatable for a younger audience, mainly comedies and interesting programmes such as; Family Guy and Gavin & Stacy. Aside from the programme itself, the channel has a 60 second news bulletin between some programmes, which is short and provides a quick burst of current affairs that young people would be interested in, such as music. This is another aspect of BBC 3 that makes it relatable to a younger demographic. 

Presentation Feedback

WWW:

• Effective starter activity as it was visual and lead to paired discussions
• The handout included good content
• There was a good historical overview 
• There were well designed PowerPoint slides 
• We used keywords such as broadsheet 
• There was a reference to new technology and synergy 
• We had a good presentation style as we were clear 
• We addressed the political angle

 EBI:

• We could have asked why people may think the picture would/would not be on The Guardian's Gallery
• Summarise the content on the handouts 
• Define and explain the keywords 
• Elaborate on the political angle

WWW: 

   - It addressed all the points that we needed to address

   - It was clear and simple 

   - There were visual elements 

EBI: 

   - Go into more detail with the different aspects of the newspaper 

   - Talk about the newspaper as a political paper 

   - Include more facts 

Media Institutions

The Guardian

It was founded by John Edward Taylor in 1821 and it was influenced by the Peterloo Massacres and the anti-corn laws campaigns. It is a broadsheet newspaper, which was the first to be fully coloured. It is also globally recognizable as an international newspaper; it covers a range of different media platforms, such as the applications and online.

BBC

The BBC's remit is to inform, educate and entertain, which the Rethian values; the values that John Reith, the founder of the BBC, wanted to achieve. The BBC is a PSB (Public Service Broadcaster) that, we as UK residents, pay for through the TV license fee. BBC also has other channels, having a large synergy basis, BBC2/3/4 and also radio stations. They also have BBC iPlayer for on demand catch up TV. 50% of their expenditure is on TV so most of the things produced are TV rather than radio.

Twitter

Jack Dorsey founded Twitter in 2006. Twitter uses User Generated Content (UGC) to convey it's message as it is a public site. Twitter also owns Vine, which is a rapidly growing video site. Twitter is ranked one of the 10 most visited social media platforms, however the number of users was overtaken by Instagram. There are also some issues associated with Twitter as it is quite controversial due to the fact that it can be used to organise protests and these can spread rapidly. Negative publicity can also be viral very quickly, which is a disadvantage of the social networking site.

News Corporation

It was founded in Australia by Rupert Murdoch and is split into two subsidiaries; News Corporation and 21st Century Fox because Murdoch wanted to focus on both the media and publishing. It is a conglomerate, which has many other assets worldwide used to promote each other. News Corp own some of the most well-known newspapers such as The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times. They also own HarperCollins Publishers, which is the world's largest English language book publishers.

The Walt Disney Company

The company was founded by Walt Disney and is a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It is the second largest conglomerate, after Comcast, in the world. They use Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) in their family animations; the most iconic of these images and characters being Mickey Mouse. The synergy involved in Disney is so varied; from merchandise to radio. Disney itself is so broad as it has Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Land, Disney Live, Disney Store, Disney Channel, Disney Comics and many more outside the Disney brand, such as Marvel and ABC.

ITV

The ITV was founded in 1955 and is the biggest commercially founded programme, controlled by Ofcom. It is a commercial broadcaster which has synergy, from ITV2/3, ITV player, weather, news ect. ITV is not owned or operated by just one company but instead many licensees. It is regulated by Ofcom and the TV show with the most viewers (20th September) was Downton Abbey, which had 8.08 million viewers.

Sony

Sony Corporation is a multinational conglomerate head quartered in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1946 by Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. It's primary focus is electronics and owns Sony Pictures/Music/Computer Entertainment and Sony Mobile Communications. It is the parent company of the Sony Group. Sony own Columbia Pictures, which is their biggest acquisition so far. They own CBS Record Group, Naughty Dog, Bigbig Studios and many more companies.

Vivendi

Vivendi is a French multinational mass media company, primarily focused on digital entertainment. It owns Canal+ Group, which is a pay- TV channel and movie producer in France. The water company Compagnie Générale des Eaux, branched out into transport, construction, property and more; in the 1990s, they expanded into mass media. They then changed the name to Vivendi and launched digital channels in other countries.

Viacom

Viacom, Inc is an American global mass media company, who focuses on cinema and cable TV. In terms of revenue, it is the 6th largest broadcasting and cable company. National Amusements, which is owned by Sumner Redstone, has voting control over Viacom. Viacom was produced from CBS Corporation. Viacom also owns DreamWorks. The synergy created after Viacom signed a contract with Microsoft allowed both Microsoft and Viacom to advertise with and through each other. Microsoft also collaborate on promotions with the BET and MTV awards, which are also owned by Viacom.

The Guardian Newspaper

Print Advert Analysis

This print is advertising the women's fragrance 'Hypnotic Poison' and is produced by Dior.

The image is of a glowing woman laying down, who has a snake wrapped around her neck.The woman seems almost like an audacious femme fatale as her pose is seductive as her lips are slightly parted, connoting a flirtatious expression also as she is addressing us directly with her eyes, we can almost say that she is trying to put the audience in a trance, due to her wearing the perfume. Perhaps wearing this perfume can cause you to mesmerise someone.
The femme fatale's face is not shot directly portrait yet rotated slightly, exposing more of her neck, which is another flirtatious sign conveyed within this poster. Her dress is tight, revealing her curves and also the shot is a medium shot, which suggests her provocative nature. Also the snake around her neck connotes poison and sin, the fact that the composition of this picture merges the snake and her dress, due to the colours being the same and also the patterns, suggests that she herself is poisonous, due to wearing this perfume.
The colour of the whole poster is almost an immense shade of purple, suggesting that she has supremacy. The colour purple signifies wealth and importance; she is completely immersed within the shade making her seem highly important; this highlights the fact that wearing this fragrance makes you powerful and passionate.

The background lighting is dark, making the woman appear mysterious, however the lighting on the woman is not low-key; this expresses her dominance as she is not afraid to be in the light. Perhaps wearing this perfume gives women control and to have the ability to be supreme.

The name of the perfume is centre-right, which is ideal as we look from left, starting at her face, then follow the formation of her body, ending at the text. The text is clear and easy to identify, the French tag line below reading, 'Dior est mon Poison' translating to 'Dior is my poison,' re-emphasises the entrancing nature of this poster. French is essentially 'the language of love,' provoking a very passionate poster, with an audacious atmosphere created by the model. The brand name is in the top-right corner, which is a symbol for the branding as their logo is conventionally in the top-right.

The subject matter of this poster is the perfume, which is in the left corner of the poster. Even though the woman takes up more of the poster in size, we can clearly identify the subject matter being the perfume as Dior is such a famous fragrance brand.

The target audience is women, although the woman appears provocative and shows sex appeal, this engages women as they want to be like her; having the audacity that she does and being as bold as she is on the poster.

The dominant reading of this poster is that wearing this perfume can potentially provide the targeted demographic with a sense of supremacy and we can infer this through the semiotics displayed; such as her facial expression revealing quite a powerful and strong woman, having the ability to hypnotise anyone. On the other hand, the oppositional reading is that this woman is too strong and as we are in a society that dominantly follows the idea of patriarchy, this completely conflicts that and therefore could be seen in a negative way. Also, although this woman is not revealing a lot, she is still provocative within her facial expression and body language, therefore this opposes the idea of feminism too as she believes she is overpowering and manipulating men through her and of course the perfume.

Reading An Image

This advert poster has been endorsed by 50 Cent, promoting the Reebok brand name.

The poster denotes a very serious looking 50 Cent, his quote and a tag line which covers the poster. Also the brand logo, Reebok, appears at the bottom right.

The whole poster is monochrome with various shades of black and white included within the imaging. The use of monochrome may be reflective of the rappers past and how he has been through dark times. This is further supported by his background being purely black. He himself is directly addressing the audience, within his pose, and looking towards the light essentially, connoting his 'enlightenment' or the fact that he has moved past his darkness and is now emerging from the shadows.  His eyes are intimidating as his expression is stern and almost angry, perhaps connoting his deception as an individual. The fingerprints are denoting his identity yet connoting the fact that he has a criminal record and he is not ashamed to hide that.

The composition of this poster is particularly interesting as both his fingerprints and him himself take up the same amount of space, both equally sized. Here we can assume that this is deliberately done to suggest that his wrongdoings are who he is and he can't change his fingerprints so he cannot change his past. The lighting of the poster creates a mysterious atmosphere for the audience but also makes the poster bold and explicit. Although it is not bright, in lighting or colour, it is still bold and it still stands out, making it seem much more powerful, supporting the fact that 'pictures speak louder than words,' as before even reading the text, we as the audience are intrigued.

The type of shot used is a medium close-up on 50 Cent, adequately showing his expressions and emotions without deterring our attention from the right side of the poster too.
The tag line across the poster reads 'i am what i am,' again representing the idea of identity. The typography is in a serif font, which is quite traditional, connoting him as a classic rapper. Furthermore, as the 'i' is not capitalised it could specifically connote to the audience that no matter who you are, you can pursue your dreams and achieve whatever you want to achieve, regardless of how grammatically correct you are or how educated you are. However, the use of the sans-serif font for his quote, connotes his modern edge. This type of font is clear to read and has a more simple design, perhaps this is used to simply and explicitly communicate the message to the audience; it's so powerful that it does not require any fancy calligraphy or flicks, just minimalistic font.

The subject matter of this poster is to essentially advertise the Reebok brand as there is no product on this particular poster, therefore the aim of this poster is to promote the brand. The subject is potentially success and individualism, on the whole and Reebok may have been attempting to tell the audience, through the use of 50 Cent, that regardless of what has happened in your past, these Reebok products can essentially help you reach success and find out who you are as an individual.

The target audience is mainly youths and we can assume this by the use of 50 Cent promoting the brand. Young people would be interested with this product as soon as they see 50 Cent, who is primarily addressing the audience with his eyes and communicating with us. The use of the quote also shares a bit of his life with us and gets the audience to connect with him, therefore attracting the younger demographic.

The dominant reading of this poster is that no matter who you are and what troubles you have experienced in your past, we all have the ability to rise to success through the Reebok brand. We can tell this as the image on the right, fingerprints, connotes criminality however this has been expressed in a positive light as it shares the message that everyone can be whoever they want to be, even if you do have a criminal record. However, the oppositional reading is that this poster almost promoting criminal behaviour. The Hypodermic Needle Theory expresses that the mass media has a direct influence on the targeted demographic, therefore conveying a message of  'being a criminal is good,' provides a negative impact upon society. The stereotype of black people being criminals has been institutionalised and the fact that 50 Cent is on this poster freely promoting misconduct produces a bad image for both him and the brand. 

Media Consumption Audit

Newspapers

• I very rarely read newspapers, however when I do I usually read the stories that are headlined and bold. I do this because they catch my attention; the most striking headlines intrigue me to read more about the story. I never read the government and politics section of the newspaper as I am not particularly interested in politics. Although it does affect me, I feel as though it doesn't, therefore I never read it. Usually, I read the tragic stories as they are more shocking and thought provoking. To be honest I have never bought a newspaper in my life, normally my dad would buy the newspaper and everyone else in my family would just read it. I much prefer to look through online newspapers on my phone as it is quick and easy. Also, with the app, the headlines of top stories flash onto my screen so I am always up to date with the recent news and am aware of what's going on around the world. 

Magazines

• Magazines do not particularly interest me as the content is not always as compelling as the front cover. The most intriguing magazines are music ones; such as NME, however I would only ever buy this magazine if there is an interview with an artist I liked. 

Television

• Weekly, I probably watch about 4 hours of television and I would usually watch it in the evening, after doing all my work. On TV I don't really watch a variety of channels, it's customary for me to just watch Comedy Central, programmes such as; Friends, Impractical Jokers, Two and a half men. Now and then I also watch Coronation Street but that's only when my parents are watching television. I prefer watching comedy shows as it is more entertaining for me. In the evenings, my parents normally just put on what they want as I'm not too fussed when it comes to television programmes. I prefer watching TV series' like Gotham and also on Netflix, Dexter. Watching shows on Netflix provides flexibility as I can pick up from where I left off and also do not need to keep remembering to record the programme. I would usually watch this on the PlayStation or on my phone. The advantages of watching TV on my phone is that I can watch programmes whenever I want and when on the move. 

Radio

• The only time I listen to the radio is when I am in the car and I hardly ever listen to it. Normally, I like listening to Westside Radio, however the radio hosts are terrible so I usually switch between Kiss too as I like the Kisstory part of the radio. I like to listen to my own music rather than the radio as the music is predominantly mainstream on the radio, something that I do not enjoy. 

Cinema

• In the last month I have been to the cinema once to watch Sinister 2. Commonly, I watch movies online or on apps like ShowBox. Recently, I have watched Mad Max and Spy. In the cinema, I watched the movie with my friends but at home I usually watch films alone or with my family; we all decide what film to watch and come to a mutual agreement. Typically, I watch films on the PlayStation, using Netflix, or on TV or my phone. 

Online

• Daily I access the internet. I use the internet at home, at school, when I'm out, pretty much anywhere and everywhere. Regularly, I access the TFL Bus times site, I also always look at music news online; Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q news mostly. I use social media apps such as; WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. I use these to communicate with friends and for entertainment purposes and the reason why I use these particular sites is because they are interesting as they provide me with the knowledge of my favourite music artists. In addition to this, they would promote their music on every media platform available, therefore belonging to Instagram and Twitter,for example, is informative. Furthermore, I use online shopping sites as it is quicker and easier to search specifically for what I am looking for. The primary device I use to access the internet is my phone and I use the laptop when doing my homework so would use that device to access the internet then. 

Action Plan:

My action plan is to watch a variety of more television programmes and also listen to the radio more often. This would therefore broaden my media consumption.