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.