Learning objective:
To bring textual investigation 1 (genre) up to date with paragraphs on audience and iconography.
Key terms:
You need to use lesson time this week to put in some hard work on your first textual investigation.
By now you should have completed the following:
A dictionary definition of the concept of genre.
An introductory paragraph
Here you should set out what you are going to be writing about in the essay and what you are going to be comparing your main text with. This part should also include an illustration of your text.
You will return to the introductory paragraph when the essay is complete, then you can state any theorists you have written about.
A paragraph about audiences
A comparison of iconography with another text of the same genre
Learning objective:
To prepare for the GCSE Media Studies written exam (15/6/2015) by answering and discussing typical questions.
Key terms: Command words, concepts.
The GCSE Media Studies exam is made up of two sections. Part A will be on print based adverting -
For Part A you will be given some material about which you will be questioned.
You will also be asked to some consider print based ads we have looked at, for these questions you should revise the work you did on print based texts such as Olay - Jessica Ennis, GHD , Lexus and Omega watches.
Learn to use the correct terminology when discussing print based ads.
Part B will be on TV advertising - You will be asked to complete a series of tasks.
For this section you should revise the work you did on the Irn-Bru - gets you through campaign Persil - Dirt is Good campaign
Task 1:
Look at the example paper you have been given. We will discuss how to approach questions.
SECTION A: Thinking about the Media – Investigating Print advertising 40 marks
Study carefully the Resource Material.
It consists of two print based adverts, one for Fame scent and one for Weetabix.
After studying the Resource Material, answer the following questions.
Answer the questions in this Answer Book.
All questions and tasks are repeated for you in the Answer Book.
1. Choose one of the adverts. (a) Identify the camera shot used on the advert. [2] (b) Briefly explain why this shot has been used. [8] 2. Explain how colour is used on each of the adverts to appeal to audiences. [10] 3. Explain how male or females are represented in two adverts you have studied (not the Resource Material). [10] 4. Suggest two reasons why print based adverts use celebrity to attract consumers. Explain these reasons. [10]
When you read through the questions on the exam look first for the concept or convention you are being asked to deal with.
Concepts are things like audiences, representation, narrative.
Conventions are things like slogans, logos, jingles
Next look for the command words - Design, explore, suggest, explain.
Next make a plan for your answer. This should include an introduction, a main body and a conclusion. You are advised to rewrite the question in the main body of your response so you avoid going off at a tangent.
Make sure you cross out your plan when you are ready to develop it. Otherwise it will get marked.
Learning objective: To consider how to approach the written Media Studies exam Key terms: Conventions, anchorage, product or service, brand, image, copy, slogan, brand logo, convergence. External Assessment: Written Examination: 40% of total mark. (Coursework is 60%) Unit 1 Thinking about the Media: Investigating and Planning 2 hrs 15 mins (135 mins)
Section A: Thinking about the media - Investigating Four questions: candidates respond to stimulus material (this will be print based advertising) This unit section will also assess the way the contemporary media is convergent. Section B: Thinking about the media - Planning A series of tasks: candidates demonstrate planning and creative skills through a series of creative tasks which demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of the contemporary media. The first thing you will need to consider is how long to spend answering each question.
Your answer is in the amount of marks awarded for each one.
This can be seen in the [square brackets] after each question.
In total there are 80 marks to be gained;
40 for section A - Thinking About the Media – Investigating Advertising
40 for section B - Thinking About the Media – Planning Advertising
Print adverts are usually made up of the following key features, known as conventions. These are the things that make it recognisable as an advert ‑ the logo, slogan, brand name etc. Not all adverts feature all these conventions all of the time, but they are considered to be the ‘norm'.
Product or Service This is what is being advertised ‑ coffee, mascara and baby food are all
products, banking, insurance, gas supplies are all services. Some
adverts promote an overall company (or brand) as opposed to a
specific product made by that company. Fashion, sportswear and
technology adverts are often like this.
Brand This is the ‘idea’ of the product and is often the same as the company who manufacture
the product or provide the service.
Image The central or key picture that encourages us to look at the advert.
This can be analysed by looking at its technical features (lighting, camera angle, framing). These are called technical codes. Also you would explore its visual codes.
This refers to the content of the picture (who or what is the picture of, their position, clothing, decor etc).
Copy This is the written explanation of the product on the advert.
Slogan This is the catchy phrase about the brand or the product that is supposed to stick in our minds.
Brand logo This is the small graphic used to represent the brand.
The copy, slogan and brand logo all act as anchorage on a print advert
Section A - Thinking About the Media – Investigating Advertising
Q.1 (a) Identify two elements which are important in this Print Advertisement. [2]
(1 mark awarded for each appropriate object). (b) Briefly explain why each element is important. [8] Answers may refer to:
Important in narrative/narrative device/narrative enigma
Iconography/genre conventions of advertising
Links to character and audience targeting
To gain a high level mark you need to show an excellent explanation of importance of elements.
Confident and relevant use of media’s key concepts and appropriate terminology.
Task 1: In your orange books answer the two questions above: 10 minutes.
Consider where advertisers
try to reach audiences.
Key terms: Consumable products:
These are the products we use regularly and need to replace. Toothpaste, breakfast cereal, trainers. A successful ad may persuade us to buy something different than usual.
Constructed to appeal to an audience.
Deconstruction by an audience.
Quick Task 1:
Work in pairs and list five ways you may come across an advertisement in your normal day.
We tend to think of advertising as being the selling of consumable products like shampoo, clothes and household products, but advertising is very broad and lots of organisations and people use advertising to communicate in formation.
Quick task 2:
Create a list of advertisers other than makers of consumable products
Charities - to raise awareness about an issue and persuade us to donate.
Government departments- the health service for example, to give us information about health issues like diet.
Organisers of events - for example sporting competitions, concerts. To let us know they are happening and persuade us to buy tickets.
The media - to promote new films, TV programmes, games etc.
Schools, colleges and universities - to give information about courses and persuade us to enrol.
Ordinary people - to sell items, find work make announcements.
Task 3:
Use the Internet to source examples of print based ads from each of the above. Create a Power Point presentation and e-mail to aealey@de-la-salle.co.uk
Plenary:
Where???
Discuss your answers to the first task. Did you identify these places for adverts?
You will prepare for the GCSE topic area of Advertising and
Marketing by focusing on print advertising and television advertising. Learning objectives: To study the persuasive techniques used by print advertisers. Key Media Terms: Brand. That which identifies one companies product from those of another. The branding may be clearly identifiable by a name, logo or some other trademark, for example; the font style of Kellogs or the Nike swoosh.
Brand identity. The associations the audience makes with the brand. This is built up over time. The brand Nike suggests good quality sports clothing that is also fashionable as leisure wear. The high budget ad campaigns and sponsorship at world events have helped to reinforce this brand image over time.
Consumable products. These are the products that we use regularly and that need to be replaced. Some audiences are loyal to a particular brand whereas others may be persuaded to change as a result of marketing devices. Advertising is one of the most powerful media forms and the advertising industry is one of the most lucrative. It is important to be aware of the techniques used by advertisers to attract and appeal to audiences to promote their products. Advertisers persuade us to buy what we want and desire rather than what we actually need. However, advertising is not solely confined to the selling of consumable products. All sorts of areas of society and companies advertise products - not all of which are for sale. Whatever is being advertised, it is important for the advertisers to establish the brand and a brand identity. Task 1: Discuss advertisers covered in a previous lesson.
Who advertises and why?
Makers of consumable products, for example beauty and grooming products. To encourage an audience to buy. This is avery competetive area of the advertising industry. Charities. To raise awareness and to encourage donations. Organisers of events, for example the 2012 Olympics. To boost ticket sales and to promote the event to anaudience. Educational establishments. To persuade people to go there for their studies. They produce a prospectus and additional promotional material like flyers. The media themselves promote their products through film posters, CD covers etc.
The media messages most concerned with persuading us are found in advertising, public relations and advocacy. Commercial advertising tries to persuade us to buy a product or service. Public relations (PR) "sells" us a positive image of a corporation, government or organization. Politicians and advocacy groups (groups that support a particular belief, point of view, policy, or action) try to persuade us to vote for or support them, using ads, speeches, newsletters, websites, and other means.
These "persuaders" use a variety of techniques to grab our attention, to establish credibility and trust, to stimulate desire for the product or policy, and to motivate us to act (buy, vote, give money, etc.)
Learning the language of persuasion is an important media literacy skill. Once you know how media messages try to persuade you to believe or do something, you’ll be better able to make your own decisions.
1. Bandwagon. Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doing it" (or at least, "all the cool people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the bandwagon.” Politicians use the same technique when they say, "The American people want..." How do they know? 2. Repetition. Advertisers use repetition in two ways: Within an ad or advocacy message, words, sounds or images may be repeated to reinforce the main point. And the message itself (a TV commercial, a billboard, a website banner ad) may be displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are repeated enough to pound their message into our minds. 3. Testimonials. Media messages often show people testifying about the value or quality of a product, or endorsing an idea. They can be experts, celebrities, or plain folks. We tend to believe them because they appear to be a neutral third party (a pop star, for example, not the lipstick maker, or a community member instead of the politician running for office.) This technique works best when it seems like the person “testifying” is doing so because they genuinely like the product or agree with the idea. Some testimonials may be less effective when we recognize that the person is getting paid to endorse the product. 4. Humor. Many ads use humor because it grabs our attention and it’s a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they’re trying to connect that good feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in a store, we’ll subtly re-experience that good feeling and select their product. Advocacy messages (and news) rarely use humor because it can undermine their credibility; an exception is political satire.
5. Beautiful people. Beautiful people uses good-looking models (who may also be celebrities) to attract our attention. This technique is extremely common in ads, which may also imply (but never promise!) that we’ll look like the models if we use the product.
6. Bribery. This technique tries to persuade us to buy a product by promising to give us something else, like a discount, a rebate, a coupon, or a "free gift.” Sales, special offers, contests, and sweepstakes are all forms of bribery. Unfortunately, we don’t really get something for free -- part of the sales price covers the cost of the bribe.
7. Celebrities. (A type of Testimonial – the opposite of Plain folks.) We tend to pay attention to famous people. That’s why they’re famous! Ads often use celebrities to grab our attention. By appearing in an ad, celebrities implicitly endorse a product; sometimes the endorsement is explicit. Many people know that companies pay celebrities a lot of money to appear in their ads (Nike’s huge contracts with leading athletes, for example, are well known) but this type of testimonial still seems to be effective.
8. Experts. (A type of Testimonial.) We rely on experts to advise us about things that we don’t know ourselves. Scientists, doctors, professors and other professionals often appear in ads and advocacy messages, lending their credibility to the product, service, or idea being sold. Sometimes, Plain folks can also be experts, as when a mother endorses a brand of baby powder or a construction worker endorses a treatment for sore muscles.
9. Explicit claims. Something is "explicit" if it is directly, fully, and/or clearly expressed or demonstrated. For example, some ads state the price of a product, the main ingredients, where it was made, or the number of items in the package – these are explicit claims. So are specific, measurable promises about quality, effectiveness, or reliability, like “Works in only five minutes!” Explicit claims can be proven true or false through close examination or testing, and if they’re false, the advertiser can get in trouble. It can be surprising to learn how few ads make explicit claims. Most of them try to persuade us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.
10. Fear. This is the opposite of the Association technique. It uses something disliked or feared by the intended audience (like bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution.” Ads use fear to sell us products that claim to prevent or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.
11. Plain folks. (A type of Testimonial – the opposite of Celebrities.) This technique works because we may believe a "regular person" more than an intellectual or a highly-paid celebrity. It’s often used to sell everyday products like laundry detergent because we can more easily see ourselves using the product, too. The plain folks technique strengthens the down-home, "authentic" image of products like pickup trucks and politicians. Unfortunately, most of the "plain folks" in ads are actually paid actors carefully selected because they look like "regular people.”
12.Emotional appeal: Emotional persuasion relies on the subconscious mind's "auto-pilot" to handle the chores of receiving, processing and evaluating information to make a decision. However, the subconscious mind is clueless about processing and evaluating information based on conscious thought. Consequently, emotions and instincts, which reside in the subconscious, kick in as the auto-pilot substitute for conscious thought. In other words, when decisions are made at the subconscious level, they are based on emotions and instincts, or "gut feeling."
Why Emotional Appeals Work
Thinking is a laborious task. Experts in neuroscience say that the mere act of thinking burns three times more calories than a less-challenging task like watching TV. The experts also note that the human brain runs on idle in a non-thinking state 95 percent of the time. Marketers clearly don't bet their budgets on consumers being asleep at the switch 95 percent of the time. The stats strongly suggest, however, that people are more susceptible to emotional appeals because their brains are in an idle, subliminal state most of the time.
Task 1: Identify print based ads which use techniques described above.
Learning objective: To consider the techniques used in a Lexus print ad. Key terms: Campaign: Run by an ad agency, this incorporates all the ways in which the product is promoted, e.g. packaging, radio, TV, Internet and print adverts. Slogan: A catchy phrase that is memorable and thus becomes associated with the product. Enigma: a mystery contained within the product that makes the audience curious Colour scheme. Colours have connotations, black for instance suggests sophistication. Product endorsement: the use of celebrities, members of the public or experts to say how good the product is. If the endorser is admired and believable then the audience may be persuaded to buy the product. B&Q use their own staff to add credibility to their products. Iconic representation: The actual image of the product appears in the advert to show the audience what it looks like. E.g. the image of a perfume bottle is usually featured in fragrance adverts. Task 1: List the terms and their meanings above in your orange books. Task 2: Work in pairs to list at least three of your favourite well known slogans ('Just do It' is one we discussed before, below are some of my favourites). "Guinness is good for you." "Finger lickin' good." "Because I'm worth it." “Vorsprung durch Technik.”
'A Quiet Revolution' is the 2011 campaign for Lexus, the car manufacturer, for the world's first hybrid luxury car. The campaign uses Kylie Minogue to promote its product. The aim of the campaign is to target a new audience of young drivers. Task 1: Consider the techniques used in this advert. Write a sentence or two in your orange books about the points raised below.
What does the slogan suggest? SHHH...join the revolution suggests being part of something special and 'revolution' is emotive and suggests being at the forefront of something new. The features of this car will appeal to an audience with a social conscience because of the environmental aspects. There is also an enigma as the audience is not given all the information about the product. What can you say about the colour scheme? It is muted and suggests sophistication. What are the connotations of the actual product (the car)? this also suggests sleekness and sophistication. How will celebrity endorsement attract an audience? Who is the primary target audience? The use of Kylie reinforces the aim of the campaign to attract a younger audience. She is attractive and her costume suggests sexuality this will appeal to a male audience. However, she is also a role model for women through her involvement with cancer charities, this will broaden the audience appeal. What can you say about the mode of address? The mode of address is direct and the finger at the lips is a feature of the campaign which is used in other formats promoting the product. This suggests that Kylie is sharing a secret with the audience and Implies that the product is exclusive. There is iconic representation so that the audience will recognise the product. What is the unique selling point? The chance to win tickets to Kylie's tour. Lexus is the sponsor of the tour (cross format advertising Task 3: Analyse in pairs the print based ad below. Make notes then individually write 200 words on the text. Consider: Choice of celebrity endorser, how would she appeal to audiences. Visual codes - costume, facial exp. colour, body language, graphics. Image manipulation (or lack of). Mode of address Technical codes Iconic representation.
This is an assessment task so present your work neatly and put a heading Olay - Assessment task
Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Study the techniques
advertisers use to attract audiences.
To create
a print based ad mock up for a product which uses a slogan, images, persuasive
language.
Key Terms:
Names, Getting this right is very important. The name of a new product may suggest something about the product's image. Jaguar for example.
Slogans, usually linked to something about the product and can be memorable. Sometimes they include a rhyme or suggest how the product may improve your life.
Logos, the small design used on all the promotional materials for the product. The audience will recognise it. In this Nike example for instance, the logo and the slogan are together. There is no clue to what the product actually is but the audience will recognise the brand and what it produces.
Endorsements, This is when advertisers use celebrities or or ordinary members of the public to say how good the product is in the hope that this will persuade the audience to buy it. Everyday, consumable products like washing powders and DIY tend to be endorsed by ordinary people as audiences are more likely to believe that they actually know about the product. Celebrity endorsers can attract audiences to the product quickly as they are easily recognised. They may have a link to the product, for example a glamorous celebrity would be more likely to endorse an expensive brand. Kiera Knightly and Chanel.
Unique selling points. This is the part of the product that makes it different from another, similar product. This could be a new ingredient for a food or a new feature of a mobile phone.
A successful advertisement catches our attention and makes us remember the product.
Existing and new products both need to remind us that they exist.
Products that have been around for many years , for example Cadbury's and Coca-Cola, are always thinking up new ways to attract an audience. Established brands are in competition with cheaper, supermarket brands and they have to persuade an audience to stay with them.
The aim of any advertisement is to target a wide audience.
Companies switch agencies in order to bring new ideas to an advertising campaign and older brands have to re-invent themselves regularly with new campaigns for new generations of consumers.
In order to attract an audience the advertisers need to consider the things that are important to the potential customer at that particular time in their life. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is useful here.
Task 1: Work in pairs. Write a short list in your orange books.
Think of some brands that have been around for a long time and have had to continue to attract audiences over a number of years.
What strategies have they introduced to to do this? For example new packaging. Give three examples.
Task 2: Work in pairs. Write a list in your orange books.
Consider how you would market three of the following products to a new audience:
Baby products to a male target audience
A performance car to women
Sportswear for an older audience
Perfume to a male target audience
Beer for women
Fizzy soft drinks for an older audience
Healthy snacks to children
Household cleaning products to men.
Consider the following.
Where you would place the target audience on Maslow's hierarchy.
Create a slogan that might appeal to that audience.
What kind of logo represents that product well.
Who would the audience like to see endorsing a product they might buy.
Would you use iconic representation?
What should the colours used in your ad symbolise?
All the visual codes. Technical codes of lighting and framing.
Include persuasive language for your ad; bandwagon, repetition, testimonial, emotional appeal, humour rhetorical question.
Young and Rubicams 4C's is an important model used in targeting audiences.
M. A. R. S.
Task 3: Individually in orange books.
Create a print based ad mock up for a product which uses a slogan, images, persuasive language.
This is not an art exam so just indicate the characters, settings, colours. Stick men will suffice. Work quickly.
Task 4: Consider products or services that would appeal to each of the categories in Young and Rubicam's 4C's model.
Learning objectives: Consider how gender is represented in ads Key terms: Stereotypes - Simplified representations which focus on certain characteristics of the group and assumes these to be shared across all group members. Within a stereotype is often a judgement on this characteristic (usually negative – but not always).
Stereotypes are often assumed to be negative as:
1The judgement making the basis of the stereotype is usually a negative one.
2They do not allow for individual characteristics to exist in members of the group.
3They are created by those outside the stereotyped group and are often seen to be an exertion of power – the stereotyped group often has no way to answer back.
4The stereotype gives a ‘complete picture’ about the group and implies that a knowledge and understanding that can be applied to all members of the group.
Representation of gender
Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when discussing representation. Essential elements of our own identity, and the identities we assume other people to have, come from concepts of gender - what does it mean to be a boy or a girl?
Task 1: Work in pairs and list a table of 'typical' male/female characteristics like the one below.
Typically Masculine
Typically feminine
Broad
Petite
Tough
Fragile
Reliable
Needs help
Through representation of gender in the media we grow up to believe that men and women like certain things and behave in a particular ways.
Task 2: Copy the lists below and add two things to each column.
Men like:
Women like:
Technology (cars, gadgets
and computers)
Fashion (shopping,
clothes and make-up)
Casual sex with many
partners
Committed relationships
with one partner
Comedy and practical
jokes
Celebrity gossip (which
can be ‘bitchy’ or mean to women)
Drinking to get drunk
(beers and spirits)
Drinking to be sociable
(wines and liqueurs)
Computer games like Grand
Theft Auto or Call of Duty on consoles like Play Station 3 or
Computer games like Brain
Training on Nintendo DS or Wii
Fit
Action / adventure films
‘Chick flicks’ and
romantic comedies
Many objects, not just humans, are represented by the media as being particularly masculine or feminine - particularly in advertising - and we grow up with an awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate' characteristics Task 3: Work in pairs to list objects that are 'gendered' through advertising, given that both sexes will use the product?
·Traditional masculine man – often shown as being muscly, strong, brave, heterosexual, working in manual jobs such as building, plumbing etc.They are often aggressive, tall, and dominant over women, works to provide for family, does no cleaning, cooking or childcare
Task 4:
Define the traditional traits/characteristics of masculinity shown in early representations of men.
· 'New' Man – Often shown as being less masculine but still heterosexual, very peaceful, looks after the family, stays at home to look after family, does cleaning and cooking etc, shown as equal to women. Think David Beckham.... This is from a site called Best Daily:
Does your man prefer bubbles to beer? He's not alone.
A new survey reveals the rise of the Metrosexual that shows most blokes now swap the pub for a pedicure and shun traditional 'man's man,' interests. Face masks, manicures, bubble baths and baking list high on male pampering pursuits and now Lambrini has launched a new drink Ladbrini to meet their changing tastes.
Task 5: Research and list other examples of new men, list specific examples, their appearance, behaviour and where they have appeared in the media.
·Gay Man – Often shown as being very feminine, weak, working in jobs such as fashion or hairdressing, bitchy, etc
Task 6: Research and list gay men in the media and write a paragraph about how they challenge traditional notions of masculinity. Consider costume, language used, behaviour.
Task 7: Write about 200 words about how men are represented in the TV ad below. Also consider the persuasive techniques used in the ad:
Homework. To be submitted on Monday. Detentions will be issued to those not completing this task
What persuasive techniques are used?
What does the man's appearance tell us about him.
What does the man's behaviour tell us?
Who would the ad appeal to and why?
Traditionally, men have held the power in our society.
The system where men have power and control in society is called patriarchy.
It is understood as a society run by men for men.
The result of patriarchy is that traditionally male qualities and attributes are generally seen as superior to traditionally female qualities and attributes.
Rupert Murdoch
The CEOs and heads of most big businesses are male, including those in the media. They naturally (unconsciously?) promote their own qualities as superior through the ideological makeup of the texts they produce.
Action films often link to patriarchal ideas about gender
Task 1:
Research and write down a definition of patriarchy.
Female representation in advertising is based on certain criteria such as
Maternal
Jobless
Seductive/provocative
Dependent on a man
Unintelligent/dizzy
Manipulative.
Advertisers tend to focus on body image, inadequacy and subservience.
Therefore, women tend to be more conscious about their weight and beauty.
Advertisements place females in a neglected role and males in a dominant one.
Task2:
Research and download three images of women in advertising that conform to the criteria discussed (see above). Write down how the appearance and behaviour of the women in the ads contributes to the stereotype. Powerpoint Presentation or word doc.
Traditional feminine woman – often shown as being girly, likes pink, wears dresses, does feminine jobs such as working in fashion, hairdressing or stays at home to look after the children, needs a man to cope, weak, scared of things, needs rescuing, pure and innocent.
Two of the most common traditional roles women were represented in under patriarchy were the happy housewife and the sex object/ glamorous ideal.
Task 3: Research and list traditional feminine 'types' of women in today's media list specific examples, their appearance, behaviour and media texts that they have appeared in.
Write down how the appearance and behaviour of the women you have researched contributes to the stereotype. Powerpoint Presentation or word doc.
Sexy woman – very flirty, dresses in a revealing way, more powerful than traditional women, uses ..men to get what she wants, no loyalty to other women, bitchy.
Task 4:Research and list of 'flirty' women in today's media list specific examples, their appearance, behaviour and media texts that they have appeared in. Music industry is a good place to start. Write down how the appearance and behaviour of the women you have researched contributes to the stereotype. Powerpoint Presentation or word doc.
Lesbian Woman – Often shown as dressing in a masculine fashion, doing masculine roles, hating men, looking masculine.
Task 5:
Research and download images of lesbian women in today's mediagive specific examples, their appearance, behaviour and media texts that they have appeared in. Write down how the appearance and behaviour of the women you have researched contributes to the stereotype. Powerpoint Presentation or word doc.
From the 1960s onwards, feminism challenged patriarchy. Feminism sought to gain equality for women and argued that changing representations in the media was vital to do so.
Feminism resulted in anti-sexism legislation and increased respect and opportunities for women. Suddenly gender roles were less defined in real life and this was reflected in media representations.
Women:
The representation of women in the media has developed and adapted to reflect changes in how society views them. As women's roles in society have changed, this has been reflected in some areas of the media.
However, there are still some stereotypical representations of women where they are defined by how men see them and how society expects them to look and behave.
Women still tend to be judged on their looks and appearance foremost.
Representations tend to concentrate also on their sexuality; emotions and narratives tend to be based around relationships.
The way in which the representation of women is constructed in texts like glamour magazines is unrealistic and instills unattainable aspiration in the audience.
In an examination response it is important that you explore the representation of gender at a sophisticated level and go beyond basic discussion of positive and negative, it is much more complex than that.
The representation of Fearn Cotton as the cover image on Cosmopolitan (October 2011) magazine would appeal to both men and women.
In simple terms, women want to BE her and men want to BE WITH her.
The cover line related to her defines her very much in terms of a relationship and of emotions;
'Being in Love'.
The image is constructed through visual codes, costume and mode of address.
The image is ambiguous; her posture and body language are strong but she is also very sexualised.
She is defined in terms of her body image and her size.
By highlighting her 'firm thighs' the magazine presents this representation as that which every women should aspire to.
The other cover lines suggest the discourse of the magazine and represent women in terms of beauty, sex and consumerism.
The sell lines of 'miracle beauty buys' gives hope to those readers who do not look like the female construction of the magazine. The representation is obviously unrealistic and the construction includes image manipulation such as airbrushing to give a representation of perfection. Unattainable for most ordinary women.
When you are discussing areas of representation such as stereotyping, you must be sure to analyse the representation according to the context in which it appears and the purpose.
Whilst there remain many stereotypical representations of women in the media, there are also texts that are constructed to challenge these representations. These texts hold messages that offer a more realistic or refreshing representation of women in the media today. In film and television we see more and more women who have key roles and that are active rather than passive. They are defined by what they do, rather tan what is done to them. They are less the victim and more the hero.
Some texts cleverly play with accepted stereotypes in order to challenge them. This is true of the GHD hair straighteners Twisted Fairytales campaign.
Here the stereotypical representations of women are subverted to create strong women who do not have to rely on men to rescue them. The campaign uses Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding hood, in each case they leave the stereotypical male hero behind in a twist at the end.
In the print advert above, RRH is shown to be both sexually attractive and purposeful. She engages in a direct mode of address with the audience. The iconography and graphics remain that of a fairytale but the representation is very different (as the rhyme indicates)..
However, it is also true that, although the women are strong and independent and over come the men in the GHD campaign, they are also stereotypically beautiful and it is their beauty aid, hair straighteners that are deemed responsible for their success.
In this respect, the representation of women in the campaign is ambiguous.
Economical Issues with Gender
Economically, women still have trouble finding jobs because of their gender.
Often times men will make more money than women in the workforce.
It is rare to find females with higher wages in the same occupation.
In the 2008 Presidential Elections, it was the first time ever a woman has made it to the primary elections.
Objectification
Objectification is a notion central to feminist theory. It can be roughly defined as the seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman, as an object.
Task:
Write 200 words about the representation of women in the ad below.
New man - this was a term introduced to describe a new breed of men. These men rejected sexist attitudes; were in touch with their feminine side and were therefore not afraid to be sensitive, caring and could sometimes be seen in a domestic role.
A good example of a media text that reflects this changing role is James Bond, here the representation of men has become more acceptable.
Key Figure:
David Gauntlett - in his book 'Media, gender and identity considers the changing representations of men and women in the media. He also discusses the Pick and Mix theory. This suggests that audiences are active rather than passive and will choose what to do with the media rather than having the media manipulate them.
Stereotypically, men in media texts are represented differently from women but their representation, like that of women, has changed in order to address changes in society.
There have been many cries that masculinity is in crisis and that men no longer have a traditional role to play in society as they once did.
However it is the case that men, just like women have had to change their roles and this has been reflected in their representation across a range of media texts. With the advent of the 'new man' there appeared different representations of masculinity.
However, even when disguised as a new man, representations of men in the media still tend to focus on the following:
Body image and physique
Physical strength
Sexual attractiveness and relationships with women
Power and independence
One media area that has developed dramatically is the men's magazine market. Now men as well as women are given aspirational and unrealistic role models to emulate.
Men too have to be concerned about their weight and body imageand buy into an unattainable lifestyle through the representations presented to them.
Men's Health magazine is now the best selling men's magazine, overtaking FHM in 2010.
Below is a constructed image that defines men very clearly.
The central image is one of perfection and has clearly been manipulated to present the 'perfect body' image.
The mode of address is direct and the use of imperatives is commanding and powerful.
However, as this is a new man, he is also concerned about his health and his diet, but reverts to a more traditional type, refering to sex rather than relationships.
The cover lines include quick fix problem solving to suggest a healthy lifestyle and acquiring this body is easy.
The body language of the model suggests that he is proud of his shape and is self obsessed, looking away from the audience.
However, there still exist in the media the more stereotypical representations of men in strong roles defined by their power, independence and their ability to survive against all the odds. These representations tend to be associated with particular genres, for example the action film, still largely the domain of the male protagonist.
In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, the audience is presented with James Bond, the action hero. The iconography that places him in this role is evident in these stills from the film; dinner suit, gun, action shot and the beautiful woman.
However, on closer analysis, this representation is more ambiguous and reflects the new man that is James Bond.
The woman is not an accessory; she is next to him and has clearly been part of the action. His bow tier is missing and his suit is dishevlled. His expression is not the usual cool and calm, but moody and unhappy. In another shot he is seen as protecting the female and looking intimidated himself. Different to the old James Bond.
Task 1:
Write 200 around words on the representation of men in the three texts,
