Definition: Re – presentation
The presentation of a form of reality in a media text.
—Representation is always a re-presentation, in which elements of reality are selected, organized and narrated.
—Media produces ‘mediates’ reality – it selects it and shows us only what the producer wants.
Media producers have no choice but to be selective in their choice of material, however naturalistic their approach so….
texts will always represent individuals, groups and issues, whatever the intentions of the producer.
What is being represented in a film trailer or music magazine?
-A form of reality?
-The artist?
-A theme within the narrative?
-A movement – feminism?
Stereotypes - why have they proved popular with:
—With audiences?
—With institutions (marketing and creative)?
How could stereotypical representations be seen as:
—Lazy?
—Dangerous?
—Offensive?
—Misleading?
David Gauntlett - constructing identity : Audiences and representation
Gauntlett says that we reconfirm or challenge our identity through watching media texts.
—We use texts as toolbox to check own identity
Gauntlett described the Social construction of identity: how can you work out who you are through what you see in a media text? Your identity is not fixed: you will be shaped by what you watch.
--Identity as project – audience chooses the tools
-Conflicting media messages about identity
So.. When we watch or read a text we compare ourselves to the stereotypes presented within it.
Look at the use of stereotypes in your music magazine or film trailer. How far could you say your music magazine or film trailer encourages audiences to reconfirm or challenge who they are when reading your magazine/ watching your trailer?
Laura Mulvey - the male gaze
One theory in media studies is the idea of the ‘male gaze’. This explores the idea that the camera ‘sees’ images through male eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY
“The message though was always the same: buy the product, get the girl; or buy the product to get to be like the girl so you can get your man” in other words, “‘Buy’ the image, ‘get’ the woman”
—What could this mean?
—Why might it be the case?
—How might this be evident in your music video?
Naomi Wolf – 3rd Wave feminism
and the Beauty Myth
—Wolf argues that an idealised form of Beauty devised by large
multinational companies including the pharmaceutical industry is the currency
which women are judged by
—'No
matter what a woman's appearance may be, it will be used to undermine what she
is saying’ Apply this to your
work….
Are your female musicians shown as ‘beautiful’ are their looks, style and personal relationships discussed more than their music? In your film trailer did you use binary opposites with your heroines shown as ‘beautiful’ and your villains shown as ‘ugly’?
Are your female musicians shown as ‘beautiful’ are their looks, style and personal relationships discussed more than their music? In your film trailer did you use binary opposites with your heroines shown as ‘beautiful’ and your villains shown as ‘ugly’?
Judith Butler - gender performance
—Butler argues that gender is a performance.
—It is what you do at particular times, rather than about who you are.
Apply this to your work….
Do the absence of male characters change the way you view the female characters?
Do the female characters behave typically feminine?
Feminism / Post feminism
—Feminism = a movement (c. 1960s) promoting the rights of women to be equal to men and arguing that women should no longer dress and behave as men wish them to.
Post-feminism = movement arguing that women have now achieved equality and should be free to dress and behave as they wish without doing so for the benefit of men.
Example: Girls Aloud.
Post-feminist icons?
Objects of male gaze?
Exploited or powerful?
Role models for women?
Verismilitude = the imitation of reality (techniques)
—Representation is always a re-presentation, in which elements of reality are selected, organized and narrated.
—By nature, media ‘mediates’ reality – it selects it and shows us only what the producer wants.
The media makes use of various ‘scripts’ – like stereotypes for events rather than people
e.g. news programmes expect certain images and events to occur in coverage of protests, war, natural disaster, murder inquiries.
Fictional narratives use certain representations of issues and events
E.g. relationships and break-ups, car chases, trials, police investigations, holidays.
Consider in your work how far you have created verisimilitude using:
(a) Mise-en-scene Classic Realism? (as if the camera is not there)
(b) Editing Are we overly conscious of the editing? Does it seem fluent – continuity editing?
or Does the editing form part of the narrative? Is it dramatic? Does it create pace and excitement?
(c) Narrative Does the narrative flow as a chronological sequence of events? Does it present all aspects of the action to the audience? Are events constructed from one viewpoint – is this realistic? Do we move from equilibrium to disequilibrium? Is this realistic?
Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding texts
—Particular representations become established through repetition in the media e.g. villain characters / antagonists
-they develop a ‘common sense’ status through their ‘performative nature’
-Hall focuses on issues of race and culture but his theory can be applied to any representation
How you might construct your answer:
Introduction: Definition. Which product will you use to discuss? What is being represented within your music magazine or film trailer? A form of reality? The artist? A theme within the narrative? A movement – feminism?
Paragraph 1: Stereotypes
What stereotypes or countertypes have you represented? How have you done this (tie in with media language) What are the risks/benefits for audiences/institutions? Are there any stereotypes that are under represented/ misrepresented?
Gauntlett’s theory of reconfirming or challenging our identity through watching media texts. Using texts as toolbox. How does this relate your own work?
Paragraph 2: The attempt to create Verisimilitude
How far have you represented reality within your text? Why did you decide to do this? Explain how media selects and mediates reality. Consider how you made use of a narrative that ‘scripts’ reality. How did you create this reality / non reality through editing, mise-en-scene and narrative?
Paragraph 3: Stuart Hall - Preferred Readings and encoding/decoding texts
How might different audience ‘readings’ of texts affect how the representation of the text is formed. Stuart Hall’s theory of representations becoming established through ‘repetition’ and a ‘common sense status’ through the ‘performative nature’ of texts (we know what a car chase feels like because we have seen in within a media text).
Paragraph 4: Gender representation
Judith Butler Gender as a performance – masculine or feminine?
Laura Mulvey The Male Gaze
Conclusion
How have you made use of the issue of representation in your text? What are the advantages of representation within a media text for audiences? What limitations are there?
Post-feminist icons?
Objects of male gaze?
Exploited or powerful?
Role models for women?
Verismilitude = the imitation of reality (techniques)
—Representation is always a re-presentation, in which elements of reality are selected, organized and narrated.
—By nature, media ‘mediates’ reality – it selects it and shows us only what the producer wants.
The media makes use of various ‘scripts’ – like stereotypes for events rather than people
e.g. news programmes expect certain images and events to occur in coverage of protests, war, natural disaster, murder inquiries.
Fictional narratives use certain representations of issues and events
E.g. relationships and break-ups, car chases, trials, police investigations, holidays.
Consider in your work how far you have created verisimilitude using:
(a) Mise-en-scene Classic Realism? (as if the camera is not there)
(b) Editing Are we overly conscious of the editing? Does it seem fluent – continuity editing?
or Does the editing form part of the narrative? Is it dramatic? Does it create pace and excitement?
(c) Narrative Does the narrative flow as a chronological sequence of events? Does it present all aspects of the action to the audience? Are events constructed from one viewpoint – is this realistic? Do we move from equilibrium to disequilibrium? Is this realistic?
Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding texts
—Particular representations become established through repetition in the media e.g. villain characters / antagonists
-they develop a ‘common sense’ status through their ‘performative nature’
-Hall focuses on issues of race and culture but his theory can be applied to any representation
How you might construct your answer:
Introduction: Definition. Which product will you use to discuss? What is being represented within your music magazine or film trailer? A form of reality? The artist? A theme within the narrative? A movement – feminism?
Paragraph 1: Stereotypes
What stereotypes or countertypes have you represented? How have you done this (tie in with media language) What are the risks/benefits for audiences/institutions? Are there any stereotypes that are under represented/ misrepresented?
Gauntlett’s theory of reconfirming or challenging our identity through watching media texts. Using texts as toolbox. How does this relate your own work?
Paragraph 2: The attempt to create Verisimilitude
How far have you represented reality within your text? Why did you decide to do this? Explain how media selects and mediates reality. Consider how you made use of a narrative that ‘scripts’ reality. How did you create this reality / non reality through editing, mise-en-scene and narrative?
Paragraph 3: Stuart Hall - Preferred Readings and encoding/decoding texts
How might different audience ‘readings’ of texts affect how the representation of the text is formed. Stuart Hall’s theory of representations becoming established through ‘repetition’ and a ‘common sense status’ through the ‘performative nature’ of texts (we know what a car chase feels like because we have seen in within a media text).
Paragraph 4: Gender representation
Judith Butler Gender as a performance – masculine or feminine?
Laura Mulvey The Male Gaze
Conclusion
How have you made use of the issue of representation in your text? What are the advantages of representation within a media text for audiences? What limitations are there?
Updated from - http://g325criticalperspectives.blogspot.co.uk
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