Bibliography:
• Cassidy, Beth. "Talking Point: Should under-16s be banned from buying lads' mags? - Youth Work - Children & Young People Now." Children & Young People Now - Latest news and jobs. http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Youth-Work/988454/Talking-Point-under-16s-banned-buying-lads-mags/
• Men's Health. One- month six – pack promises, December 2010, page 159.
• Men's Magazines and the Construction of Masculinity." Media Awareness Network | Réseauéducationmédias. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/men_and_masculinity/masculinity_magazines.cfm
• Hayward, Susan. Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts.. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2000.
• Laura Mulvey- Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)
• Gauntlett, David. Media, gender, and identity: an introduction. London: Routledge, 2002.
• Psychology of Women Quarterly (1997), Page 174, printed in USA
• Ezme, Bushell. "Your Shout! Are women treated the same as men? - Magazines, Student - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. http://www.independent.co.uk/student/magazines/your-shout-are-women-treated-the-same-as-men-409811.htm
• Men’s health, /Sex Tricks Turn Good Girls Bad. December 2010, Page 130
• Lucy, Brown. "www.theory.org.uk Resources: Men's magazines and sexist attitudes." www.theory.org.uk -- the media theory site. http://www.theory.org.uk/mensmags.htm
• Anthony, Andrew ." Has our media-savvy youth lost out on the secrecy and excitement of porn? | Life and style | The Observer ." Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk .http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/26/has-porn-lost-its-excitement
• Anthony, Andrew ." Has our media-savvy youth lost out on the secrecy and excitement of porn? | Life and style | The Observer ." Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk .http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/26/has-porn-lost-its-excitement
• Judith Butler, Gender Trouble, page 25, Routledge, (1990).
• Beauty and Body Image in the Media." Media Awareness Network | Réseauéducationmédias. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm
• http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/stereotyp_mags.html
• Playboy - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia." Main Page - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia. http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Playboy
• Macdonald, Myra. Representing women: myths of femininity in the popular media. London: E. Arnold ;, 1995.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
How do Lads Mags such as Nuts and Men’s Health perpetuate gender stereotypes? Why is this? Is it a concern?
“Lads Mags” are magazines that are targeted at men from ages sixteen and up. It has been suggested by some that these magazines (like Nuts) should be for adults only as they are notorious for their cover shots and photos of sexually objectified womenand have been “described as soft porn ". Such magazines often show partially naked women on the front cover and are readily available for anyone to buy. It is these photos that are a main factor in asserting the male dominance that is present in these magazines, with women assuming a subordinate position as an object to be looked at. Stereotyping the genders does seem to be a concern because the ideologies presented of women solely existing to be classed as sex objects could be regarded by the target audience as the social norm, having a dangerous effect on society. In comparison, Men’s Health does not stereotype women into the sex object role but does stereotype men much more. For example pictures of an appealing and ideal alpha male is always used, with articles containing mostly gadget information along with “one- month six – pack promises ” clearly address stereotypical male interests.
The content within these magazines is what contributes to the stereotyping of the genders, one of them being the “lifestyle choices” they recommend, whether it be to do with the hobbies men take up, what to wear, tips to stay in shape and even guidelines to having a successful sex life. It is this kind of content which immediately gives shape to the male stereotype; feeding readers the ideologies of a dominant man taking interest in a muscular physique, being trendy and being successful in attracting a women, all associated with being an alpha male. The articles within these Lads Mags “play a part in defining what it means to be a modern man ".
The concept of Lads Mags giving ideas and suggestions to men for spicing up their sex lives suggests two things; sex plays an important part in a man’s life and they are the gender counterparts who are sexually dominant. Giving the reader a brief overlook of what positions and actions please “her” would give the male reader an authority in sexual matters. Whether the reader acts on this advice is up to them, playing either a passive or active role. Men’s Health seems to trivialise sex with a “sex encyclopaedia”; a guide that will “satisfy her urges and get exactly what you want in return ”. The pages that follow act as a sex directory, giving letters of the alphabet a sexual act e.g. R is for restraint, S is for suspenders. This is anchored by medium shots of a women mimicking these acts, expressionless and standing in a robot type state. The mise-en-scene connotes that all women can be controlled like a robot with no free thought and can be used to serve men.
It is safe to say that women in Lads Mags only exist for one specific purpose; sexual gratification, as these are a “set of images that exist solely for the purpose of sexual arousal "and give nothing else to male readers. Having these images so exposed on a centrefold and within the magazines forces a male gaze upon the reader, giving an opportunity for these magazines to purely exploit models as sex objects.Laura Mulvey (a well known film theorist) argues that there are two modes to the male gaze; voyeuristic (seeing women as whores) and fetishistic (seeing women as Madonna’s). In this case it is the voyeuristic male gaze that takes place in these magazines as “The image of woman as (passive) raw material for the (active) gaze of man ” can be seen by how women are portrayed in Lads Mags; sexual playthings.In fact many of these magazines get “excited about the idea of women as sexual tornados, and love the idea that the women included in their photo shoots would be sexually assertive and enthusiastic ” which then hints at the ideologies which are held by the ownership of men’s magazines.
When posing for Lads mags, women are there for a source of sexual entertainment, immediately putting them in a submissive role and these images of them in provocative positions only heighten the amount of sexual pleasure they give. However, the models do hold on to a sense of power as we see in these magazines (particularly the centrefolds) that direct address is used.With direct address used they are using self-objectification as a way to gain power as her body parts are “separated out from her person ” and reduced to the status of “mere instruments” to be played with. Giving these women a power would mean giving them the power to reveal what they would want. While this is a form of empowerment, there still are expectations such as “to be slim, wear the right clothes and have certain lifestyles to be beautiful ".
Men’s Health also uses direct address with all their male models but the only difference men here are only posing on the centrefold to accentuate their body in order to set the standard of an alpha male, not being objectified and exploited.Various Men’s Health centrefolds contain medium to long shot poses of health, in-shape men who either have skin tight t-shirts to bring attention to their muscular bodies or topless altogether. There is always a contrast of black and white on the male figure which connotes at a “what you see is what you get” impression. With this impression we see that the portrayal of men in Men’s Health is far less self-objective than the portrayal of women in Nuts. Articles appropriately titled“Blitz Your Hangover” and “Sex Tricks Turn Good Girls Bad ” give us a glimpse at the type of culture this magazine is promoting and tells us what men desire. Advertisements, again, litter the pages as they advertise designer watches, perfume and workout tips which promotes a healthier lifestyle. With this kind of content it’s clear that even Men’s Health stereotypes the alpha male.
Another factor that adds to the alpha male presentation is the models that are used. Fitness models, athletes and actors pose for Men’s Health, giving the readers aspiration to look like these celebrities. Celebrities on the centrefold also create star appeal e.g. True Blood star Ryan Kwantin on the December 2010 issue of Men’s Health.
“It has been argued that men's magazines are not solely responding to gender changes, but are a reaction to feminism and an attempt for men to regain some of the power they lost through this movement ". This quote brings a thought – provoking message of the power women hold over men and how this power can be lost within an instant through sexual objectification. To say that Lads Mags are a medium through which men can be seen as dominant over their gender counterparts is to suggest that women can break free of the submissive sex slave image.The 1960’s gave way to the sexual revolution which caused a dramatic shift in values towards sexuality; sex became more socially acceptable. As second-wave feminism was gaining more and more publicity during this decade, the idea of sexually objectified women in the media would have had major backlash. Yet photographers such as Peter Gowland had shot partially nude images for Playboy and Rolling Stones (popular Lads Mags at the time), adding to the permissiveness of sex in a changing society. Using his self- made Gowlandflex camera, pornographic images had become even more popular, creating a more relaxed approach to sex for the “firm British reserve ”. During the 3rd wave “influence of feminism gave rise to the New Man, the male who was in favour of sexual equality, sympathetic to female-only solutions ” telling us that gender equality was closer to being achieved. Furthermore through this historic movement suggestive images and soft porn within men’s magazines were deemed to be the “preserve of the misogynist, the sexist pig ”.
Despite Feminism working in favour of female’s rights, renowned media theorist Judith Butler disagrees with the concept of Feminism altogether. She argues that “identity is performativity constituted by the very expressions that are said to be its results ” meaning its people’s actions that determine the “gender” of human beings. In this case women are exposing themselves for men, automatically perpetuating their gender stereotype.
Why then is it still acceptable for men (young and old) to carry on buying these magazines that clearly present women as objects “which can sell everything from food to cars "? One reason can relate to the ownership and control of these magazines and how these owners make it acceptable for women to be purely sexualised whether it is subtle or not.Institutions use stereotypes to encourage identification with its male audience i.e. displaying young women that are seen as easy access. From centrefold to the last page, women are shown from medium to close-up shots with little to no clothes on. While using direct address their facial expressions are suggestive towards the reader, inviting them to take a voyeuristic position and watch. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs highlights the basic need for sexual gratification which is why men would find the stereotype of a subservient woman appealing. What better way to undermine the power of women than to sexually objectify them? It seems that the “all-looks-and-no-brains’ chauvinistic dream ” is quite appealing to men as these magazines continue to thrive within the market.
Another concern of these magazines perpetuating gender stereotypes is the effect it will have on a younger, more impressionable audience and how these ideologies of a submissive women and a dominant male would be slowly fed into these young minds. Why this could be harmful is because these thoughts could breed a lack of respect for women as a whole, taking place at a young age this sets a series of cultural beliefs or values that highlights the cultivation theory. This theory suggests that certain values and ideologies received within a text can begin to take effect within the receiver’s mind as these thoughts grow or “sprout”, being left there which could have dangerous consequences.
Looking back on historical Lads Mags compared to contemporary magazines, we can see that a change has taken place in terms of the exposure of the women on the covers, the permissiveness of exposing women like this and the content within. The content found within Playboy, of the non-sexual, seems to be both sophisticated and intellectually stimulating in both old and new issues (such as interviews with historic figures, reviews of gadgets and movies, text- heavy articles on a range of subjects). Hugh Hefner himself has said that he’s wanted his magazines to become a “prime source of academic discussion in the future ." Playboy centrefolds have always displayed women with concealed genitals, usually connoting the nature of women as both bold and elegant, keeping the exposed parts inside.
One prime example is the October 1971 issue of Playboy with the iconic rabbit-head chair. Readers can see this chair was specifically designed to cover parts of the model’s body, showing only thee head and legs in the shot. As the model is of black ethnicity with the chair being white against a black background, the image seems to stand out more boldly with the cover sorely relying on a black and white image. It should also be note that models for contemporary British Lads Mags (Nuts, Zoo) are only of white ethnicity, no other colour. Perhaps this is to appeal to a broader audience rather than an audience belonging to one ethnic group.
Contemporary men’s magazines on the other hand lack the class and “power” women seem to hold on the centrefolds as genitals are partially exposed with “mindless entertainment with all the artistic or educational values of a turnip ”inside the magazine. Nuts for example is littered with advertising and nude women coupled with many pages dedicated to football and gadgets men are interested in and this is what defines the male – alpha stereotype. On the centrefold on these women naked only covered by censor strips, revealing as much flesh as possible. The articles contain mainly model interviews, fan mail and light texted pages on men – specific gadgets, further giving the impression that these are the essentials in a man’s life.
An article I had found on The Guardian website had stressed the importance of youths being desensitised to explicit photos, saying that these magazines have changed society, making it “radically more sexualised ” with even sex itself becoming “much more explicit commodity ”. This article suggests that these magazines have the effect of the Hypodermic Syringe Theory, where consumers (both young men and adults) are injected with the messages these magazines which are bringing across their misogynistic ideologies. Assuming their readership is a passive audience these messages will continue to penetrate reader’s minds. However with rapidly changing media in modern society, audiences take a more active role in what they read and watch. This is where the uses and gratifications theory comes into play as the readership of Lads Mags are most likely looking for sexual gratification. Therefore the ideologies inputted into these magazines are less likely to take effect on both old and young audiences, having a less harmful effect on society.
To conclude, Lads Mags do perpetuate gender stereotypes as the content within them do suggest that women, gadgets, money and a healthy lifestyle are all a man needs to be successful while being a subordinate towards men only to pleasure them sexually is the main goal for women. It is obvious how these representations could have a harmful effect on readers, especially those at a young age who are desensitised and take on board these stereotypical ideologies. Men’s Health pales in comparison to Nuts magazine in terms of how stereotyped and objectified women are. Being seen as a reaction to feminism, it can be argued that magazines like Nuts are attempting to regain a status quo of society with a dominant /submissive dynamic between the sexes. I believe that in terms of whether an audience can identify with the stereotypes given in these magazines, both male and female audiences can gain gratification from these magazines as men can receive sexual gratification. Females will aspire to be like these representations if these women in Lads Mags are presented as “beautiful”.The content, covered in Lads Mags on the other hand seems inclusive to males only which would leave female audiences excluded from these magazines.Moreover it does seem as though these ideologies are representative of hegemonic values, attempting to ease society as a whole into believing that women should be the submissive ones, reducing them to a “one-dimensional and distorted form" .
The content within these magazines is what contributes to the stereotyping of the genders, one of them being the “lifestyle choices” they recommend, whether it be to do with the hobbies men take up, what to wear, tips to stay in shape and even guidelines to having a successful sex life. It is this kind of content which immediately gives shape to the male stereotype; feeding readers the ideologies of a dominant man taking interest in a muscular physique, being trendy and being successful in attracting a women, all associated with being an alpha male. The articles within these Lads Mags “play a part in defining what it means to be a modern man ".
The concept of Lads Mags giving ideas and suggestions to men for spicing up their sex lives suggests two things; sex plays an important part in a man’s life and they are the gender counterparts who are sexually dominant. Giving the reader a brief overlook of what positions and actions please “her” would give the male reader an authority in sexual matters. Whether the reader acts on this advice is up to them, playing either a passive or active role. Men’s Health seems to trivialise sex with a “sex encyclopaedia”; a guide that will “satisfy her urges and get exactly what you want in return ”. The pages that follow act as a sex directory, giving letters of the alphabet a sexual act e.g. R is for restraint, S is for suspenders. This is anchored by medium shots of a women mimicking these acts, expressionless and standing in a robot type state. The mise-en-scene connotes that all women can be controlled like a robot with no free thought and can be used to serve men.
It is safe to say that women in Lads Mags only exist for one specific purpose; sexual gratification, as these are a “set of images that exist solely for the purpose of sexual arousal "and give nothing else to male readers. Having these images so exposed on a centrefold and within the magazines forces a male gaze upon the reader, giving an opportunity for these magazines to purely exploit models as sex objects.Laura Mulvey (a well known film theorist) argues that there are two modes to the male gaze; voyeuristic (seeing women as whores) and fetishistic (seeing women as Madonna’s). In this case it is the voyeuristic male gaze that takes place in these magazines as “The image of woman as (passive) raw material for the (active) gaze of man ” can be seen by how women are portrayed in Lads Mags; sexual playthings.In fact many of these magazines get “excited about the idea of women as sexual tornados, and love the idea that the women included in their photo shoots would be sexually assertive and enthusiastic ” which then hints at the ideologies which are held by the ownership of men’s magazines.
When posing for Lads mags, women are there for a source of sexual entertainment, immediately putting them in a submissive role and these images of them in provocative positions only heighten the amount of sexual pleasure they give. However, the models do hold on to a sense of power as we see in these magazines (particularly the centrefolds) that direct address is used.With direct address used they are using self-objectification as a way to gain power as her body parts are “separated out from her person ” and reduced to the status of “mere instruments” to be played with. Giving these women a power would mean giving them the power to reveal what they would want. While this is a form of empowerment, there still are expectations such as “to be slim, wear the right clothes and have certain lifestyles to be beautiful ".
Men’s Health also uses direct address with all their male models but the only difference men here are only posing on the centrefold to accentuate their body in order to set the standard of an alpha male, not being objectified and exploited.Various Men’s Health centrefolds contain medium to long shot poses of health, in-shape men who either have skin tight t-shirts to bring attention to their muscular bodies or topless altogether. There is always a contrast of black and white on the male figure which connotes at a “what you see is what you get” impression. With this impression we see that the portrayal of men in Men’s Health is far less self-objective than the portrayal of women in Nuts. Articles appropriately titled“Blitz Your Hangover” and “Sex Tricks Turn Good Girls Bad ” give us a glimpse at the type of culture this magazine is promoting and tells us what men desire. Advertisements, again, litter the pages as they advertise designer watches, perfume and workout tips which promotes a healthier lifestyle. With this kind of content it’s clear that even Men’s Health stereotypes the alpha male.
Another factor that adds to the alpha male presentation is the models that are used. Fitness models, athletes and actors pose for Men’s Health, giving the readers aspiration to look like these celebrities. Celebrities on the centrefold also create star appeal e.g. True Blood star Ryan Kwantin on the December 2010 issue of Men’s Health.
“It has been argued that men's magazines are not solely responding to gender changes, but are a reaction to feminism and an attempt for men to regain some of the power they lost through this movement ". This quote brings a thought – provoking message of the power women hold over men and how this power can be lost within an instant through sexual objectification. To say that Lads Mags are a medium through which men can be seen as dominant over their gender counterparts is to suggest that women can break free of the submissive sex slave image.The 1960’s gave way to the sexual revolution which caused a dramatic shift in values towards sexuality; sex became more socially acceptable. As second-wave feminism was gaining more and more publicity during this decade, the idea of sexually objectified women in the media would have had major backlash. Yet photographers such as Peter Gowland had shot partially nude images for Playboy and Rolling Stones (popular Lads Mags at the time), adding to the permissiveness of sex in a changing society. Using his self- made Gowlandflex camera, pornographic images had become even more popular, creating a more relaxed approach to sex for the “firm British reserve ”. During the 3rd wave “influence of feminism gave rise to the New Man, the male who was in favour of sexual equality, sympathetic to female-only solutions ” telling us that gender equality was closer to being achieved. Furthermore through this historic movement suggestive images and soft porn within men’s magazines were deemed to be the “preserve of the misogynist, the sexist pig ”.
Despite Feminism working in favour of female’s rights, renowned media theorist Judith Butler disagrees with the concept of Feminism altogether. She argues that “identity is performativity constituted by the very expressions that are said to be its results ” meaning its people’s actions that determine the “gender” of human beings. In this case women are exposing themselves for men, automatically perpetuating their gender stereotype.
Why then is it still acceptable for men (young and old) to carry on buying these magazines that clearly present women as objects “which can sell everything from food to cars "? One reason can relate to the ownership and control of these magazines and how these owners make it acceptable for women to be purely sexualised whether it is subtle or not.Institutions use stereotypes to encourage identification with its male audience i.e. displaying young women that are seen as easy access. From centrefold to the last page, women are shown from medium to close-up shots with little to no clothes on. While using direct address their facial expressions are suggestive towards the reader, inviting them to take a voyeuristic position and watch. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs highlights the basic need for sexual gratification which is why men would find the stereotype of a subservient woman appealing. What better way to undermine the power of women than to sexually objectify them? It seems that the “all-looks-and-no-brains’ chauvinistic dream ” is quite appealing to men as these magazines continue to thrive within the market.
Another concern of these magazines perpetuating gender stereotypes is the effect it will have on a younger, more impressionable audience and how these ideologies of a submissive women and a dominant male would be slowly fed into these young minds. Why this could be harmful is because these thoughts could breed a lack of respect for women as a whole, taking place at a young age this sets a series of cultural beliefs or values that highlights the cultivation theory. This theory suggests that certain values and ideologies received within a text can begin to take effect within the receiver’s mind as these thoughts grow or “sprout”, being left there which could have dangerous consequences.
Looking back on historical Lads Mags compared to contemporary magazines, we can see that a change has taken place in terms of the exposure of the women on the covers, the permissiveness of exposing women like this and the content within. The content found within Playboy, of the non-sexual, seems to be both sophisticated and intellectually stimulating in both old and new issues (such as interviews with historic figures, reviews of gadgets and movies, text- heavy articles on a range of subjects). Hugh Hefner himself has said that he’s wanted his magazines to become a “prime source of academic discussion in the future ." Playboy centrefolds have always displayed women with concealed genitals, usually connoting the nature of women as both bold and elegant, keeping the exposed parts inside.
One prime example is the October 1971 issue of Playboy with the iconic rabbit-head chair. Readers can see this chair was specifically designed to cover parts of the model’s body, showing only thee head and legs in the shot. As the model is of black ethnicity with the chair being white against a black background, the image seems to stand out more boldly with the cover sorely relying on a black and white image. It should also be note that models for contemporary British Lads Mags (Nuts, Zoo) are only of white ethnicity, no other colour. Perhaps this is to appeal to a broader audience rather than an audience belonging to one ethnic group.
Contemporary men’s magazines on the other hand lack the class and “power” women seem to hold on the centrefolds as genitals are partially exposed with “mindless entertainment with all the artistic or educational values of a turnip ”inside the magazine. Nuts for example is littered with advertising and nude women coupled with many pages dedicated to football and gadgets men are interested in and this is what defines the male – alpha stereotype. On the centrefold on these women naked only covered by censor strips, revealing as much flesh as possible. The articles contain mainly model interviews, fan mail and light texted pages on men – specific gadgets, further giving the impression that these are the essentials in a man’s life.
An article I had found on The Guardian website had stressed the importance of youths being desensitised to explicit photos, saying that these magazines have changed society, making it “radically more sexualised ” with even sex itself becoming “much more explicit commodity ”. This article suggests that these magazines have the effect of the Hypodermic Syringe Theory, where consumers (both young men and adults) are injected with the messages these magazines which are bringing across their misogynistic ideologies. Assuming their readership is a passive audience these messages will continue to penetrate reader’s minds. However with rapidly changing media in modern society, audiences take a more active role in what they read and watch. This is where the uses and gratifications theory comes into play as the readership of Lads Mags are most likely looking for sexual gratification. Therefore the ideologies inputted into these magazines are less likely to take effect on both old and young audiences, having a less harmful effect on society.
To conclude, Lads Mags do perpetuate gender stereotypes as the content within them do suggest that women, gadgets, money and a healthy lifestyle are all a man needs to be successful while being a subordinate towards men only to pleasure them sexually is the main goal for women. It is obvious how these representations could have a harmful effect on readers, especially those at a young age who are desensitised and take on board these stereotypical ideologies. Men’s Health pales in comparison to Nuts magazine in terms of how stereotyped and objectified women are. Being seen as a reaction to feminism, it can be argued that magazines like Nuts are attempting to regain a status quo of society with a dominant /submissive dynamic between the sexes. I believe that in terms of whether an audience can identify with the stereotypes given in these magazines, both male and female audiences can gain gratification from these magazines as men can receive sexual gratification. Females will aspire to be like these representations if these women in Lads Mags are presented as “beautiful”.The content, covered in Lads Mags on the other hand seems inclusive to males only which would leave female audiences excluded from these magazines.Moreover it does seem as though these ideologies are representative of hegemonic values, attempting to ease society as a whole into believing that women should be the submissive ones, reducing them to a “one-dimensional and distorted form" .
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Readings of The Simpsons:
Dominate reading: The Simpsons is a show aimed at audiences in their teens and up. It satirises the average American family.
Negotiated reading: This show satirises American social problems and sometimes political problems. Even the concept of celebrity is made fun of.
Oppositional reading: This show contains negative, lowbrow humour that many may find offensive.
Negotiated reading: This show satirises American social problems and sometimes political problems. Even the concept of celebrity is made fun of.
Oppositional reading: This show contains negative, lowbrow humour that many may find offensive.
Monday, 25 April 2011
“ Digital media has, in many ways, changed how we consume media products” who do you think benefits most – audiences or producers?
In a world that revolves around digitial media, audiences benefit the most as they can enjoy the perks of taking a voyeuristic position, allowing a chance for escapism and entertainment. However the line between producer and audience is blurred as audiences are also allowed to partake in producing texts effectively making them producers.
The blurring of producer/audience lines begins with Citizen Journalism, something which allows any audience member to actively become a producer, not a passive audience member. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow videos to be shared amongst many members. One example of this is the recent Egypt riots videos that had exposed what was happening in the country. These sites allow videos like this to take a position where only the truth is shown via mobile phone. Footage from mobile phones is where the blurring of producer/audience begins. This has both advantages and disadvantages, one advantage being that these active audience members can work outside the restraints of newspaper journalism, having no bounds on what the video may contain which means the footage has not been altered in any way. However this is the problem as trhe contents of the footage may offend audiences and possibly create a negative image on certain groups or races.
In terms of consuming media products digital media has changed the method of consumption as we no longer have to rely on broadcast to watch our favourite TV shows, we can simply watch them online. Websites such as BBC I player, Channel 4 live and YouTube have given way to audiences becoming more selective in what they watch and when they watch it. These websites act as on demand programming making it ( in some cases) more popular than broadcast as programming on websites such as Lovefilm and Netflix allow audiences to enjoy movies at the comfort of their own home, making it extremely popular. When it comes to Lovefilm and Nteflix, synergy has taken place as these services can also be accessed on the Playstation 3 and apps for the Iphone, making these services more accessible to audiences. In this case audiences are benefitting as programming is better suited to their busy lifestyle.
Socialising websites in recent years has seen a huge rise in popularity as many now digitally socialise with others on either Facebook or Twitter ( the two most popular social networks). Along with allowing us to communicate both quickly and safely with friends and family, they could also give audiences a sense of belonging (as highlighted in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). On the other hand it has been reported that 57% of people talk more online than they do in real life, which is alarming in the sense that real life social skills are decreasing. Another alarming statistic is that 48% of young Americans find out about the news through Facebook which could mean danger for the print industry. As Facebook and Twitter have not yet peaked in terms of it’s usage in the world, possibly another life to lead online however the other 500,000,000 have to be sure not to live their life online.
To what extent has new and ddigital media given younger audiences the opportunites to shape their own media representations?
With web 2.0. becoming increasingly more popular, audiences around the world have become UGC focused, creating their own ideas and opinions and social networking sites and blogs have only added to this as audiences become more and more confident in expressing their opinions and shaping their own representations. However there is also the danger of the oppositional,negotiated reading being taken inn the wrong way of that of the intentional meaning.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have given users much more of a voice, therefore critical thinking among audiences has seen a rise. The Hyperdewrmic Model assumes that the audience is passive with no opinions on the text but with opinions becoming the social networking "norm" a negotiated/oppositional reading is a more likely outcome.
UGC has also given younger audiences the opportunity to shape their own video reviews on certain texts allowing a more nnegotiated reading which then allows audiences to gain individual gratifications from texts.
On the other hand with opinions so free to be spoken, there could be a risk of audiences misinterpreting representations in the media, taking it offensively even though it may not be intended that way.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have given users much more of a voice, therefore critical thinking among audiences has seen a rise. The Hyperdewrmic Model assumes that the audience is passive with no opinions on the text but with opinions becoming the social networking "norm" a negotiated/oppositional reading is a more likely outcome.
UGC has also given younger audiences the opportunity to shape their own video reviews on certain texts allowing a more nnegotiated reading which then allows audiences to gain individual gratifications from texts.
On the other hand with opinions so free to be spoken, there could be a risk of audiences misinterpreting representations in the media, taking it offensively even though it may not be intended that way.
Consider the view that the recent representation of teenagers is simply another moral panic:
Moral panic by definition is whe society sees itself threatened by the values and activities of a group who are seen as a threat to mainstream society's values. This is clearly seen in the trailer of Biully as the protagonist challenging the school's values and beliefs by causing havoc i.e. beating other students. The title itself "Bully" signifies a direct threat to the school establishment as bullies are not accepted or tolorated. This representation of teenager could now be seen as a dominant representation as the pprotagonist seems to be dominanating his peers and causinng destruction with any consequences. These ideologies of the game can be injected into the audiences mind (as mentioned in the Hyperdermic model), giving them the impression that it's ok to be bad.
Moral panic is addressed on a wider scale in the opening of Skins as we see teens engaging in smoking, drinking and other acts that would be deemed immoral. Again, what is shown in the montage sequence could be seen as a threat towards a social system which enforces hedgemonic values such as beinng a model citizen and not partaking in any of these acts.
However not all representations of teenagers in the media are something to be considered a moral panic as we show such as Glee which promotes partaking in school activities and trying to be a model student (as opposed to Bully).
Moral panic is addressed on a wider scale in the opening of Skins as we see teens engaging in smoking, drinking and other acts that would be deemed immoral. Again, what is shown in the montage sequence could be seen as a threat towards a social system which enforces hedgemonic values such as beinng a model citizen and not partaking in any of these acts.
However not all representations of teenagers in the media are something to be considered a moral panic as we show such as Glee which promotes partaking in school activities and trying to be a model student (as opposed to Bully).
Compare and contrast the representation of teenagers in the two texts:
The representation of teenagers in the opening of Skins is that of a negative representation as we see a montage of teens partaking in drinking, smoking and same-sex acts. Watching these teenagers carry out these acts plays into the stereotype of youth being rebellious and out of control. This view is of the oppositional reading but a negotiated reading of the text would see teens that are coming of age, experiencing both the high and lows life has to offer.
The trailer for Bully also complies with the stereotype of teenagers being anarchists as we see the protagonist bulliying other students and treating the school itself like a playground. The protagonist dress sense of the school uniform connotes a sense of rebellion i.e. his shirt being untucked. There are also points in the trailer of the protagonist weilding a slingshot and a fire extinguisher as wepons which further signifies a teenager's lack of authority and persuit for dominance over peers.
The trailer for Bully also complies with the stereotype of teenagers being anarchists as we see the protagonist bulliying other students and treating the school itself like a playground. The protagonist dress sense of the school uniform connotes a sense of rebellion i.e. his shirt being untucked. There are also points in the trailer of the protagonist weilding a slingshot and a fire extinguisher as wepons which further signifies a teenager's lack of authority and persuit for dominance over peers.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Did The Washing Machine Change The World More Than The Internet?
I think the internet has changed the world more than the washing machine. While the washing machine is a symbol of liberation and a useful household device, the intetnet has many more functions than a washing machine. Apart from being a source of entertainmkent, the internet is also a source of information, a source of communication, a source where opinions are expressed and is free of restrictions.
It has been said that media representations often reflect the social and political concerns of the age in which they are created. Discuss.
Media representations of racial groups, gender or even sexuality has always reflected the social and/or political concerns of any age. Whether it be one person's perspective on groups or to create moral panic, representations either play into an age old stereotype or subvert the stereotype to give the audience something different to respond to. My case study can directly relate to the idea of representations as I am studying the representations of gangsters throughtout the ages.
One prime example of representations reflecting the social and political concerns in society is the representation of women. Gender has always been a big issue when it has come to representation in the media,the women usually portrayed as submissive with the males being dominant. On historic representation of women in the media is the femme fatale in the 1940's/50's. As there were already many sexist portrayals of women in the media (being subserviant to men, used only as sex objects) the femme fatale offered an alternative reading to the female gender in media as they were the ones displayed as dominant. Mnay phallic symbols in films such as cigarettes or guns now belonged to the women as a display of rebellion and power over their gender counterparts such as the woman in "Double Indemnity". The 1944 film noir presented women as cunning and manipulative. Another text that reflected an intimidating female was Xena: Warrior Princess. Although Xena was self objectifying herself dressing in short skirts and revealing garments which sexually gratified the mainstream male audience, this text portrayed women as very dominant.
As deadly as these femme fatale were, they still fell victims to the male gaze, as mentioned by Laura Mulvey. They were still objectified as they were desired by a male audience who still saw them as sex objects. Mulvey mentions two modes to the gaze, seeing women as "madonnas" and "whores". As these are the only two catagories women in media can fit in, this gave them little choice in what roles they can play. This is why gender must be a performance, Judith Butler argues. Women being objectified purely becuase they are women is a reflection of misogny and to escape this sort of objectification gender must be a performance.
Celebrity culture has also chaneged througout the years. Before celebrities were viewed as untouchable being but due to the birth of reality TV in the 1990's i.e. Big Brother, the celebrification of celebrities has been smashed as almost anyone can be a celebrity in the public eye now. Naturalisation in reality TV has only made it more more popular as audiences can easily identify with the characters on the show. Social and political concerns are always voiced in reality TV as people within the show are not script directed, giving them a chance to voice their opinions.
As my case study is based around texts that represent gangsters, there has been a dramatic change of how they are represented throughout the ages. In the 40's/50's gangsters were presented as one-dimentional characters who only served as antagonists. Movies such as Gun Crazy and Scarface: Shame Of A Nation reflected these gun-toting criminals as society viewed them, the scum of society. Films such as "Adulthood" which was released in 2008 portray young black males to be nothing but hood rats that roam the streets. The props in the mise en scene are all instruments that can be used to inflict pain such as guns, knives and screw drivers. However recent gangster shows such as The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire have revealed another side to the gangster genre. It's shown us the humane side, the side which shows audiences how gangsters live their daily life, the moral dillemmas they are put through and the tough decisions they have to make.
One prime example of representations reflecting the social and political concerns in society is the representation of women. Gender has always been a big issue when it has come to representation in the media,the women usually portrayed as submissive with the males being dominant. On historic representation of women in the media is the femme fatale in the 1940's/50's. As there were already many sexist portrayals of women in the media (being subserviant to men, used only as sex objects) the femme fatale offered an alternative reading to the female gender in media as they were the ones displayed as dominant. Mnay phallic symbols in films such as cigarettes or guns now belonged to the women as a display of rebellion and power over their gender counterparts such as the woman in "Double Indemnity". The 1944 film noir presented women as cunning and manipulative. Another text that reflected an intimidating female was Xena: Warrior Princess. Although Xena was self objectifying herself dressing in short skirts and revealing garments which sexually gratified the mainstream male audience, this text portrayed women as very dominant.
As deadly as these femme fatale were, they still fell victims to the male gaze, as mentioned by Laura Mulvey. They were still objectified as they were desired by a male audience who still saw them as sex objects. Mulvey mentions two modes to the gaze, seeing women as "madonnas" and "whores". As these are the only two catagories women in media can fit in, this gave them little choice in what roles they can play. This is why gender must be a performance, Judith Butler argues. Women being objectified purely becuase they are women is a reflection of misogny and to escape this sort of objectification gender must be a performance.
Celebrity culture has also chaneged througout the years. Before celebrities were viewed as untouchable being but due to the birth of reality TV in the 1990's i.e. Big Brother, the celebrification of celebrities has been smashed as almost anyone can be a celebrity in the public eye now. Naturalisation in reality TV has only made it more more popular as audiences can easily identify with the characters on the show. Social and political concerns are always voiced in reality TV as people within the show are not script directed, giving them a chance to voice their opinions.
As my case study is based around texts that represent gangsters, there has been a dramatic change of how they are represented throughout the ages. In the 40's/50's gangsters were presented as one-dimentional characters who only served as antagonists. Movies such as Gun Crazy and Scarface: Shame Of A Nation reflected these gun-toting criminals as society viewed them, the scum of society. Films such as "Adulthood" which was released in 2008 portray young black males to be nothing but hood rats that roam the streets. The props in the mise en scene are all instruments that can be used to inflict pain such as guns, knives and screw drivers. However recent gangster shows such as The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire have revealed another side to the gangster genre. It's shown us the humane side, the side which shows audiences how gangsters live their daily life, the moral dillemmas they are put through and the tough decisions they have to make.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Net Neautrality:
Net neutrality is the idea that ISPs shouldn’t be able to change the quality of internet service based on the identity, ownership, or affiliation of the people sending and receiving data. Some people have proposed net neutrality laws, but currently there are none in the US, and ISPs are free to do that.
Articles:
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/net_neutrality/index.html
http://www.cioindex.com/e_strategy/articleid/63359/the-delusions-of-net-neutrality.aspx
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-05/opinion/franken.net.neutrality_1_net-neutrality-television-networks-cable?_s=PM:OPINION
Articles:
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/net_neutrality/index.html
http://www.cioindex.com/e_strategy/articleid/63359/the-delusions-of-net-neutrality.aspx
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-05/opinion/franken.net.neutrality_1_net-neutrality-television-networks-cable?_s=PM:OPINION
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Summary of news article:
- The creation of "citizen journalism" has revolutionised the way the delivery of information and how the information is used.
- Encouraging a relationship between readers and writers of news.
- Everyone is an editor of news.
- If journalism were to continue down this road, there will be many more external resources for news.
- Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have made it possible to work outside the contraints of working for a newspaper. E.g. Journalists on Twitter used their audiences as sources for news stories.
- With this sort of dynamic between readers and writers, its blurs the lines of journalism as reader's own knowledge is what helped create the story.
- One example of "crowdsourcing" is when the guardian appealed to followers to help them sift through MP expenses. More than 21,000 people took part.
Quality of Journalism in the digital age:
- Compared to newspaper stories that go through serveral quality checks, Stories on facebook and Twitter do not go through these checks therefore the quality of them is questionable.
Death of Ian Tomlinson:
- Ian Tomlinson died at the g20 postests, where people in the crowds looked through their phones for evidence of the assult. Once this evidence was found it was then passed to the guardian where they used this footage to create the story.
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Question four:
There are billions of users on Facebook and it's still growing at a fast paced rate. Already having a movie made about it ( The Social Network) only boosted the popularity of this site. Younger and younger users are now using FB for socialising.
The audience size of twitter would alsao be in the billions as the social networking on this website rivals Facebook. Audiences are drawn in futher as celebrities have taken to tweeting, appealing their fans.
Over the years DeviantArt has existed, no doubt more of an audience has joined and has made fellow UGC.
The audience size of twitter would alsao be in the billions as the social networking on this website rivals Facebook. Audiences are drawn in futher as celebrities have taken to tweeting, appealing their fans.
Over the years DeviantArt has existed, no doubt more of an audience has joined and has made fellow UGC.
Question three:
Facebook is distributed on the internet and also exhibited on the internet. The FB page can be exhibited by a number of people dependant on the profile. On this profile there are a number of people depending on the profile. On this profile there are details such as age. gender, work education etc. Through this detail members of this network are also targeted by advertisements.
Twitter is again distributed and exhibited on the internet. On a Twitter profile page. it displays your "following", information, "tweets" and the people you follow.
DeviantART is distributed and ehibited on the web. This website runs and depends on UGC as viewers of this website get to upload self drawn pictures.
Twitter is again distributed and exhibited on the internet. On a Twitter profile page. it displays your "following", information, "tweets" and the people you follow.
DeviantART is distributed and ehibited on the web. This website runs and depends on UGC as viewers of this website get to upload self drawn pictures.
Question two:
Instead ofAudiences taking a more voyueristic position, these social networking sites allow them to produce and post their own thoughts and ideas. Facebook allows audiences to voice their own opinions and therefore gives them a sense of entitlement and power as they choose what goes onto the website. Twitter serves the same purpose and also audiences get the opportunity to interact with their favourite celebrities, a feature which is appealing. DeviantART is where UGC is a main factor into the function of the website. With UGC as its centerpoint, audiences both consume and create the content which is viewed.
Question one:
The texts I am studying are Facebook, Twitter and DeviantART, all social networking sites. All of these networks first existed on the internet so all of these sites are owned by corporations that have thrived online.
The Impact of New and Digital Media:
My Case Study will involve... Social Networking and how socialising has changed in the technology age.
I have chosen this topic because social networking in this technological age is an interesting subject in which I can explore both the benefits and downsides of socialising on the net.
The three texts I will be studying is... Facebook, Twitter and DeviantART.
I have chosen this topic because social networking in this technological age is an interesting subject in which I can explore both the benefits and downsides of socialising on the net.
The three texts I will be studying is... Facebook, Twitter and DeviantART.
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