Exam Topic Info

Section One: Key Terminology and Concepts covered in the course

Section Two: Textual Analysis of a Moving Image Text

Questions relating to Section Two:

1. Media Forms (this means genre, narrative and the media language codes).
Discuss the use of codes and conventions in the construction of this text.

2. Media Representations
Consider the representations of people (places and/or events, where relevant) in this text.

3. Media Institutions
What does this website tell us about the media institutions involved?

4. Media Audiences
Explore some of the ways in which this text communicates with its target audience.

Post-feminist

In the past, there was limited range of representation of women in media. There were usually men controlling the action and the moving of the narration. Females were rarely to take part in protagonists. Hence, the power was imbalance between men and women.  

In the 20^th century, women have much more opportunities turning up in the media. To illustrate, in superhero genre, males used to act as the main characters who were stronger than women, also women used to act as victims in superhero movies. As times goes by, female have started to take part in protagonist, such as Catwoman, Supergirl and Tank Girl etc. They do not represent in a very weak way but physically, their power set in super strength, speed and flights are often similar to men. Female protagonists overcoming villains with physical combat is much the same way that Superman does. Mentally, both female and male have very strong characters which are aggressive, perseverance and strong. In the move Tank Girl, Tank Girl is very ferocious and quirky. Tank Girl’s behaviors make her inferior and superior to the male’s characters in the story, for example, she farts, swears, does not care about her appearance, bares her tits, and tells sexual jokes. In the 1990’s, this behavior looked very scandalous. However, more characters, like Catwoman, had acted in this way and the society is finally accepted them. Feminist is no longer necessary because female have become active and do not represented as passive objects of the male gaze anymore. These changes might cause ‘gender trouble’ which the behavior and representation disrupts culturally accepted notions of gender. 

Media Theories: 'Feminism' and 'Post-feminism'- ‘The America’s Next Top Model’

  The media text introducing in this article is the well-known reality TV programme ‘The America’s Next Top Model’. (ANTM) (The CW Television Network, 2013) It presents the girls from different nationalities compete for a title of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and the alternative prizes. It broadcasts the girls’ real lives and the process of modelling. It reveals both concept of feminism and post-feminism through the differences of model’s real lives and their career.

  To begin with, the concept of feminism is applied to the role of model. In this programme, the girls need to change their outlook from changing the feminine clothes, showing the sexy pose and following the marketing preference. Women are presented as the passive objects because they could not argue with the fashion professionals about what they wear and act like as the typical women figure. Feminist argue that men take the advantages in the media text as they are presented as powerful, highly educated and having higher economic power. In ANTM, it always emphasizes on sexuality and physical appearance of the girls and they need to pretend as the stereotype of women like having lots of cosmetic product and always being pretty to attract men.

 Conversely, the concept of post-feminism suggests that girls have their right to compete with men and become the active characters. Women have choices to be playful and dominant the society. This theory can be seen in the scenes of models’ real lives. It represents that every girls compete for their dream of being a professional model and show the ambitious to their career. It emphasizes the pain of being a model and reverses public’s view on model. Also, the girls are presented as the active role to date the other male models and they always have gossip related to boys in their gaze. According to Judith Butler (1999), it is suggested that gender is not the result of nature but is socially constructed. The girls’ private lives are projected in the different way from the point of view of traditional women. It is also the reason why this TV programme being successful because it presents both feminism and post-feminism from the part of society’s value of beauty and modern girls’ private lives.

 

 

'G.I.Jane' (Feminism)

I have chosen a very popular film which was released in 1997 year in USA – ‘G.I.Jane’. Movie was directed by Ridley Scott.

In my opinion, this movie is a good example of a feminism status in the society. The main character is the women who went to the army to take a special course and prove to everybody that not only males can be successful in military affairs. During the film, Jordan O’Neil  passes a set of heartrending experiences such as tortures, fights, beatings, but she never ever think to  complain or to stop because her biggest motivation is to show everyone that males and females are equal and things that can do man, can also do a woman.

The main idea of the movie is that no matter who you are - male or female, the only thing that matters is the firmness of spirit and courage of character. Feminism theory demonstrates us that women can play a dominate role as a men and do the same stuff in real life. Undoubtedly, the directors of the movie wanted to prove the theory with the help of most bright and violent example like an army.

In my point of view, this movie is a one of great proof in cinema world as an example of feminism theory in ‘real’ life that women can do anything what she really wants with the same success as men.

Liberal Pluralism

Liberal Pluralism

            In opposition to Marxist methodologies which understands media as operating to maintain bourgeoisie’s hegemony, Liberal pluralism thinks that media is supposed to be subject to the requirements of its consumers. Instead of transmitting hegemonic values or ideologies, Liberal Pluralism supports different views and opinions being passed through media. So, this means that media is completely free to express itself the way it sees fit.

A liberal-pluralist perspective believes that media is a subject of healthy debate and criticism thus its audiences either select or reject the different opinions, values and ideologies that are being offered to them by media.

 

Queer theory

"Pretty woman"

According to the structuralism point of view, the movie "Pretty woman" is considered an expression of the "Cinderella myth". Indeed the female protagonist of this romantic comedy is a poor young woman who sells her body to survive, until she meets an handsome and lonely man who saves her life. The idea is that every beautiful and kind woman will find the right man. For this reason same critics argue that in the movie reality is constructed and it makes the story not very credible. The events are forced in order to achieve the happy ending. The main symbolic code is the relationship between the rich and charming man and the prostitute. From the post-feminism point of view this story shows the  stereotyped idea that women must marry a man to be happy and without him they are completely lost. Also the male protagonist understands that he needs a woman in his life but, the female character is more passive and is the one who has to be won over by the man until the end.

Feminism

•           1960s-1970s
•           There were social divisions in society benefit men in terms of work, educational opportunities, wages and access to political and economic power; there is also an emphasis on sexuality and physical appearance in the representation of women.
•           They see media representations as often naturalizing the power imbalance between men and women by emphasizing that a women’s role is a domestic one, as mothers, carers and housewives.
•           Mulvey’s theory states that Hollywood film was the product of a male-dominated and controlled industry and in such texts men controlled the action and were responsible for moving the narrative along, women were presented as passive objects of the male gaze and pleasure in viewing comes from voyeurism, narcissism and scopophilia. It is applied indiscriminately to all media texts and nowadays it has got some limitations.
•           In recently films, like Kill Bill Vol. 1 or Casino Royal, the women are portrayed with a strong role and not passive at all; however the female lead is still played by glamorous actresses, who are actually sexually appealing to men.
•           Gammon and Marshment pointed that in the recent years a number of texts have represented men as objects for the female gaze. They suggest that women viewers are not merely passive but active and discerning and engage critically with media texts by selecting texts that have meaning for them.
•           They stress the importance of the audience’s role in the construction of meaning in media texts and emphasize the range of interpretation that any text offers.

Case study: Structuralism in "Bones"

A famous America detective drama, Bones, is an example of a media text that include action, enigmatic and symbolic codes. Action codes such as chasing the criminal, car chases and gun shot. In each episode, a series of questions (enigmatic codes) hold the viewers's attention such as how the victim die, who committed the crime and how, is the genius evil criminal return, the relationship between the main characters and how to solve the crimes, etc. Finally the text is also structured in relation to a range of binary opposites. For example, genius in good way can benefit the society verse genius in bad way can be very danger, justice verse injustice, truth verse lies and legality verses illegality.  

Short Films for applying 'Moving Image Terminology' to.

http://www.torkristoffersen.com/

Changes of Deadlines for Assignments

Newsletter Challenge: 10am, Friday 26th April

Case Study Analysis: 4pm, Thursday 16th May

All assignments to be submitted in the usual fashion, but please send to both of your tutors, so you should send to:

1. diego.mattiolo@ef.com

2. sarah.h@efupcam.co.uk

3. efupsubmissions@efupcam.co.uk

4. One hard (paper) copy to the office.  In the case of the newsletter, one copy per student should be submitted.

Best of luck!

Session with Agnes on 'Globalisation and the Digital Revolution'

Agnes' Presentation from the session on Wednesday 3rd April

First Session: Representation and Reality TV

Please see the link below for the presentation on

'Representation and Reality TV.'

Welcome to the class blog!

Welcome to your Media Studies class blog.

This will serve as a useful communication tool during our course over the next ten weeks.

All information related to topics, assessments and related material will be posted on here regularly.  Please make sure you check it regularly.

As a contributor, you are very welcome to post class-related content and any questions that you may have, but there is always the option of emailing me at sarah.h@efupcam.co.uk or Diego at diego.mattiolo@ef.com.

Please see below for general information about the course.  Please be aware that the documents below are the up-to-date ones and more recent than the hard copies you were given last week.

Course Information

Week-by-Week Course Content

Case Study Analysis