Women Identity within the media

Laura Mulvey
'The Male Gaze'

 Mulvey sees the representation of woman in film & literature (and therefore society in general) as being dominated by a male point of view. Her belief is that the world is a patriarchy and that men have the ‘active’ roles and woman ‘passive’ To look is seen as active

• Traditionally Men play active roles which drive the narrative.
• Women play passive roles and are seen as erotic objects which slow the narrative
• Men far outnumber women
• Female roles are sidelined, lead roles for women scarce

Stereotypes

• 'bimbo' - physical attractions such as figure and breasts to overpower the male.
• 'housewife'
• 'easy'
• intelligent but wants a family more.

women where given two characters types - sexually active female & powerless female Films presented images of women that were produced simply for the gratification of male viewers.

Importance? Where women had important roles they were far more likely to be shown as… - frightened - in need of protection and direction - offering support to the male lead character(s) - not independent or self driven - generally weaker - still objectified sexually “ Women, in any fully human form, have almost completely been left out of film….” L Mulvey

Ellen Ripley introduced viewers to their first self-reliant and successful science-fiction heroine Ripley encounters difficult situations which challenge her femininity Still shown as sexual object to both audience and characters. She has to fight against the patriarchal ideology of the Company, different kinds of male figures and of course, against the Alien Distinctive references to gender roles, especially to women's status in the world and to motherhood .

Changes in society As women's roles change so does media representation. Still objectified but also likely to be… Career driven Intelligent Confident Empowered Able (violent) Remember changes may be made cynically and in order to make money rather than change ideologies How many female action stars who are not attractive?


A Modern Representation

Uma Thurman represented as powerful and dominant and independent Sword stands in for and castrates phallus Adopts male characteristics of aggression Not masculinised yet in masculine roles Use of low angles, and a masculine performance

Conforms to Mulvey’s theory - job of seeking revenge family is given to the female character thus conforming to stereotypes where women are seen to be possessed with family and emotional Tight outfit allows objectification Voyeuristic pleasures by watching Thurman on her killing rampage Remember male director/industry may still mean male ideologies

June 2011

In question 1a you need to write about your work for the Foundation Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio units and you may refer to other media production work you have undertaken.

1a Explain how far your understanding of the conventions of existing media influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how this understanding developed over time.

In question 1b you must write about one of your media productions only.

1b Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to the concept of audience.



Answer one question from Section B.

Whichever question you answer you must refer to examples of at least two media areas in your answer and your answer should include reference to historical, contemporary and future media.

Media and Collective Identity

6 Discuss how one or more groups of people are represented through the media.

7 Explain the role played by the media in the construction of collective identity.

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/amlw/media_studies/documents/

Example Essay

Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media productions and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making.

1a)

Over the two year media course we had to produce both a foundation portfolio of a school magazine and music magazine as well as an advance portfolio of a horror teaser trailer, film magazine – developing foundation skills further and a poster to advertise our trailer.

In the first year we researched existing music magazines and analysed each one so that we could gain knowledge of particular layouts, fonts and key elements that need to be contained in our production to make it successful. Research and planning allowed us to recognise ‘mastheads’ on magazines as being the most important and therefore the need to focus on a font more detailed to keep continuity with the contents page and double page spread which we also had to create.

Personally I researched ‘Rock’ magazines such as Kerrang, NME and others because I had chosen after carrying out a questionnaire to use Rock music as my theme. The real life media texts allowed me to visualise my favourite parts from each magazine – wripped sticker graphics and broken font on my own work which I then attempted to recreate within Photoshop CS4. In year one we were limited to what we could research because magazines were the only theme however, in the second year I was able to develop my ability to research real life media texts much further because we had a range of products we needed to create all under the ‘horror’ genre this time. I was able to research teaser trailers analysing my favourite and least favourite parts allowing me to plan with a mood board which I produced from a range of stills from previous horror films my ideas for my own trailer which helped me to develop my production of my products in relation to real life media texts and techniques such as restricted narration and handheld camera found in the ‘Blair Witch Project’ trailer which inspired my trailer ‘Laquem’ which is also set in the woods. Research into film documentaries like the ‘American Nightmare’ inspired me to create a product which reinforced fear and went against usual horror conventions to make it more interesting. Over the second year research became so important to achieving a product which was realistic and is now like my own distributed on on youtube as a real life media text of its own.

Real life media texts like advertising film posters were able to help me develop my Photoshop skills further because I was able to push myself with the ‘colour burn’ filters and want to create the scary atmosphere of my trailer from just an image and text which I found really fun.

Research into film magazines allowed me to develop my work from AS level so much further because I was able to produce a high standard piece of work in two weeks this year when the magazines took over 3 months last year which shows how much my skills have improves just by being able to constantly refer back to real life media texts for inspiration and even colour schemes that work well together such as black and red which in the first year I just found experimenting with. Research into horror trailers allowed me to recognise different styles of film and how we like Alfred Hitchcock could be an auteur creating new angles and ideas using generic conventions as well as unconventional representations that I have picked upon when watching films and analysing certain techniques which I have then attempted to do in Final Cut Pro when editing certain shots together to create collision cutting and changes in pace which my trailer does extremely well. I was inspired initially by the hand held camera in the

trailer REC and the fact I want as an auteur to change the stereotyped representations to be able use a female psycho killer.

Research also allowed me to produce text and intertitles that shook in order to capture my audience but narrating the story slightly so the shots when together made sense. Research into types of camera movements needed were really helpful and allowed me to completely change the pace with tracking shots and handheld camera which I noticed was used in Silent Hill and American Werewolf in London which I analysed and placed on my blog for reference as some pieces of footage I wanted to recreate including the final girl representations

7+8+3

Exam

How do contemporary media represent different collective groups in different ways?

·         Diverse representations including fiction, non-fiction and self-representation: Harry Brown, Fish Tank, The Inbetweeners, Attack the Block, The London Riots news coverage, the internet and self-mediation.

How does contemporary representation compare with that of the past?

·         Examples needed for similarities and difference.

·         Examples from the past – Quadrophenia – the film representations of Mods and Rockers.

·         Have they changes? – Plato quote…

What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?

·         Stereotyping - what is the impact?

·         What power does the audience have to ‘resist’?

·         Propaganda, moral panic, youth as an empty categories, cultural hegemony, Stuart Hall and reading the texts and their messages.

·         Statistics on result of these representations on attitudes and beliefs vs. the reality of the issues.

To what extent is human identity increasingly ‘mediated’?

·         Increasing media = increasing mediation?

·         Representation by others/by selves (Facebook/YouTube)

·         Be critical of who is offering the representations and for what purpose.

·         Mediated: How the media shapes your world and the way you live in it.

Guidance

·         Add your own personal opinion

·         What in your opinion is the future of representations and what are you basing this on?

·         Connections must be made between the examples/contrasts are discussed.

·         You must embed the theory into what you are saying

·         Must refer to more than one media: film, TV and newspapers…

Examiners Advice

·         Introduction – start with a quote; paraphrase it and link to issues of identity, representation and the media. State your focus (social group and texts).

·         Historical example

·         Contemporary examples

·         Connect examples together (compare/contrast)

·         Conclusion – return to start. Prediction for the future.

• Mass media contract representations of youth froma  middle class, adult perspective, for the ideological purpose of maintaining hegemony.
• Impact of new media technologies/internet - more potential for self-representation, limited impact compared to mass media.

·         Use referencing – name and year of publication given after first mention e.g. (Giroux, 1997)

·         Quote – paraphrase – critique

·         One text older than 5years

·         Other texts should be from within last 5years

·         Make a prediction for the future

Discuss the contemporary representation of a nation, region or social group in the media, using specific textual examples from at least two media to support your answer.

How far does the representation of a particular social group change over time?

Analyse the the ways in which the media represent one group of people that you have studied.

'The media do not construct collective identity, they just merely reflect it' Discuss.

How have British youth been represented through different media in the London riots?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14440865

UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweets: "Seeing pictures of looting whilst the police do nothing is frankly astonishing. That's not protesting, that's stealing."

Labour MP Diane Abbott tweets: "Message needs to go out to copycat looters that it's illegal, immoral and profoundly stupid.

Metropolitan Police Commander Adrian Hanstock said: "This is not groups of people acting on behalf of communities or with any consent.

"This is individuals who are actually attacking communities, businesses, properties and houses and actually causing a huge amount of upset and criminality."

 "Obviously there are people in this city, sadly, who are intent on violence, who are looking for the opportunity to steal and set fire to buildings and create a sense of mayhem, whether they're anarchists or part of organised gangs or just feral youth frankly, who fancy a new pair of trainers."

Brand wrote that he has been trying to understand why the violence happened in the first place, agreeing that it is 'unacceptable' and 'unjustifiable,' but also added that we 'work out why so many people feel utterly disconnected from the cities they live in.'
'These young people have no sense of community because they haven't been given one. If we don't want our young people to tear apart our communities then don't let people in power tear apart the values that hold our communities together.
“Why am I surprised that these young people behave destructively, “mindlessly”, motivated only by self-interest? How should we describe the actions of the city bankers that brought our economy to it’s knees in 2010? Altruistic? mindful? Kind? But then again, they do wear suits, so they deserve to be bailed out, perhaps that’s why not one of them has been imprisoned. And they got away with a lot more than a few fucking pairs of trainers.”

Plato: “What is happening to our young people?They disrespect their elders; they disobey their parents. They ignore the law.Theyriot in the streets, inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?”

The Guardian - 'Broken Britain' rhetoric fuels fears about state schools

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/sep/08/broken-britain-rhetoric-fuels-fear

How can you link cultural hegemony to this article? How does the article suggest moral panic is being caused?
Due to the government rule of Conservatives, their middle class position becomes influential into creating 'moral panic' about the lower income families. In this article they are predominately targeting state schools, causing a divide between children in different education, making other institutions (normally private education) a higher power with better standards of teaching and pupil respect. The middle class becomes dominant providing fears and invoking negative perspectives of behaviour based upon the education system, therefore providing strong views that massively exaggerate the problems in state schools.

Can you link in McRobbies Symbolic Violence Theory? How?
They have created an image of crime that represents British youth, linking lower classes and state education to these claims of violence. 'They link together issues such as bad discipline, falling standards, crime and 'feral children' with educational standards in disadvantages schools'

Press Representation

Teen Trouble 2007

• 12% of crimes committed by teens, but adults see them as the biggest threat to law and order.
• Newspapers need to educate and entertain, therefore they show negative stories that stand out.
• 3000 'mosquito' alarm that just affect teens in the UK.
• 50 years ago newspapers were paying teens to start fights and would cover it in papers.
• CCTV changed people's views and teenagers by increasing level of fear, the more camera means more criminal activity covered.

Cultivation Theory applied here, the amount of proliferation coverage makes people believe what they see is true, which interest creates moral panic.
Hypodermics needle theory, we are passive consumers and believe what we're told, this exists through the moral panic creates in the press.

'Generation ASBO'  youths become desensitised and portray themselves as what they are being represented.

Representation of Youth

IPSOS MORI Survey 2005:
40% of articles focus on violence, crime, anti-social behaviour, 71% negative

Brunel University 2007:
TV News: violent crime or celebrities, young people are only 1% of sources.

Women in Journalism 2008:
72% of articles were negative. 3.4% positive. 75% about crime, drugs and police.
Boys: Yobs, thugs, feral, hoodies, scum.

Only positive stories are about boys that died young.

What role did new media technologies, particularly social networking sites play in the London riots?
Do media cause riots or revolutions?