Task 1

At the beginning of skins we instantly see that the young teenage girls are represented as to be sexual objects and infact seen to be the dominant force. This is connoted by the teenage girls smoking and by the way they looked at other people, which made them look superior to others. In skins the girls are seen to be challenging stereotypes as they are shown to be violent because it shows them hitting another person which goes against a typical teenage girl stereotype. The males are seen to be abit opposite to the girls as they are seen to be much more calmer and laid back, which shows that skins completley challenges gender stereotypes.In the trailer of Bully the males were seen to be more dominant as they were portrayed to be the active and aggressive characters shown through kicking boxes. Through the use of the male protagonist using weapons shows that teenagers are primarily torublesome and want to inflict pain on other people. In both texts, they portray teenagers to be selfish and carry out illegal acts, such as smoking illegal substances or using weapons.Also, in both texts it is apparant that teenagers are inflicting pain on each other creating the idea that teenagers are complying with gang voilence.

Representation Essay

Representation could be explained by how groups, events, places and experiences are represented in media texts. Representations is also influenced by the cultural, political and social contexts in which they are produced.The media texts which my case study is about is the representation of black males in US hip hop music videos, this may be an example as they support the point of view of reflecting social and political concerns. This is because US hip hop music videos reflect the issue of black artists as violent and negative as they are shown committing crime for example one of the texts I am exploring is 50 cents music video Many Men which instantly shows from the beginning black men shooting one another, in the other texts i am looking at can also show similarities of this violent portrayal of black males in US hip hop music videos for example Snoop Doggs Music video Lay Low as it shows black males smoking wee which once again shows a negative representation.


This is an issue which has been widely debated and talked about in the contemporary years. Therefore the argument suggests that media representations may reflect social concerns because most black males are portrayed like this is in most hip hop music videos.

Laura Mulvey ( 1975: Visual Pleasure & Narrative Cinema) argues that the audience that consume these media representations look at women in these media text in two ways voyeuristically and fetishistically for example in a cinema men observe women in a media text voyeuristically as they are not being washed by the women being represented neither are they being watched by the following audience also consuming the media text as the cinema is dark. This gives rise to a concern depending on the way the audience interpret these media text could lead to the objectification of women in the media. This could be a concern of the age as women are powerless to defend themselves due to the whole concept of voyeurism and them just being watched through the ‘male gaze’These texts may have more then just one political and social concern. This may also connote the idea of ethnic minorities taking control over certain places because in Snoop Doggs Lay Low it shows that the majority of black people to be superior to others, this is also backed up by the use of camera shots tilting up towards them making them look like they are in controll of everything. This is a major concern for the youth around the world as they may aspire to be like these Black hip hop artists so they may see crime and drugs as a positive thing due to the fact that they're 'idols' are doing the same.
In terms of print platforms, newspapers are key when considering social and political concerns to do with representations. This is due to them having an input on the nation and what people maybe seen as a political or social problem. As newspapers have to report real life issues, therefore their representations will likely to be linked with social and political concerns of that age as they have to report recent news.


For example crime that has occurred, this maybe a political or social concern and newspapers are likely to report it. However newspapers may also report positive aspects among Black hip hop artists which aren't current social and political issues. Such as these artists donating the money they make to give back to charity, which can be shown in this article http://www.looktothestars.org/news/347-snoop-dogg-donates-concert-fees-to-grief-support-charity . This will reflect Black hip hop artists positively, therefore won't reflect political and social concerns.


Magazines contrast with newspapers, as they don't look at real life issues as much. They focus more on an ideal world and celebrities. The majority of magazines look to target teenagers as they are seen as vulnerable targets, therefore they can view them in a positive way in order to appeal to them. Also magazines which don't target teenagers don't usually refer to political and social concerns but put more emphasis on advice or products to buy.


Overall magazines targeted at teens don't reflect political and social concerns of the age it was created as it focuses on the media such as TV shows. Furthermore when issues are mentioned they're usually ridiculing celebrities which isn't seen as a major political or social concern.


Economically, media texts use representations to focus on current issues by reflecting characters in situtations that are linked to political and social concerns.For example TV soaps may show people who are struggling financially, this may bring people to comfort as it shows that the recessions effects nearly everyone.

Media Essay Plan

Digital media has changed the nature of media products and the ways in which we consume them.’

Who do you think benefits most – audiences or producers?

Audiences-

·         Makes it easier because of new and digital media.

·         Audiences are now made to feel as if they are producers through the websites such as youtube as you are in total control of what to produce. This makes audiences more active because they are able to voice and express their views and opinions.

·         Introduction of E-Media and social networking sites have become a part of people’s daily lives which shows that it gratifies the audiences.

·         Audiences have freedom of speech

·         Introduction of online news means that the audiences can now choose when and what time they want to consume the news which is also free and easily accessible.

Producers

·         Advertising on the internet is a way for producers to make money as they could advertise to appeal to specific audiences.

·         Producers also benefit by adapting to the way things have changed so they can compete with other companies.

Key Quotes on New and Digital Media

Marxism- ‘the theory of the communists capitalist production therefore develops technologies and the combining together of various processes into a social whole’ source-  Marxism and media studies (Mike Wayne 2003)

Gramsci and Hegemony- ‘'Consent must be constantly won and rewon, for people's material social experience constantly reminds them of the disadvantages of subordination and thus poses a threat to the dominant class’. Source- aber.ac.uk/media

Post Modernity-‘ The media are dominating our culture. We live in the information age, not only because of the internet, but because of TV channels, radio-channels, newspapers, magazines and books’ Article by (Andreas Saugstad)

 Noam Chomsky-Hegemony-‘ Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media’ Book- Turning the Tide 1985

 Noam Chomsky- Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever’

Globalisation-’We cannot wait for governments to do it all. Globalization operates on Internet time. Governments tend to be slow moving by nature, because they have to build political support for every step.” Kofi Annan (thinkexit.com)

Karl Marx- ‘The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e., the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force’.  (Marxism and Culture)

Marshall Mcluhan-  ‘ All new media are extensions of some human faculty’ Book- Understanding Media

 Liberal Pluralism- ‘ There are multiple independant, sometimes competing sources of authority over our lives’