Revision

Section A:Theoretical Evaluation of Production
Section B: Contemporary Media Issues 1
G325: Critical Perspectives
in Media

 The purpose of this unit is to assess candidates' knowledge and
understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical
debates, through their understanding of one contemporary
media issue and their ability to evaluate their own practical
work in reflective and theoretical ways.
 The examination is two hours. Candidates are required to
answer two compulsory questions, on their own production
work, and one question from a choice of six topic areas. The
unit is marked out of a total of 100, with the two questions on
production work marked out of 25 each, and the media theory
question marked out of 50.
2
There are two sections to this paper:
Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production (50
marks)
Section B: Contemporary Media Issues (50 marks)

 The topic areas require understanding of contemporary
media texts, industries, audiences and debates.
 This understanding must combine knowledge of at least
two media and a range of texts, industries, audiences
and debates.
 Contemporary Media Issues: Media and Collective
Identity
 Each topic is accompanied by four prompt questions,
and candidates must be prepared to answer an exam
question that relates to one or more of these four
prompts. There should be emphasis on the historical,
the contemporary and the future in relation to the
chosen topic, with most attention on the present.
3

“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 ? Refer to at
least two media in your answer.” [50]
Explanation/ analysis/argument (20 marks) Use of
examples (20 marks)
Use of terminology (10 marks)

PRINTPRINT MUSICMUSIC
PAST PRESENT AND FUTUREPAST PRESENT AND FUTURE

1) How do the contemporary media represent
nations, regions and ethnic/social/collective
groups of people in different ways?
2) How does contemporary representation
compare to previous time periods?
3) What are the social implications of different
media representations of groups of people?
4) To what extent is human identity
increasingly ‘mediated’?

Consider at a ‘macro’ level how ‘the
media’ represent people and ideas.
But more importantly discuss on a
‘micro’ level how people give
meaning.
To particular kinds of media in
relation to their identity.
MeaningMeaning
AnalysisAnalysis

 In order to be fully prepared for the specific requirements of
the question, the material studied by candidates must cover
these three elements:
9
Future - candidates must demonstrate personal
engagement with debates about the future of
the media forms/issues that the topic relates to.
Contemporary - current issues within the topic
area.
Historical - dependent on the requirements of the
topic, candidates must summarise the development of
the media forms in question in theoretical contexts.

What do you need for the exam?
Social group as a case study- examples.
At least two different media
Understanding of and reference to
theory/cultural critics.
Your own voice!
10

David Buckingham (2008).
He argues that identity is
complicated and complex.
11
On the one hand,
identity is
something unique to
each of us that we
assume is more or
less consistent (and
hence the same)
overtime.. our identity
is something we
uniquely possess: it is
what distinguishes
us from other
people.
Yet on the other
hand, identity also
implies a
relationship with a
broader collective
or social group of
some kind.
When we talk about
national identity,
cultural identity, or
gender identity, for
example, we imply
that our identity is
partly a matter of
Describe
yourself in
3 words

“Identity emerges as a kind of
unsettled space, or an
unresolved question in that
space,
between a number of
intersecting discourses. ...
[Until recently, we have
incorrectly thought that identity
is] a kind of fixed point of
thought and being, a ground of
action ... the logic of something
like a `true self.' ... [But]
Identity is a process, identity is
split. Identity is not a fixed point
but an ambivalent point.
Identity is also the relationship
of the Other to oneself" (Hall 12
PERSONAL
CULTURAL
SOCIAL
ACONSTRUCT
“people's concepts of who
they are, of what sort of
people they are, and how
they relate to others" (Hogg
and Abrams 1988, 2).
“the way individuals and
groups define themselves
and are defined by others on
the basis of race, ethnicity,
religion, language, and
culture" (Deng 1995, 1).
“refers to the ways in which
individuals and collectivities
are distinguished in
their social relations with
other individuals and
collectivities" (Jenkins 1996,
4).
“The term [identity] (by
convention) references
mutually constructed and
evolving images
of self and other" (Katzenstein
1996, 59).
http://www.stanford.edu/~jfearon/papers/iden1v2.pdf

space,
between a number of
of the Other to oneself" (Hall 13
PERSONAL
CULTURAL
SOCIAL
ACONSTRUCT
4).
evolving images
1996, 59).

14
Think about how we form our
identities and where the information
comes from. The influence of mass
media shapes our concepts of who we
are, what is important to us and how
we live our lives. Everything
concerning our lives is seen to be
‘media saturated’.
Identity is something that is
constructed over a period of time and
can be updated or changed
completely.In today’s world the choosing of one’s
identity is a multi layered experience,
consciously and unconsciously
influenced by countless factors
How does the media
aid identity formationidentity formation?
IDENTITYIDENTITY
ISN’TISN’T

Task 1: Describe yourself in 3 words. Place in
the center of the table.
Task 2: Choose any woman of your choice.
What does she do? How would you describe
her?

How is gender
established?
What is the role of
the man?
What is the role of
the women?
How is gender
established?
What is the role of
the man?
What is the role of
the women?
How has history
shaped gender
roles?
How has society
shaped gender
roles?
How has culture
shaped gender
roles?
How has history
shaped gender
roles?
How has society
shaped gender
roles?
How has culture
shaped gender
roles?
Gender is
established
through
historical, social
and cultural
Gender is
established
through
historical, social
and cultural
MatriarchyMatriarchy PatriarchyPatriarchy

Task: In 200 words sum up what it means to be
‘a woman’.
Consider:
Women you know (Family, Friends)
Women in the public eye (Famous Women,
Role Models, Public Figures etc.)
You will be sharing these with
the class!
You will be sharing these with
the class!

Task: INDIVIDUALLY or in PAIRS research into
the historical events which determined
women’s rights.
Put this into a timeline and illustrate with a
print and music text from that period.

Homework: Bring in a print media text which is
representing women.
This can be in any form: magazine cover,
news article, advert etc.
Be prepared to discuss how it represents
women and why you chose it – make sure its
interesting!!

20
Antonio Gramsci
David Gauntlett
Stuart Hall
David
Buckingham

 How do the contemporary media represent nations, regions and ethnic /
social / collective groups of people in different ways?
 How does contemporary representation compare to previous time
periods?
 What are the social implications of different media representations of
groups of people?
 To what extent is human identity increasingly ‘mediated’?
 Candidates may analyse the representation of and / or the collective
identity of one or more group(s) of people. Candidates might explore
combinations of any media representation across two media, or two
different representations across two media.

 Choose a woman in the media
 What is her role
 How would you describe her?
 Is she a celebrity or a public figure?

 Constructs the views of society
 Defined historically
 Patriarchy holds the position of power

 Ww2 meant working woman temporarily
took women away from their homes – film
noir
 Womens liberation/female empowerment
 Pay equality
 feminism

 Male dominated society
 Sexualsation = dehumanisation
 Access hollywood and e! reinforce negative portrayals of women.
 Does this inequality come from male sexism/misogyny?
 How is the media responsible?
 Demonizes feminists/liberal agendas
 Learned habitts/views
 Consumption of tabloid news encourages scrutiny and criticism
 Western culture- reflection of society – establish cultural habits

 Who controls the media?
 Why do we trust men to control the media?
 Female stories written by men
 Restricted genres, stock characters
 Hollywood/western domination
 Media is voyeuristic and salacious

 Horizontal integrtaion means conglomerates corner the
market and therefore control media messages
 Multiple television platforms dilute the news/television –
infotainment dominates
 Capatalism means products are sold through the explotation
of women bodies.
 Is media accountable for the misrepresentation of women
through the irrisponisble distribution of content?

 Shock factor
 Objectification – justifies violence against a
person.
 Public becoming desensitized to these
images therefore justifying their existence
 Lack of responsibility

 Competition
 Domesticated
 Unempowered
 Ambition contradicts maternal roles
 Subordinate to men

 Saturation of sexual images in the media
 Value placed on physical appearance from men and women
 Companies establish a problem and offer a solution to create legions of
consumers.
 The self-esteem of women is continually diminished but the market is
increasingly popular.
 Pornification of products as sex sells.
 Celebrity culture

 Teenagers establishing their identity and therefore impressionable.
 Images are aspirational
 Contradictory messages sold in magazines.
 Body image is distorted due to unattainable images in the media which
are often manipulated in photoshop.
 Corrupts consumers into perusing unrealistic expectations
 Encourages the consumer to indulge in products and the media.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2533715/Saucy-Australian-burger-bar-advert-shows-beef-patty-salad-m

Task: In PAIRS create a detailed presentation investigating
one of these magazines. You will show this to the class next
week. You must include an in-depth analysis of a front cover.

Task: INDIVIDUALLY or in PAIRS research into
the historical events which determined
women’s rights.
Put this into a timeline and illustrate with a
print and music text from that period.
What are they key dates in
women's rights?

Aims: To continue to explore Women in Print.
Focusing particularly on magazines.
Objectives:
-To decide why people consume magazines.
-To define feminism.
-To outline key events in women’s rights.
-To explore genres of women’s magzines.
-To produce a presentation on the case studies.

“Analyse the ways in which the media represent any one group of
people that you have studied.”
“With reference to any one group of people that you have studied,
discuss how their identity has been ‘mediated’.”
“Analyse the ways in which the media represent groups of
people.”
“The media do not construct collective identity; they merely
reflect it”. Discuss.
“Media representations are complex, not simple and
straightforward”. How far do you agree with this statement in
relation to any one group of people that you have studied?
“What is collective identity and how is it mediated?”

Why do people read magazines?
Why don’t you read magazines?!

 Almy et al. (1984) argue that media representations of gender are
important because they enter the collective social conscience and
reinforce culturally dominant (hegemonic) ideas about gender
which represent males as dominant and females as subordinate.
Sociologists argue that media representations not only stereotype
masculinity and femininity into fairly limited forms of behaviour,
but also provide gender role models that males and females are
encouraged to aspire to.
 Women’s magazines are ‘the social construction of womanhood
today’ (David Gauntlett: 2002: 187).
 Gauntlett (2008) points out that sociological analysis of media
representations needs to be cautious, because of the sheer
diversity of media in Britain.

“The rise of digitalisation and the ready availability
of online content threatened the stability of print
media in general” (Mintel, 2010)
However!
“In a report in 2010, it was estimated that 530
million copies of women’s magazines would be sold
that year and in the same year The Guardian stated
that ‘although some individual titles have suffered
[in 2009], overall there was a huge year-on year
growth of 14.6% in circulation: we buy – or rather
consume nearly 7 million fashion and lifestyle
magazines every month” (Saner, 2010).

 Mary Maynard argues that feminist research is distinctive
in its ‘insistence on its political nature and potential to
bring about change in women’s lives’ (1994: 16). Feminist
studies have the capability to ‘make visible a social issue’,
through which their research can be empowering, or
even transformational.
 Janice Winship felt a ‘simultaneous attraction and
rejection’ towards women’s magazines; on the one hand
finding pleasure their escapist quality and recognising
their mass popularity, but on the other, feeling a strong
sense that to be a feminist, one must reject the
construction of womanhood put forward by most
popular women’s magazines.
Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at
defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic,
and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish
equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A
feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.

Indicate:
Mast head
Main Image
Coverlines
Selling/Skyli
ne
Barcode
Issue
Give an
example of:
Anchorage
Text
Tone of
Address
Use of font
According to Kilbourne
(1995), this media
representation presents
women as mannequins:
tall and thin, often US
size zero, with very long
legs, perfect teeth and
hair, and skin without a
blemish in sight.
Laura Mulvey-
Media texts put
the spectator in
a masculine
subject position,
with the figure
of the woman
on screen as the
object of desire
Mulvey Suggests these images are
"voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing woman as image "to
be looked at") and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing
woman as a substitute for "the lack," the
underlying psychoanalytic fear of castration).

“The title of the magazine or newspaper as it
appears on the front cover”

 Short statements on the cover of the
magazine that allude to or describe the
articles inside.
 Tend to directly address the reader using
colloquial language.
 Variety of Fonts.

Masthe
ad
Left
Main
Image
Cover
lines
Price
Barcode
Selling/Sky
line Font
Colour
Anchorage
TextConnotations
Tone of
Address
Date/ Issue

TABLOIDTABLOID GLOSSYGLOSSY
WEEKLY
GLOSSY
WEEKLY
GLOSSY
Who are the
target audience?
(demographics)
Who are the
target audience?
(demographics)
What content
does the
magazine
usually have?
What content
does the
magazine
usually have?
Consider: Ideology, semiotics, preferred/secondary meanings,
representation, micro/macro.
Consider: Ideology, semiotics, preferred/secondary meanings,
representation, micro/macro.
HYBRIDI
SED

VS
Paparazzi Photoshop
Do women's magazines have a
moral code?
Task: Read though
Stuart Hall’s reception
theory. Are there
consequences of women
reading magazines?
GlossyTabloid

Rupert Murdoch
Media Mogul
CEO/Founder
NewsCorporation, Fox
Broadcasting, Sky etc.
Eleanor Mills, the
editorial director of
the Sunday Times,
has underlined her
opposition to The
Sun's Page 3. " I
think Page 3 feels
quite regressive. I
think it feels very
kind of 70s. It is not
good when you're
raising girls and they
see women being
objectified in that
way. And we're
going to be doing a
lot in Women in
Journalism to stop a

Discuss: Is banning
‘Page 3’ anti-feminist?

Task: DEBATE! Write 5 points arguing why you are either for or
against PAGE 3.
Two groups:
PAGE 3

1) It’s 2014! Page 3 was first introduced in the sexist 1970s. A lot has changed over the last 30+
years in our society, we think it’s time The Sun caught up…
2) It’s soft porn in the UK’s no.1 selling family newspaper that children are exposed to. Until 2003
the models were only 16 (and made to dress up in school ties and hats – seriously!) It’s never been
OK. One day we’ll look back on this and think “oh my goodness, we did what?!”
3) What does it teach children? They see page after page of pictures of men in clothes doing stuff
(running the country, having opinions, achieving in sport!) and what are the women doing in this
society they’re learning about? Not much really, other than standing topless in their pants
showing their bare breasts for men. It’s not really fair, is it?
4) Women say, do and think so many interesting and incredible things and should be celebrated
for their many achievements. They are people, not things! Not ‘that’. The fact that we hear ‘look
at the tits on that’ or ‘I’d do that’ is disgusting, disrespectful and objectifying. Page 3 of The Sun
is the icon that perpetuates and normalises this horrible sexist ‘banter’.
5) Every single weekday for the last 44 years in The Sun newspaper the largest female image has
been of a young woman (usually of a very particular age, race, physicality) showing her breasts
for men, sending out a powerful message that whatever else a woman achieves, her primary role
is to serve men sexually. Pretty rubbish that really.
6) The Sun newspaper could be so much stronger without Page 3. Because currently, any story
they run about women’s issues such as rape, sexual abuse, harassment, domestic violence or the
dangers of online porn is drowned out and contradicted by the neon flashing sign of Page 3 that
says ‘shut up, girls, and get your tits out.’
We love breasts! And have nothing against the women who
choose to show them, we simply feel that a family newspaper is
the wrong context for these images.
*EQUAL REPRESENTATION* all we are really asking is that
women be represented with respect in the newspaper, rather like
men are.

 https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/page-3/

Sexism in Journalism?
http://nomorepage3.org/
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/keep-page-3-keep-page-3-in-the-sun-newspaper
http://www.everydaymediasexism.org.uk/index.php?start=408David Cameron
announced most
households in
the UK will have
pornography
blocked by their
internet
provider unless
they choose to
receive it.
He said
service
providers
were "not
doing
enough to
take
responsibilit
y" despite
having a
"moral duty"
to do so.
BUT!
David Cameron insists he
is right to oppose a ban on
Page 3 pin-ups despite his
efforts to tackle online
pornography. He says
there is a difference
between newspapers,
which parents could keep
away from children, and
the internet, where
youngsters could "stumble
across" legal but hardcore
pornography
Do newspapers
not have a
responsibility
and moral

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2013/dec/12/media-fail-women-2013-stella-creasy http://

“Analyse the ways in which print media
represent women.”

Task: Create either a
GLOSSY or TABLOID
magazine which
illustrates
representations of
women in print media
today.

 Human agency (micro level activity) and social
structure(macro level forces) continuously feed into each
other.
 The social structure is reproduced through repetition of
acts by individual people and can therefore change.
 Giddens notes that this theory suggests that social life is
more random than individual acts but is not merely
depicted by social forces. – it is not merely a mass of micro
acts but you cant understand it by just looking at the
macro. Instead micro(human) and macro (social structure)
are in a relationship with each other which reproduces the
structure.
 This means there is a social structure- traditions,
institutions, moral codes and established ways of doing
things, but it also means that these can be changed when
people start to ignore them, replace them or reproduce

What is the future for
women’s magazines?

Aims: To begin to explore Women in Music
Videos.
Objectives:
-To produce/present a case study on a music
video.

LYRICS COSTU
ME
MAKE
UP
CHOREOGRAP
HY
NARRATI
VE
SETTIN
G
OBJECTIFICA
TION
MALE
GAZE
I’m only
16!

Task: INDIVIDUALLY select a music video of
your choice which represents women.
Produce a presentation which analyses the
portrayal of women.
Use your knowledge from your own music
videos as well as what we have studied so far.
You will present this to the class.

Aims: To begin to explore Women in Music
Videos.
Objectives:
-To present case studies on a music video.

 Task: Discuss the women in these images.
What does it say about the music industry
and society in general?

 The artist is shown performing.
 The lyrics of the song influence what is shown in the
video (Mise en Scene)
 The pace of editing fits the pace of the music (beat
matching)
 The codes of dress reflect the mood of the song.
 Lip Syncing.
What are the conventions of a music
video?

 Modern music videos are primarily made and used
as a marketing device intended to promote the sale
of music recordings. Although the origins of music
videos go back much further, they came into their
own in the 1980s, when MTV (Music Television's)
format was based around them.
 Music videos are often called promo videos or
simply promos, due to the fact that they are usually
promotional devices.

 The defining work in the development of the modern music video was The Beatles' first major motion picture,
A Hard Day's Night in 1964, directed by Richard Lester. The musical segments in this film arguably set out the basic visual
vocabulary of today's music videos, influencing a vast number of contemporary musicians, and countless subsequent
pop and rock group music videos.
 Other pioneering music videos made during this time include the promotional films made by The Doors. The group had a
strong interest in film, since both lead singer Jim Morrison and keyboard player Ray Manzarek had met while studying
film at UCLA. The clip for their debut single "Break On Through" is essentially structured as a filmed performance, but it
is notable for. One of the clip's most innovative features is its use of external visuals sources, with extensive intercutting
of archival footage and shocking contemporary TV footage of the carnage of the Vietnam War.
 By the mid-1980s releasing a music video to accompany a new single had become standard, and acts like The Jacksons
sought to gain a commercial edge by creating lavish music videos with million dollar budgets; most notable with the
video for "Can You Feel It".
 Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" also started a whole new era for using music videos as promos.
 The first music videos were produced by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith who started making short musical films for
Saturday Night Live in 1979.
• Top of the Pops was censorus in its approach to video content, so another method was for an act to
produce a promo that would be banned or edited. It would then use the resulting public controversy to
promote the release. Early examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" and
Frankie Goes to Hollywood with "Relax", directed by Bernard Rose.
• In the early to mid 1980s, artists started to use more sophisticated effects in their videos, and added a
storyline or plot to the music video. Michael Jackson was the first artist to create the concept of the short
film. A short film is a music video that has a beginning, middle and end. He did this in a small way with
Billie Jean, directed by Steve Barron, then in a West Side Story way with director Bob Giraldi's Beat It, but it
wasn't until the 1984 release of the Thriller short film that he took the music video format to another level.
Thriller was a 14-minute-long music video with a clear beginning, middle and ending. Along with the plot, it
also had ahead-of-its-time special effects and a memorable dance sequence which has been mimicked

Music videos display a certain ideology. Mainstream genres
will often reinforce dominant values (they are hegemonic)
and display stereotypes in order to have mass appeal.
While more alternative artists may feature shocking or
transgressive imagery and messages in their videos in order
to appear anti-establishment.
MTV-style editing (80s/90s)
Music videos use computer effects, digital manipulation and
transitions much more than narrative film. Consider how this
adds to the sense of spectacle and stardom and how it adds
to the symbolism of the video.

Does it REINFORCE or
SUBVERT gender roles?
Performance
Narrat
ive
Setting
Concept
Representation
‘No matter what your
gender or sexuality,
everyone reads media
texts from a males
perspective.’ Laura
Mulvey

A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out
of a range of materials.
Richard Dyer suggests that we can study stars in three
ways :
oEconomically
oThrough audience reception
oAs a text in themselves
He suggested that the economics of stars as a text can be
broken down in three ways:
1)Capital- Stars represent the capital possessed by the
studios
2)Investment - Stars as an investment – against loss on
it and also creating a investment
3)Outlay- Stars are a major portion of a film’s budget so
it must be careful and correct.

Argyle’s ten body codes are particularly useful to consider
here:
Direct bodily contact
The proximity of one character to another (or proxemics)
The orientation of one to another (i.e. the extent to which
characters stand with their bodies turned towards or away
from each other)
General appearance of individuals (e.g. Tall and thin, or
short and fat)
Head movements (e.g. nodding or shaking of the head)
Facial expressions
Gestures (or Kinesics)
Body posture
Eye movement or contact
Aspects of speech, such as pitch, tone, stress, accent,
volume, speech errors (all of which are termed paralinguistic
codes)

 Scopophilia = pleasure in looking (Sigmund Freud
1905, in ‘Three Essays’)
 Examples of the private and curious gaze: children’s
voyeurism, cinematic looking
 The most pleasurable looking = looking at the
human form and the human face, figural looking
(corresponds to psychic patterns)

 Is a form of society ruled by men.
 The father figure (the patriarch) is the leader
to whom all others were subordinate.
 Within the media, a patriarchal society
suggests that the media is constructed for
men.
Queen
Bee
Mrs
Carter

 Bands and artists encode a variety of messages
to reflect their ideologies (thoughts/beliefs).
 By doing this they encourage their fans to
follow their beliefs and share them with others.
 What is the relationship between the
music/lyrics and the visuals?
How do
lyrics
amplify
meaning?

 In the 1980’s views changed even more
 Feminists don’t aim for equality. They assume men
are the best and so strive to surpass male
achievements
 The female gaze discussed. Where men are activity
desired by females
 Women began to assert their right to dress and be
sexually attractive.
LO: What do the lyrics of the song tell us about the messages
encoded in the song?
BLP: Making Links
Britney -
Womaniser

BLP: Making Links

Q. Do you think these images below are appropriate for young audiences? WHY?

 Broadcasters must ensure that material which may
cause offence is justified by the context. Broadcasters
must be careful when representing: offensive
language, violence, sex, sexual violence,
humiliation, distress, violation of human dignity,
discriminatory treatment or language ( for example
on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race,
religion, beliefs and sexual orientation).
 To ensure that material likely to encourage or incite
the commission of crime or to lead to disorder must
not be included in TV or Radio services.

Dominant reading Negotiated reading Oppositional reading
Who might take this
reading?
Who might take this
reading?
Who might take this
reading?
What meaning might they
take from the text?
take from the text?
take from the text?

The purpose of a music video is to allow the artist to promote
themselves and advertise and market their music in a visual
style.
Disjuncture: The video and the lyrics have no correlation to
each other.
Contradict: The visuals of the video contradict with the
song lyrics.
Illustrate: The visuals have some literal representation of
the songs lyrics.
Amplify: Repetition of the key meaning to manipulate an
audience. The visuals may be exaggerated.
y
Sound and
Vision
Notions of
looking
Genre

 The defining work in the development of the modern music video was The Beatles' first major motion picture, A Hard
Day's Night in 1964, directed by Richard Lester. The musical segments in this film arguably set out the basic visual
vocabulary of today's music videos, influencing a vast number of contemporary musicians, and countless subsequent
pop and rock group music videos.
 Other pioneering music videos made during this time include the promotional films made by The Doors. The group had a
strong interest in film, since both lead singer Jim Morrison and keyboard player Ray Manzarek had met while studying
film at UCLA. The clip for their debut single "Break On Through" is essentially structured as a filmed performance, but it
is notable for. One of the clip's most innovative features is its use of external visuals sources, with extensive intercutting
of archival footage and shocking contemporary TV footage of the carnage of the Vietnam War.
 By the mid-1980s releasing a music video to accompany a new single had become standard, and acts like The Jacksons
sought to gain a commercial edge by creating lavish music videos with million dollar budgets; most notable with the
video for "Can You Feel It".
 Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" also started a whole new era for using music videos as promos.
 The first music videos were produced by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith who started making short musical films for
Saturday Night Live in 1979.
• Top of the Pops was censorus in its approach to video content, so another method was for an act to
produce a promo that would be banned or edited. It would then use the resulting public controversy to
promote the release. Early examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" and Frankie Goes to
Hollywood with "Relax", directed by Bernard Rose.
• In the early to mid 1980s, artists started to use more sophisticated effects in their videos, and added a
storyline or plot to the music video. Michael Jackson was the first artist to create the concept of the short
film. A short film is a music video that has a beginning, middle and end. He did this in a small way with Billie
Jean, directed by Steve Barron, then in a West Side Story way with director Bob Giraldi's Beat It, but it
wasn't until the 1984 release of the Thriller short film that he took the music video format to another level.
Thriller was a 14-minute-long music video with a clear beginning, middle and ending. Along with the plot, it
also had ahead-of-its-time special effects and a memorable dance sequence which has been mimicked

A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out
of a range of materials.
Richard Dyer suggests that we can study stars in three
ways :
oEconomically
oThrough audience reception
oAs a text in themselves
He suggested that the economics of stars as a text can be
broken down in three ways:
1)Capital- Stars represent the capital possessed by the
studios
2)Investment - Stars as an investment – against loss on
it and also creating a investment
3)Outlay- Stars are a major portion of a film’s budget so

 In the 1980’s views changed even more
 Feminists don’t aim for equality. They assume men are
the best and so strive to surpass male achievements
 The female gaze discussed. Where men are activity
desired by females
 Women began to assert their right to dress and be
sexually attractive.
BLP: Making Links
Britney -
Womaniser

Music videos
were a new
outlet for
material, by
the mid-1980s
they played a
central role in
popular music
marketing.
Inexpensive and
easy-to-use video
recording and editing
equipment, and the
development of
visual effects created
with techniques such
as image
compositing. The
advent of high-
quality colour
videotape recorders
and portable video
cameras enabled
many pop acts to
produce promotional
videos quickly and
cheaply, in
comparison to the
Madonna is
known for
continuously
reinventing both
her music and
image, and for
retaining a
standard of
autonomy within
the recording
industry.
The reaction
towards her most-
discussed songs such
as "Papa Don't
Preach” and "Like a
Prayer“ were of
How have
Madonnas videos
changed over time?
What is her brand
identity?

Q. Do you think these images below are encourgaing positive represen? WHY?

 Broadcasters must ensure that material which may
cause offence is justified by the context. Broadcasters
must be careful when representing: offensive
language, violence, sex, sexual violence, humiliation,
distress, violation of human dignity, discriminatory
treatment or language ( for example on the grounds of
age, disability, gender, race, religion, beliefs and sexual
orientation).
 To ensure that material likely to encourage or incite the
commission of crime or to lead to disorder must not be
included in TV or Radio services.

What do you think
music videos will be
like in the future?

This is a media theory developed in
the 1920s and 1930s after
researchers observed the effect of
propaganda during World War I.
Suggests the media injects its
opinions, images and
perspectives directly into the
minds of the audience who
Media messages are injected
straight into a passive audience
which is immediately influenced
by the message. The receiver or
audience is powerless to resist the

Michael Argyle’s ten body codes are particularly useful to
consider with the representation of women:
Direct bodily contact
The proximity of one character to another (or proxemics)
The orientation of one to another (i.e. the extent to which
characters stand with their bodies turned towards or away
from each other)
General appearance of individuals (e.g. Tall and thin, or
short and fat)
Head movements (e.g. nodding or shaking of the head)
Facial expressions
Gestures (or Kinesics)
Body posture
Eye movement or contact
Aspects of speech, such as pitch, tone, stress, accent,
volume, speech errors (all of which are termed paralinguistic
codes)

 Diversion / entertainment; the need to escape from everyday life
and relax.
 Personal relationships / integration & social interaction; to fulfil
their needs of companionship by using media to form
relationships with others possibly becoming part of a social group.
 Personal identity; using media to find out about yourself by
relating to models of behaviour e.g. a featured individual who in
some ways relate to you.
 Surveillance / information; using the media to find out what is
happening in different parts of the world in countries, towns or
cities or specifically to an individual.
What people do with media.
Members of the audience are not passive but
take an active role in interpreting and
What people do with media.
Members of the audience are not passive but
take an active role in interpreting and
Appl
y
B&K
to
Mags
Appl
y
B&K
to
Mags

Task: Read back through your essay and my
comments.
Swap with someone and read theirs.

 Some of your are forgetting this topic is called
‘Collective Identity’. You need to outline what this (using
a key theorist) and expalin the social implications of
women's identity.
 Make sure you are contextualising your answer with key
moments in the women's rights movement.
 Use a range of examples from the past and present.
 Make sure you are using appropriate terminology.
Key Words:
Patriarchy, Hegemonic, Objectification, Ideology, Stereotype,
Connotations, Denotation, Representation, Misogyny, Overt Sexualisation,
(Reversed) Gender Roles, Phallic, Tabloid/Glossy, Masculinity/Femininity,
Spectacle, Stardom, Symbolism, Reinforce, Brand Identity, Digitlisation,
Hybrid

space,
between a number of
of the Other to oneself" (Hall143
PERSONAL
CULTURAL
SOCIAL
ACONSTRUCT
4).
evolving images
1996, 59).

 Andrew Goodwin: The purpose of a music video is to allow the artist to
promote themselves and advertise and market their music in a visual
style.Intertextuality, Sound and Vision, Notions of looking, Genre.
 Richard Dyers Star Theory: A star is an image not a real person that is
constructed out of a range of materials.
 Argyle’s ten body codes
 Uses and Gratification theory: Bulmer & Katz
 Hypodermic Needle Theory
 Janice Winship: felt a ‘simultaneous attraction and rejection’ towards
women’s magazines; on the one hand finding pleasure their escapist
quality and recognising their mass popularity, but on the other, feeling
a strong sense that to be a feminist, one must reject the construction
of womanhood put forward by most popular women’s magazines.

 Eleanor Mills: the editorial director of the
Sunday Times, has underlined her
opposition to The Sun's Page 3. " I think
Page 3 feels quite regressive. I think it feels
very kind of 70s. It is not good when you're
raising girls and they see women being
objectified in that way. And we're going to be
doing a lot in Women in Journalism to stop a
bit of that..”

Print
Womens Rights i.e.
sexual revolution.
Page 3 in newspapers
Music Video
Alternative artists may
feature shocking or
transgressive imagery
and messages in their
videos in order to appear
anti-establishment. Eg.
Lady Gaga is almost
unsexualised.

PRINT
 The Lady
 Cosmopolitan
 Vogue
 Heat
 Stylist
 Marie Claire
 New
 Lena Dunham
 Polly Toynbee
MUSIC VIDEO
 Madonna
 Lady Gaga
 Robin Thicke
 Eminem
 Rhianna

“Media representations are complex, not
simple and straightforward”. How far do you
agree with this statement in relation to any
one group of people that you have studied?
You have 1 hour

 Film fascinates us (engages our emotions), through
images and spectacle
 Mulvey uses psychoanalysis ‘to discover where and
how the fascination of film is reinforced by pre-
existing patterns of fascination already at work
within the individual subject’ (= spectator)
 She says she is using psychoanalytic theory ‘as a
political weapon’

 Hollywood/mainstream/narrative cinema
manipulates visual pleasure.
 It ‘codes the erotic into the language of the
dominant patriarchal order’.

 Scopophilia = pleasure in looking (Sigmund Freud
1905, in ‘Three Essays’)
 examples of the private and curious gaze: children’s
voyeurism, cinematic looking
 the most pleasurable looking = looking at the
human form and the human face, figural looking
(corresponds to psychic patterns)

 pleasure in looking split between active/male
and passive/female
 women connote ‘to-be-looked-at-ness’
 the visual presence of women ‘works against
the development of a story-line, freezes the
flow of action in moments of erotic
contemplation’

 The woman functions as both erotic object for the
characters within the screen story and erotic object
for the spectator within the auditorium (object of
fantasy)
 The spectator is led to identify with the main male
protagonist
 ‘the power of the male protagonist as he controls
events coincides with the active power of the erotic
look’

 The image of the woman also carries a threat
 There are two avenues of escape from fear of
femininity for the male spectator:
 investigate the woman, demystify her mystery
 disavow (deny) castration by turning the woman into a
reassuring fetish. The image of the woman > overvalued:
this is the cult of the (beautiful) female star, e.g. Jeanne
Moreau for nouvelle vague

 Scopophilia is the force driving the
movements and positioning of the camera
 the gaze is male, and the spectator is led to
identify with this male gaze
 the cinematic apparatus is not gender-
neutral (in later readings, camera can also
register differences of sexuality)

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