MEST3 Exam: February 2016

Friday 12 February 2016

Sunday 7 February 2016

New and Digital Media Stories: Week 19

Article from The Guardian
The article outlines News Corp's announcement of cutting costs in Australian and British newspapers due to a second quarter performance from its digital real estate business failed to offset lower advertising recenue from the news division. The total revenue at Rupert Murdoch's media giant fell for a fourth straight quarter and the cheif executive Robert Thomson said that the group aim to save money across its masthead titles, which include Australian, The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun.

Key Quotes/Stats include:

"Revenue from news in the three months to 31 December fell 8.1% to US$1.4bn (A$1.95bn), compared with US$1.52bn in the corresponding period last year."

"News declined as a proportion of revenue from 67.4% to 64.8%."

In my opinion, I think this is a prime example of the news decline within the print industry as audiences are neglecting print through the rise in new technological developments that are gradually becoming the dominant medium of consumption.

Article from The Guardian
The article questions the extreme popularity that subsides YouTube stars whilst highlighting some of the most successful ones such as British vlogger Zoella and PewDiePie who has reached 42million subscribers. In October 2015, one video tracking firm Tubular Labs reported that there were "more than 17,000 YouTuve channels with more than 100,000 and nearly 1,500 more than 1m", showing the extreme popularity that is on YouTube. It's also worth noting that YouTuber's are not only just story tellers through film, but are growingly becoming opinion leaders and figures that audiences look up too.

In my opinion, I think that it great that normal people have been able to utilise the technological developments that the internet has provided such as YouTube as it has benefited individuals greatly in terms of both consumption and production as some are able to create businesses out of their passion to film and vlog.

Identities and Film: blog task

"The media we choose to watch says a lot about us as people – it helps to construct our identity."

1) Read Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film.

2) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.

1. I am Indera
2. I am a visual artist
3. I am a human
4. I am mixed race
5. I am 18
6. I am happy
7. I am tired
8. I am a Sagittarius
9. I am into star signs
10. I am not interested in sport
11. I am running out of things to say
12. I am 5 ft something
13. I am a movie buff
14. I am not a Twitter user
15. I am one that enjoys my own company
16. I am an art student
17. I am not mathematical
18. I am an only child
19. I am an adventurous person
20. I am an extrovert according to my personality test

In regards to my identity - I think that one would view my answers as descriptive and visual, outlining my character - the things I do and don't like, with little describing my aesthetic.

3) Classify your answers into the categories listed on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

Social Groups -
2. I am a visual artist

3. I am a human

4. I am mixed race

5. I am 18

Ideological Beliefs -
9. I am into star signs
Interests -

6. I am happy

7. I am tired

8. I am a Sagittarius

10. I am not interested in sport

13. I am a movie buff

14. I am not a Twitter user

15. I am one that enjoys my own company

16. I am an art student

17. I am not mathematical

18. I am an only child

19. I am an adventurous person

20. I am an extrovert according to my personality test

4) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?

My favourite film is 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) - It is an independent film and is hyperealistic with comic book animations appearing over the 70's setting narrative. The film reflects my quirky identity through my extreme interest in the non-mainstream text. Also, the design and cinematic qualities that ultimately engage my overall love of the text, reflect my artistic identity. The protagonist is one that I don't reflect directly with in terms of narrative, but her creative interest is one that I can see element of myself to be similar too as she has similar attitudes revolved around freedom to me.

5) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film. How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations?

Wilde (1997, dir. Brian Gilbert)

LGBT identities are constucted within the trailer for 'Wilde' as something that should be forbidden - a social mockery, which was accentuated through the laughter which subsided the medium long shot of the narrator introducing "This is Oscar Wilde". This 'laughter' initially is unclear, as there was nothing comical occurring, however, the laughter is repeated in an additional part of the trailer, highlighting the laughter to be associated with him. Also, the hair style that drapes upon the protagonist's hair is unusual and different to the other characters, so it was clearly not a fashion statement for the time, and it instead exaggerates LGBT in contrast with the other heterosexual cast.

Philadelphia (1993, dir. Jonathan Demme)

The trailer presents homosexuals, through the character that has aids, played by Tom Hanks, as worse than black people - through the black lawyer, who was initially reluctant to even take on his care. In regards to the social hierarchy, the represenation within the trailer illustrates LGBT as an identity that is towards the bottom of the social system and one that audiences should fear, as they are more prone to disease (narrative circulating around aids).

The Wedding Banquet (1993, dir. Ang Lee)

The trailer presents LGBT as something that within different cultures is something that should be hidden and a lie that subsides some people, shown through the protagonist who ends up marrying a women, when his heart is really with a male. The scene directly after the two males in bed, captures the chinese cast running out a door in fear, screaming - highlighting the social fear placed upon homosexuals and passively injecting into audiences that LGBT is hidden upon us and is something that we should worry.

The Kids are Alright (2010, dir. Lisa Cholodenko)

The presentation of LGBT is arguably more liberal through the vibrant American aesthetic presenting the beautiful California lifestyle, parallel to the narrator stating "Two Kids.. Two Mums", echoing a sense of mundane and normality associated with it. However, LGBT and 'lesbians' specifically are arguably sexualised, through the male character stating "I love lesbians", which not only objectifies them as a concept, as it too detracts all sense of their humanity and character as it instead merely labels the couple as "lesbians". In particular, one of the two females (in the relationship) has a stereotypical butch appearance, in contrast with the other who appears to be more girly, which highlights the stereotypical LGBT convention that one of the lesbians is more manly than the other - which isn't factual and is dominant imagery that is conveyed to an audience. And specifically, the final part of the trailer concludes with a medium close up of one of the women, pulling down a males trousers and gasping "Oh hello!", implying the idea that lesbians are missing out on something, when not with men.

Pride (2014, dir. Matthew Warchus)

The dominant representation within the text is the fact that gay and lesbians are marginalised and sepereated from the norms that exist within society, and as they enter the village, one must be aware that "the gays are here", resonating old fashioned alien-like imagery. There is a strong moral panic and deviancy associated with homosexuality and subsequently is something that is detested within society - in terms of the films narrative - as shown through the medium long shot of a can smashing the glass shop that had a group of homosexuals standing inside of.

Media and collective identity - Collective identity: blog task

Collective identity: theories

"Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity."

Marxism and the Frankfurt School

Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.

This links to the Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists who viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people. (hypodermic needle model)

Example: Apple branding

Apple’s branding suggests individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it is a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.

Daniel Chandler: CAGE

Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity.

Does this still apply in the 21st century? Do we construct our own identities along these lines? Think about your presence on social media.

Stuart Hall: media construction

Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back.

Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.

Constructing our own identities

New technology has changed the way we see ourselves and others. Through social media we can construct identities for ourselves.

Example: Facebook

How did you choose your profile pic?
What do you ‘like’?
What groups have you joined?
How many friends do you have?

Shared identity online

New technology has also created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity.

Think about the work we have already done on feminism and online activism.

Collective identity in the 21st Century

So, collective identity doesn’t just refer to representations in mainstream media.

It also refers to self-constructed identity by users of social media and communities formed online of shared identity (e.g. Feminism).

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Self Image is a process that undergoes a subconscious process of how we want to be seen, who we think we are and how we want to be. Individualism hasn't always been at the forefront, originally we would he identified by the according factors: race, ethnicity, social class, gender, religion and predetermined roles, however, this is now changing. This evolution has occurred through the means of advertising and the process of consuming products, becoming a more intimate and personal experience - as it was not just about buying for consumption, as it instead included the idea of our underpinning desires and wants that can add to our overall 'self' and 'ID' (Sigmund Freud). The notion of the individualism peaked in the 1960's and 70's and was the time where people wanted to become 'individuals', so expressed 'uniqueness' and something 'different' about themselves, to then stand independently - the 'individualist' was presented through their consumption. Branding is vital in engaging personality, as advertisers would refrain from selling just the product and instead sell a 'personality' and 'lifestyle' to engage and captivate individuals personal interests and desires. The product itself is devalued and instead it's the consumers individualism is heightened - however, this is not the case - as infact, he overall media giant and producer is thus dictating the 'self-image' that the consumer embodies. The internet has provided us with a greater sense of 'public image', such as avatars, that allow audiences to control their 'image', on social networking sites to others.

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Having read the article, I am not majorly 'happy' to be associated with any brand specifically as I don't enjoy being categorised with a false sense of 'individuality' that is ultimately dictated by ruling figures. However - some brands that I like and don't mind being associated with include:

Marks and Spencers - I enjoy buying food from M&S and I am attracted to the quality of the products. I feel as though my identity is reflected in terms of my enjoyment of high quality food.
Lush - Their products don't test on animals and I am for animal rights.
Zara - I like their simplistic European style and this reflects my interest in wearing plain attire.
Apple - I am unfortunately an avid consumer of apple products, which sadly creates my identity as mainstream and possibly a social conformer.
Tiger - The products that I have consumed from Tiger reflect my personal joy for quirky and unusual products.

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

'Style over substance' refers to consumers caring more about the image, as oppose to actual substance itself. I am in full agreement with this idea as it is clear that since the 1970's peak in advertisement and 'brand' identity, individuals have become obsessed with consuming products that will ultimately sell their personal vision of their desired self-image. This has subsequently led to consumers detracting their interest from substance and the quality of what they are consuming, as that won't help aid and visually relay their "self-image".

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

Baudrillard's 'Media Saturation' refers to the world that we live in which is consumed with the mdeia and adverisement messages through TV, new and digital media, radio stations and street billboards. Baudrillard argues that the consequences of this are profound and suggests that the 'codes' generated by the agencies of signifcantion become our rules for organising our lives. He further suggest that these 'codes' are so powerful that we lose the ability to distinguish reality, such as the real values of commodity and its image. Thus, for Baudrillard, the simulacrum of self-image, is something we are no longer able to distinguish in reality as it is a mere blur between the two.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

It is known for savvy internet consumers to put up heightened and exaggerated reflections of their real self's online, as the 'e-world' is ultimately a mere construction of reality and therefore audiences feel as though they are able to embark on a new self-image. Personally, I don't have many social networking sites, but on the ones that I do have, I am very particular about what I convey to others, as in, I refrain from providing excessive information about my true 'self' and on Instagram for instance, the selected images that I chose to display are 1/10 of who I as a character, am.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

Data Mining is a technical development that allows corporations to create products designed me to meet the needs we reveal in our personal information. I am in agreement of this as I think that ultimately if one is a consumer of the internet and chooses to create an online personality across their social networking sites, it is a perfect opportunity for advertisers and market researchers to establish the mild elements of the identity that you portray online, and then provide you with products that serve for your interest. One must be aware that everything that they chose to put on the internet, is an e-footprint that will last forever and can not be erased, therefore, it is not an invasion of privacy, as all data that one produces online, is a mere ticket of invitation for others online to participate with you - whether that is social interactivity or in fact, marketing and sales.

New and Digital Media Stories: Week 18

Article from The Guardian

The article highlights the growing success of YouTube star 'Zoella' as she reaches 10 million subscribers on the new and digital technological development, YouTube. Her success has not only lead to her getting a verification tick on Twitter, but it has also provided her with the opportunity of writing a book and becoming an author.

In my opinion, I think that it is note worthy to see the benefits provided by new and digital technological entrepreneurs as it can really lead to positive opportunities and global success. This is a prime example of the advancements that the internet and digital media has in regards to career chances and financial stability (becoming a Youtube partner).

Article from The Guardian

The article outlines the social networking site, Twitter's recent downfall as their US users fall by "a third in two years".

Key Quotes include:

"Twitter’s American user base may have fallen by a third over the past two years, according to figures from third-party analytics firm 7Park Data."

"7Park says that Twitter’s second social network, Vine, has also suffered falls, declining to less than three-fifths of its April 2014 install base."

"In that month, Twitter was installed on 36.1% of US mobile devices, according to 7Park, while Vine was installed on 5%. Today, that has fallen to 25% and 2.9% respectively."

"The company’s weekly active users, the number who open the app each week, has fallen too, from 15% to 10.5% for Twitter and 1.7% to 0.8% for Vine.".

"Twitter itself reports that 80% of its active users are on mobile, which suggests the mobile decline could be broadly representative of the company’s overall usage. It also, however, says that 79% of its accounts are outside the US."

In my opinion, I think that due to the vast amount of developments that audiences are constantly being presented with, it is inevitable for audiences to eventually neglect their original means of communication and social interactivity and move to a new one, which is better and more appealing. Social networking sites 'MySpace' and 'Bebo' are prime examples of this, as they hit their peak and unfortunately now - are extinct. However, 'Twitter' is exceptionally popular, thus hopefully will regain users and remain in it's thrown.

Identities and the Media: Feminism

Media Magazine reading

1) Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).

2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

The two texts that are the focus of the article include: Pan Am, which included Destiny Child's "Independent Women". Alongside, "Why Don't You Love Me", by Beyonce.

3) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

Pan Am - The introduction to the character 'Laura', was one that was "be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men."
- The opening scene follows the females having their weight checked, highlighting the conciousness women must have in regards to their appearance to visually satisfy men.
- The female's overall attire is very 'done up' - glorious make-up, hair styles, prim and proper uniforms, leading to the stares of males

Beyonce "Why Don't You Love Me" - Exaggerated make-up and several costume changes, mirrors the extents of perfection that women want to express to then be gazed at and visually enjoyed.

- The costume specifcally include high waisted knickers and overly sexualised attire, despite her attempt to parodise the 1940/50s female housewife lifestyle.

-Even when completing the domestic chores, her body stance and gaze at the camera, invites an audience to willing objectify and watch her.

4) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

I think that these texts are simply sexism in a different way, as both were created in the climate of social change - where women have stabilised rights for more than a decade and have managed to adjust in some aspects of the patriarchal dominant society that exists. Thus, the producers of both texts are aware of what is sexist and not - however, they have masked behind the 1950's lifestyle and are, in Pan Am's case reminiscing the gender norms and how females were presented, alongside Beyonce's music video, capturing her parody of the 1950's housewife. Neither one presents females in the 21st century and how they are currently captured within society and the media, this could imply that their representation has therefore not changed and dominantly exists, as it did then.

5) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.
Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.
Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies.

No More Page 3

1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?

The campaign was started by Lucy-Anne Holmes in August 2012 and it reached 215,000 signatures by January 2015. No More Page 3' is a video presenting the most prominent division within the media - the representation of men and women. This is illustrated through the experiment of cutting out images from the newspaper 'The Sun', of the two genders. The researchers then stick all of the images of women onto 1 mood board, and do the same for the men. From this, the opposing representations is clearly portrayed - women are sex objects and men are successful sports men. A prime example of the sexual representation of women is through 'Page 3' where women are posing half naked for male satisfaction. Whereas men are seen to be scoring goals and doing well within the world of business.

2) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

Barbara Ellen expresses views in favour of the campaign, whereas Susan Boniface finds the overall idea as a joke and is unafraid to mock it.

KQ: "FSF I have titties, whammers, bazookas, fun bags, lady lumps, breasts, boobs or anything else you might want to call them. That’s the thing – boobs mean different things to different people, and the campaign for No More Page 3 is sort of insisting they must all mean the same to all of us – some sort of sacrosanct gland we may only expose when feeding, as through we were glossy, middle-class milkers. I think that’s futile, never mind silly, or dare I say it, offensive."

In contrast with - BE - "I respectfully disagree. The campaign against Page 3 should not be abandoned"

3) How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

This can be linked to the idea of post-feminism, as it still seems that there is a strong amount of objectification placed upon women, and they are merely idealised to be visually appreciated and gazed at by men. Page 3 primarily serves as pornography that features in a newspaper and can be easily accessed by many; easily. The overall idea of a women being exposed in such a way and several females and possibly males too, campaigning against this, highlights and indicates the fact that gender equality hasn't reached its peak as there is still a dominant marginalisation occurring within women's rights and their social values.

4) What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign. Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?

I am torn between the two - ultimately several female celebrities, the ones who in fact feature on Page 3, willingly enjoy exposing their assets for a living - therefore, they actively allow their bodies to be gazed at, therefore it is hard to argue against the page existing, because if it didn't - would it make much of a difference, as there are still magazines such as Zoo, that cater a vast number of pages that are of a similar nature. Alongside this, new and digital technologies, such as phone apps and internet sites, capture similar imagery, thus by diminishing page 3, on the grand scheme of things, it won't make that much of a difference. However, it is fair to say, that removing the page and campaigning against it's existence, will create awareness towards the lack of gender equality that profoundly remains in the current social climate.

5) Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

I think that there is certainly still a need for feminism, as there should be for race, ethnicity and disabilities too, because despite there being mild social developments, there is still an underpinning divide in regards to gender representation and opportunities. In regards to the 'No More Page 3' campaign, it is not as though there are males plastered on a page exposing their genitalia and bodies, therefore it shouldn't be acceptable that women are portrayed in an overly sexualised way instead.

Identities: Feminist theory and blog task

Feminist theory: key notes

Judith Butler: gender roles

Butler believes traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ and says gender is not biologically fixed.

By dividing men and women, feminists accidently reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders

Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology.

Butler and the media

If gender is a ‘performance’ rather than biological, we then need to think about what is influencing that ‘performance’.

And that’s where the media comes in. How might the media influence our behaviour in terms of gender roles?

Angela McRobbie: empowering women

McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s.

McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists.

This idea of ‘popular feminism’ fits into the idea of post-feminism and challenges the radical feminism of the 1970s.

Feminism: blog task

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

In terms of gender as a performance, the initial medium long shots, capturing the female protagonist and music artist, Beyonce, are ones presenting her completing domesticated house work, parallel to the non-diagetic sound of 1950's music, that would stereotypically be associated with house wives. In particular, the shots that follow include her wearing provocative two piece outfits, exposing her flesh and sexuality to an audience - this not only objectifies her body but it also indicates the performance subsiding femininity is often a sexual one - an idealised women for the gaze of males (Mulvey).

2) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women?

McRobbie may in fact argue that Beyonce is empowering women and femininity through her attire, such as high heels. The stills capturing the singer completing domestic tasks, also show her wearing extremely high heels and looking glamorous - thus, McRobbie may argue that despite the women conforming to the stereotypes labelled upon them (housewives), they however hold themselves with glamour and take pride in their aesthetic to empower femininity.

3) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

In my opinion, I feel as though Beyonce's music is generally targeted to females, thus they will be the dominant consumers of her work and the ones that would watch the video. Therefore, it is hard to dispute the fact that Beyonce is arguably glamorising (McRobbie) femininity through courageous and daring outfits. But I however don't think that this is empowering to women, as her audience are subsequently passively injected (hypodermic needle model) with a 'performance' (Butler), in terms of ideals, that they visually too should embark. I think that the male gaze (Mulvey), can be applied in terms of females gazing at the singer and learning how to take on a similar appeal and sexuality.

MEST3 Exam