Britain Represented in the Media

The media uses many types of theories of representation to portray an image or various images of Britain depending on the people in a certain area or the area of Britain itself.

For example many reality TV shows in the past few years have given people stereotypical views of certain parts of the country through stereotypes. Two contrasting equally popular reality shows are Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex; both shows portray the so called normal lives of a group of young people living in different areas not far from each other but they live completely different lifestyles, Made in Chelsea shows the more elite younger generation living in the posh London borough of Chelsea, Kensington - even though the characters in the show are being filmed living their actual lives they are portrayed in a stereotypical way. Each character has their own individual style and identity but do all wear designer clothes, very put together and speak with a formal accent. Their behaviour is always quite exaggerated and they are often over emotional or very cold towards others. The same can be said for the reality show 'The Only Way is Essex' although Brentwood in Essex is not that far from London the characters are complete opposites and the stereotype of 'Essex girls' are enforced often to an extreme- the characters are never seen without the typical fake tan, face full of make-up and often work in boutiques, hair salons or fashion and modelling. The same can be said for the 'Essex boys' who are all muscular, fit and own clubs or restaurants. These reality shows have provided various stereotypes as over recent years they have become more popular now covering certain parts of Britain including Wales, Newcastle and most recently Cheshire. Although audiences find the reality shows very amusing they tend to give people negative views through the certain stereotypical portrayal, if not decoders that do not enjoy the shows can find the characters irritating, comedic (through their pathetic behaviour). As well as this the certain stereotypes can effect peoples outlook on the place the show is set or just on Britain itself.




This print based advert is a typical representation of Britain by the Visit Britain, I think this advert is using the Reflexive approach because the image is a simple, natural image of the British countryside and is using nothing but an image depicting a reflection of the real countryside of Britain- truly reinforcing the idea of what you get.
The photographs itself depicts the traditionally rural image of Britain that is always very enchanting and almost fairytale like. The natural beauty of the clearing with the overgrown flowers and trees connote a rural image of Britain. The use of the rule of thirds gives a focus on the open gate which makes the target audience feel an urge to come and explore Britain.
The main cover line acts an anchorage for the main image being 'Countryside Is Great' which again emphasises the idea of Britain's countryside as the vocal point of the image. The other cover lines include the word 'Britain' which comes directly under 'Great', the contrast in size suggest a patriotic love of Britain showing that Britain is loved by those who liver their because it's fantastic. The other cover line is the phrase 'Discover the untouched beauty of Britain's ancient woodlands' the use of the words 'untouched' and 'ancient' could be used to emphasise the historical elements of Britain's history and suggest that's the things that can be explored across Britain.

I think this music video from One Direction is a very typical representation of the prim and proper British boy in the country, I think mediation is used in this music video because it picks certain elements through the use of selection, the audience are made to see a portrayal of the rural British country, the music video shows grand, historic looking buildings, classic steam engines and timeless cars. All depicting the best traits of the laid back, natural wonders of the British countryside. As well as this the audience are shown the image of the five band members who are portrayed as the stereotypical idea of a perfect British boy. The organisation and construction of the video shows the audience CU shots of the boys faces to make identification with the audience who would most likely be young teenage girls- this would most definitely heighten their emotions as they would feel they had an emotional connection with the band. Even though the rural backdrop was stunning it was also a clever construction, because the image is so simple the focus will be on the boys which would attract the target audience.