Showing posts with label Amanda Bousfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amanda Bousfield. Show all posts
Moral Panics: Research Log D
_______________
1) "The term moral panic has been widely adopted both by the mass media and in everyday usage to refer to the exaggerated social reaction caused by the activities of particular groups and/or individuals." - p1
2) "The term has been regularly used in the media to refer to all sorts of anti-social and/or criminal behaviours" - p2
3) "Moral Panic refers to an exaggerated reaction" - p2
4) "Led to an increase in general anxiety and concern about those activities" - p2
5) "Societies appear to be subject, every now and then, to periods of moral panic. A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests" - p2
6) "Sometimes the panic passes over and is forgotten, except in folk-lore and collective memory... long-lasting repercussions and might produce such changes as those in legal and social policy or even in the way society conceives itself" - p3
7) Their very reporting of certain 'facts' can be sufficient to generate concern, anxiety, indignation or panic" - p3
8) "The media can play on the concerns of the public and can create social problems quite suddenly and dramatically" - p4
9) "Five defining features of moral panics:
1. Moral Panics occur when the media turn a reasonably ordinary event and present it as extraordinary;
2. The media, in particular, set in motion a deviance amplification spiral, through which the subjects of the panic are viewed as a source of moral decline and social disintegration;
3. Moral panics clarify the moral boundaries of the society in which they occur;
4. Moral panics occur during periods of rapid social change and anxiety;
5. Young people are the usual target of moral panics, their behaviour is regarded as a barometer to test the health or sickness of as society" - p4
10) "Moral panics define moral boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour" - p5
11) "There is an assumption that the rapid pace of social change in recent decades leads to more frequent moral panics" - p5
12) "Moral panics can promote social control through providing a focus for mobilizing fear" - p5
1) "The term moral panic has been widely adopted both by the mass media and in everyday usage to refer to the exaggerated social reaction caused by the activities of particular groups and/or individuals." - p1
2) "The term has been regularly used in the media to refer to all sorts of anti-social and/or criminal behaviours" - p2
3) "Moral Panic refers to an exaggerated reaction" - p2
4) "Led to an increase in general anxiety and concern about those activities" - p2
5) "Societies appear to be subject, every now and then, to periods of moral panic. A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests" - p2
6) "Sometimes the panic passes over and is forgotten, except in folk-lore and collective memory... long-lasting repercussions and might produce such changes as those in legal and social policy or even in the way society conceives itself" - p3
7) Their very reporting of certain 'facts' can be sufficient to generate concern, anxiety, indignation or panic" - p3
8) "The media can play on the concerns of the public and can create social problems quite suddenly and dramatically" - p4
9) "Five defining features of moral panics:
1. Moral Panics occur when the media turn a reasonably ordinary event and present it as extraordinary;
2. The media, in particular, set in motion a deviance amplification spiral, through which the subjects of the panic are viewed as a source of moral decline and social disintegration;
3. Moral panics clarify the moral boundaries of the society in which they occur;
4. Moral panics occur during periods of rapid social change and anxiety;
5. Young people are the usual target of moral panics, their behaviour is regarded as a barometer to test the health or sickness of as society" - p4
10) "Moral panics define moral boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour" - p5
11) "There is an assumption that the rapid pace of social change in recent decades leads to more frequent moral panics" - p5
12) "Moral panics can promote social control through providing a focus for mobilizing fear" - p5
_____________________
1) "Newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger resulting from moral laxity, and television programmes echo the theme with sensational documentaries" - p1
2) "Almost anything can spark off a panic" - p2
8) "We have reintroduced the possibility of regarding moral panics as symptomatic of developments that are of wider significance, rather than viewing them simply as unrelated episodes of collective behaviour" - p140
9) "There have been cultural changes - increased 'multiculturalism' in the broadest sense, fragmentation of cultures, and conflicts over identity, lifestyles and morals" - p140
10) "Moral Panics are often symptoms of tensions and struggles over changes in cultural and moral regulation" - p142
1) "Newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger resulting from moral laxity, and television programmes echo the theme with sensational documentaries" - p1
2) "Almost anything can spark off a panic" - p2
3) "Contemporary panics seem to catch many more people in their net" - p2
4) "This suggests a number of points relevant to understanding the phenomenon of moral panics. The first is that they take the form of campaigns (crusades), which are sustained over a period, however short or long. Second, they appeal to people who are alarmed by an apparent fragmentation or breakdown of the social order" - p3
5) "Moral guidelines are unclear" - p3
6) "Our moral repertoire has expanded enormously" - p5
4) "This suggests a number of points relevant to understanding the phenomenon of moral panics. The first is that they take the form of campaigns (crusades), which are sustained over a period, however short or long. Second, they appeal to people who are alarmed by an apparent fragmentation or breakdown of the social order" - p3
5) "Moral guidelines are unclear" - p3
6) "Our moral repertoire has expanded enormously" - p5
7) "It seems that politicians on the left as well as the right of the political spectrum have been prepared to play on the fears of the majority" - p6
9) "There have been cultural changes - increased 'multiculturalism' in the broadest sense, fragmentation of cultures, and conflicts over identity, lifestyles and morals" - p140
10) "Moral Panics are often symptoms of tensions and struggles over changes in cultural and moral regulation" - p142
11)"Earlier Panics tended to be focused on a single group" - P2
12)"They seem to be increasingly frequent in modern societies" -p2
13) "The language of Moral Panic is not new. It is a complaint that has rung out down the ages" -p3
Moral Panics: Research Log C
Moral Panics
Kenneth Thompson
Published: 1998
1) "Newspaper deadlines continually warn of some new danger resulting in moral laxity" - p1
2) "moral panics are nothing new" - p1
3) "Almost anything can spark off a panic" - p2
4) "Contemporary panics seem to catch many ore people in their net" - p2
5) "seem to call into question the very institution of the family" - p2
6) "Britain is not alone in having moral panics they seem to be increasingly frequent in modern societies as we approach the millennium" - p2
7) "points relevant to understanding the phenomenon of moral panics. Th first is that they take the form of campaigns (crusades), which are sustained over a period, however short or long. Second, they appeal to people who are alarmed by an apparent fragmentation or breakdown of the social order" - p3
8) "moral guidelines are unclear" - p3
9) "Our moral repertoire has expanded enormously" - p5
10) "particular episodes of moral panic that this dichotomy of two spheres of moral discourse is too simplistic and does not take account of the ways in which the discourses of popular culture politics and professional agencies are often combined in the spiral that creates a moral panic" - p5
11) "There have been cultural changes - increased 'multiculturalism' in the broadest sense, fragmentation of cultures, and conflicts over identity, lifestyles and morals" - p140
12) "Moral panics are often symptoms of tensions and struggles over changes in cultural and moral regulation" - p142
1) "Newspaper deadlines continually warn of some new danger resulting in moral laxity" - p1
2) "moral panics are nothing new" - p1
3) "Almost anything can spark off a panic" - p2
4) "Contemporary panics seem to catch many ore people in their net" - p2
5) "seem to call into question the very institution of the family" - p2
6) "Britain is not alone in having moral panics they seem to be increasingly frequent in modern societies as we approach the millennium" - p2
7) "points relevant to understanding the phenomenon of moral panics. Th first is that they take the form of campaigns (crusades), which are sustained over a period, however short or long. Second, they appeal to people who are alarmed by an apparent fragmentation or breakdown of the social order" - p3
8) "moral guidelines are unclear" - p3
9) "Our moral repertoire has expanded enormously" - p5
10) "particular episodes of moral panic that this dichotomy of two spheres of moral discourse is too simplistic and does not take account of the ways in which the discourses of popular culture politics and professional agencies are often combined in the spiral that creates a moral panic" - p5
11) "There have been cultural changes - increased 'multiculturalism' in the broadest sense, fragmentation of cultures, and conflicts over identity, lifestyles and morals" - p140
12) "Moral panics are often symptoms of tensions and struggles over changes in cultural and moral regulation" - p142
Moral Panics: Research Log B
'Why I don't believe people who say they loathe Islam but not Muslims'
-Andrew Brown, The Guardian
1) "It's psychologically unnatural to claim that you hate an ideology without hating the people in whose lives it is expressed"
In today's society many people would be more than willing to admit they hate the Islamic belief system and ideologies especially due to how long this idea has been around. However, it would be much harder and more unlikely for people to admit their hatred to those who actually follow the Islamic religion. It is much more likely for people to hate the misrepresentation of Islam as opposed to actual Muslims.
2) "50 or 60 years ago racial prejudice was an entirely natural part of English life. In order to change that, it was necessary to mark it as a uniquely dreadful and disfiguring condition: racism became a kind of moral leprosy."
-Andrew Brown, The Guardian
1) "It's psychologically unnatural to claim that you hate an ideology without hating the people in whose lives it is expressed"
In today's society many people would be more than willing to admit they hate the Islamic belief system and ideologies especially due to how long this idea has been around. However, it would be much harder and more unlikely for people to admit their hatred to those who actually follow the Islamic religion. It is much more likely for people to hate the misrepresentation of Islam as opposed to actual Muslims.
2) "50 or 60 years ago racial prejudice was an entirely natural part of English life. In order to change that, it was necessary to mark it as a uniquely dreadful and disfiguring condition: racism became a kind of moral leprosy."
Moral Panics: Research Log A
The Role of Stereotypes
Richard Dyer
Published: 1999
AN ORDERING PROCESS
"stereotypes as a form of 'ordering' the mass of complex and inchoate data that we receive from the world are only particular form -- to do with the representation and categorization of persons"
"part of the way societies make sense of themselves"
"not only is any given society's given ordering of reality an historical product but it is also necessarily implicated in the power relations in that society -- as Berger as Luckman put it, 'he who has the bigger stick has the better chance of imposing his definitions of reality'"
"it is also implicated in the power relations in that society -- as Berger and Luckmann put it, 'he who has the bigger stick has the better chance of imposing his definition of reality' (1967: 127)"
This is powerful as Christianity is known to be the most practiced religion globally therefore it is much easier to make the Islamic faith a moral panic as the beliefs are different and Christianity "hold the bigger stick".
A SHORT CUT
"easily-grasped form of representation but none the less capable of condensing a great deal of complex information and a host of connotations"
REFERENCE
"The type is any character constructed through the use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits, which do not change or 'develop' through the course of the narrative and which point to general, recurrent features of the human world"
Part of the Islamic moral panic is specific clothing Muslims wear due to their belief system however due to historic events they have negative associations and representations.
"The type is any character constructed through the use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits, which do not change or 'develop' through the course of the narrative and which point to general, recurrent features of the human world"
Part of the Islamic moral panic is specific clothing Muslims wear due to their belief system however due to historic events they have negative associations and representations.
Richard Dyer
Published: 1999
AN ORDERING PROCESS
"stereotypes as a form of 'ordering' the mass of complex and inchoate data that we receive from the world are only particular form -- to do with the representation and categorization of persons"
"part of the way societies make sense of themselves"
"not only is any given society's given ordering of reality an historical product but it is also necessarily implicated in the power relations in that society -- as Berger as Luckman put it, 'he who has the bigger stick has the better chance of imposing his definitions of reality'"
"it is also implicated in the power relations in that society -- as Berger and Luckmann put it, 'he who has the bigger stick has the better chance of imposing his definition of reality' (1967: 127)"
This is powerful as Christianity is known to be the most practiced religion globally therefore it is much easier to make the Islamic faith a moral panic as the beliefs are different and Christianity "hold the bigger stick".
A SHORT CUT
"easily-grasped form of representation but none the less capable of condensing a great deal of complex information and a host of connotations"
REFERENCE
"The type is any character constructed through the use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits, which do not change or 'develop' through the course of the narrative and which point to general, recurrent features of the human world"
Part of the Islamic moral panic is specific clothing Muslims wear due to their belief system however due to historic events they have negative associations and representations.
"The type is any character constructed through the use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits, which do not change or 'develop' through the course of the narrative and which point to general, recurrent features of the human world"
Part of the Islamic moral panic is specific clothing Muslims wear due to their belief system however due to historic events they have negative associations and representations.
Representations of Women in Advertising
The Chanel advert is the extended version to the one shown on TV, featuring Keira Knightley who is a well known model and actor. In the advert she is shown on a motorbike, this represents her as fun and perhaps daring as there is a stereotype that motorbikes are too dangerous therefore men ride them instead, meaning as she's a woman, Knightley, is challenging this stereotype. To enforce the daring nature she rides dangerously and other women seem shocked by this showing she is challenging the stereotype as they get a fright. Knightley was also followed by three other people on motorbikes this could represent her as irresistible.
Media Diary Week 6
Taylor Swift. A few years ago I would never have been embarrassed to say she was my guilty pleasure, how times have changed!
My ongoing love began when I was about 8, I'd never really heard country music but I loved her version! My sisters introduced me to her first well known song Love Story. Collecting her albums and watching her interviews or music videos on youtube became part of my every routine and still to this day I know every lyric she sang or move she made in all of her videos. There was a huge craze about her, everybody loved her and her new music. Not only could she sing but she was funny, a great actor and a great inspiration. She was fresh and different. As she stopped releasing more music people fell out of love and became bored of her music. People would complain about how mundane and unoriginal she was for singing only love songs and was claimed to "get around" due to all the men in her songs being her boyfriends.
However, as an ultimate fan I knew there was so many more meanings to her songs and so I patiently waited for her new album. Two years later. Finally! Speak Now didn't attract as big of a hype and around this time it was "uncool" to like Taylor Swift so to be honest up until a few years ago, being a Swiftie (cringe) would never have been a problem or an embarrassment.
Since then I have definitely found new tastes of music I love but there's always a place for Taylor Swift. Lately she has released more dated music, sounding more mainstream pop and the Swift craze is probably creeping back, surprisingly!
My ongoing love began when I was about 8, I'd never really heard country music but I loved her version! My sisters introduced me to her first well known song Love Story. Collecting her albums and watching her interviews or music videos on youtube became part of my every routine and still to this day I know every lyric she sang or move she made in all of her videos. There was a huge craze about her, everybody loved her and her new music. Not only could she sing but she was funny, a great actor and a great inspiration. She was fresh and different. As she stopped releasing more music people fell out of love and became bored of her music. People would complain about how mundane and unoriginal she was for singing only love songs and was claimed to "get around" due to all the men in her songs being her boyfriends.
However, as an ultimate fan I knew there was so many more meanings to her songs and so I patiently waited for her new album. Two years later. Finally! Speak Now didn't attract as big of a hype and around this time it was "uncool" to like Taylor Swift so to be honest up until a few years ago, being a Swiftie (cringe) would never have been a problem or an embarrassment.
Since then I have definitely found new tastes of music I love but there's always a place for Taylor Swift. Lately she has released more dated music, sounding more mainstream pop and the Swift craze is probably creeping back, surprisingly!
Genre Essay
Dear John is a romantic drama-war film about the typical boy meets girl and they fall in love, however the boy is on leave from war so perhaps this is the worst timing to fall in love. In the trailer elements of romance and drama are displayed.
The film features an actor quite well known for his roles in films of the romantic genre (The Vow, She's the Man, Step Up). Channing Tatum, playing John, this information already allows the audience to know the type of film they are going to be watching. John is the immediate attention as the trailer begins with two faded camera shots of him surfing, this tells the audience he is a main character. His distinctive character type is usually quite heroic, from this trailer this idea is reinforced as Amanda Seyfried, playing Savannah, drops her bag in the water; and as the audience we assume that they don't know each other, but Tatum dives into the water to rescue the bag anyway. To this we could apply Vladmir Propp's Character Types Theory: John as the hero because it's assumed the film revolves around him from the opening camera shots as well as his masculinity, Savanah could possibly be the Heroine/Princess from Propp's Character Types because John potentially saved her belongings. The 'hero' has completed a quest - rescuing the bag - and the 'princess' acts as a reward for him by introducing herself.Another time Tatum is highlighted as the 'hero' is before punching a man and telling him to "get your hands off her", which is imagined to be about Savannah therefore he's likely to be protecting her. Working for the armed forces is an extremely valiant act, this is John's profession and can also have connotations of being a hero making his seem even more like a hero to the audience.
Throughout the trailer, after John and Savannah's meeting, the iconography of this romantic drama are typical for this type, for example there is a montage of when John is on 'leave' from the army and they do things a typical couple would in a typical romance film: visiting a beach, meeting each other's parents/friends, going to dinner. The montage shows them becoming fonder of each other and creating a close tenor with one another. This supports Savannah's voice over dialogue "Two weeks together, that's all it took. Two weeks for me to fall for you." However, this is disrupted when there is a sudden change in the music and we hear a voice over of John "I gotta go back" referring him going back to the war. This encounter could be a stage from Todrov's stages of a narrative. As this has interfered with John's and Savanah's lovestory it could be seen as the 'Disruption' in the stages because the story has taken a particular direction.
The lovers sending letters to one another is also classed as iconography because it At the begining of their montage showing their growing love over the two weeks in a short selection of shots, I noticed that the majority of shots are long or medium shots but as their love grows there are more close up shots of them, showing more emotion, up until John's complication where he is to go back and fight in the war, now the shots show more distance between them, being in different countries, by using medium shots and long shots again.
The non-diegetic sound of music throughout the trailer reflects upon the events too, at the start it's acoustic and quite soft and happy. The acoustic track stops when John and Savannah have had, what the audience will infer to be, their first kiss and we're left hearing only the-diegetic sound of rain. As the 'Disruption' occurs an emotional overwhelming piano piece begins to play, it begins soothing as though it is sympathetic but as John actually goes to war the speed of the music picks up and becomes more dramatic, perhaps showing how hard it is for the lovers to be separated. I have learnt that the piano piece playing is Snow Patrol, the lyrics from the song are removed from the trailer completely up until they're seen to be fitting and necessary to the plot of the story. The lyrics read " I'm miles from where you are..." which is completely relevant as the couple are in two total different countries.
Mise en scene during the trailer mostly relates to the events happening, John's costume at war is the typical armed forces camouflage uniform. Beside that, the costumes are mostly causal everyday clothing to represent an ordinary life that the audience could relate to in any ways. Unless you have seen the film you will be questioning whether John and Savanah stay together, whether John makes it out of war alive. As I have seen it numerous times it was harder for me to recognise binary oppositions however the questions that potentially arise through the audiences' minds I think that 'love vs hate' is a possibility. This is because we could assume he extends his tour like his co-worker does in the trailer, meaning he had the opportunity to go home and fight for Savanah, his love or fight for his country in the war, often caused by hate.
The film features an actor quite well known for his roles in films of the romantic genre (The Vow, She's the Man, Step Up). Channing Tatum, playing John, this information already allows the audience to know the type of film they are going to be watching. John is the immediate attention as the trailer begins with two faded camera shots of him surfing, this tells the audience he is a main character. His distinctive character type is usually quite heroic, from this trailer this idea is reinforced as Amanda Seyfried, playing Savannah, drops her bag in the water; and as the audience we assume that they don't know each other, but Tatum dives into the water to rescue the bag anyway. To this we could apply Vladmir Propp's Character Types Theory: John as the hero because it's assumed the film revolves around him from the opening camera shots as well as his masculinity, Savanah could possibly be the Heroine/Princess from Propp's Character Types because John potentially saved her belongings. The 'hero' has completed a quest - rescuing the bag - and the 'princess' acts as a reward for him by introducing herself.Another time Tatum is highlighted as the 'hero' is before punching a man and telling him to "get your hands off her", which is imagined to be about Savannah therefore he's likely to be protecting her. Working for the armed forces is an extremely valiant act, this is John's profession and can also have connotations of being a hero making his seem even more like a hero to the audience.
Throughout the trailer, after John and Savannah's meeting, the iconography of this romantic drama are typical for this type, for example there is a montage of when John is on 'leave' from the army and they do things a typical couple would in a typical romance film: visiting a beach, meeting each other's parents/friends, going to dinner. The montage shows them becoming fonder of each other and creating a close tenor with one another. This supports Savannah's voice over dialogue "Two weeks together, that's all it took. Two weeks for me to fall for you." However, this is disrupted when there is a sudden change in the music and we hear a voice over of John "I gotta go back" referring him going back to the war. This encounter could be a stage from Todrov's stages of a narrative. As this has interfered with John's and Savanah's lovestory it could be seen as the 'Disruption' in the stages because the story has taken a particular direction.
The lovers sending letters to one another is also classed as iconography because it At the begining of their montage showing their growing love over the two weeks in a short selection of shots, I noticed that the majority of shots are long or medium shots but as their love grows there are more close up shots of them, showing more emotion, up until John's complication where he is to go back and fight in the war, now the shots show more distance between them, being in different countries, by using medium shots and long shots again.
The non-diegetic sound of music throughout the trailer reflects upon the events too, at the start it's acoustic and quite soft and happy. The acoustic track stops when John and Savannah have had, what the audience will infer to be, their first kiss and we're left hearing only the-diegetic sound of rain. As the 'Disruption' occurs an emotional overwhelming piano piece begins to play, it begins soothing as though it is sympathetic but as John actually goes to war the speed of the music picks up and becomes more dramatic, perhaps showing how hard it is for the lovers to be separated. I have learnt that the piano piece playing is Snow Patrol, the lyrics from the song are removed from the trailer completely up until they're seen to be fitting and necessary to the plot of the story. The lyrics read " I'm miles from where you are..." which is completely relevant as the couple are in two total different countries.
Mise en scene during the trailer mostly relates to the events happening, John's costume at war is the typical armed forces camouflage uniform. Beside that, the costumes are mostly causal everyday clothing to represent an ordinary life that the audience could relate to in any ways. Unless you have seen the film you will be questioning whether John and Savanah stay together, whether John makes it out of war alive. As I have seen it numerous times it was harder for me to recognise binary oppositions however the questions that potentially arise through the audiences' minds I think that 'love vs hate' is a possibility. This is because we could assume he extends his tour like his co-worker does in the trailer, meaning he had the opportunity to go home and fight for Savanah, his love or fight for his country in the war, often caused by hate.
Media Diary Week 4
The text that sort of changed my life!
This week I'm finding it quite difficult to decide on a text that I can assuredly say has undoubtedly changed my life. There are many albums, songs, films, shows, books that I thoroughly enjoy and I'm sure they have all changed my life in their own ways. My Sister's Keeper is a film based on a true-story. Anna Fitzgerald was conceived by vitro fertilisation so that her parents could have a genetic match and donor for their older daughter, Kate who has leukaemia. Anna is five years younger than Kate and is constantly poked and prodded for bone marrow, blood, anything for Kate to survive. So, eleven year old Anna seeks help from the successful lawyer Campbell Alexander and attempts to hire him to for assistance on earning medical emancipation from her mother Sara that wants Anna to donate her kidney to her sister. She tells the lawyer the story of her family and he does help. *spoiler alert* Anna is fighting for the rights to her own body and putting her sisters life in danger, when in fact, it is all Kate. Kate is ready to die and wants to but her mother, Sara, can't accept that so she plans Anna to lie and pretend to be okay with letting her sister die. Me and my sisters have watched every sad, soppy, drama film; ever, I think. It's quite morbid but we strangely enjoy them. For me, the most important thing in this film is how Anna & Kate stick together; and so from an age where I began to argue with my sisters a lot, this film made me realise how much I should appreciate my sisters and be grateful I have two people always there for me, to back me up, stand up for me and help me when I need them most. It may not have changed my life but it definitely changed me outlook on life as I try to see my own sisters as much as possible now because I couldn't face losing them.
Active & Passive Audiences
Name two theories which are associated with effects debate.
Explain these two theories using examples.
A theory associated with the effects debate is the Inoculation/Desensitisation Model, this theory suggests that an audience whom are exposed to a particular media message repeatedly makes them more likely to become "immune" to the genre or message. For example, watching many violence genre-based films constantly may make an audience member desensitised to the media genre; therefore, they're no longer by shocked by the explicit actions. Another theory that is corresponding with the effects debate would be the Sensitisation Model, which is in fact the exact opposite as the Inoculation Model, meaning that if an audience were to be shown the violence genre repeatedly they wouldn't become immune but, actually be so shocked that they're able to change their views on violence and come to realisation of the consequences it has on other people's lives.
With reference to examples, explain the difference between 'active' and 'passive' audience reception.
There are many differences between an active member and a passive member of an audience. An active audience member will form their own opinions on a text and look at the text from their point of view; they are always focused and independently minded of the meaning of a text and throughout the text. Whereas, a passive audience member is usually seen to be quite naive of a text as they are easily manipulated and weak willed; by not looking at a text in more than one way, the way the text intended them to view it. Passive audience members will never attempt to look at a text in a different way, and could be considered the 'sheep' of society meaning they're easily influenced by the majority of an opinion.
How far do you think that violence on television causes violent behaviour.
Violent media texts are seen to be influential and I do agree to an extent that this is true as the audience member can potentially have an idea forced into their head about a violent action from watching a violent act on the television. However, I believe the influence to only be minor as there must be a much bigger underlying problem than just the media if the act is actually performed. There could be issues from a person's upbringing or mentality changing their moral beliefs so they don't know the difference between right and wrong or they may misunderstand the idea of right and wrong. Everybody, everyday is faced with violence in the media- for example: the news but the majority of people still do not lead a violent life.
Are active audience theories more acceptable than passive audience theories?
Give reasons for your answers.
I believe that active audience theories are more acceptable than passive audience theories, this is because passive audience theories imply we are all zombies to the media and we are easily influenced or dominated by the media texts as though we can't think for ourselves. If this theory was to be true, everybody who has played violent video-games or watched violent films would be criminals or threats in today's society. This can simply not be true due to the many people who regularly watch violent films or regularly expose themselves to violent video-games and still have a mind of their without being easily influenced. The active audience theories acknowledge that most of us are focused and independently minded; having control over our own opinions on any form of media texts/ media messages.
Choose a media text which you particularly like and apply the 'Uses & Gratifications' theory to explain why you enjoy it so much.
Divergent is a media text I enjoy and using the Uses & Gratifications Model, my opinion would be that it fulfils the escapism/entertainment and personal identification needs. This is because the film has a futuristic type setting, making me able to elude the mundane everyday pressures and situations I face. Personal identification is fulfilled because I am able to relate to the main character Tris, this is because I'm unsure in what to do with my life and as is she, she is stuck between which faction to choose from: the safe option and the more thrilling/uplifting option. Of course, I don't have to stay faithful to one "career" for the rest of my life like she does. But. I do have to decide on whether I should choose to further my academic subjects safely as I'm good at them or whether I should just do something for fun that I have never done before and take a risk. Divergent means that something is headed in more than one direction and not on a straight path that can also cause other objects or people to stray from their paths. So, I'd like to see my options as Divergent which relates to Tris as she in Divergent.
Find an advertisement online, in a newspaper or a magazine.
Write down what the preferred reading would be.
Make suggestions for the oppositional reading of the advert.
This advertisement is raising awareness on instructions to driving your car safely, by fastening your seat belt, which is an illegal act and you could suffer great consequences if you are not following the law. A preferred reading of this advert would notice the dangers of crashing your car as we can see physical damage on the woman's face who we assume to be the driver. As well as this we can also notify that the woman could potentially be mentally damaged/scarred as she has crashed the car and will have to "live with guilt" of one of her friends dying. We can see the guilt in her facial expression as she's looking down as though she is disappointed in herself for not checking her friends were belted up, she also looks sad and disheartened or as thought she is about to cry, because she has lost a friend due to a stupid mistake. The oppositional reading of this advert would note how coincidental it is that a woman driver has crashed a car as women are stereotypically known for being awful drivers. The woman is also quite young which would also imply that only youths would have made such a terrible mistake; meaning the advert is biased. This isn't a fair representation of driving with seat belts undone as anybody of any age could commit the same crime.
Media Diary Week 3
Coronation Street is the longest running soap on British TV, since 1960. It's based around the lives of regular people living in Machester. The show is one of the nations most popular soaps with it's unbelievable storyline's and dramas. Using the Income & Status Model, I think the text is mostly aimed at people at the lowest level of income(E), such as students, pensioners or the unemployed, up to people who are junior managers, office supervisors, nurses etc. They are part of the lower middle class(C1). I think this because the text is based on people with similar lives and lifestyles making it more relatable for the people of these classes or just give them entertainment.
The typical audience profile for a viewer or Coronation Street would most likely be a white-British, middle aged woman around 30 years old, who is divorced and has 2 children, aged 4 and 10. She would be part of the working class(D) and would think of herself as a strong, independent loving mother. Being a mother is the most important thing to her. She was brought up as a Christian but doesn't necessarily follow any religion as it's not that important in her life. Despite not following a religion she follows the government and supports the NHS and Welfare State and believes in better education for her children and also more benefits so she is able to her give her children the best lives. Overall, one of her most exciting activities of a weekday is to watch all soaps in the evening, this is most likely to be because she relates to the characters situations in their lives or because she prefers to watch somebody elses dramatic life as her own is quite boring and mundane.
From Young & Rubicams '4Cs' I conducted that this text would be mostly aimed at the Mainstreamers of society.I think this because their life choices are 'we' rather than 'me' meaning they'd prefer to watch the same as everybody else especially as it allows them to engage in conversation with other groups in society due to the popularity of the show; meeting their social needs from Maslow's: Heirarchy of Needs and allowing them to "fit in". The text is easily understood which meets the core need of security for the mainstream, even with the unrealistic events in the show they can still make sense or relate to the scenarios. This text seems to be mostly aimed at the 'groupies' from the Lifestyle Categories. This is because 'groupies' are people who want to be accepted by those around them so this text does this perfectly due to the popularity of the show. It's one of the Nation's most popular soaps and is the longest running one, so this will allow the 'groupies' to engage in much conversation about the show.
Lines Of Appeal
1.The use of a persuasive device: Humour.
Cadbury's have made numerous advertisements that provide humour to persuade the audience to buy their chocolate. One that I think is most effective is the 'Gorilla' ad, this is because of how different it is to any other advert. In the advertisement there is a gorilla sitting at drum kit and is listening to the iconic song In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins, the gorilla then goes on to play along with song's famous drum fill. Playing the drums is such a normal thing to do but the fact it's a gorilla playing them is what adds humour and makes it different. As well as making the audience laugh, the advert also intrigues people and makes them want to join in with the climax of the song and be involved; making it more enjoyable for them by creating a buzz as everybody in the UK was doing the exact same thing. Nostalgia is also used as the song will definitely bring back memories for people which is another reason why it is an effective choice of song. This text clearly persuaded people as the sales revenue for Cadbury's chocolate went up 5% and the advert was later shown in different countries around the world.
The target audience would be the Explorer from Young & Rubicam's 4Cs model. The ideologies encoded in this advert could be to show if you eat the chocolate it may give you a wider imagination or perhaps just to be ridiculous and encourage the silliness. However, the gorilla has no reference to the chocolate bar or the company but was used for selling purposes. The advert itself doesn't advertise a hard copy of the chocolate bar by showing the texture or taste and people could be easily frustrated by this as they won't understand the meaning. But, what if the advert has no meaning? This would particularly appeal to Explorer's as they seek difference as they'll see the text as an opportunity to use their imagination on deciding the meaning.
2.The use of Intertextuality in advertising.
The text is an advert for a Volvo car, it uses intertextuality by relating it to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The woman standing beside the road is dressed as Snow White and in the top corner it says "The Volvo XC90. With Seven Seats. Sorry." which implies The Seven Dwarfs. This could mean that because this car is able to fit the seven dwarfs into this car, people with big families could benefit from this car. If this is a family car using Snow White in the advertisement is clever as it is a well known family Disney film. Snow White appears to be hitch hiking as she wasn't able to fit into the car however all seven of the dwarfs did, so a hidden message could be, by buying the car you're able to get a large amount of people in it.
3.The use of Stereotyping in advertising.
3.The use of Stereotyping in advertising.
The woman in the car seems to be very feminine and looks surprised she is behind the wheel. The text says "The mini automatic. For simple driving". This is a gender stereotype and is being portrayed here by implying that driving a manual shift car is too complicated for a woman so the 'Mini Automatic' inventors have made it as simple as possible to drive a car, just for women. The woman could be described as a 'typical' woman as she is well groomed: her nails are painted pink (seen to be a very girly colour) she has make up on, her hair is clearly taken care of and the woman also has a lot of jewellery on. This also stereotypes women as only caring about their appearance and being overly concerned with their looks. The expression on her face is as though she's quite hesitant to be driving a car or as though she is still confused on how to drive one properly as women supposedly can't do so properly.
4. Reward & Punishment in advertising.
5. How Elite Persons are represented in advertising.
6. Use of Shock-tactics in advertising.
NHS are advertising anti-smoking in this text, there is an image of a small child inhaling second hand fumes from a cigarette. The fumes have been made to shape a hand around the child's throat to show that you are harming him too, as a smoker. An audience would find this shocking because smoke fumes are invisible so you cannot physically see the damage they do but this advert definitely emphasises just how much it does do by harming the child and not allowing him to breathe properly. Moreover, the facial expressions on the child suggest he is confused/unsure on what the smoke is doing to him. The background is grey, the same colour as the young boy's t-shirt and also the fumes. This could be to show the gloominess of the advertisement, as well a strong message being on a boring background which really emphasises how important the message is.
NHS are advertising anti-smoking in this text, there is an image of a small child inhaling second hand fumes from a cigarette. The fumes have been made to shape a hand around the child's throat to show that you are harming him too, as a smoker. An audience would find this shocking because smoke fumes are invisible so you cannot physically see the damage they do but this advert definitely emphasises just how much it does do by harming the child and not allowing him to breathe properly. Moreover, the facial expressions on the child suggest he is confused/unsure on what the smoke is doing to him. The background is grey, the same colour as the young boy's t-shirt and also the fumes. This could be to show the gloominess of the advertisement, as well a strong message being on a boring background which really emphasises how important the message is.
7.Use of Slogans in an advert.
Maybelline cosmetics adverts have one of the most poplar and well known strap lines ever. The company have paved the way for women to enhance their beauty, even if they aren't born looking like models. This has a positive ideology as we're able to be and feel beautiful. This slogan would target our esteem needs and therefore the audience group the Aspirer. This is because The Aspirer believes and follow more superficial things and they are driven by other people's perceptions of them. "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline" could mean that people are talking about this woman in a positive way because of her appearance, which supports the Aspirer's core need for Status.
Media Diary Week 2
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
The Amazing Spider-Man is an american super-hero film based on the original comic books and is a remake of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man sequence; it was released in 2012. The film is still following the secretive life of an heroic teenager, facing the struggles day in, day out of his family, love life and fighting foes. The purpose of this text is to obviously entertain the audience but there is one other purpose, as the film is a reboot it's purpose to make the effects more modernised as Tobey's films are considered to be covered in 'cob webs' which will make the story much more effective and inrtigue audience members more. The new version of the Spider-Man films is considered way better than the originals already especially after the sequence.
Honestly, at first I didn't expect much as I grew up with the original films and had a childhood crush on Tobey Maguire. But, before going to watch it in the cinema I decided to watch them, so after I could compare them. What a mistake that was. I realised how poor the acting, lovestory and "special effects" actually were. So then I genuinely didn't know what to expect, anything was an improvement. I walked out of the cinema in awe. I absolutely loved this lovestory, especially as it actually follows the comic books unlike the original Spider-Man films. All the special effects were amazing and it was in 3D putting more emphasis on all the best scenes.
Mainstreamers would watch this film as it is quite a popular film and will give them much to discuss in social groups as it allows them to share opinions and views on it and compare it with the original ones meaning they can still fit in and follow the crowd. People could react differently to this text as they could feel the same as me, an attachment to Tobey's films as they grew up with them so not want anything to break that bond.
Media Diary Week 1
Imagine Dragons | Night Visions Album Review
I was first introduced to Imagine Dragons by music channels, radio stations, Spotify Most Listened, it was literally everywhere. This was because their song 'Radioactive' which seemed to be in the top 40 for weeks. This song was so popular Imagine Dragons actually rewrote Billboard Hot 100 history as the song logged its record-breaking 77th week in the charts. After listening to 'Radioactive', it is easily understood why it is was so favoured because of how catchy it is. Just because it's catchy doesn't have to mean that it's annoying and overplayed. This song is so different to many other songs due to the active airplay and explosive dub-step beats. I just wanted to listen to more of their songs to see if they were able to keep up these changes throughout their album. And although this is an alternative rock song it contains cryptic lyrics of apocalyptic and revolutionist theories, making them even more unique which just intrigued me to their album more.
TRACK-LIST:
- Radioactive
- Tiptoe
- It's Time
- Demons
- On Top of the World
- Amsterdam
- Hear Me
- Every Night
- Bleeding Out
- Underdog
- Nothing Left to Say
- The River (Bonus Track)
- Selene (Bonus Track)
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Members: Dan Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon, Ben Mckee, Daniel Platzman
The song 'It's Time' describes the narrator's to change in the face of great turmoil. I love the sound of the song and all the different instruments used in it, as much as I enjoy the lyrics, I could also listen to them alone. The lyrics really speak to me though and I'm sure a lot of other people too. To be honest, I don't think this song can get any more perfect, I'd like to imagine the meaning behind the song is to try your all to be what someone else wants you to be is useless because after trying your best to change you realise you're never going to change who you really are and you should just be proud of who you are. The song is most definitely inspirational.
Tyler Robinson reinforces the inspiration in the song because of how courageous he was and how proud he was of himself despite the fact he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16. Tyler Robinson was a massive fan of the Imagine Dragons and before he died got to meet them and bond with them, the band even made a charity to help others with cancer. The band included a clip from the 2011 show where they met Robinson. The music video concludes with footage captured by Robinson's brother during the show where the band dedicated Tyler's favourite song "It's Time" to the teen. Reynolds had Robinson sing into the microphone and embraced him during the song, with the audience chanting Robinson's name afterwards. This video gives me goosebumps making me love the song more.
Although I love this album I did find some songs are quite mundane and boring as they have the same mid tempo beat. But this doesn't bother me due to the wide range of unique songs that show the emotional side to the album which enlighten the repetitive genre conventions. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who likes the indie/alternative rock genre because of how meaningful and different the songs are to any other band.
★★★★✩ 9/10
★★★★✩ 9/10
Audience Classification
-The Mainstreamer: People who fall under this classification have a core need in life which is security. By security I mean they want to feel safe within society so this means they'll watch programmes or listen to the same music as the majority so they can fit in and engage with other main-streamers. Examples of a text that would appeal to this classification would be Britain's Got Talent, Big Brother or The X Factor. All three of these TV shows have a lot of attention from the media. Each show is on at different times in the year so the main-streamer would typically talk about one of these in their everyday life whether the show is being aired or not. These shows will also have countdowns, advertisements and rumours before or after being aired which entices the main-streamer too and allows them to bring it all to discussion with another typical main-streamer.
I believe Big Brother would most likely appeal to a 'groupie' because they want to be accepted by everybody around them and there's a high chance everybody around them watches Big Brother regularly,so it is just the "norm".
-The Succeeder: Succeeder's are often known to seek reward and occupy positions of responsibility in society. They tend to have great amounts of self-confidence and only aspire to be the best. They're big believers in thinking they deserve it. A good example of a TV show for succeeder's would be Dragon's Den and this is appealing to them because their essential in life is to be in control, this TV show allows them to do so by them deciding if a business entrepreneur is strong enough to receive help and money. Succeeder's would most likely enjoy this sort of programme as they would be able to relate to the business clients who visit the show and would also like to criticize their ideas.
Dragon's Den is most probably watched by 'cowboys' or 'egoists' as these lifestyle categories insist on the watcher being only interested in themselves and wanting to make money easily and quickly. The categories fit the TV show as people are selling their business that they're interested in themselves and want money from the Dragon's so they can succeed.
-The Aspirer: An aspirer's key need in life is for a status, and they're concious of how others perceive them rather than how they value themselves. As a result, their appearance is very important to them and they respond to, what others perceive as, a superficial image. America's Next Top Model is a good example as to the media aspirer's would consume, this is because the show represents fashion and attractiveness. Two things in which this audience classification would love. The TV show America's Next Top Model has models posing, being photo-shopped and getting dolled up for their photo shoots with make up and extravagant hair; everything the aspirer wants.
The audience of America's Next Top Model would be predominantly 'trendies' and 'groupies'. I think this because they want to be accepted by everyone and receive attention and admiration for all they do. By watching this TV show the audience would learn to value their selves more and would feel more secure as society would accept it.
-The Explorer: People who are under the explorer audience classification love to discover, it is their main need in life. They're always looking for new challenges and won't settle for just anything. A text the explorer would enjoy watching the film Inception this is because the film is filled with ambiguity and questions. Every person has their own take on the ending so that's why I think an explorer would enjoy this piece of text as they're able to discover their own ending. There aren't many other films like this, especially successful ones so this would appeal to the explorer too due to them seeking difference.
People likely to watch Inception would be 'drifters' because they aren't entirely sure what they want to do in their life so they're still discovering it as well as uncovering other things. In this case the audience could also be 'puritans' because they will feel like they've done their duty when they've discovered the meaning from the ending of the film Inception, from their own perspective
-I think these categories are useful as audiences are defined into seven groups, but surely not everybody definitely fits into one category. There are definitely individuals who fall into several categories It helps advertisers and companies easily identify their audience and understand their needs in one text. I suppose in some ways we all, as individuals, have elements of each category.
-A show on TV right now is Emmerdale. The typical profile for somebody watching this is most likely to be a woman and perhaps elderly too. I think this because Soaps are often juicy and full of gossip and older women are often known as liking this type of show. I'd like to imagine the woman to have children and to be of working class. She would be White British and wouldn't have the most exciting job in the entire world, so she likes to go home and watch people on a TV show with a more joyful, exciting life. She would be Catholic but not a heavy believer, just enough to be able to relate to certain episodes of the show.
I believe Big Brother would most likely appeal to a 'groupie' because they want to be accepted by everybody around them and there's a high chance everybody around them watches Big Brother regularly,so it is just the "norm".
-The Succeeder: Succeeder's are often known to seek reward and occupy positions of responsibility in society. They tend to have great amounts of self-confidence and only aspire to be the best. They're big believers in thinking they deserve it. A good example of a TV show for succeeder's would be Dragon's Den and this is appealing to them because their essential in life is to be in control, this TV show allows them to do so by them deciding if a business entrepreneur is strong enough to receive help and money. Succeeder's would most likely enjoy this sort of programme as they would be able to relate to the business clients who visit the show and would also like to criticize their ideas.
Dragon's Den is most probably watched by 'cowboys' or 'egoists' as these lifestyle categories insist on the watcher being only interested in themselves and wanting to make money easily and quickly. The categories fit the TV show as people are selling their business that they're interested in themselves and want money from the Dragon's so they can succeed.
-The Aspirer: An aspirer's key need in life is for a status, and they're concious of how others perceive them rather than how they value themselves. As a result, their appearance is very important to them and they respond to, what others perceive as, a superficial image. America's Next Top Model is a good example as to the media aspirer's would consume, this is because the show represents fashion and attractiveness. Two things in which this audience classification would love. The TV show America's Next Top Model has models posing, being photo-shopped and getting dolled up for their photo shoots with make up and extravagant hair; everything the aspirer wants.
The audience of America's Next Top Model would be predominantly 'trendies' and 'groupies'. I think this because they want to be accepted by everyone and receive attention and admiration for all they do. By watching this TV show the audience would learn to value their selves more and would feel more secure as society would accept it.
-The Explorer: People who are under the explorer audience classification love to discover, it is their main need in life. They're always looking for new challenges and won't settle for just anything. A text the explorer would enjoy watching the film Inception this is because the film is filled with ambiguity and questions. Every person has their own take on the ending so that's why I think an explorer would enjoy this piece of text as they're able to discover their own ending. There aren't many other films like this, especially successful ones so this would appeal to the explorer too due to them seeking difference.
People likely to watch Inception would be 'drifters' because they aren't entirely sure what they want to do in their life so they're still discovering it as well as uncovering other things. In this case the audience could also be 'puritans' because they will feel like they've done their duty when they've discovered the meaning from the ending of the film Inception, from their own perspective
-I think these categories are useful as audiences are defined into seven groups, but surely not everybody definitely fits into one category. There are definitely individuals who fall into several categories It helps advertisers and companies easily identify their audience and understand their needs in one text. I suppose in some ways we all, as individuals, have elements of each category.
-A show on TV right now is Emmerdale. The typical profile for somebody watching this is most likely to be a woman and perhaps elderly too. I think this because Soaps are often juicy and full of gossip and older women are often known as liking this type of show. I'd like to imagine the woman to have children and to be of working class. She would be White British and wouldn't have the most exciting job in the entire world, so she likes to go home and watch people on a TV show with a more joyful, exciting life. She would be Catholic but not a heavy believer, just enough to be able to relate to certain episodes of the show.
Armani Advertisement Analysis
The Armani advertisement was made intended
to show the quality of the Emporio Armani underwear and to sell
it. The advert is in black and white which is usually associated
with the past and sometimes like a snap shot of a memory, but in this
particular advertisement I think the effect is used to make the text more
powerful; because it adds focus to the image as there are no distracting
colours, making it more harmonious. The black and white effect also adds an
element of romance especially as the woman is sitting underneath the man; showing
they have chemistry, even if they weren't David and Victoria Beckham. There is
a hint of a sexual atmosphere in the text as the couple are lying on a bed in
minimal clothing, reinforcing their chemistry. Armani want you to feel
that if you wear their underwear you will feel as sexy as the couple
look. Immediately, we notice that the famous David and Victoria Beckham
are the couple in the advertisement; they both connote power, wealth, love and
attractiveness. Armani want people to buy their product so they're persuading
them by implying that if they wear that quality of underwear then you will look
as attractive as they do and feel as good as they do too.
David Beckham is well known worldwide for being
super talented as a footballer and generally an icon. Victoria Beckham is also
a huge success as she was a Spice Girl and is now well respected in the world
of Fashion. It is very clever of Armani to use the Beckham couple in the
advertisement because a lot of people will want what they have and will believe
if they buy underwear they wear then they will be successful, attractive,
talented and not only look good in the clothing but to feel good in it too. Due
to Victoria being so high in the Fashion world means that people are extremely
likely to copy her as many people will aspire to be her. The fact they're
together as a couple in the image reinforces power itself because they're only
known now as being together and as a family so people with families may feel
they can still be sophisticated and look as good as them as a couple too.
In conclusion, when the audience see
the Beckham couple, who have connotations with fame, wealth,
attractiveness and power; this could mean Armani want expect people to buy
their product in hope of a lifestyle like theirs. The sexual nature of the
product attempts to persuade people that if they buy the product they will look
and feel sexy like the Beckham's actually look on the Advert.
Photo Composition
Lines & Shapes
The use of lines and shapes in this text is effective in photography because the audience can distinctly see the different flowers further away and this is also due to the difference in colours. All the flowers lead to the breathtaking mountains in the background.
Foreground & Background
This is an example of using foreground and background in photography. The man is the point of interest as he is the focus of the image (foreground). In the background the bridge seems never ending, adding more visual depth to the image. The image is effective because it makes the audience curious as to why the man is there. It seems as though he has left everything behind as he doesn't have any possessions and due to the emphasis on the bridge.
Light & Shade
This text is an example of the use of light and shade in photography. It is effective as we are able to see the outline of the ballerinas shape clearly. We could assume the meaning of the image is about how often ballerinas are quite known to have 'a double life' or split personalities.
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