Friday, 30 October 2015

notes and quotes

Through the mixture of these traditional stereotypical traits, androgyny could create an understanding, appreciative and respectful community. Chief executive of Women’s Aid Polly Neet states that ‘given the other cultural factors are bombarding young people which give very different messages about relationships’[1]. This outlines that sexualised music videos create a culture which inhibits the progression of gender equality, because of the ideologies shaped by the media.
Dilley.S.2015

TV documentaries

MEN AT WAR- Reggie Yates' extreme UK
'think the real victims of sex discrimination are guys'
'women are no longer trained to submit to a man to serve a man
'concerted attempt to shut men up.''
''social media becomes a weapon weapon of hate'' (manosphere)

 growing idea's: Adam:'Feminism is a fashionable cause' 
Dapper, Comedian Daniel O'Reily built an online  audince in the millions, had a ,maintraem TV series but his jokes were branded sexists adn misogynistic when he made a joke about rape at a gig and found him self defending his whole act at news night
'just show her your penis if she cries she is playing hard to get'

 'if i say something on stage and someone goes out and does it, thy're screwed in the head, thats got nothing to do with me.'

 Reggie: 'he is normalsing 
Miss representation Documentary 2011-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2UZZV3xU6Q
' the most common way people give away their power is by thinking they dont have any'
Alice walker

 'the media is the message and the messenger' Pat Mitchel, former president and CEO of PBS


In a world of a million channels, people try to do more shocking and shocking things to break through the clutter, they resort to violent images or sexually offensive images or demeaning images' Jim Stayer, CEO common sense media, Lawyer and professor of civil rights Stanford university


The media is sending a dangerous message to young people'

'there is no appreciation for women intellectuals, its about the body not bout the brain' high school student 


'The fact that media are so derogatory towards to teh most powerful women in the country, then what does it say about media's ability to take any woman in America seriously' Jennifer Pozner- Executive director Women in media and news, Author reality bites back

 'As a culture women are brought up to be fundamentally insecure' Lisa Ling Executive producer and Host \Owns our America

 'Media creates consciousness' Jane Fonda academy award winning Actor and Activist

'media can be an instrument of change it can awaken people and change minds it depends on who's piloting the plane' Katie Couric anchor CBS evening news 

'if you think about media and technology, they're delivering content, that is shaping our society' Jim Syster (thyere brains and lives and emotions)


TEDX Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model. 2013-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM4Xe6Dlp0Y

'image is powerful but also image is superficial' 

'very little we can do to transform how we look, though it is superficial and immutable has a huge impact on our lives' 

'im a pretty white woman and in my industry we call that a sexy girl'

genetic lottery and I am the recipient of a legacy' 

less than 4% non white models - 2007 PHD student counted models on the runway 

being a model 'out of your control' not a career path

'these are not pictures of me they are constructions and they are by professionals hair stylists make-up artists photographers and stylists and all their assistants and pre production and post production, and they build this, that's not me.'

'53% of 13 year old American girls unhappy with their bodies, this grows to 78% by the time they are 17'  (Maine 2007)

'the thing I have never said on camera is that im insecure, because I have to think about hat i look like everyday'

'thinnest thieghs' happy?


woman in the media- short documentray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWpQ4V23IDo

'tthey changed her appearance in order to make her more credible, which is absolutely ridiculous' she had to dress up in a more masculine, sort of masculine hair cut, lot more suits on CBS 

'frequently i feel like there are terms and description of woman'  KATE DAWSON-Journalism instructor

'we still have the stereotypes in pace' Annalee Norman -woman and gender studies senior
society and culture likes to say that we're so progressive and we've come so far but, i mean the truth of the matter is that we sill have those kind of steortypes'
and the media is such as contributing factor to that because we're bombarded with these images'

'she was caring to the community and had years of experience and my station director decided to let her go, because he thought she had gotten to fat and was getting a little bit over the hill in terms of her age. and for me it was really sad, because it was a clear indication that woman were judged on certain factors than men were judged on. there were men in the station that were older and there were men on the station that were heavier. AIMEE MEADER- FORMER NEWS PRODUCER

what can the media to improve the representation of woman?
'compelling interesting story'

BBC NEWS-what stands in the way of women being equal to men2014https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayj9EVc2ZLI


Lulu 16 UK
'alot of boys will be like 'oh are you a virgin?' and if a girl said yes they'd be like 'but your 15 or your 16 like is it not time?'
'theres alot of pressure on girls definitely in this country '

woman make 23% of parliament

'we cant just wait for gender equality to magically appear but it will take millions of individuals decisions by teachers by parents by boys and by girls themselves'
 presenter -Ross Atkins Producer and Directer Gemma Newby.



Academic texts/books

 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewco

 ntent.cgi?article=3623&context=etd

 Too much, too young Are advertisers sexualising childhood?

 https://www.asa.org.uk/~/media/Files/ASA/Reports/Stakeholder%20event%202011_Too%20much%20too%20young.ashx

Hypersexualization of young girls: What are the issues? Should we be worried?

http://www.cwhn.ca/en/hypersexualizationprimer2

 pluralist approach
diffusion theory
direct/indirect affect theories
cultivation theory
hypodermic needle theory
http://www.slideshare.net/belair1981/audience-the-effects-debate

 perpetuating rape culture means that women cannot be as sexually experimental as they wish to be
illustrate the perpetuating rape culture in western societies through gender inequality.
https://www.academia.edu/8995306/Reading_Between_the_Blurred_Lines_A_discussion_into_the_representation_of_rape_and_rape_culture_in_contemporary_fiction
uploaded by Alice Davis -on academia

(a minimum of five, including author/full title/year, e.g.:)

Automatic Woman: The Representation of Woman in Surrealism: The Representation of Women in Surrealism Katharine Conley

Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry: The Social Construction of ...

 By Kristin Lieb


 'a path that emphasizes sex and shock value over musical talent'

 'she sings 'i want your love' and then dances in her bra and panties before ending up scorched on her bed by the video's end'  -demonstrates sexual activities 

'the pace of communication, accelerated by 24 hour television news cycles and the 24 hour social cycle offered by the internet and widely adopted social media platforms, has compelled celebrities to strategize continuously to remain culturally relevant. '

'celebrities have become dynamic brands that maintain overreaching themes through music a mere subset of their larger ongoing cable and online personalities'

'on the other hand we have a theory that supports receiver/ audiences as having agency- that is, the  ability to make their own discriminating choices based on the information they receive.'

'powerful music-first singers who resonate deeply with their audiences, but aren't as hyper sexualized as most contemporary female popular music star. But based on their limits of our social system, our modern music industry, our country's gender norms and expectations, and our capitalist business ideals, we don't often make this gamble, opting instead to prioritize packaging over talent'

'female pop stars are held to rigid standards of appearance and beauty that box them into a small number of highly patterned types'

'while preforming as a man. Gaga wore a baggy t-shirt and jeans, which focused the camera's attention on her fierce vocal and musical performance- a refreshing change'

'gaga counts on these negotiated and oppositional readings (hall 198) of her preference to keep her image fresh and provocative. the more people talk about what she means, the more she is talked about, and the more she ultimately means'

'the two step flow theory (katz and lazarsfeld 1955), for example, posited that mass media efforts affected opinion leaders, who, in turn, influenced the thoughts and opinions of the audience'

'today, we may argue that Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow and Lady Gaga wield more influence over collegeaged voters than, say, official government sources'

Music Video and the Politics of Representation

 By Diane Railton, Paul Watson https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FjcKyoB78DEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=representation+of+woman+in+music+book&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDQQ6AEwA2oVChMIjK2Kpfa4yAIViboaCh3KZwAU#v=onepage&q=representation%20of%20woman%20in%20music%20book&f=false

'in terms of music video, negative images and misrepresentations are often those that are identified as sexually exploitive- images in which woman are depicted simply as bodies or body parts to be observed and desired rather than social agents who have complex desires and drives of their own.'

'woman are variously misrepresented, falsely represented, negatively represented, or simply not represented at all, and, on the other, to celebrate positive images of women, that is to say, images deemed valuable in promoting boarder range of possibilities, opportunities and capabilities for women'

'the reoccurring images of woman in popular media have some influence on how people think of women in real life'

'these images (of women are that) there are a range of ways of inhibiting a female body' (occupying)



female artists at the top of the industry continue to sell record-breaking numbers of units, even at a time when over all industry sales have withered'

'but precious few artists achieve such heights, and those who do increasingly rely on sex appeal'

opinion leaders, particularly n the highly fragmented world of new media, help audiences to contextualise information or to frame it (Entman, 1993) in ways that make it easy for people to understand from their given social locations. Framing acts as cultural SHORTHAND, emphasizing certain idea's while minimizing or ignoring others(Entman 1993). '





extra links..

'women in objectifying or exploitative frameworks claim to act out of personal choice, for their own enjoyment and individualist advancement.'

a new York times article epitomizes post-feminist contradictions, showcasing several women DJs who are embracing their role as arbiters of urban fashion now that their musical skills have been taken into account. As one woman says 'just to be able to blend records is not enough any more, you have to have a look'

'women face renewed pressure to cultivate their appearance'

'some feel that gender has not played a memorable role in their artistic and professional experiences; others argue that cultural idea's about gender significantly inform expectations about musical and technical competence'


https://www.questia.com/library/communication/media-studies/media-images-of-women
top link navigated to the link below
https://www.questia.com/read/102713788/media-gender-and-identity-an-introduction

book: Media, Gender, and Identity: An Introduction
By David GauntlettRoutledge, 2002
There is even a noisy minority who argue that feminism has ‘gone too far’and that it is now men who have the worst deal in society (Farrell, 2001).

 magazines for womenencourage their readers to be assertive and independent. Pop stars like Destiny’s Child, and othermedia icons such as Oprah Winfrey, convey the same message. 

 modern perspective:
Modern women arenot generally bothered about fitting their identity within the idea of ‘femininity’, perhaps because feminists never really sought to revise femininity, preferring to dispose of the fluffy, passiveconcept altogether. Femininity is not a core value for women today. Instead, being ‘feminine’ isjust one of the performances that women can choose to employ in everyday life - perhaps forpleasure, or to achieve a particular goal.

 digital media influence: 

 but as online magazines and general entertainmentsites become increasingly popular, and these merge with digital television, electronic mediabecomes yet another source of gender information.

 https://www.questia.com/

 https://www.questia.com/read/102713782/media-gender-and-identity-an-introduction

INTERNET LINKS


1) Is The Music Industry Still Male-Dominated? We Ask The Women Working In It...

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/547787/is-music-still-a-male-dominated-industry-we-ask-the-women-working-in-it.html


  • 'I think this stems back to the 80s and 90s when the industry was very male-dominated and women were seen mainly as receptionists and PAs. These days women are breaking through and climbing their way up the ladder to work towards more senior positions.'

  • 'I’ve never been so shocked and those quotes have stayed with me forever. Never should appearance or age be a factor and I would put money on the same conversation being very different if I was male.'
Libby Maguire
2) SKY NEWS: Campaign To Tackle Abusive Teen Relationships
http://news.sky.com/story/1600313/campaign-to-tackle-abusive-teen-relationships
  • Chief executive of Womens’ Aid Polly Neet said: "Given the other cultural factors that are bombarding young people, which give very different messages about relationships, and given the power behind those factors, this investment is a bit of a drop in the ocean."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/sexualised-music-videos-only-teach-women-how-to-sell-out/story-fni0cwl5-1227070613498
  • These female artists are selling the message that women are nothing more than accessories. Women are only of value as sexual objects. My daughters and your daughters are taught to conform to this narrow sexualised, unhealthy norm.
  • The message is incessant. Our boys grow up believing girls are really only here to be a boy’s “new thang”.
  • Girls accept that if they’re to be valuable to someone, they’d better be “sexy”.
  • Girls who are exposed to sexualised content are more likely to endorse gender stereotypes and place attractiveness as central to a woman’s value. Boys who are exposed to this content are more likely to sexually harass females, and have inappropriate expectations of them.


Ban underfed and underage models in fashion, MPs urged

  • Health experts who also addressed the panel of MPs said eating disorders could not just be assessed on appearance. “You wouldn’t be able to see if a girl has thin bones, you wouldn’t be able to see if they weren’t having periods, you wouldn’t be able to see if they had mental health issues,” the GP Dr Ellie Cannon told the Guardian after giving evidence.

relevant because the women in the music vid are models
  • Models 1’s Horner said there was very limited demand for plus-size models. “They are paid less than regular models, there is certainly discrimination there,” 
  • “Every time I went into an agency, I was prodded and poked and measured with a tape measure,” she said. “I used to dread it.”

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/dec/01/ban-underfed-and-underage-models-in-fashion-mps-urged


  • Police investigate 'fat-shaming' cards handed out on London tube 

“I am not upset myself. I am smaller than the national average and not exactly obese, but this is hateful and cowardly and could potentially upset people struggling with confidence and eating disorders. 

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/01/fat-shaming-cards-tube-overweight-haters-ltd-police


  • ‘I was sexually assaulted by a fellow student – but my university did nothing’ 

one in three female students experience sexual assault.

  • The Telegraph’s survey of 1,000 undergraduates across the UK, conducted by YouthSight, found that 97 per cent of these female students did not report the assault to their university, 
  • with 44 per cent saying that they did not think the university would do anything in response.
  •  More than a third of women at university (35 per cent) said they have worried about sexual assault by other students. 

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11340661/I-was-sexually-assaulted-by-a-fellow-student-but-my-university-did-nothing.html

  1. A lack of clothes is not the problem with music videos today- http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/mar/01/music-video-lady-gaga-beyonce
Videos featuring underdressed women or "sexual posing" should be kept off television screens until after the watershed, according to recommendations in a report written by Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a noted television-friendly celebrity psychologist.

 The report also seems to suggest that young people watch up to two and a half HOURS of music videos a day,'

Yes, there are many videos where women are objectified, represented as prey or easy pickings, or as something as commonplace and moist and underclothed as a mostly-peeled overripe satsuma. But to suggest the solution to this is blanket bans and sweeping overstatements is ridiculous

  1. gender and racial inequality in music videos- http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2013/sep/02/music-video-black-women-sex-objects
women are sexualised in specific ways, seen as inherently sexual and animalistic, with a heavy focus on body shape, particularly the posterior.

These representations are not limited to one genre of music. The video for indie rock quartet Wraith by Peace also depicts racialised sexual objectification

Gender and racial inequality continue to exhibit themselves in new ways. Now they appear to be considered fashionable, ironic, entertaining or even aesthetically highbrow. 

In many ways, inequality has thrived on social media
  1. sexism and racism in music video's- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/08/sexism-and-racism-permeate-music-videos-new-report
 found that women – especially black women – were routinely portrayed in a hyper-sexualised fashion

videos portray men as the characters with “power and dominance, and women as passive recipients of their ‘gaze’.

One study found viewers were more likely to make excuses for perpetrators of “acquaintance rape”.

We believe in women’s right to self-expression and freedom of movement. Our concern is how the music industry uses music videos as yet another vehicle to colonise and commodify black women’s bodies.
  1. Feminists fall out on Rihannas 'violent, mysogynistic' video- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/04/feminists-fall-out-over-rihanna-video
Vogue.com columnist Karley Sciortino said: “It’s good to normalise the female body. In so many music videos where you see nudity, it’s framed in these really specific ways: abstract female body parts just looking hot. When Rihanna’s naked she isn’t posing in a hypersexual way, she’s covered in blood and she’ll cut your dick off. She looks powerful, but it’s almost casual, normalised. It’s about showing a powerful representation of the female body, where women are in charge of the way that they’re being viewed.”
  1. Miley Cyrus- does the music industry exploit women?- http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/miley-cyrus-music-business-women-sinead-oconnor
 it is incredibly distressing that young girls' idols are constantly teaching them that their willingness to "party" is a girl's strongest suit: not their brains, or their sense of humour, or their own unique way with a key change

Pop performers – male and female – are often exploited by managers and record companies, but I don't believe that Cyrus is being forced to twerk by her handlers. She knows what she is doing 

Ultimately, Cyrus's nakedness happens in the context of a cultural industry still run largely by men, filmed largely by men, produced largely by men, in which men stand to gain from women's gyrations, financially and lubriciously. We need an end to misogyny across everything, everywhere. - 
Kitty Empire is a music critic for The Observer

the music business is a capitalist patriarchy- 
Alex Macpherson is a music critic

I question empowerment expressed in this way but I also ask why we, as women, can't be proud of our sexuality? It's a strange pendulum of morals and liberation.
VV Brown is a musician

'To my children, singers stripping off is the norm

female singers stripping off and imitating sex acts while singing is the norm. Sex always sells but why is it nearly always female singers prostituting their bodies?

come into place next year and little is known as yet how much they will tackle sexualised images of women and girls. Classifications are a blunt tool but they work for films, largely, so why not music?

Jane Martinson is the Guardian's women's editor

University websites/academic papers online. 

Performing Gender: A Content Analysis of Gender Display in Music Videos- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-010-9814-2


Although the student guild at the University of Exeter has not banned the song, it did condemn it, saying: "A song that implies a woman is 'an animal' who 'wants it' because of the way she is dressed is not acceptable."

 "The language within the lyrics and the images within the promotional video are utterly degrading to the female subject.

 'More than 20 university unions around Britain have now banned Robin Thicke's hit for its sexual politics '

 LYRIC'S
Blurred Lines has been widely criticised for appearing to glorify rape and violent sex, with lyrics including "I know you want it", "I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two", and "Nothing like your last guy, he too square for you/ He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that."
Thicke has defended the song, telling one interviewer: "If you listen to the lyrics, it says 'That man is not your maker' – it's actually a feminist movement within itself."

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/oct/25/robin-thicke-most-dreadful-interview-2013-blurred-lines
interlinked with  http://www.gq.com/story/robin-thicke-interview-blurred-lines-music-video-collaborating-with-2-chainz-and-kendrick-lamar-mercy

GQ: Some animals also made it into the video...
quotes by Robin Thicke in an transcripted interview
  •  ''We tried to do everything that was taboo. Bestiality, drug injections, and everything that is completely derogatory towards women.''
  •  "Women and their bodies are beautiful. Men are always gonna want to follow them around." 
  •  ''We just wanted it to be as silly as possible. That way, the nudity isn’t taken seriously.'' (desenzitizng and normalising)

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/29/pharrell-sexually-suggestive-blurred-lines-the-new-black-hillary-clinton
PHARRELLTRYING TO JUSTIFY HIM SELF 

''Pharrell: Is it sexually suggestive when a salesman says 'I know you want it?'' (article name) ''We're too busy telling them what they can or can't do with their bodies.'' 

''As well justifying the video's nudity by comparing it to that of a fashion shoot, Williams also defends rapper TI's lyric, 'I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two.''


“Why should I be uncomfortable [with that line]? I love women inside and out. That line was meant for women to hear that song and say, you know what? I'm a good woman and sometimes I do have bad thoughts,” he says, before further implying that the song can empower women when used as a declaration of sexual liberation.



  • claims by student leaders that it encourages sexual harassment, "rape culture and lad banter".


  • Beats Pill advert was sexist, degrading to women, and too "overtly sexual" for underage viewers. According to the official report, "some complainants [also] challenged whether the models featured were irresponsibly thin". (WOMEN IN THE VIDEO RESPONSIBLE?)
  • On Wednesday, the ASA dismissed most of these complaints, agreeing with Beats Electronics' argument that the commercial depicts "confident, self-assured [women] who [are] not subservient to the male character". The authority said that although some viewers might find certain shots distasteful, the ad was "[not] likely to result in widespread or serious offence". It also declared that the featured models, while slim, "did not look underweight".
  • The authority found that, even if children did not understand the advert's innuendo, there were enough "headless bodies and … sexually suggestive scenes" 
  • Thicke has not always denied accusations that his Blurred Lines video is misogynistic. "What a pleasure it is to [finally] degrade a woman," he told GQ before the scandal erupted. "I've never gotten to do that before."



MEDIA MAGAZINE : put into biography 

MM32:

'represented. If, on the other
hand, one believes that representations are
constructed in order to fit in with mainstream
hegemonic values, then we could assume that
ideological messages around fat being bad, or fat
being associated with laziness, gluttony or even
poverty and lack of education,'
page 22

seeing celebrities slim or fat
They support the Effects model, where we,
the passive audience, absorb the messages of
media, unable to think for ourselves.
page 23

Such debates are similar to the size zero
debate – the idea that the prevalence of skinny
models encourages anorexia and extreme
dieting among young girls.
page 23

most celebrities have
unrealistic and extreme body shapes? Models
are unnaturally thin, sport stars are unnaturally
toned, Madonna requires constant input from
a personal trainer and a personal chef and,
aged 50, spends half her life in the gym to keep
her figure.
page 24

Allen’s representation of
the young, modern female will resonate with many
members of her audience,
page 47

I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
Coz everyone knows that’s how you get famous.
-LILLY ALLEN
page 47

MM34

In the early 1970s the cultural critic John
Berger summarised the way in which gender was
represented in the media through visual images:
Men act and women appear. Men look at
women. Women watch themselves being
looked at.
Berger 1972
page 65

the ‘men active: women passive’

1975 Laura Mulvi
In a world ordered by sexual imbalance,
pleasure in looking has been split between
active/male and passive/female.
age 65

{To what extent do you think Berger’s and
Mulvey’s statements from nearly 40 years ago
hold true today? At the time they were writing,
women were undoubtedly second-class citizens.}

HISTORICAL

that although women may be
constructed as more dynamic characters on film
than in the 1960s, they are only represented as
being independent of men a minority of the time.
page 66

Where have all the interesting women gone?
If the contemporary portrayal of womankind
were to be believed, contemporary female
achievement would culminate in the
ownership of expensive handbags, a vibrator,
a job, a flat and a man – probably in that
order.
page 67

Occasionally
the media does represent women as powerful
and independent characters, and yet they still
almost invariably require a man to tell them
what to do. The ideologies of male dominance
and patriarchal values have not diminished; and
the belief that they have offers a classic example
of ‘hegemony’: a state where the oppressed
consent to, and accept, their situation because
they are not conscious of being exploited.
page 67

MM40

A post-feminist reading of this might
be that since Beyoncé is openly allowing herself
to be objectified, indeed encouraging it by
looking down the camera playfully and winking
at the audience, she is controlling ‘the gaze’ and
is thus empowered. However, like so many other
post-feminist texts which openly acknowledge
‘the gaze’ in this playful postmodern ‘knowing’
way, we also see a simultaneous reassuring of
patriarchal anxieties.
page 67




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Friday, 16 October 2015

critical investigation- tutorial

Learner response to Ignite – typed up as requested. Excellent reflection and thoughtful paragraph on continuing this into critical investigation.

Critical Investigation proposal – done, really detailed and looks impressive. The excellent research over the summer has really paid off here.
The question needs a slight change – we can’t make new technology part of the question due to it being the exam topic. I would recommend moving the question on to representation and music videos – you can still have a paragraph on new technology and feminism but don’t make it the question.

Angle/hypothesis – absolutely superb. These are the key media issues and debates concerning the text so it’s brilliant to see you’ve cut straight through to them.

Linked production – needs some thought, all the options could work but think about what is do-able. A parody could work but they are incredibly difficult. Give it some thought over the next half-term.
 
Loads of MIGRAIN research – your summer project really has helped here, brilliant to see.

For SHEP – social is good but historical and political need some work. For historical, look at music videos from 20/30 years ago – Madonna for example? For political I agree looking at the lack of action on feminist issues (where relevant) sounds like a good way to go. But obviously need to plan it/put it in research plan.

For issues/debates/theories, pretty good but you need to link them to your topic.
For the research plan, you’ve got a good start but will need much more detail over the next few weeks. Copy it into your Notes and Quotes document but before doing any research do some more on the research plan.


Publish this on your blog with your next steps in this project.

  1. continue with the notes and quotes ensuring i have rich an relevant quotation
  2. tweek up the wording of the question
  3. work on the social and political part of SHEP
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Wednesday, 7 October 2015

critical investigation research

Media Representations 

  • Who is being represented? In what way? By whom? both males and females are being represented in the mudic vedio, though the lyrics, facial expression exposure of skin, body language and also the way they treat one another. This is done by the characters in the medic video, in a interview it was said that it as initially supoosed to be a comedy music video and that the naked ladies idea was the directors idea which was later approved by Robin Thick.
  • Why is the subject being represented in this way? I think it may be to outline how some parts of society view woman and men and wrongly implies the roles of the genders. The subject is being represented as an object of pleasure.
  • Is the representation fair and accurate? No, definitely not! 
  • What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject? 
People say, 'Hey, do you think this is degrading to women?' I'm like, 'Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I've never gotten to do that before. I've always respected women.'there are many gateways in terms of financial stability as they are getting paid however the exploitation of the subject in such a vile manner will only lead to self degradation.

Media Languages and Forms 
  • What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?
connotation:an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
Denotation: the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests

  • What is the significance of the text’s connotations?
The explicit nearly all nude, females highlights their sexuality, this suggests that they are sex objects because of not only the lyrics and body language but also the huge comparison of the amount of clothing the man are wearing. The significance of the connotation is that a certain representation of woman is being made in the media, which may settle in the minds of the public, and have an impact on not only the way some people may view woman but also have an affect on how some woman personally view them selves, which may affect their self esteem because they may not look a certain way.
  • What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?
The gestures made may be considered inappropriate but also for a bit of fun. The men and dancing or standing around looking unbothered until the female makes a sensual move or expression which ultimately looks as though they do not value the woman around them unless they do what they want them to do.
The communication of the singing men is mostly directly at us, however the woman are just interacting with the singers.
men: formal clothing
females: nearly naked or figure hugging clothing
  • What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings (CLAMPS)?
The lighting is quite bright so they we may clearly see their facial expressions etc. However, filler lighting has been used to round their faces and make them look more glamorous.
The setting is just a plain white background this may be significant as it creates an intimate setting, removing visual distractions so that your viewers can focus their attention on the subject.
The shots made have been adjusted to make the shot look fun and flexible, panning has been used as Pherell walks across the room, this technique has been used to make the music video more interactive as the views follow the character on the screen. Close ups, medium shots and long shots have been used to. This is either to identify the facial expressions of the characters so that the audience may identify with them and also, the long shots have been made so that the audience can see the characters at full length, they are usually zoomed in a out, this is significant as it highlights their there costumes (whether they are or are not wearing them)



  • What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?

The sound track and the language of the text is promoting the singers, it starting popping headlines and causing controversy. 

 CALLING HER AN ANIMAL? 'YOU AN ANIMAL BABY ITS IN YOUR NATURE' -no boundaries to how they are representing/traeting females

 quite sinister lyrics ^ur a bad girl theres an animal in you, telling them who they are and what they want. 

 feminist parody's have been made in response 
blurred lines- between consensual and not

 robin turns around and says its part of a feminist movement- trying to say that hes empowering woman by encouraging them to have sex with any man- THE IRONY

  • What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?
The iconic singers pharell and Robin Thick are in it and this is relevant to the major theme as it expresses their view as they choose what they want to air on the media. 
The famous model icon Emily Ratajkowski who is also in a movie with Zac Efron and on the cover of InStyle UK, 
Use of hansh tag, twitter makes the audience more comfortable by seeing something recognisable also to help promote the song, to get the hash tag trending 
  • What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?

  1. the camera shots zooming in at girls face when she poses sensually, 
  2. facial expression towards woman, zoom in (looking in a evocative and suggestive way)
  3. red lipstick may indicate danger
  4. biting lips suggest sexual behaviour
  5. limited clothing on females compared to men suggesting dominance, making females look disrespected and unprofessional 
  6. tracking shot (showing naked woman in a specific way)
  7. close up then tilts camera to man to focus on man (robin)
  8. camera centred to focus on woman
  9. car on females back may suggest materialism and therefore objectification

Narrative 

  • How is the narrative organised and structured?
the narrative is not structured in an orderly manner, it doesn't really have a particular order apart from singing then rapping, the females and males are just stadning around the setting does not change suggesting no change in the narrative too
    • How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
the singers are sort of telling the audince a story then change it to first person as though they are speaking to the woman.
    • How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
well one interpretation to the music video is that, because the females the females seem bored and sometimes unhappy this may make them the 'bad' ones as they are ruining the 'fun' for the men. these are created through there facial expressions and body language.
    • What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?
its not so clearly established however, camera shots and body language and facial expressions and eye contact play a huge role in it.
    • What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative? these features help convey the message, in this specific instance the narrative does not progress so much on screen than on lyrics.
    • What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody? the major themes of the narrative is 'trying to pull a girl' these values and ideologies encapsulate disrespect and degradation of females as he thinks it is ok for him to dehumanise and act in such a disdain manner towards woman

    Genre 

    • To which genre does the text belong? R&B and funk
    • What are the major generic conventions within the text? 
music,camera shots ,camera movements, editing (jump cuts), expressive lighting, mise en scene
    • What are the major iconographic features of the text?
use of twitter hash-tag, appearance of singers, 3/4 mins long duration, performance, real life situation, motif, objectification of woman object of male desire, suggest a story and symbols eg. use of props 
    • What are the major generic themes?
    • To what extent are the characters generically determined? lust for power, identity crisis, role of mean and woman, temptation, 
    • To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically? the text does conform to certain characteristics of the fantasy genre however plays with everlasting love because of the wrong  sensual intentions placed in the audiences mind about the woman from the men in the music video
    • Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have? Robin Thicke does not usually associate him self with disrespecting woman, however this music video may be controversial and change peoples perceptions about his ideologies. Also Pharrell Williams defended him self in an interview on channel 4, 
    Media Institutions 
    • What is the institutional source of the text?
"Blurred Lines" is a single written and performed by American recording artists Robin Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell Williams (credited as "Pharrell"). Produced by Williams, the song was released as the lead single from Thicke's album of the same name on March 26, 2013 through Star Trak Recordings Recorded in 2012, the song was primarily inspired by the Marvin Gaye song "Got to Give It Up", and was largely the work of Williams. However, Thicke clearly laid claim to writing credits on the track according to a Reuters article. The song became the subject of a bitter legal dispute with the family of Gaye and Bridgeport Music as to whether the song infringed copyrights to "Got to Give It Up". Thicke and Williams were found liable of copyright infringement by a federal jury in March 2015.

    • In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?  (Pherrell)
    • Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text? its a commercial institution, they make loads of money out of it and is just typical of them as they are not doing anything to improve society or help communities becomes better with new and high brow perceptions
    • Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter? its been produced by Pharell Williams
    • How has the text been distributed? though social media

    Media Values and Ideology 

    • What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?                                                     It has nothing high brow and it just for banter


    Media Audiences 

    • To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics) the younger generation probably for people ages 16-25 however was taken off YouTube to nudity and 
    • What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text? People that are not so concerned about how they are portrayed, and may not have a critical opinion on contemporary matters.  
    • In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text? they may come across it on advertisements for vevo, only the censored and edited/re-filmed version is on Youtube.
    • What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience? It won 8 awards and was the number one hit song for short period of time in America.
    • What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text? Ages 15-25 young adults, may be mostly  middle class.
    • What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory). entertainment and diversion
    • How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc? I would evaluate the text, complimenting the beat camera work however I actually feel offended and even concerned about what they are portraying to the audience in terms of lyrics, female costumes in comparison to the males and also how much contribution is being put in by the females in the video.
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ignite presentations- Learner response

1) Create a new blogpost called 'Ignite presentation learner response'

significant- 5
structure- 3
simplicity- 4
rehearsal- 1
altogether= 13
  • Excellent strong opening- engaging and unusual
  • perhaps lack of rehearsal! but comedy... still disappointing
  • pace - real lack of rehearsal and therefore struggling to get into the depth of the presentation
  • section on Blurred Lines starts well but again -  not enough time to develop points
  • on the plus side, there is clearly a lot of research and expertise on this subject- and it could make a great critical investigation.
  • attempts to engage and include audience but not the time to articulate it. A shame- it could have been a good analogy.
  • nice delivery- some good comic timing. but mostly is reference to lack of rehearsal which is disappointing.
  • feminist viewpoint is passionately delivered and is by far the strongest part of the presentation- it gets an audience reaction too. 
  • superb, powerful ending- symbolic act of removing make up.  
  • Q&A- good, confident responses in some depth
2) Type up your feedback in full including the rating for significance, structure, simplicity and rehearsal. You then need to use this feedback to self-assess and write a detailed WWW and EBI for your research and presentation as a whole.

 ebi: Manage time correctly so i have more time to make my video more innovative
www: I used original techniques it was enjoyable to watch
I agree with sir, my presentation was not rehearsed enough in terms of timing, I came to know that when I was not able to get into detail and say everything I was prepared to say. However I was really happy with the detail of research I had put into my work over the summer.

3) The final aspect is a paragraph discussing how your presentation will lead into your critical investigation. Some of this may refer to your feedback (a greater focus on media debates, for example) or in rare cases you may want to change the focus of your investigation entirely.

My presentation will lead onto my critical investigation as my presentation research is in quite depth and I can enhance and insert some of it in my critical investigation. Also, through the research into the feminist response to the song, will help the analytical part of my critical investigation. The questions raised on my presentation were whether the objectified females in the video had any contribution to the way they were being presented. Additionally, an interesting question that did arise from my presentation was the 
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Critical investigation proposal

Working title


Has new technology played a part in the sexualisation /representation of women, is this something to be worried about universally?

 How have woman been represented in music videos and is this something to be worried about universally? if so, why and its affects?

  1.  representation
  2. moral panic
  3. digital revolution (historical factors)
  4. the affect of globalisation 
  5. media effects


Angle
  • The impact of the sexualisation and degradation of woman to the audience
  • The pressure on producers by the desensitised audiences
  • How woman feel about behaving and portraying them selves in a derogotory dehumanised way


Hypothesis


  • Our society (audience) has become desensitised by creating a negative image of females in the media.
  • Producers  may have been pressured into this by audience demand to keep revenue up
  • It will get worse


Linked production piece
  • Beginning of a documentary about the increasing display of hypersexuality in females and problems surround it
  • music video- either reinforcing or challenging the the norm
  • news night with special guests 
MIGRAIN
significance of mise en scene/ setting and clamps?

  1. the camera shots zooming in at girls face when she poses sensually, 
  2. facial expression towards woman, zoom in (looking in a evocative and suggestive way)
  3. red lipstick may indicate danger
  4. biting lips suggest sexual behaviour
  5. limited clothing on females compared to men suggesting dominance, making females look disrespected and unprofessional 
  6. tracking shot (showing naked woman in a specific way)
  7. close up then tilts camera to man to focus on man (Robin)
  8. camera centred to focus on woman
  9. car on females back may suggest materialism and therefore objectification

SHEP

Apply the Wider Contexts (Social, Historical, Economic, Political) to your text/topic, including at least three bullet points on each one.

 Social: 

  • The effect on young woman, their self confidence 
  • Desensitisation in society
  • degradation of woman in society may have an effect on the way both males&females treat woman.
Historical:
  • The comparison between the Shirelles mama said and others?
  • the difference/ progression 
  • what causes the difference
Economic:
  • distribution
  • money profited
Political
  • The fact that no influential politician has taken interest in the growing problem 


Issues/Debates

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using theMedia A-Z to help you think about this:
  • Representation and stereotyping- the rep of woman
  • Media effects- their image in the media 
  • Reality TV
  • News Values
  • Moral Panics- will it the sexualisation of woman in the media (music videos) get worse
  • Post 9/11 and the media
  • Ownership and control
  • Regulation and censorship
  • Media technology and the digital revolution – changing technologies in the 21st century, has it increasing the 
  • The effect of globalisation on the media

Theories

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using keywords/specific theorists' names from the Media A-Z:
  • Semiotics
  • Structuralism and post-structuralism
  • Postmodernism and its critiques
  • Gender and ethnicity
  • Marxism and hegemony
  • Liberal Pluralism
  • Colonialism and Post-colonialism
  • Audience theories
  • Genre theories
  • Contemporary Media Landscape

Explain how your study fits into this.

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)

Media texts
What your main focus will be, E.g.:

 Blurred lines

Other media texts
(at least five related examples)

hey mama -nicky menaj
fetty wap- 679
the weekend- or nah  and (female version)

TV documentaries
Miss representation Documentary 2011-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2UZZV3xU6Q

TEDX Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model. 2013-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM4Xe6Dlp0Y

woman in the media- short documentray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWpQ4V23IDo
BBC NEWS-what stands in the way of women being equal to men2014https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayj9EVc2ZLI


Academic texts/books
(a minimum of five, including author/full title/year, e.g.:)

Automatic Woman: The Representation of Woman in Surrealism: The Representation of Women in Surrealism Katharine Conley

Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry: The Social Construction of ...

 By Kristin Lieb






extra links..


 Internet Links

  1. A lack of clothes is not the problem with music videos today- http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/mar/01/music-video-lady-gaga-beyonce
  2. gender and racial inequality in music videos- http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2013/sep/02/music-video-black-women-sex-objects
  3. sexism and racism in music video's- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/08/sexism-and-racism-permeate-music-videos-new-report
  4. Feminists fall out on Rihannas 'violent, mysogynistic' video- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/04/feminists-fall-out-over-rihanna-video
  5. Miley Cyrus- does the music industry exploit women?- http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/miley-cyrus-music-business-women-sinead-oconnor
university websites/academic papers online. 

Performing Gender: A Content Analysis of Gender Display in Music Videos- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-010-9814-2




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