Who are the major players in terms of news providers in the UK and what exactly do they own? ...


News Corp- Rupert Murdock

News of The World
The Sun
The Sunday Times
News International
Rotten Tomatoes
BSKYB


Independant Broadcasting Authority...

Independant Television Authority - Kenneth Clark

ITV
ITV2
TWW

Post Feminism & Popular Culture...







"post-feminism permits the close examination of a number of intersecting but also conflicting currents"

"examine shifts of direction in the feminist academy"
















"the image had such a textbook “sexist ad” dimension that one could be
forgiven for supposing some familiarity with both cultural studies and with feminist
critiques of advertising"

"taking feminism into account by showing it to be a thing of the past, by provocatively 'enacting sexism'"





"this is a self-consciously 'sexist ad'"

"Feminism is 'taken into account,' but only to be shown to be no longer necessary"















"the repudiation of a feminism invoked only to be summarily dismissed"

"As a mark of a post-feminist identity young women journalists refuse to condemn the
enormous growth of lap dancing clubs despite the opportunities available for them to do so across the media"

http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/human/women/students/biblio/historiog/McRobbie%20-%20postfeminism.pdf

FAQ: What is "Post-Feminism"?

What the hell is postfeminism, anyway? I would think it would refer to a time when complete gender equality has been achieved. That hasn’t happened, of course, but we (especially young women) are supposed to think it has. Postfeminism, as a term, suggests that women have made plenty of progress because of feminism, but that feminism is now irrelevant and even undesirable because it has made millions of women unhappy, unfeminine, childless, lonely, and bitter, prompting them to fill their closets with combat boots and really bad India print skirts.

- this is suggesting that the era of supposedly 'post feminsism' cannot be defined as so, as the goals put forth by feminism has not been achieved as much as we have been led to believed. Leaving women to be forced to change in order to still gain equaility to men.


I’ve come accross the term used in the way Lurker describes, similarly, in academic circles, and for academic reasons I don’t think anyone should use it. The problem lies in the ambiguity of the prefix “post”, because post can mean since something commenced OR since something concluded. So, while technically a “post-feminist society” could mean a society since feminism began to be an influence, there will always be people who think you mean since feminism ended.

- this suggests that people believe that the confusion and different views on post feminism may be due to the misinterpreted view on the word 'post', either whether feminism has finished or whether it is just beginning.


It’s about deeply held political convictions, not to mention strategy. If there’s a wad of people out there extolling postfeminism and meaning “I think feminism is flawed and I’d like to see some goal-shifting, fresh tactics, and revisiting of contentious topics,” this isn’t just an issue of what’s going on in a speech group that doesn’t overlap with mine. It’s about defending feminism’s ground. Feminism is already doing the work that these (as I have come to think of them) non-evil postfeminists think comes with their prefix. And it’s beyond obvious that feminism suffers from its terrible reputation and from the vast misunderstandings that stunning numbers of people still have about it (no matter how many times it happens, I will never, ever get used to being asked if I hate men). I can’t help but see even the non-evil usage of “postfeminism” as a rejection of and attack on feminism, and an implication that the movement is finished. And that means I need to challenge it at every turn.

- this suggests that she believes the idea of being labelled as a feminist comes with many negative connotations percieved by society, such as burning bra's and the hatred of men, etc.


In raising these questions, I am only at the beginning of figuring out what a more positive kind of post-feminist account of religion and family might look like, and so have no compelling summary to offer, let alone a call to a specific research agenda. In my own work, I do want to take some feminist insights for granted. But I explicitly reject the idea that strong feminist critiques have had their day and must now give way gracefully to approaches that favor a consensual and functional, or even communitarian, interpretation of the good society. I am feeling more combative, or at least constructively critical, about theories that neatly divide society into a “public” and a “private” realm, while systematically devaluing those feminine things (religion, family) assigned to the private (cf., Warner 1999). I am not sure where it will lead, but it feels right to begin pushing back the boundaries of post-feminism by asking a different set of questions.

- this is suggesting that Penny Becker believes that she cannot accept such categorised beliefs.

Bianca's Essay- Highlighting Key phrases

The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.

Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.

The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.

Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.

Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.

In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.

Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.

A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.

The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.

Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.

In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.

In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.

Half Term HW - Case Study Questions...

1.
What group of people or place you will be studying the representation of, and on which platform(s)
The group of people i will be study are homosexuals within the media, i will be mostly looking at broadcast.

2.
Why have you chosen this topic and why do you think it will be a rich area of study?
I chose this area to study, becuase i have usually thought that homosexuals in the past have often been portrayed as negative, and it will be interesting to see how the contemporary media landscape now portrays them.

3.
Identify at least 3 media texts that you will use as your primary sources (e.g. a specific newspaper, TV programme, film, magazine, website...)
- Ugly Betty
- Skins
-

4.
List the theorists who are relevant for your study (choose from: Gaye Tuchman; David Gauntlett; Laura Mulvey; Judith Butler; Stuart Hall; Antonio Gramsci; Anthony Giddens; Manuel Alvarado; Nick Lacey; Richard Dyer; Marshall MsLuhan; Theodor Adorno.)


5.
What have your chosen theorists written about your topic area? Include quotations and comment on their connection to your topic area.

Media Conference

Chewing Gum For The Brain

'Dumbing Down' English
- using media sauces such as 'Thw Simpsons' is dumbing down core subjects such as english

Tories to tackle Media Studies menaca
- hard & soft subjects
taking soft subjects by those from less fortunate backgrounds gives them false hope

A Trendy Travesty
- Micky Mouse Subjects
'Dons despair as students spum science in favour of 'media studies' It wont get you a job
'students mislead over jobs in the media'
-not a vocational enough subject - contradictory ideas

Literature against pop culture
-Frank Leavis - seen as radical and faced a lot of criticism trying to get to learn English Lit
-Queenie - suggest trying to point negativity of pop culture so move on to literature

Media Literacy - The Great Crusade
-saving innocent kids from violence, tobacco, alochol, sex and obesity



Online Media

Democracy
-Tony Benn and Online Media making society more democratic

Convergence
- Jon Kinsbury 'were really talking about a converged interactive media society'
- converged media more interactive- more democratic ?

Micheal Wesche
- young generation organising difference to older generation - new democracy, ever changing

Perfecting Your Production Work

Research
- conventions, audiences, institutions
- looking at real examples

Planning
- plan for what could have gone wrong
- record all your planning - visuals
- show the process of your 'journey'

Blogging
- keep record of the process of projects journey

Evidence
- storyboards

Ideas
- keep ideas simple
- have a workable concept with realistic plans
- try the 25 word pitch

Feedback
- peers, teachers
- keep records of feedback

Logistics
- people, place, props, costumes
- get it done early- you may need to do it again
- rehearse and prepare
- share contact details to those involved

Representation Of Women - Positively

Chanel Avdert, With Keira Knightly ...


The Chanel advert advertising the new purfume, protrays women positively as Keira Knightly is not placed in a sterotypical setting or carrying out stereotypical duties as a woman is thought to of, such as a homemaker or catering for the male species. Knightly also doesnt carry the expected looks such a long hair, a big size chest, and tanned skin.
Although there are some nude scenes, they are carried out tatefully by using close ups of her body such as face and neck, feet and ankles.
Having the protagonist wearing red connotes passion, love and romace, suggestion that she is exciting and full of life, something that a man would lust after. Using a long shot of Kiera with mirrors that duplicates her showes how much power she holds over the man, connoting that she had numeous weaponds to suduce and keep hold of him. The red also makes her stand out in the crowd, in the long shot used, connoting how significant she is, that she is the most important person in the whole advert.
The close up of Knightly laughing shows her awareness of her sucess at seducting the male character, connoting her as clever and cunning, a more powerful representation than others usually seen on TV.
As the ad draws to an end, the final long shot of her walking away from the camera, shows her independance as a woman, as she has had her fun with the man, yet she doesnt need him to stay with her.

Reprensentation of Women in Adverts

GHD - The Gospel


GHD's the gospel advert, advertising hair straightners and the rules that comes with them, definatly portays women negatively. As there are scantily clad women fighting eachother, reflecting male fantasies, thought of as 'girl on girl action' portraying them as sex objects.
This idea is highlighted as there is a high angle shot of a woman being thrown on a couch, making her seem vulnerable, and being controlled. Opposing to a shot of low angle shot of a good looking male, connoting that he is powerful and in contol, enforcing the idea of women being subordinated by men.
Most of the actions, that are supposedly not to be carried out by the women, are done behind eacchpthers back, such as, stealing thier men, borrowing thier straightners without asking, and also a voodoo doll, connoting that women are bitchy and do not havt the courage to do these things to thier faces. Making women seen as fake and not at all capable of frienship, especially with other good looking women, as they are in constand competition with each other, whether it is for who looks for the best, or for the best man.
Although the dialogue suggests the women as being poweful, 'thou shall never use yours, to make wealthy old men with weak hearts, fall in love with you', they are not using thier brains to do the work, they are simply relying on looks themselves, as if that is the only thing women have going for them.
This advert purely suggests that looks are the one factor women have, not that beauty is an add on to what they already have, it continues to portray women in a negative light.

Media Guardian...

Media Guardian 100 is a list of the most powerful people in the indusrty.

The Panellist are Lord Waheed Ali, Daisy McAndrew,
Jamie Kantrowitz, Richard Park, Sarah Sands, James Scroggs, Janine Gibson, Matt Wells. Out of the 8 judges, 4 are woman therefore the gender of the panel is balanced.

19 females are on the list of 100...19%

Companies they work for include; BBC, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Grazia, Vogue, Kudos Productions, Sunday Telegraph, Shine, Pearson, ITV, Trinity Mirror, Channel Five, The Sun.

The Interent Research

The Internet:
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide
- Wikipedia

Selling product to consumers through a website over the Internet
- market maker

Internets - "Internets" is a Bushism-turned-catchphrase used humorously to portray the speaker as ignorant about the Internet or about technology in general, or as having a provincial or folksy attitude toward technology
- George W Bush

The internet is used widely throughout the world in various different ways, and means different things to diverse people. Such as the basis of a company, having up to date news from around the world and keeping in touch with family anf friends.

The Internet- Mini Movie