PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM
I suggest you look at this post of mine about Media Language to make sure that you understand what it means ie it is much more than spoke or written communication and is specific to each media form.
Make sure you analysis is focused on MEDIA LANGUAGE and REPRESENTATION. Try to make some insightful points rather than stating the obvious, for example, discuss the use of semiotics, the notion of preferred reading and the concept of self-identity in Modernity (Giddens – see below).
- The way the media through re-presentation constructs versions of reality
- How and why stereotypes can be used positively and negatively
- The processes which lead media producers to make choices about how to represent social groups
- How audience responses to interpretations of media representations reflect social, cultural and historical attitudes
- The effect of social and cultural contexts on representations
- Theories of representation including Hall
- Theories of identity including Gauntlett
Therefore make sure you are confident in this area and to test your knowledge can you present a comparison between this CSP and one other CSP that we have looked at so far. Again think about how you wish to organise your ideas and feedback your presentation. Or as part of your revision you could complete this mini mock?
If this topic comes up in the exam you can expect your question to be based around discussion of the Maybelline advert mainly on representation of gender, age, ethnicity and lifestyle with opportunities for direct comparison with other advertising CSPs.
REPRESENTATION, REFLEXIVITY AND MODERNITY
Read this extract from a book called Modernity and Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, written by Anthony Giddens.
here is an edited version:
“The reflexive project of the self, which consists of the sustaining of consistent, yet continuously revised, biographical narratives, takes place in the context of multiple choice as filtered through abstract systems. In modern social life, the notion of lifestyle takes on a particular significance. The more tradition loses it hold, and the more daily life is reconstituted . . . the more individuals are forced to negotiate lifestyle choices among a diversity of options. Of course there are standardising influences . . . Yet because of the ‘openess’ of social life today, the pluralisation of contexts of action and the diversity of ‘authorities’, lifestyle choice is increasingly important in the constitution of self-identity and daily activity.”
Can you translate some of his ideas? For example, what is reflexivity? If you need more help you can read this post from my own blog: Representation, Identity & Self
Non-Binary, Intersex, CIS and . . .
Once you have thought about this, think about the concept of a ‘non binary identity’. Follow this link to find out more. What does this mean to you? How do you feel about it? What about the concept of CIS? Or Intersex? Do these concepts help you to understand the idea behind the Maybelline marketing campaign?Again discuss this with your group of friends, make notes and be prepared to feedback to the rest of the class.
Ayesha Tan Jones is a non-binary artist and musician who goes by the stage name ‘YaYaBones’
So how is the traditional male representation adjusting to this new world from the perspective of Advertising & Marketing?