RESEARCH PRODUCT 1 (CeraVe) | RESEARCH PRODUCT 2 (Audi) | MY PRODUCT (Kiehl’s)  | |
| UNDERSTANDING SELF | By taking time out of your day to care for yourself, you take a break from distractions and learn to accept your identity. | By taking long, peaceful drives, the car may help you get to grips with your purpose in life. It also might be a useful mode of transportation that can take you to therapy, where you can actually begin to understand yourself. | |
| ENJOYMENT | The product feels great on your skin and makes you feel great internally as well. You feel a sense of self-love, as you know that you are caring for yourself in the best possible way. | A new flashy car no doubt brings its owner enjoyment. It also helps its owner travel to places which they may gain enjoyment. | |
| ESCAPISM | n/a | Car adverts often show people alone driving in deserted area’s. This appeals to ‘The Struggler’ who wants to escape. | |
| KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD | n/a | The car allows you to travel to new places and gain new knowledge about the world. | |
| SELF CONFIDENCE, SELF ESTEEM | CeraVe helps your skin glow and look younger, which improves your self-esteem, helping you feel great about yourself both physically and mentally. | A new car may improve your self-esteem because it makes you feel as though you’ve achieved something important in life. | |
| STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS WITH FAMILY AND/OR FRIENDS | Due to your skin feeling great you may be more likely to have the confidence to put yourself ou there in social situations and make more friends. | A new car may allow you more freedom to go out and socialise with family and friends. | |
| ANY OTHER CATEGORY OR THEME | Its primary role is to moisturise skin. | Its primary role is to take you from A to B. |
All posts by Joseph Clarke
Filters
Lasswell’s model – applied to style model
Who (Sender) – Chanel
Says what (Message) – when selling to white straight men the male model is seen as an aspirational figure (“I want to be him”). When selling to straight women and gay men the male model is seen as a potential partner (the model has sex appeal). When selling to non-white straight men, the male model is seen as less of an aspirational figure, because they can’t relate to him as well.
Channel (Medium) – magazine.
To whom (Reciever) – straight, white men + wives & girlfriends
With what effect (Feedback) – Chanel is one of the leading fragrances in the world. Their brand is extremely well known and in the years 2015-2020, they led all fragrance companies in sales.
Notes on ‘audience: theories and approaches’
Hypodermic Model (passive consumption)
Copied from Dr. McKinlay’s work:
– “Early theoretical work on the relationship (or effects) of media consumption are often traced back to Harold Lasswell, who developed the theoretical tool of ‘content analysis’ and in 1927 wrote Propaganda Technique in the World War which highlighted the brew of ‘subtle poison, which industrious men injected into the veins of a staggering people until the smashing powers . . . knocked them into submission’. “
– “As Martin Moore notes, Lasswell, as a behavioural scientist researching areas connected with political communication and propaganda, believed each government had ‘manipulated the mass media in order to justify its actions’ in World War 1.”
– “To illustrate his hypothesis, in 1948 he developed a linear model of communication, one that breaks down the line of communication from point A to point B, in which the SENDER is transferring a MESSAGE, through a MEDIUM (eg Print, radio, TV, etc) that has a direct effect on the RECEIVER.’
representation – quotes
“The issue of diversity in gaming has been a hot topic in recent years. The industry traditionally projects an image that is young, white, straight and male, but there is a growing understanding that – if only for the sake of releasing more interesting products – this has to change.” — Why Diversity Matters
“This is a really important part of representation – giving people who struggle to play games the ability to join in, and to be visible on screen.” — Why Diversity Matters
“Some may be surprised to learn that the most-active gameplaying demographic is African American teenagers: A 2015 study showed that 83% of non-Hispanic Black teenagers play video games, compared to 71% of Caucasian teenagers, with 69% of Hispanic teens not too far behind. With the high percentage of teens of color playing games, representation is incredibly important but has — at least historically — been lacking.” — Levelling Up Representation
“When people dismiss representation as a political fad, as an imposition on the creative process, as a means of ticking off lists, they are almost always doing this from a position of privilege.” — Levelling Up Representation
“Worse still are the portrayals of Muslim/Arab/Middle Eastern people, who are often relegated to the role of terrorist.” — Levelling Up Representation
“The Call of Duty franchise is one of the most popular in the world, yet it treats Muslims, Arabs, and Middle Easterners as an interchangeable monolith, despite being diverse groups of people.” — Levelling Up Representation
“Native American/Indigenous representation can be found in games like the Turok franchise, Assassin’s Creed III and Prey, but stories unique to Indigenous peoples are still too few and far between in the AAA sphere (games produced by mid-sized or major publishers).” — Levelling Up Representation
“What makes representation effective is not only visibility but ensuring that characters are included without forcing them to be tied to whatever stereotypical trauma their demographic endures.” — Levelling Up Representation
Cosmetic products – aftershave – print advetrs to use as style models
Textual Analysis – Name of product in the middle of advertisement. Image of a man sitting down with a woman sitting on his shoulder. Image of the fragrance in the bottom right-hand corner. Small text at bottom of the page.
Semiotic Analysis – Dominant signifier is of the man sitting down with a woman sitting on his shoulder. An iconic sign is of the fragrance itself. The indexical and symbolic signs are the stance that the man and woman are in, plus the clothes that they are wearing, as they imply a sexual feel to the product.
Representation – The representation in this advert is reactionary because it tries to use ‘sex’ to sell a fragrance. It does this through the stance that the man and woman are in, as well as the clothes that the woman is in. It also shows sexual tension between a heterosexual couple, rather than an lgbtq+ couple. This is reactionary because stereotypically straight couples are always shown in adverts, and lgbtq+ couples rarely receive representation in the mainstream media.
Textual Analysis – Name of product at the top left of advertisement. Large image of a shirtless man sitting down in the middle of the ad. Image of the fragrance in the bottom right-hand corner. Small text at the left bottom of the page stating who ‘discovered the fragrance + small text at the bottom right of the page.
Semiotic Analysis – Dominant signifier is of a shirtless man sitting down. An iconic sign is of the fragrance itself. The indexical and symbolic signs are the stance that the man is in. It displays power and masculinity. The name of the product is also an indexical sign because the word allure suggests that the fragrance is ‘alluring’ (defined as: powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive).
Representation – The representation in this advert is reactionary because it attempts to use the model’s conventional attractiveness to sell its fragrance. The model is shirtless, showing a hairy chest and toned body (associated with masculinity). He also has a strong jawline and sharp features which are conventionally attractive. By using this model, the fragrance is suggesting that men who use that fragrance will also look attractive and have sex appeal.
Textual Analysis – Name of product at the top right of advertisement, with slogan above it in bold text. Large image of a shirtless man riding a horse in the centre of the ad. Image of the fragrance in his hand, with water spilling out from under it. Beach + sea in the background.
Semiotic Analysis – Dominant signifier is of a shirtless man riding a white horse. An iconic sign is of the fragrance itself. The indexical and symbolic signs are the stance that the man is in.
Representation – The representation in this advert is reactionary because it attempts to use the social concept of ‘smelling masculine’ to sell its fragrance. The model is shirtless and riding a white horse. He has a cut body with defined muscles. Again, the fragrance uses a conventionally attractive model to try to sell to male consumers. However, there is a humorous element to the advert. The model is in a rather comical pose, with his hand on his hip and body in a contorted pose. The slogan is also slightly humorous stating “smell like a man, man”.
Textual Analysis – Large image of a child in the centre of an ad. Wide text of the companies slogan layered across the child’s face.
Semiotic Analysis – Dominant signifier is of a child. The indexical and symbolic sign is the slogan that the company has used “The best a man can get”.
Representation – The representation in this advert is radical because it attempts to fight toxic masculinity through representation. Usually, male fragrance companies use the social construct of ‘being a man’ to try and sell their product, however, Gillette has flipped the coin on this approach by criticising the very idea of ‘being a man’ and instead suggesting that ‘men need to be better’. The image of a child paired with this slogan creates a more emotional response for viewers, and it suggests that the way to change is through youth.
Textual Analysis – Large image of a popular celebrity (Chris Hemsworth) in the centre of the ad. Text stating company name in the top right of the ad. Picture of fragrance in the bottom right of the ad. Fragrances slogan (hashtagged) in the bottom left. Above it is the description of the fragrance. The background is of a city.
Semiotic Analysis – Dominant signifier is of a famous celebrity in a suit. The indexical and symbolic sign is the slogan that the company has used “The man of today”. An iconic sign is the fragrance itself.
Representation – The representation in this advert is reactionary because it suggests that men have to look and act a certain way to truly ‘be a man’. By using Chris Hemsworth (a stereotypically masuline man) as the fragrances model, Boss becomes part of the problem concerning body image. It suggests that men need to be ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ to really be a man. Also, by clothing him in a sharp snappy suit and photoshopping him in front of a city, the brand is again suggesting that men need to be a certain way to be accepted.
Media games cover sketch
Video game cover – media
ANALYSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIGNIFIERS AND SIGNIFIEDS IN THE TWO CSP GAMES COVERS
Answer the following question:
ANALYSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIGNIFIERS AND SIGNIFIEDS IN THE TWO CSP GAMES COVERS (as set out on this post).
This is a A level question from Paper 1 (Media One) 2020 – you can find this paper and the answer booklet by following the link on the top menu of this block. Essentially this is a 500-1000 word Semiotic analysis of two real media products You must try to include ALL of the semiotic media language that you have defined in the previous task.
Use as much of the preparatory written work that you have already completed. Think of it as a ‘cut and paste’ exercise (a bit like your Game covers) where you can construct your essay from the fragments that you have already produced.
In this essay, I am going to apply a semiotic analysis to both the Tomb Raider and Metroid video game covers. I will argue that the over-sexualisation of Lara Croft on the front cover of Tomb Raider is problematic and disrespectful to women. On the other hand, I believe that the front cover of the game Metroid Prime 2 presents its protagonist (Samus Aran) in a fairly progressive manner because her femininity is not overly pronounced in the same way that Lara Croft’s is on the front cover of Tomb Raider.
Looking specifically at Tomb Raider, the main character (and the games dominant signifier), Lara Croft has been designed in a which appeals to the sexual appetite of young, straight, male gamers. This is evident due to a number of factors (an anchorage). Firstly, she has been given a petite frame. Typically, a petite frame naturally has smaller breasts, however, Lara’s breasts have been enhanced (made larger), to make her more sexually appealing. Her skin is golden and smooth, with no cellulite or stretch marks. Her eyes, lips, and nose are all made to look stereotypically attractive, and her face shape is sharp. On the games front cover, her pose is contorted so that both her breasts and bum are visible. And, her clothing is extremely overly sexualised and impractical. Instead of wearing clothes that fit her role in the game she is wearing tight, revealing clothes that emphasise her sexuality and femininity, rather than her power and resilience. She also lacks any bruises or mud on her skin, and her hair isn’t greasy, wet, or out of place despite the fact that she is in damp, stormy conditions for the majority of the day. Also, her body seems to be bizarrely designed given her occupation. Power is a big part of her role in the game, and yet the game developers have chosen to give her a delicate, feminine frame, devoid of any masculine features such as muscles. Physically, she conforms to almost every female body standard, and this is problematic for many reasons. There is already pressure on women to live up to the rigid bodily standards set to them by modern media, which consists of big breasts, clear and hairless skin, curvy yet petite frame, strong jawline with a diamond face shape, long and thick hair, full lips, big rounded eyes, classical makeup, and small nose. Females are also expected to be cautious and carry themselves with a specialised elegance, therefore, they are not expected to have any bruises, scratches, or general imperfections. So, by designing the main female protagonist of a game marketed to malleable teenage boys as perfect (lacking any features which deviate from those aforementioned beauty standards) the game becomes part of the problem regarding the body image crisis. Now, the young men who play Tomb Raider are more likely to question why the (real) women in their lives don’t look like the perfectly crafted Lara Croft.
Continually, I think Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze Theory’ applies here. Lara Croft seems to have been created by straight men, for straight men. She seems to exist in the game as an object to be looked at, which is deeply wrong. By choosing to present Lara in this way, the game developers of Tomb Raider are essentially reducing Lara’s value as a character to her sexual appeal, rather than her personality and skills as a tomb raider. This sends a rather worrying message to young fans of the game: women exist to be viewed by men.
In addition to this, I question why it is that female protagonist’s in video games have to exude sexuality in order to generate sales. Male characters in video games are frequently shown as powerful, courageous, funny, or goofy. Whereas female characters seem to (for the most part) only be shown in one way… sexualised.
One video game where this isn’t a factor is Metroid Prime 2, which presents its female protagonist (Samus Aran) in a fairly progressive manner. Looking at the index of the front cover. Her big, imposing appearance is stereotypically masculine and portrays dominance. Her armour shows her role in the game. And her gun (a phallic symbol) shows a vital component of her personality (she is violent and dangerous). All of these features deviate from how women are conventionally portrayed in video games, and instead signify that Samus Aran is a male or gender-neutral character. Looking at negatives… there aren’t many, however, It could be argued that the game developers have accentuated her curves to establish her as a female character. But considering that (before I researched the game) I presumed Samus was a male character (for the reasons stated above)… I don’t think this argument holds weight.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the more sexualised women are in video games, the more the game sells. According to Wikipedia, Metroid Prime 2 sold just over 800,000 copies, whereas the Tomb Raider games have sold upwards of 84 million copies. I think it’s interesting to look into why this is. Are young men more likely to buy video games that present their female protagonist in a sexually appealing way? Or do they just buy the best game? I think it depends. But, there is no doubt that there is a systemic problem concerning how women are presented In video games.
Moving my focus back to Tomb Raider, there is one glaring positive concerning its portrayal of women… it avoids using its main female character as a ‘damsel in distress’. In fact, Lara Croft’s storyline is closer to the type of storyline you’d see a masculine protagonist have. She fights and discovers in a similar way to Indiana Jones. For this reason, you could argue that Tomb Raider actually has an overall positive message for young women… but, I’m not convinced. I think the concept of using a female protagonist in a discovery game is a good one, however, the execution just seems off. It feels as though the decision to have a female protagonist was driven more by voyeurism than positive representation, which (to put it lightly) is disappointing.
In conclusion, I feel that the way women are represented in the two games I studied differs fairly drastically. Tomb Raider portrays its female protagonist in a fairly reactionary way, whereas Metroid Prime 2 portrays its main female character radically.
Key Terms: Representation
Male Gaze – the perspective of a notionally typical heterosexual man considered as embodied in the audience or intended audience for films and other visual media, characterized by a tendency to objectify or sexualize women.
Voyeurism – the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.
Patriarchy – a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.
Positive and negative stereotypes – a positive stereotype refers to a subjectively favourable belief held about a social group. A negative stereotype refers to a subjectively unfavourable belief held about a social group.
Counter-types – a positive stereotype that emphasizes the positive features of a person. An example of a counter-type is that all religious people are kind.
Misrepresentation – the action of interpreting something wrongly.
Selective representation – selective representation is when some groups of people are represented more in government than others.
Dominant Ideology – the term dominant ideology denotes the attitudes, beliefs, values, and morals shared by the majority of the people in a given society.
Constructed reality – the identity which we create for ourselves.
Hegemony – leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.
Audience position – the stance of the audience to a specific piece of media.
Statement of intent – Games cover
The game I have created is a first-person role-playing game, where the video game player has complete control over the storyline of the game.
The basic premise of the game is:
After a disastrous misunderstanding with the police, Andre Baker has to flee his hometown as a fugitive. The decisions and paths he takes whilst on the run are completely up to the game player, and there are hundreds of potential endings / paths which Andre could go down, contingent on the decisions the player makes. One storyline could feature Andre becoming a hardened criminal, whereas another could feature Andre turning himself in and facing the potentially serious charges posed against him in a court case.
My target audience will be men and women aged 15-30 , who are looking for a realistic, thought-provoking playing experience which focus’ on real-world issues such as racism and police brutality. By making the main character a minority, you give non – straight, white, male gamers a more relatable player to play with. Also, it allows the makers of the game to explore more unique storylines. This would be considered a radical approach because the main characters of video games are usually straight, white, men.
The dominant signifier is a car. I made this my dominant signifier, because a car symbolises ‘freedom’ which is the title of my video game. The colour palette of my video game cover will mostly consist of blue’s and blacks