Question: Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of box acts”. In other words it is something learnt through repeated performance. How useful is this idea in understanding how gender is represented in marketing and advertising products? Refer in detail to the Close Study Products Maybelline ‘That Boss Life part 1’ and the Score hair cream advert.
Score and Maybelline offer an insight into how representation of gender has changed over time, Score being made in the 60’s and Maybelline reflecting the contemporary media landscape of 2017. Judith Butler’s statement “an identity instituted through stylized repetition of box acts” can be seen to be useful in reference to Score and Maybelline, Score offering a reactionary view of masculinity referring to the patriarchal society at the time – Score also displays a sense of cultural imperialism which may provide a sense of double consciousness to the diaspora of African-Americans. On the other hand Maybelline exhibits common conventions of the contemporary media landscape in regards to advertising, this can be seen by using Pierce’s idea of myth, Maybelline uses the myth of gold to create imagery of wealth and status which in turn conveys a sense of desire to the audience. The myth of gold is repeated in the industry as it is seen to “minimise risk while maximising sales” (Cultural Industries, David Hesmondalgh). Maybelline reflects the current state of the industry by also having radical and modern representations of masculinity with use of popular social media influencer Manny Gutierrez, which further universalises the target audience as the market and audience for the product has been seen to become more diverse in terms of gender.
“The young persons guide to conquering (and saving) the world. Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle and entertainment.”
Sister publication of Vogue, Conde Nast and advance publications
November 2 2017 print edition stops – cost cuts. Steep decline in sales since 2015, online grew significantly
‘rise resist, raise your voice’
Representations of particular groups create a young femaile identity. Focus on politics, social issues suggest a new representation of women, the audience has evolved – changed the genre, R+D – young women now expect more.
‘Campus life’ section implies an older audience, 63% gen Z/millenial – 18.5Million Audience reach.
No investors for a niche audience, context of 1980’s offered McCalla an opportunity. Barclays was being criticised for investments in south africa after segregation was institutionalised. McCalla secured £62,000, by one of MT’s initiatives so unemployed could start their own business’
Peak circulation 55k in 90’s – mostly young women.
Moved from weekly to month;y -print dying.
In we the media, Dan Gilmore (2004) argued grass roots journalists were a threat to monopolies enjoyed by big conglomerates – Shirky – mass amateurisation.
The voice will struggle to be heard by an audience of comment culture rather than long-form journalism.
Before the voice the black press in Britain targetted first-gen immigrants. The carribean times kept the diaspora up to date . The voice targets 2nd gen.
Countertype to mainstreams negative portrayal of black people .
Civil unrest 1981 – the sun front cover ‘to think this is england’. Binary Opposition (civil vs. savage). Ausience positioned to sympathise with police. Brixton Riot.
Essay answer Structure:
Intro:
How the contemporary media landscape has changed – in response to social and cultural contexts. Print dying, change to online – interactivity (new vs. old media)
CSP 1
The voice will struggle to be heard by an audience of comment culture rather than long-form journalism.
Before the voice the black press in Britain targetted first-gen immigrants. The carribean times kept the diaspora up to date . The voice targets 2nd gen.
Countertype to mainstreams negative portrayal of black people .
Civil unrest 1981 – the sun front cover ‘to think this is england’. Binary Opposition (civil vs. savage). Ausience positioned to sympathise with police. Brixton Riot.
In we the media, Dan Gilmore (2004) argued grass roots journalists were a threat to monopolies enjoyed by big conglomerates – Shirky – mass amateurisation.
CSP 2:
November 2 2017 print edition stops – cost cuts. Steep decline in sales since 2015, online grew significantly
‘rise resist, raise your voice’
Representations of particular groups create a young femaile identity. Focus on politics, social issues suggest a new representation of women, the audience has evolved – changed the genre, R+D – young women now expect more.
‘Campus life’ section implies an older audience, 63% gen Z/millenial – 18.5Million Audience reach.
Germany split into west and east. West is capitalist, modern and owned by UK. The East is communist, owned by soviet union.
The destruction of Berlin wall 1989 – the berlin wall, while dividing political standpoints was also a symbol of power.
American novelist Anna Winger and German TV producer Joerg Winger created D83. they carried out extensive research from experts of both sides of germany.
Having a german and American company produce the show positions it to exploit the national and global market. The series was offered ad-free subscription in U.S.
D83 was the firdt German-language series to air on a US network.
The public service remit for channel 4 must demonstrate innovation, creativity and appeal to a culturally diverse audience
Channel 4 is publicly owned but commercially funded. free content with ad-breaks.
Could be seen as an attempt by German media to take advantage of new openness to foreign products.
companies which are vertically and horizontally integrated (RTL–>AMC). using popular genre and conventions series already released in 2 countries ‘the killing’ success as foreign film. streaming products.
First published in 1982, The Voice newspaper is “committed to celebrating black experience” and aims to deliver “positive change” by “informing the black community on important issues”. With its news stories, in-depth interviews, opinion pieces and investigations, The Voice remains “Britain’s most successful black newspaper”.
Financing
David Hesmondhalgh believed companies involved in cultural industries were motivated by profit rather than a duty to public service broadcasting. No one was going to invest in a newspaper which targeted a niche audience unless it was going to make money. However, the social and political context of the early 1980s offered the founder of The Voice, Val McCalla, an opportunity to raise the funds needed for such a risky venture.
Barclays Bank was being heavily criticised for its investments in South Africa where racial segregation was institutionalised in a system known as apartheid. In a bit of impression management, the bank attempted to counteract the negative publicity by showing support for African-Caribbean causes.
McCalla secured £62,000 from Barclays with the backing of the Loan Guarantee Scheme which was part of a series of initiatives set up by Margaret Thatcher’s government to help unemployed people start their own business. The Voice enterprise was a success and the bank loan was paid off within five years.
The circulation of the paper peaked at 55,000 in the early 1990s with young women being a substantial majority of its weekly buyers.
Changes in Consumption
The shift in the publishing from print media to digital formats has been dramatic. Clay Shirky’s “Newspapers and Thinking he Unthinkable” is a great summary of the threat the newspaper industry faced from online competition, but you probably already know Teen Vogue is no longer available as a glossy magazine and Oh Comely sold its last copy in 2021. Inevitably, The Voice moved from weekly to monthly editions.
Production costs are generally cheaper for online newspapers compared to the traditional tabloid. After some upfront expenditure to design and build a functioning website, the main running costs are for hosting, maintenance and security.
Consumers often prefer the digital format because they can access the site at a time that suits their lifestyle and routine. There is no need to wait until next month’s edition to get the story behind the headlines.
The relationship between producers and audiences has also shifted. The publishers promote their content on various social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Most posts will direct you to the main website, but The Voice will also retweet and share posts from other institutions to increase the level of engagement with their primary audience.
Although this connection and level of interactivity is expected by digital natives, an older audience might still prefer the feel of print between their fingers.
The End of Audience
In We The Media, Dan Gillmor (2004) explored the changes in the news industry. He argued grassroots journalists were a serious threat to the monopolies enjoyed by big media conglomerates. The “official” news organisations are no longer writing the “first draft of history” because “the audience is learning how to get a better, timelier report”.
The Voice will struggle to be heard by an audience who prefer the quick and easy comment culture of social media rather than long-form journalism.
Representation
Before the introduction of The Voice, the black press in Britain targeted first-generation immigrants. Newspapers, such as The Caribbean Times and West Africa, kept the diaspora up to date about news about the old countries. The Voice was different. It wanted to publish stories which were relevant to the second generation who were born and raised in Britain.
They were eager to create a countertype to the negative portrayals of black people often represented in the mainstream media. This was particularly important after the civil unrest across England in 1981.
Was there a riot in Brixton or was it an uprising against social and economic injustice? Language matters. Consider the following front cover from The Sun:
1981 Front Page
The headline reinforces the binary opposition between the civilised England and the savage Other. The audience are positioned to sympathise with the cowering police officers who are under attack. They are almost protecting the viewer from the violence and the side-turned and torched vehicle is a strong signifier of the destruction they are trying to prevent.
The Sims FreePlay is a mobile video game where players create and manage their own virtual characters, known as Sims. You can determine their personality and customise their appearance, including their clothing, hairstyles, and facial features. Players are then tasked to fulfil the needs and desires of their characters by cooking meals, going to work, and building relationships with other Sims. Once you have designed your house, there is a store where you can purchase furniture, appliances, and other items to decorate your home and keep your Sim happy.
The game’s community is an important part of its success. You can visit and interact with other Sims, play against friends in in multiplayer competitions, and compare your scores and achievements.
Released in 2011 and still available on iOS and Android devices, this virtual town and story builder is free to play, but users are able to purchase in-game items with real money to speed up progress or unlock additional features.
Values and Ideology
Instead of poking fun at our obsession with material possessions and home comforts, The Sims FreePlay encourages the player to shop in the home store to buy more and more expensive goods. Progress is measured by the number of floors in your beach house and whether or not you have a stable for your horses.
This focus on consumerism is epitomised by the mall quests. Once you reach level 12, you can choose to start The Sunset Mall Quest and build your own centre “filled to the brim with stores, clothes and activities”. If you complete the various tasks within the time limit, you unlock the Pickle Sauce Burger Bar to enjoy burgers and milkshakes with other Sims. You can then work through the Pretty Little Planters Quest to unlock a second floor with even more ways to waste your Simoleons.
Put simply, the game reinforces a capitalist culture by normalising the desire for wealth and status.
Identity and Representation
David Gauntlett argues the media and technology play a significant role in shaping our identities and provide us with new ways to express ourselves and connect with others. For instance, the choice of skin tones available at the start of The Sims FreePlay is a recognition of the racial diversity of the audience. Although the gender options follow the simple binary of male and female, players can reject traditional gender roles when they explore the virtual world. In this way, the town will soon become a place which reflects the player’s identity and values.
Henry Jenkins suggested fandoms are social entities with distinct dimensions. The online forums provide opportunities for Simmers to develop a social community around the game where they can praise the text and protest against aspects of the gameplay. Obviously, the mode of reception for some fans is much more intense than the casual player.
Audience Profile
The 2020 survey from The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found “video games transcend age, gender and where we live” and that “there’s a game for everyone”. Interestingly, women were more likely to play games on their smartphones with a strong preference in casual games.
The survey also revealed different uses and gratifications. 55% of women in the 18-34 age group said “games help them stay connected with friends and family”. This obviously reinforces the argument audiences consume media to develop their personal relationships or, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their sense of social belonging. Competing against friends in The Sims FreePlay might also improve the player’s self-esteem because they will feel accepted by their social circle.
77% of women surveyed in 35-54 age group said they played games to “help them relax”. For women aged 55-64, games provided “mental stimulation”. These motivations are examples of diversion because they are using the games to escape the stresses and strains of the real world.
The 2020 survey from The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found “video games transcend age, gender and where we live” and that “there’s a game for everyone”. Interestingly, women were more likely to play games on their smartphones with a strong preference in casual games.
The survey also revealed different uses and gratifications. 55% of women in the 18-34 age group said “games help them stay connected with friends and family”. This obviously reinforces the argument audiences consume media to develop their personal relationships or, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their sense of social belonging. Competing against friends in The Sims FreePlay might also improve the player’s self-esteem because they will feel accepted by their social circle.
77% of women surveyed in 35-54 age group said they played games to “help them relax”. For women aged 55-64, games provided “mental stimulation”. These motivations are examples of diversion because they are using the games to escape the stresses and strains of the real world.
Genre
Although Steve Neale was describing cinema as a “signifying process”, we can also use his semiotic approach to understand how the interplay of codes creates different genres of computer games. For instance, in The Sims FreePlay, players create and modify their own avatars, including their personalities. This is in contrast to the specific characters in action-adventure games, such as Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes or Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West.
The games offer players realistic and immersive experiences their incredible settings, but their narrative structures are another notable difference. The Sims FreePlay is a life simulation game because it focuses on the he emotional and social needs of the characters which Neale might call the “process of desire”. By contrast, Samus is a bounty hunter who is wants to save the universe from the evil Ing and Aloy hunts for the source of mysterious and deadly plague to restore balance to the world. In terms of Todorov’s narrative theory, the disruptions in these stories are obviously violent.
Finally, according to Thomas Schatz, genre films are a “social force”. Since the two protagonists want to eliminate physical threats to society, we can place Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Horizon Forbidden West into the genre of order. The outcomes in The Sims FreePlay are often determined by your relationships so the game could be classified into the genre of integration.
Privacy
The developer offers its own warning of “infrequent or mild references to violence, profanity, or crude themes”. EA also draws attention to the “location detection, user generated content, advertisements” in the game which might be inappropriate for younger audiences.
In terms of privacy, the company stores some of your personal information, such as age and gender, and tracks your use of the app. They might even collect data when you access other apps and websites so they can improve their targeted advertising.
Many critics are worried about the potential for personal information to be mishandled or misused. That is why the European Union strengthened the data protection laws in all its member states in 2018 with the introduction of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The law sets out a number of rights for individuals in relation to their personal data, including the right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data. The GDPR also requires companies to implement appropriate measures to protect personal data and to report any breaches to the relevant authorities and affected individuals. Companies which fail to comply with the law can face significant fines.
Of course, all participatory media come with real world risks, especially for young and vulnerable children who may not realise the importance of keeping their personal information private.
Censorship
EA made the game unavailable in some countries in 2018 because of “regional standards”. Many users were quick to suggest the ban was implemented because of the possibility of establishing same-sex relationships in the virtual world. If you want to play the game in places such as China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, you need to use a VPN and change your location.
“The young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world. Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment.”
Teen Vogue is a sister publication to Vogue. Both of which are published by Conde Nast and advance publications
On November 2, 2017, it was announced Teen Vogue would cease its print edition and continue as an online-only publication as part of a new round of cost cuts.
Since 2015, following a steep decline in sales, the magazine cut back on its print distribution in favour of online content, which has grown significantly.
Media Language
How are the codes and conventions of a website used in the product? How are these conventions used to influence meaning? The website could be analysed in terms of:
The language of composition and layout: images, positioning, layout, typography, language and mode of address.
The genre conventions of websites will be studied and the genre approach should also include reference to the content of lifestyle websites.
The application of a semiotic approach will aid the analysis of the way in which the website creates an ideology about the world it is constructing – often to do with age, beauty and social and political issues.
Narrative in the context of online material can refer to the way that the images and the selection of stories construct a narrative about the world.
Media Representations
The choice of this online product provides a wide range of representational issues. These include the representation of the target audience of young women in the United States but also globally. The focus on representation will build on work done in the analysis of visual images and can also be used to explore target audiences and ideological readings:
Representation of particular groups (age, gender, race), construction of a young female identity.
‘Rise, Resist. Raise your Voice’ is the slogan for the website.
Who is constructing the representation and to what purpose?
The focus on politics, social issues and technology (in addition to fashion and celebrity) suggests a new representation of young women.
Analysis of the construction and function of stereotypes
Representation and news values – how do the stories selected construct a particular representation of the world and particular groups and places in it?
Defining and conceptualising New Technology
Technology is central to any Media Studies course, and is of relevance in terms of the production, distribution and consumption of news and news-gathering, as well as playing a significant role in terms of democracy, knowledge, access and truth. As a starter exercise to understand this relationship in terms of news production, create a table and see how many different technologies you can put in each box, to show which what technologies are used in each stage of the production process.
Lifestyle section contains huge amount of lists telling you what technology to buy and how it can make your life better/easier. For example the top list on the page is ’33 best tech gifts’, There is then a review on a new Imac which is simply a bit faster and is now available in colours other than the normal silver/black. The review does not mention one negative and encourages readers to buy it. Relate this to new media?
Audience
Although the brand name suggests a teenage audience, the typical Teen Vogue reader has evolved in recent years. The move to more political content has broadened the appeal and changed the genre – young women now expect more from their media.
The ‘Campus Life’ section in Lifestyle also suggests an older readership. However, the audience is still interested in celebrity content and beauty – which Teen Vogue addresses by featuring the ‘opinion leaders’ (two-step flow) of social media.
Teen Vogue: political positioning
Teen Vogue generally takes a liberal, left-wing political stance and positions its readers to become active in their support:
Pro-feminist
Pro-gender fluidity and gender identity
Supports LGBT equality
Pro-multiculturalism
Supports Black Lives Matter
Pro-environment (accepting science on climate change)
Pro-choice (abortion)
Teen Vogue: audience interaction
How does Teen Vogue encourage audience interaction?
Remember to focus on key issues around new media – privacy, knowledge, understanding, education, friendship, behaviour, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, politics, economics, employment, war, conflict, food, the environment, space, science (essentially social change)
Overview: New media always creates change (printing press, telegram etc)
Q: so how has recent technology changed (society, individuals, organisations, ideas, beliefs etc etc)
CSP 1 – show knowledge of CSP
characteristics of new media (in reference to CSP 1)
theoretical / conceptual analysis of new media (loop theory, network theory, Dunbar number, McLuhan, Krotoski)
Critically thinking about new media (Baudrillard, McLuhan, Krotoski, B. F. Skinner, Zuboff, Lanier – are all essentially critical of new media technologies. But Gauntlett, Shirky, Jenkins are all very positive about new media technologies)
CSP 2 – show knowledge
Draw parallels and conclusions
Suggest future pathways / developments
Discussion Points from The Great Hack
Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset
The Exchange of Data
Search for Truth
Behaviour Management
Propaganda / Persuasion
Regulation
Digital Behaviour management: A Threat to Democracy?
Data has now become the world most valuable asset. Social media and other platforms collect data through behaviour that can be used to predict future engagements. I has also been weaponized to wage cultural and political warfare.
Quotes: The Age of Surveillance Capitilism
“technology has begun to develop new methods of behaviour control capable of altering not just an individuals actions but his very personality and manner of thinking” Zuboff pg-322
” We decided that these would be the social norms now, and we just went for it.” -Mark Zuckerberg about releasing users personal info
New Media: means of mass communication using digital technologies such as the internet.
The Neophiliac Perspective
Neophiliacs believe that new forms of media (e.g. social media) have led to an increased amount of choice for consumers and has also led to the revitalisation of democracy and democratic engagement
To start off with I would like to prioritise the notion of CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION as a way of thinking about NEW MEDIA which can be linked to the key ideas of a media syllabus. For example,
the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
The transformation of audience consumption
In summary, this could be described as the changing nature of symbolic interaction and a lot of the work on this blog is essentially discussing this concept.
Dan Gillmor is a useful theorist to look at, you can read his book We Media by clicking on this link – provides an overview of how new media technologies have had an impact on relationship between citizens and government / institutional power.
“Mrs Thatcher and her supporters are in favour of deregulation, competition and choice”- Seaton
The peacock report (richard collins 2009)
ghost town can be seen to exhibit postmodern qualities as the specials question Margaret Thatcher, and do this by criticising the Britain she has created. This idea is seen to be evident as the specials make attempts to have the buildings/city symbolic of her and her supporters. Ghost town – alienation. BBC and Thatchers views opposing, possibly created
