Representation- The way in which people, events and ideas are presented to the audience.
Stereotypes- Media institutions use stereotypes because the audience will instantly understand them.
Think of stereotypes as
a 'visual short cut'. They are used so frequently that we believe they
are normal or true.
Archetypes-The ultimate stereotype.
Counter-types-A representation that challenges the typical stereotype of a person, place or group of people.
Gatekeepers-any person who is
involved in a media production with the power to make decisions about
what the audience are allowed to read, hear and see or not see. For example a newspaper editor has the final say on what is shown in the newspaper, and of course what isn't shown. He will also decide the order of the newspaper, the pictures shown and the title's of the different pieces.
Media moguls- The people who have the
final say on what the audience see, chose the final
representation. Gatekeepers answer to them. For example the owner of the newspaper will view what the editor (gatekeeper) thinks should be presented and then either agree or disagree.
Media consumers- The audience.
When analysing representation we have to take into consideration the following things:
Who?- Is being represented? Is the preferred audience for the representation?
What?- Are they doing? Is their activity presented as typical (normal) or atypical (abnormal)? Do they conform to genre expectations or other conventions?
Why?- Are they present? What purpose do they serve?
Where?- Are they? How are they framed? Are they presented as artificial or natural? What surrounds them? What is in the foreground, what is in the background?
Example- The media can choose to represent anyone in any light they please. For example the main who was the catalyst for the London riots. There are different pictures published that portray him in complete opposite ways. One is of him holding a baby at a wedding or christening, he is smiling and looks friendly and approachable, the other is of him making what appear to be gang gestures, he looks more serious and unapproachable.
Theory-
The Male Gaze-The cinema apparatus of Hollywood cinema puts the audience in a masculine subject position by presenting the women on the screen as an object of desire. Protagonists tended to be men. Mulvey suggests two distinct modes of male gaze- 1) Voyeuristic - women as whores, 2) Fetishistic- women as unreachable Madonna's. Also narcissistic women will tend to see reflections of themselves on screen.
Richard Dyer- He argues that how we are seen comes determins how we are treated and how we treat others based on how we see them. He believes that stereotypes come down to power. Those who dont have power are stereotypes by those who don't.
Roland Barthes- His theory is looks closely at the idea of mythology, usually in the regards to people and places. This suggests that the media often gives us mythic representations or a fairy-tale portrayel or a particular place or person.
When analysing representation we have to take into consideration the following things:
Who?- Is being represented? Is the preferred audience for the representation?
What?- Are they doing? Is their activity presented as typical (normal) or atypical (abnormal)? Do they conform to genre expectations or other conventions?
Why?- Are they present? What purpose do they serve?
Where?- Are they? How are they framed? Are they presented as artificial or natural? What surrounds them? What is in the foreground, what is in the background?
Example- The media can choose to represent anyone in any light they please. For example the main who was the catalyst for the London riots. There are different pictures published that portray him in complete opposite ways. One is of him holding a baby at a wedding or christening, he is smiling and looks friendly and approachable, the other is of him making what appear to be gang gestures, he looks more serious and unapproachable.
Theory-
The Male Gaze-The cinema apparatus of Hollywood cinema puts the audience in a masculine subject position by presenting the women on the screen as an object of desire. Protagonists tended to be men. Mulvey suggests two distinct modes of male gaze- 1) Voyeuristic - women as whores, 2) Fetishistic- women as unreachable Madonna's. Also narcissistic women will tend to see reflections of themselves on screen.
Richard Dyer- He argues that how we are seen comes determins how we are treated and how we treat others based on how we see them. He believes that stereotypes come down to power. Those who dont have power are stereotypes by those who don't.
Roland Barthes- His theory is looks closely at the idea of mythology, usually in the regards to people and places. This suggests that the media often gives us mythic representations or a fairy-tale portrayel or a particular place or person.