2) Consider the view that the current representation of teenagers is simply another 'moral panic'. (12 marks)
The representation of teenagers in the trailer for the video game 'Bully' can be seen to be a moral panic, as the game perpetuates the stereotype of teenage boys to be rebellious and deviant. The representation of the protagonist may result in audiences having oppositional readings to the text, as teenage boys who play the game may be injected with ideologies that creating mayhem in school is acceptable. As well as this, teenagers in the game can be referred to as folk devils, as stated by Stan Cohen, as the game condones violence and havoc in a school setting. The title 'Bully' connotes rebellion and disorder and may allow audiences such as adults to have negative views towards the game, as it promotes disorder and may result in the teenage male audience being dumbed down by playing the game.
Similarly, the trailer for the Channel 4 programme 'Skins' constructs negative representations of teenagers, and can be signified as a moral panic, as teenagers indulge in immoral behaviour such as smoking , drinking alcohol, doing drugs and other unethical behaviour. The fact that the producers construct these representations of teenagers may result in a moral panic, as an adult audience may feel that the programme promotes teenagers to be antisocial and irrational. The montage of teenagers smoking, drinking alcohol and having same sex relationships may result in adults gaining negative views about teenagers , as they can be corrupted by society and be influenced by the media. The adult audience may also have oppositional readings towards the text, as the teenage audience who predominately watch the show are being dumbed down, as it fails to teach them about the risks of smoking, alcohol and under age relationships.
However, certain representations of teenagers in the media, such as Glee and Eastenders can not be seen to be a moral panic, as these alternative representations of teenagers signify how teenagers are not violent and deviant. In Eastenders, Tamwar Masood is constructed as a stereotypical teenage Muslim boy who is an academic and is family orientated. Therefore, this alternative representation shows the audience that teenagers are successful and not entirely bad. The hit US television drama, Glee also constructs positive representations of teenagers who are willing to become confident through music. By having these alternative representations, audiences are urged to have positive views towards teenagers, who desire to be successful and not deviant, as seen in the trailers for Skins and Bully.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Media Studies Mock Revision
Task 1
1) Compare and contrast the representation of teenagers in the two texts.
(8 marks)
The representation of teenagers in the video game trailer for Bully is negative, as teenage boys in particular are objectified as being social deviants, as signified by the way the main character is dressed, with his shirt tucked out and by the way he talks. The use of medium shots of the 'bully' harassing school kids and creating havoc in the science laboratory injects messages into the audience that teenage boys are wild and troublesome. In many ways, an adult audience may have oppositional readings to the text, as it condones trouble and violence. By playing the game, teenage boys are injected with ideologies that creating havoc and being rebellious is acceptable. The teenage male audience for this game may reenact scenes from the game, such as the character using a slingshot at students and using the fire extinguisher at other students in order to harass them.
Likewise, in the trailer for Skins, teenagers are objectified as being rebellious, as signified by the montage which includes close up shots of teenagers smoking, having same sex relationships. In effect, the trailer may result in a moral panic, as adults may have oppositional readings to what the programme Skins actually mediates, as teenagers may be influenced by what they see and can adopt habits such as smoking, which could be harmful to their health. In many ways, the trailer may result in different audiences such as adults gaining negative views towards teenagers, as they are constructed to be rebellious and folk devils , as coined by Stan Cohen. In contrast to the trailer for Bully, the producers of Skins may be educating other audiences on teenage life and construct fairer representations of teenagers in order to signify how teenage life if about experimenting and being troublesome.
Across both texts, teenagers are negatively represented as being rebellious and deviant, as the trailer for the video game Bully constructs teenagers as being troublesome and deviant, as they can be liberal in what they do , for example the protagonist can use a fire extinguisher to harass other students and can cause mayhem in classrooms. Similarly, the trailer for Skins perpetuates a negative representation of teenagers, as they are more rebellious in the way they act and the fact that they can smoke, do drugs and have same sex relationships at a young age. The representation of teenagers in both texts may result in a moral panic, as adults may feel that teenagers are corrupted by society and are injected with ideologies that experimenting with drugs, causing mayhem and having relationships with members of the same sex is acceptable.
1) Compare and contrast the representation of teenagers in the two texts.
(8 marks)
The representation of teenagers in the video game trailer for Bully is negative, as teenage boys in particular are objectified as being social deviants, as signified by the way the main character is dressed, with his shirt tucked out and by the way he talks. The use of medium shots of the 'bully' harassing school kids and creating havoc in the science laboratory injects messages into the audience that teenage boys are wild and troublesome. In many ways, an adult audience may have oppositional readings to the text, as it condones trouble and violence. By playing the game, teenage boys are injected with ideologies that creating havoc and being rebellious is acceptable. The teenage male audience for this game may reenact scenes from the game, such as the character using a slingshot at students and using the fire extinguisher at other students in order to harass them.
Likewise, in the trailer for Skins, teenagers are objectified as being rebellious, as signified by the montage which includes close up shots of teenagers smoking, having same sex relationships. In effect, the trailer may result in a moral panic, as adults may have oppositional readings to what the programme Skins actually mediates, as teenagers may be influenced by what they see and can adopt habits such as smoking, which could be harmful to their health. In many ways, the trailer may result in different audiences such as adults gaining negative views towards teenagers, as they are constructed to be rebellious and folk devils , as coined by Stan Cohen. In contrast to the trailer for Bully, the producers of Skins may be educating other audiences on teenage life and construct fairer representations of teenagers in order to signify how teenage life if about experimenting and being troublesome.
Across both texts, teenagers are negatively represented as being rebellious and deviant, as the trailer for the video game Bully constructs teenagers as being troublesome and deviant, as they can be liberal in what they do , for example the protagonist can use a fire extinguisher to harass other students and can cause mayhem in classrooms. Similarly, the trailer for Skins perpetuates a negative representation of teenagers, as they are more rebellious in the way they act and the fact that they can smoke, do drugs and have same sex relationships at a young age. The representation of teenagers in both texts may result in a moral panic, as adults may feel that teenagers are corrupted by society and are injected with ideologies that experimenting with drugs, causing mayhem and having relationships with members of the same sex is acceptable.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Media Studies Mock Revision
Media Issues and Debates
Post 9/11 and the media
What are the issues raised regarding the representation of ethnic minority groups?
In the media, ethnic minorities are marginalised by the hegemonic elite across platforms such as broadcast, print and the e media. In many television shows, ethnic minorities are constructed as token characters, such as Glee, Eastenders and often are subordinated in order to signify the dominant white male character, as seen with many American teenage films, such as High School Musical, Juno etc.
In regards to the print platform, many right wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail, The Daily Express often stigmatise and marginalise ethnic minorities, as evident in the Daily Mail's article 'Black drug offenders are 'eight times more likely to be jailed than whites'. This article creates a moral panic in the audience, as they are inject with ideologies that black men are dangerous and are often misrepresented as being criminals. Similar articles representing black men in a similar way may cause the audience to gain certain views about black people being criminals, most of which may be false , hence this group may be signified as folk devils who violate societal values of self control, as coined by Stan Cohen.
Likewise, ethnic minorities are also objectified in television programmes such as 'Crimewatch', where black men, pakistanis and other ethnic groups are represented as being deviant and troublesome. By marginalising the ethnic minorities in this way, the hegemonic elite are able to inject ideologies into the audience that ethnic minorities are deviants. Similarly, ethnic minorities on this show are accurately represented as being criminals, in order to cause fear in the audience, who may have oppositional readings to criminals and a negotiated reading with the producers of the show, as they are trying to detain these social deviants.
In the same way, the media has become Islamaphobic following the 9/11 attacks and has therefore subordinated muslims as being 'folk devils' as suggested by Stan Cohen. Across the print and broadcast platform, muslims are represented as being evil , as signified in the film Four Lions, where the four muslims desire to be suicide bombers and are driven to cause destruction. Evidently, in tabloid newspapers such as The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard and the Sun, muslims are demonised and subordinated by the elite. The fact that these newspapers are mainly right wing could signify how the white elite want to subordinate this ethnic group in order to stay in power.
Post 9/11 and the media
What are the issues raised regarding the representation of ethnic minority groups?
In the media, ethnic minorities are marginalised by the hegemonic elite across platforms such as broadcast, print and the e media. In many television shows, ethnic minorities are constructed as token characters, such as Glee, Eastenders and often are subordinated in order to signify the dominant white male character, as seen with many American teenage films, such as High School Musical, Juno etc.
In regards to the print platform, many right wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail, The Daily Express often stigmatise and marginalise ethnic minorities, as evident in the Daily Mail's article 'Black drug offenders are 'eight times more likely to be jailed than whites'. This article creates a moral panic in the audience, as they are inject with ideologies that black men are dangerous and are often misrepresented as being criminals. Similar articles representing black men in a similar way may cause the audience to gain certain views about black people being criminals, most of which may be false , hence this group may be signified as folk devils who violate societal values of self control, as coined by Stan Cohen.
Likewise, ethnic minorities are also objectified in television programmes such as 'Crimewatch', where black men, pakistanis and other ethnic groups are represented as being deviant and troublesome. By marginalising the ethnic minorities in this way, the hegemonic elite are able to inject ideologies into the audience that ethnic minorities are deviants. Similarly, ethnic minorities on this show are accurately represented as being criminals, in order to cause fear in the audience, who may have oppositional readings to criminals and a negotiated reading with the producers of the show, as they are trying to detain these social deviants.
In the same way, the media has become Islamaphobic following the 9/11 attacks and has therefore subordinated muslims as being 'folk devils' as suggested by Stan Cohen. Across the print and broadcast platform, muslims are represented as being evil , as signified in the film Four Lions, where the four muslims desire to be suicide bombers and are driven to cause destruction. Evidently, in tabloid newspapers such as The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard and the Sun, muslims are demonised and subordinated by the elite. The fact that these newspapers are mainly right wing could signify how the white elite want to subordinate this ethnic group in order to stay in power.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Section A Exam Questions
3. There are always concerns about new technology. In your view, what are the possible benefits and problems attached to social networking, particularly on the Internet? ( 12 marks)
In regards to social networking on the Internet, there are many benefits and problems which make social networking a balanced platform in the media. Moreover it can be convincingly argued that social networking poses benefits to the audience, as they can make friends, join pages and groups and can interact with the content, such as question polls and can be liberal in what they post, comment and do on their social networking profiles. Yet, social networking does also have its problems, in that paedophiles and rapists can stalk young girls and prey on children. As well as this, other concerns may be that accounts such as Facebook accounts can be hacked and fraud could occur. Many sceptics of social network also argue that it dumbs down the audience and is a place where users mindlessly stare at a screen for long periods of time and are narcissistic, as they take pictures of themselves and take pride in themself.
Firstly, one such problem of social networking would that it is a platform for paedophiles and rapists to prey on their victims, as users openly share their contact information therefore allowing paedophiles and rapists to target young girls who are vulnerable . As seen with cases where grown men have stalk young girls into having sex on sites such as Facebook.
Another problem surrounding social networking would be that it allows fraudsters and hackers to infiltrate users' information, as public Facebook accounts which have less security allow anyone to have access to the users' contact details, such as name, email address, location and date of birth. In effect, this breach of security may result in a moral panic, as the audience would be unable to trust sites, where the security is not not safe.
Most importantly, it can also be argued that social networking is a social problem, as parents may have oppositional readings to these sites, as children may be hooked to these sites and may spend a lengthy amount of time on Facebook for example. By spending a long time on Facebook, the audience may feel that social networking is dumbing down audiences such as teenagers, as they are more concerned with what their friends are commenting and actually spend less time reading books or studying.
In other ways, social networking is a problem for young children, as they may be susceptible to cyber bullying and could be taunted and bullied online. The bullies may insult their victims through hateful messages and embarrassing secrets and could therefore be a concern for children and parents,who may feel that social networking sites are unsafe.
In contrast, social networking has its advantages, as the audience can interact with other users and create their own account where they can comment on what they are thinking and can send pictures, videos and URL links to friends. As well as this, social networking is also effective, as the audience are able to interact with celebrities, as evident with Twitter. Therefore, the barrier between celebrities and the audience is lifted, thus making the relationship more accessible. Social networking may be beneficial to the audience, as they can gain an insight into themselves by joining groups and pages which may teach them something. The audience can also gain greater self esteem , as they can join groups and comment on what they think, feel etc.
Alongside this, the audience can also benefit from social networking, as they can form relationships by joining dating groups and can attend events where they can meet new people. The audience can also follow celebrities on Twitter and converse with them , thus making the celebrity/audience relationship more close. As well as this, the audience may use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for surveillance , as well as communication, as they can chat to friends via Facebook chat and can also post up comments and chat to people across the world. The audience can also benefit by liking and joining fan pages of news companies such as The BBC and Sky Sports on Fcaebook and can follow these pages and be inundated with the latest news and sport headlines. Moreover, the audience can also use social networking for diversion, as they can play games on Facebook, for example Mindjolt Games and can play endorsed games such as Mafia Wars which has proven to be a global gaming hit.
By having a Facebook, Twitter or Myspace account, audiences can talk to and interact with users around the world and share similar interests with people around the world. By having photos, videos, and comments, the audience can also see what other users have on their profiles and can emulate them and join different groups and like different pages.
Notably, social networking sites has many benefits which may be useful to business and companies , as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace allows companies to sell and advertise their products. Evidently, Orange may advertise their mobile phone contract packages on the Facebook homepage, in order to attract a teenage demographic. As well as this, other companies may use keywords which have been entered by the audience in their profiles to target specific products at the audience, such as football boots. The advertising on Facebook may often lead to competing interests from different companies who may try to compete to sell their product and gain ad space on sites and become recognised.
In regards to social networking on the Internet, there are many benefits and problems which make social networking a balanced platform in the media. Moreover it can be convincingly argued that social networking poses benefits to the audience, as they can make friends, join pages and groups and can interact with the content, such as question polls and can be liberal in what they post, comment and do on their social networking profiles. Yet, social networking does also have its problems, in that paedophiles and rapists can stalk young girls and prey on children. As well as this, other concerns may be that accounts such as Facebook accounts can be hacked and fraud could occur. Many sceptics of social network also argue that it dumbs down the audience and is a place where users mindlessly stare at a screen for long periods of time and are narcissistic, as they take pictures of themselves and take pride in themself.
Firstly, one such problem of social networking would that it is a platform for paedophiles and rapists to prey on their victims, as users openly share their contact information therefore allowing paedophiles and rapists to target young girls who are vulnerable . As seen with cases where grown men have stalk young girls into having sex on sites such as Facebook.
Another problem surrounding social networking would be that it allows fraudsters and hackers to infiltrate users' information, as public Facebook accounts which have less security allow anyone to have access to the users' contact details, such as name, email address, location and date of birth. In effect, this breach of security may result in a moral panic, as the audience would be unable to trust sites, where the security is not not safe.
Most importantly, it can also be argued that social networking is a social problem, as parents may have oppositional readings to these sites, as children may be hooked to these sites and may spend a lengthy amount of time on Facebook for example. By spending a long time on Facebook, the audience may feel that social networking is dumbing down audiences such as teenagers, as they are more concerned with what their friends are commenting and actually spend less time reading books or studying.
In other ways, social networking is a problem for young children, as they may be susceptible to cyber bullying and could be taunted and bullied online. The bullies may insult their victims through hateful messages and embarrassing secrets and could therefore be a concern for children and parents,who may feel that social networking sites are unsafe.
In contrast, social networking has its advantages, as the audience can interact with other users and create their own account where they can comment on what they are thinking and can send pictures, videos and URL links to friends. As well as this, social networking is also effective, as the audience are able to interact with celebrities, as evident with Twitter. Therefore, the barrier between celebrities and the audience is lifted, thus making the relationship more accessible. Social networking may be beneficial to the audience, as they can gain an insight into themselves by joining groups and pages which may teach them something. The audience can also gain greater self esteem , as they can join groups and comment on what they think, feel etc.
Alongside this, the audience can also benefit from social networking, as they can form relationships by joining dating groups and can attend events where they can meet new people. The audience can also follow celebrities on Twitter and converse with them , thus making the celebrity/audience relationship more close. As well as this, the audience may use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for surveillance , as well as communication, as they can chat to friends via Facebook chat and can also post up comments and chat to people across the world. The audience can also benefit by liking and joining fan pages of news companies such as The BBC and Sky Sports on Fcaebook and can follow these pages and be inundated with the latest news and sport headlines. Moreover, the audience can also use social networking for diversion, as they can play games on Facebook, for example Mindjolt Games and can play endorsed games such as Mafia Wars which has proven to be a global gaming hit.
By having a Facebook, Twitter or Myspace account, audiences can talk to and interact with users around the world and share similar interests with people around the world. By having photos, videos, and comments, the audience can also see what other users have on their profiles and can emulate them and join different groups and like different pages.
Notably, social networking sites has many benefits which may be useful to business and companies , as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace allows companies to sell and advertise their products. Evidently, Orange may advertise their mobile phone contract packages on the Facebook homepage, in order to attract a teenage demographic. As well as this, other companies may use keywords which have been entered by the audience in their profiles to target specific products at the audience, such as football boots. The advertising on Facebook may often lead to competing interests from different companies who may try to compete to sell their product and gain ad space on sites and become recognised.
Section A Exam Questions
2. Consider the view that the current press treatment of teenagers is simply another 'moral panic' (12 marks)
In both of the texts, the press often treat teenagers in a negative way, as The Metro front page features a moral panic, as teenagers have access to social networking sites such as Myspace and UGC sites such as Youtube, whereby they can reach to a wider teenage audience. However, the Daily Mail article treats teenagers in a less threatening way, as it explores how teenagers who join gangs are often neglected by their families and therefore resort to joining gangs in order to 'fit into the crowd' and be associated with people who understand them.
The front page of the Metro which was published on 21 February 2007 signifies the treatment of teenagers as a moral panic, as they use the Internet to advertise and recruit members into their gang. By posting videos of teenagers with firearms, drugs and fast cars, other audiences may be injected with ideologies that teenagers are a 'threat' and a 'menace' to society , as they are embedded with pluralistic and liberal values and are part of a moral panic, as they have the resource of the Internet to recruit new members, which may lead to a long term concern. Whats more, the teenagers are also more unethical, as they use violence to intimidate rivals and other teenagers and actively endorse violence. In relation to when the article was published , the media was rife with news related to gun and knife crime. In effect, a moral panic was created which advocated the ban of such guns and dangerous weapons and teenagers in particular were victims of knife and gun related attacks. In conjunction to this, the article stigmatizes teenagers for condoning violence and signifies how teenagers in gangs are threatening to the social order, as 'innocent' and 'naive' children can be involved in gangs and be trapped in gang warfare and live a life of violence.
In contrast, the Daily Mail article states that the treatment of teenagers is not a moral panic, as they themselves are a victim to a society which injects ideologies into them. By being influenced by crime films, TV programmes and black gangsta music, teenagers are influenced by what they see in music videos , as they get the impression that being a gangster is fashionable, therefore copy the style of a gangster as well as using slang. The fact that teenagers are in a group may make audiences deem them to be in a gang whereby they are violent. Moreover, it can be argued that the press treatment of teenagers is more than a moral panic, as the media is mainly to blame alongside family life and non existent role models which cause teenagers to end up joining gangs . The influx of ideologies enforced onto teenagers may result in them being desensitised and being unable to challenge the ideologies which are put onto them by the media. The lack of role models results in teenagers being susceptible to crime, as they may emulate relatives and be corrupted or dumbed down by what they see on television.
In both of the texts, the press often treat teenagers in a negative way, as The Metro front page features a moral panic, as teenagers have access to social networking sites such as Myspace and UGC sites such as Youtube, whereby they can reach to a wider teenage audience. However, the Daily Mail article treats teenagers in a less threatening way, as it explores how teenagers who join gangs are often neglected by their families and therefore resort to joining gangs in order to 'fit into the crowd' and be associated with people who understand them.
The front page of the Metro which was published on 21 February 2007 signifies the treatment of teenagers as a moral panic, as they use the Internet to advertise and recruit members into their gang. By posting videos of teenagers with firearms, drugs and fast cars, other audiences may be injected with ideologies that teenagers are a 'threat' and a 'menace' to society , as they are embedded with pluralistic and liberal values and are part of a moral panic, as they have the resource of the Internet to recruit new members, which may lead to a long term concern. Whats more, the teenagers are also more unethical, as they use violence to intimidate rivals and other teenagers and actively endorse violence. In relation to when the article was published , the media was rife with news related to gun and knife crime. In effect, a moral panic was created which advocated the ban of such guns and dangerous weapons and teenagers in particular were victims of knife and gun related attacks. In conjunction to this, the article stigmatizes teenagers for condoning violence and signifies how teenagers in gangs are threatening to the social order, as 'innocent' and 'naive' children can be involved in gangs and be trapped in gang warfare and live a life of violence.
In contrast, the Daily Mail article states that the treatment of teenagers is not a moral panic, as they themselves are a victim to a society which injects ideologies into them. By being influenced by crime films, TV programmes and black gangsta music, teenagers are influenced by what they see in music videos , as they get the impression that being a gangster is fashionable, therefore copy the style of a gangster as well as using slang. The fact that teenagers are in a group may make audiences deem them to be in a gang whereby they are violent. Moreover, it can be argued that the press treatment of teenagers is more than a moral panic, as the media is mainly to blame alongside family life and non existent role models which cause teenagers to end up joining gangs . The influx of ideologies enforced onto teenagers may result in them being desensitised and being unable to challenge the ideologies which are put onto them by the media. The lack of role models results in teenagers being susceptible to crime, as they may emulate relatives and be corrupted or dumbed down by what they see on television.
Section A Exam Questions
- Compare and contrast the two texts with particular reference to the representations of teenagers (8 marks)
Likewise, in The Daily Mail website, teenagers are represented as being influenced by violence, yet resent the term of being in a 'gang'. By being influenced by 'black gangsta music' and TV programmes such as 'Crime Watch', teenagers may be injected with the idea that being a 'gangster' is acceptable, as they can 'fit into a crowd' and can be expressive. However, audiences such as parents may prevent their children from entering gangs, as they can be prone to violence and be involved in conflict with rival gangs. The mention of 'gang culture' in the media, as evident in The Metro front page results in a wider moral panic, as parents may feel that the media is injecting teenagers with ideologies that being a gangster is cool and that wearing a distinct style of clothing makes you 'tough'.
Across both texts, teenagers are negatively represented as being socially deviant, as the Metro front page signifies how teenagers are influenced by teenagers from gangs to join their gang and are persuaded to be involved in a gang whereby they can be liberal, for example take drugs and be violent. Similarly, the Daily Mail article perpetuates the view that teenagers are negatively represented, due to a lock of authoritative role models and a disruptive family life. Therefore, teenagers are likely to join gangs , as they can 'fit into a crowd' and be understood by gang members. The mention of videos of gangs on Myspace and Youtube creates a moral panic, as audiences feel that teenagers are more violent and disrupt the status quo, as they are liberal and can appeal to teenagers on Yotube, thus signifying how social networking sites and UGC sites can be an outlet for gangs to recruit.
Essay Question
Media representations favour those with power at the expense of those without. To what extent do you think this statement is true?
In the media, the higher institutions create media representations which favour them in order to keep their positions stronger. Generally, media representations of teenagers in the media have often been constructed as being negative, especially with black males who are often linked with violence. Similarly, the media misrepresents ethnic minorities across platforms such as television and print , as they may pose a threat to the elite. By subordinating these representations, more dominant representations of white males for example may favour the elite. Evidently, obese people are another example of representations who are marginalised in society, yet gradually more representations of obese people are evident in the media, for example Glee includes dominant characters who are obese.
In regards to teenagers, media representations in the tabloid press and on the broadcast platform favour the elite, as they are often represented as being deviant and troublesome, as seen in the BBC television drama "Waterloo Road". The show gives a supposed 'accurate' representation of teenagers in a school setting and constructs teenagers boys such as Kyle Stack in particular to be deviant and troublesome. Therefore, these representations favour those with power, as they can inject ideologies into the audience that teenagers may disrupt the social order and be menaces to society.
In accordance, black teenage males are subject to being constructed as social deviants in the media, especially on the broadcast and print platforms. The negative representations of black males on television shows such as 'CrimeWatch' and in newspapers such as The Daily Mail and free sheets such as The Metro and The Evening Standard signifies that this group are threatening and creates a moral panic that convinces the audience to believe that teenage black males are deviant in society.
Likewise, the representation of homosexuals in the media favours those with power, as they are often marginalised in the media by the elite, in newspapers such as The Daily Mail. The representation of homosexuals in this newspaper is often misconstructed, as the elite try to subordinate other groups in order to remain powerful. In television shows such as 'Ugly Betty', homosexuals are often represented as being flamboyant, bitchy and melodramatic, as evident with Mark who is PA to Wilhemina Slater. By marginalising these characters, the elite would want to keep their position at the top and would want to instill ideologies into the audience that homosexuals are evil/ worthless in society.
In accordance to this, immigrants may also be marginalised by those in power, as the audience would be injected with the ideology that immigrants are threatening, as they steal people's jobs and are given accommodation first when they arrive in the UK. The media representation of immigrants is often mediated as being evil and threatening to society, as evident in the Daily Mail, where immigrants are victimised by the press for stealing British people's jobs. Therefore, the audience would immediately resent immigrants without necessarily understanding their situations and reasons why they have entered the UK.
The media representations of obese people favour those with power at the expense of those without, as obese people are victimised and resented particularly in the print platform, as fashion magazines such as Vogue and lads mags such as Zoo and Nuts don't include shapely/obese women in their magazines, as they feel that they are 'ugly' and 'undesirable'. In regards to Cohen, 'obese people are folk devils who violate societal values of self control', therefore media institutions may have a right to construct obese people as being undesirable and could marginalise this group as folk devils. By marginalising these characters , the powerful elite can have more of an influence on what the audience sees and injects messages into the audience that obesity and obese people are a concern to society.
In contrast, obese people can be alternatively represented in the media by the higher institutions, for example James Corden is one of the main characters in the BBC Drama 'Gavin and Stacey and is accepted for his appearance. Likewise, in Glee, Mercedes Jones is accepted for her weight and offers hope for other obese people to be successful in the media. Moreover, reality shows such as 'The Biggest Loser' and 'Supersize vs Superskinny' on ITV perpetuate the fair representation of obese people who desire to be accepted for wanting to be slim and are mediated in the show as being determined to succeed with their goal of losing weight.
Similarly, the representation of women in music videos tends to favour the elite, as particularly in hip hop and rap videos, women are objectified and subordinated in order to represent the lead male singer as dominant. Evidently, in Rihanna's 'Rude Boy' video, she is dressed in short, revealing clothing and is jirating around the man thus connoting her sexual desires. As well as this, her body is fetished in order to arouse the male's scopophilic pleasures, as the video and others by artists such as 50 cent and Lil Wayne feature women wearing scantily clad clothing and are dancing around the male. Generally, most of these videos subordinate women in order to assert the dominance of the male audience.
On the whole, media representations do, in fact favour those with power at the expense of those without, as representations of teenagers, homosexuals and immigrants are often mediated in the tabloid press, as well as other platforms as being deviant and threatening to the status quo. By marginalising these groups in the media, the elite inject messages into the audience that these groups are threatening and will affect society in a negative way. However, alternative representations of these groups in the media, for example obese people in reality television shows do give power to those without, as the alternative representations may widen the audience's understanding and make the audience realise that these groups pose no threat and should therefore be accepted in society.
In the media, the higher institutions create media representations which favour them in order to keep their positions stronger. Generally, media representations of teenagers in the media have often been constructed as being negative, especially with black males who are often linked with violence. Similarly, the media misrepresents ethnic minorities across platforms such as television and print , as they may pose a threat to the elite. By subordinating these representations, more dominant representations of white males for example may favour the elite. Evidently, obese people are another example of representations who are marginalised in society, yet gradually more representations of obese people are evident in the media, for example Glee includes dominant characters who are obese.
In regards to teenagers, media representations in the tabloid press and on the broadcast platform favour the elite, as they are often represented as being deviant and troublesome, as seen in the BBC television drama "Waterloo Road". The show gives a supposed 'accurate' representation of teenagers in a school setting and constructs teenagers boys such as Kyle Stack in particular to be deviant and troublesome. Therefore, these representations favour those with power, as they can inject ideologies into the audience that teenagers may disrupt the social order and be menaces to society.
In accordance, black teenage males are subject to being constructed as social deviants in the media, especially on the broadcast and print platforms. The negative representations of black males on television shows such as 'CrimeWatch' and in newspapers such as The Daily Mail and free sheets such as The Metro and The Evening Standard signifies that this group are threatening and creates a moral panic that convinces the audience to believe that teenage black males are deviant in society.
Likewise, the representation of homosexuals in the media favours those with power, as they are often marginalised in the media by the elite, in newspapers such as The Daily Mail. The representation of homosexuals in this newspaper is often misconstructed, as the elite try to subordinate other groups in order to remain powerful. In television shows such as 'Ugly Betty', homosexuals are often represented as being flamboyant, bitchy and melodramatic, as evident with Mark who is PA to Wilhemina Slater. By marginalising these characters, the elite would want to keep their position at the top and would want to instill ideologies into the audience that homosexuals are evil/ worthless in society.
In accordance to this, immigrants may also be marginalised by those in power, as the audience would be injected with the ideology that immigrants are threatening, as they steal people's jobs and are given accommodation first when they arrive in the UK. The media representation of immigrants is often mediated as being evil and threatening to society, as evident in the Daily Mail, where immigrants are victimised by the press for stealing British people's jobs. Therefore, the audience would immediately resent immigrants without necessarily understanding their situations and reasons why they have entered the UK.
The media representations of obese people favour those with power at the expense of those without, as obese people are victimised and resented particularly in the print platform, as fashion magazines such as Vogue and lads mags such as Zoo and Nuts don't include shapely/obese women in their magazines, as they feel that they are 'ugly' and 'undesirable'. In regards to Cohen, 'obese people are folk devils who violate societal values of self control', therefore media institutions may have a right to construct obese people as being undesirable and could marginalise this group as folk devils. By marginalising these characters , the powerful elite can have more of an influence on what the audience sees and injects messages into the audience that obesity and obese people are a concern to society.
In contrast, obese people can be alternatively represented in the media by the higher institutions, for example James Corden is one of the main characters in the BBC Drama 'Gavin and Stacey and is accepted for his appearance. Likewise, in Glee, Mercedes Jones is accepted for her weight and offers hope for other obese people to be successful in the media. Moreover, reality shows such as 'The Biggest Loser' and 'Supersize vs Superskinny' on ITV perpetuate the fair representation of obese people who desire to be accepted for wanting to be slim and are mediated in the show as being determined to succeed with their goal of losing weight.
Similarly, the representation of women in music videos tends to favour the elite, as particularly in hip hop and rap videos, women are objectified and subordinated in order to represent the lead male singer as dominant. Evidently, in Rihanna's 'Rude Boy' video, she is dressed in short, revealing clothing and is jirating around the man thus connoting her sexual desires. As well as this, her body is fetished in order to arouse the male's scopophilic pleasures, as the video and others by artists such as 50 cent and Lil Wayne feature women wearing scantily clad clothing and are dancing around the male. Generally, most of these videos subordinate women in order to assert the dominance of the male audience.
On the whole, media representations do, in fact favour those with power at the expense of those without, as representations of teenagers, homosexuals and immigrants are often mediated in the tabloid press, as well as other platforms as being deviant and threatening to the status quo. By marginalising these groups in the media, the elite inject messages into the audience that these groups are threatening and will affect society in a negative way. However, alternative representations of these groups in the media, for example obese people in reality television shows do give power to those without, as the alternative representations may widen the audience's understanding and make the audience realise that these groups pose no threat and should therefore be accepted in society.
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