Black Mirror (San Junipero & Striking Vipers)) Flashcards
Who was Black Mirror originally produced by and who is it produced by now??
Originally: Channel 4
Now: Netflix
Where does Channel 4 get its funding?
Advertising
It also uses the money that higher earning shows earn to fund newer/lower earning shows (it’s non-for-profit)) = Robin Hood Model
What is Steve Neale’s genre theory??
Genres are dominated by repetition but also variation.
They develop as they overlap (hybrid) and genres exist within specific economic contexts)
How does Baudrillard’s theory apply to genre??
Traditional categorising of genres has changed by so many overlapping now (hybrids)
What 2 genres is San Junipero??
Sci-Fi & Romance
What is narrative??
How the plot is delivered
What is Todorov’s theory of Narratology??
Narratives have a basic structure of:
1. Equilibrium
2. Imbalance/disequilibrium
3. Narrative is resolved (the way this is done can have ideological significance)
How do postmodernism and the genre theory link in San Junipero??
The idea of Sci-Fi that we have is changed and interpreted in a new way (e.g. Sci-Fi products are usually more dystopian but San Junipero is more utopian)
How is period piece iconography used in San Junipero??
To reinforce the Sci-Fi aspect by reminding the audience of the different periods and the time travel
Why is the romance in San Junipero maybe not coming of age??
Neither Yorkie or Kelly are actually coming of age. However, Yorkie is still experiencing everything for the first time whilst Kelly is not
How are Yorkie and Wes linked??
They are binary oppositions. Yorkie is representative of heaven whereas Wes is representative of hell.
What were Kelly’s 2 late family members called??
Husband = Richard
Daughter = Allison
Give 3 examples of the period piece iconography used!
- Hairstyles
- Fashion
- Cars
- Architecture
- Neon lighting (big thing in the 80s)
- Music
- Films (The Lost Boys 80s, Scream 90s, Bourne Identity 2000s)
Why is The Celluloid Closet doscumentary important for San Junipero??
- it shows how far same-sex relationships have come in the media
- it provides, historical, social and cultural context
- It gives a better idea of why San Junipero is so important
What were the 2 theories involved in San Junipero gaining its own fandom?? (fandom theory: Jenkins)
Identity (Gauntlett)
End of Audience (Shirky)
Why is the opening scene so significant for the representation??
It is a natural interaction
There’s no questions of if the other woman likes women or not, it just flows normally
What is the significance of this binary opposition being resolved:
‘True to vs prejudice oneself’ (Kelly vs Yorkie about their sexuality)
Once it is fixed, it isn’t mentioned again because their sexuality isn’t the main issue. the technology is made the main issue for their relationship rather than their sexuality which is against a lot of tropes used in media.
Why is it important to include the Quagmire (hell) when trying to represent Heaven?
It is difficult to have a concept of heaven when there is no concept of hell to compare it to.
Heaven is built on culture, hell is built on an alternative lifestyle to this
What are the 3 main binary oppositions in San Junipero??
- Heaven v Hell
- True to v prejudice oneself
- Young v Old
Why is the end of audience theory important for San Junipero?
The communication between audiences and to producers has united marginalised people
What is the significance of The Quagmire??
Taboo sexual acts and violence never make it to mainstream.
What are 3 pieces of cinematography seen in the Quagmire scene??
- Tracking shot (Yorkie’s lack of space, claustrophobia)
- POV shot (people looking at Yorkie and therefore the camera confronts audiences directly with 4th wall breaches)
- Ringing noise replacing the music (overstimulated -> relating to anxiety on the dancefloor)
- Chain-link fence (trapped, prison, some kind of limit)
How does the End of Audience theory (Shirky) differ between Striking Vipers and San Junipero??
There’s less fan-made content for Striking Vipers because less people resonated with it and found it impactful.
San Junipero presents same-sex relationships in a new light, so there’s lots more fan-made content.
