formation (Beyoncé) Flashcards
1
Q
Richard Dyer- Star Theory
A
- the star is a construction: not a real person, this is constructed through their representation in interviews, music videos and advertising
- the star is an ideology: stars represent certain social groups and views, therefore they create certain ideologies, as a result fans may try to copy their style and adopt similar values
- the star is a commodity: stars are created in order to generate profit through music, concert sales and merchandise. record labels create similar stars by looking at patterns and trends of what sells
2
Q
How can Beyoncé be applied to Star Theory?
A
-
construction: her persona is carefully constructed to make her and her life seem flawless on the outside. she does this by mentioning only positive and little about her personal life
(although she later became unapologetic and authentic) -
ideology: women are powerful, beautiful and strong (she is a feminist). this can be seen from her music videos with empowering lyrics that encourage independence from male power and sexy outfits.
-commodity: (add this)
3
Q
what are the four areas of the music industry
A
- production: scouting, writing, recording, backing track, digital production, music video production
- distribution: publicity and marketing, organising distribution platforms
- exhibition: performance at gigs, negotiating use of music
- artist management: royalties, bookings, concerts, legalities
4
Q
what is the purpose of a music video?
A
- adds more meaning to the song, enhances the message
- helps to create memorable and timeless moments
- marketing of the atrists’ other skills such as dancing
- help sell their image and the individuality of the stars
- creating publicity and controversy which might make more money
5
Q
bell hooks- minority feminism
A
- feminism is the struggle to end sexual/patriarchal oppression and the ideology of domination
- the idea that feminism is a political choice rather than a lifestyle choice
- race and class as well as sex determine the extent of exploitation, discrimination and oppression
6
Q
Van Zoonen- Objectification
A
- display of women’s bodies as objects is a core element of western culture
- in mainstream culture, the visual and narrative codes used to construct the male body are different from those used to objectify women
- meaning of gender varies according to historical+ cultural contexts
7
Q
Laura Mulvey- male gaze theory
A
- women are objectified by the media for the sexual pleasure of men
- media is viewed from the perspective of straight men because the majority of media products are made by those men
8
Q
gender performativity- Judith Butler
A
- gender is a social construct and is performed through repetitive behaviours
- certain actions are coded as male/female
9
Q
Alvarado’s theory of ethnicity
A
- people from different cultures are defined in the media by how different they are- their “otherness”
- these representations can focus on racial characteristics and on preconceived audience perceptions, drawn from other texts rather than reality (therefore stereotypes)
- Alvarado believed the representation of ethnic groups could be divided into 4 categories:
- pitied
- exotic
- dangerous
- humourous
10
Q
the ‘exotic’ type (Alvarado’s theory)
A
- links closely to what stuart hall calls ‘the secret fascination of otherness’- the way that media represents people that are different from us
- this can be positive or negative
- this stereotype presents the individual in terms of how they look, what they wear, what they eat and different customs
11
Q
the ‘pitied’ type (Alvarado’s theory)
A
- ethnic minorities are stereotyped as vulnerable and victims
- this is true for newspaper, TV, news reports of developing countries because the only time some countries appear is when it is linked to a disaster
- similar representations are used for charity campaigns to shock the audience into action
