LFTVD - Media Representation D83

Question 1

Social contexts - What social anxieties are being explored?

Answer 1

Facing up to Germany’s divided past

Question 2

Cultural contexts - how is the specifically German anxiety of cultural amnesia and remembering represented?

Answer 2

The need to remember in a way that does not bury the ambiguities of the experience in East Germany is not buried in the triumph of the West reunification

Question 3

Historical contexts - Why are the representations in D83 ambiguous and complex?

Answer 3

Reflects the difficulties of Germany to face its past. With the collapse of communism in 89, much of the East German experience was swept under the carpet

Question 4

What is the viewpoint presented regarding historical contexts?

Answer 4

That unification and the ending of the Cold War was a blessing BUT that the old East Germany was of real importance to those who lived in it and should not be forgotten or represented as purely bad/wrong

Question 5

Social contexts - How are social contradictions reflected? Gender

Answer 5

In the East, it is a rigidly controlled state that promotes women’s equality (cf the power of Leonora) vs the West, which is less controlled, but deeply patriarchal

Question 6

Cultural contexts - why does the spy narrative lead to success?

Answer 6

Because it has global cultural resonance

Question 7

How does the social realist context affect the drama?

Answer 7

The recognisable events allows it to create situations and characters that remain plausible within the conventions of a spy drama. This means that there can be a certain level of implausibility (eg the unquestioned replacement of Moritz Stamm!!)

Question 8

How would German audiences react to the representation of race?

Answer 8

It would reference historical experience - reunification was difficult due to integrating racist former East Germans into multicultural Germany

Question 9

In Hall’s theory, what is the main element that tries to fix the preferred meaning?

Answer 9

Power either through ideology or stereotyping

Question 10

How is Gilroy relevant?

Answer 10

General Jackson is part of the White culture and this is the dominant culture; there is no representation of any other vibrant culture

Question 11

Social contexts - How is ethnicity represented?

Answer 11

Both Germanys are White and the representation of the racial integration of the America military appears to add to the “otherness”

Question 12

Cultural contexts - Why is there complexity in representations?

Answer 12

To fulfil the high expectations of LFTVD audiences

Question 13

Political contexts - Why is the representation of American interesting?

Answer 13

Both sides of Germany were concerned about the American sabre rattling (the Americans were on the side of the West so they should not have been concerned). This may reflect contemporary German political confidence (EU leaders) or a critique of American Republican politics by the American writer

Question 14

Historical contexts - how is German division explored?

Answer 14

East - poor, rigidly controlled and firmly ideological
West - rich, free but self-doubting

Question 15

Economic contexts - how do economics impact the complex representations?

Answer 15

They reflect the economic pressure to create quality flagship programming

Question 16

How does D83 deliver a consistent sense of time and place?

Answer 16

Highly controlled m-e-s

Question 17

What is stereotyping?

Answer 17

A commonly repeated generalisation about a group, event or institution

Question 18

Why is stereotyping not used much in LFTVD?

Answer 18

Due to multiple and complex narrative strands plus the complex character development.

Question 19

Give 5?examples of stereotypes used.

Answer 19

1. Walter - stereotypical spy master
2. young people at the party - stereotypical pleasure-seeking teenagers
3. Martin- stereotypical young man with a lack of self-control and commitment to the cause
4. General Jackson - stereotypical gung-ho American military man, unconcerned about local sensitivities
5. Yvonne- stereotypical troubled and rebellious teenager

Question 20

How is Martin’s stereotype complicated?

Answer 20

He becomes more complex as we see beneath the mask of social righteousness in his family and then in his confrontation with the West

Question 21

How does gender representation not fulfil stereotypes?

Answer 21

East Germany is rigidly controlled state yet supports women’s rights (Leonora as very powerful)
West Germany is less controlled but rigidly patriarchal (as seen by the military and lack of power of women in the West)

Question 22

Thinking about CAGEDS, what is under represented in terms of the main characters?

Answer 22

Older people, people of colour, visible disabilities, homosexuals

Question 23

How is race represented?

Answer 23

West is ethnically mixed whereas the East is monocultural

Question 24

How is the audience positioned in terms of race?

Answer 24

Non-racist

Question 25

How is the audience positioned in terms of gender?

Answer 25

Identifying with the male protagonist due to his flawed character but also sympathising with Leonora

Question 26

Does D83 endorse hook’s concept of intersectionality that creates a “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy”?

Answer 26

mostly yes. It has two parallel power structures but seems to criticise the socialist one in favour of the capitalist (but open to interpretation!!)

Question 27

Could any characters be relevant to Butler’s theory of gender performativity?

Answer 27

Leonara’s refusal to perform feminine roles