LFTVD - Media Representation D83 Flashcards
Social contexts - What social anxieties are being explored?
Facing up to Germany’s divided past
Cultural contexts - how is the specifically German anxiety of cultural amnesia and remembering represented?
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
Historical contexts - Why are the representations in D83 ambiguous and complex?
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
What is the viewpoint presented regarding historical contexts?
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
Social contexts - How are social contradictions reflected? Gender
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
Cultural contexts - why does the spy narrative lead to success?
Because it has global cultural resonance
How does the social realist context affect the drama?
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!!)
How would German audiences react to the representation of race?
It would reference historical experience - reunification was difficult due to integrating racist former East Germans into multicultural Germany
In Hall’s theory, what is the main element that tries to fix the preferred meaning?
Power either through ideology or stereotyping
How is Gilroy relevant?
General Jackson is part of the White culture and this is the dominant culture; there is no representation of any other vibrant culture
Social contexts - How is ethnicity represented?
Both Germanys are White and the representation of the racial integration of the America military appears to add to the “otherness”
Cultural contexts - Why is there complexity in representations?
To fulfil the high expectations of LFTVD audiences
Political contexts - Why is the representation of American interesting?
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
Historical contexts - how is German division explored?
East - poor, rigidly controlled and firmly ideological
West - rich, free but self-doubting
Economic contexts - how do economics impact the complex representations?
They reflect the economic pressure to create quality flagship programming
How does D83 deliver a consistent sense of time and place?
Highly controlled m-e-s
What is stereotyping?
A commonly repeated generalisation about a group, event or institution
Why is stereotyping not used much in LFTVD?
Due to multiple and complex narrative strands plus the complex character development.
Give 5?examples of stereotypes used.
- Walter - stereotypical spy master
- young people at the party - stereotypical pleasure-seeking teenagers
- Martin- stereotypical young man with a lack of self-control and commitment to the cause
- General Jackson - stereotypical gung-ho American military man, unconcerned about local sensitivities
- Yvonne- stereotypical troubled and rebellious teenager
How is Martin’s stereotype complicated?
He becomes more complex as we see beneath the mask of social righteousness in his family and then in his confrontation with the West
How does gender representation not fulfil stereotypes?
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)
Thinking about CAGEDS, what is under represented in terms of the main characters?
Older people, people of colour, visible disabilities, homosexuals
How is race represented?
West is ethnically mixed whereas the East is monocultural
How is the audience positioned in terms of race?
Non-racist
How is the audience positioned in terms of gender?
Identifying with the male protagonist due to his flawed character but also sympathising with Leonora
Does D83 endorse hook’s concept of intersectionality that creates a “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy”?
mostly yes. It has two parallel power structures but seems to criticise the socialist one in favour of the capitalist (but open to interpretation!!)
Could any characters be relevant to Butler’s theory of gender performativity?
Leonara’s refusal to perform feminine roles
