MEDIA - Representations of Sexuality in the Media Flashcards
Who is the main Sociologist/s who looked into and carried out their study on the ‘Representations of Sexuality’ in the Media?
Batchelor et al!
(BATCHELOR ET AL) What did they study and why? HINT: Magazines and representation of sexuality!
They carried out a content analysis of the media, such as magazines and TV programmes that were consumed by young people, in order to examine how sexuality was being presented!
(BATCHELOR ET AL) What did they find, in regards to the 2 POSITIVE representations of sexuality in the media? HINT: Sexual health and Consent!
They found that some aspects of sexuality were represented positively:
- The publicising of sexual health information
- The explorations of issues, such as consent and whether couples were ‘ready’ to have sex = EG: The right of girls to ‘say no’ was given prominence in several teen dramas and magazines
(BATCHELOR ET AL) What were the 3 NEGATIVES / LIMITATIONS in media coverage of sexuality? HINT: Contraception, Differences in how the Sexes discussed the topic of Sex and Lack of Sexual Diversity
- CONTRACEPTION was clearly REPRESENTED AS a FEMALE RESPONSIBILITY - This was emphasised in references to pregnancy and letters to problem pages centred on girls’ worries about getting and being pregnant!
- There were distinct DIFFERENCES in terms of how YOUNG MEN and WOMEN in media TALKED, FELT and ACTED, in relation to SEX –> EG: The study found that female media characters discussed sex with their friends, whereas male characters boasted about their sexual prowess. Girls were portrayed as being more interested in emotions, while male characters were represented as being more interested in sex. The general picture therefore, both in magazines and in TV drama, was on boys / men as pursuers and girls / women as the pursued.
- There was a LACK OF POSITIVE IMAGES of LESBIAN and GAY TEENAGERS, and a FAILURE to REPRESENT SEXUAL DIVERSITY → HOWEVER: Is this true today, especially with the emergence of shows like Heartstopper and Young Royals?
TRUE OR FALSE: Media representations of sexuality in the UK are overwhelmingly HOMOSEXUAL in character!
FALSE - Media representations of sexuality in the UK are overwhelmingly HETEROSEXUAL in character!
What did Batchelor et al find, in regards to being gay in mainstream media? HINT: Media representations of gay characters made being gay a source of anxiety or embarrassment; lack of lesbianism in media!
They found that being gay was not generally integrated into mainstream media representations!
When gay characters or people did appear, such as in TV drama, being gay was represented mainly as a source of anxiety, fear, or embarrassment, or it was seen as a target for teasing and bullying.
The study found that lesbianism was completely invisible in young people’s media!
What does Dyer say the media does in order to ‘stereotypically’ present a character as being gay? HINT: ‘Sign of gayness’; stances and vocal tics!
Dyer observes that that the media construct stereotypical ‘signs of gayness’, including vocal tics, facial expressions, stances and clothing, in order to ‘make visible the invisible’; make it clear to the audience that the character is a homosexual.
Moreover, if a person, whatever their sexuality, demonstrates these signifiers in the course of their everyday behaviour, they may be labelled as ‘gay’ by their peers and subjected to prejudice and discrimination by others - Being labelled as ‘gay’ because of their actions!
What Sociologist identified 3 media signifiers of ‘gayness’?
Craig!
(CRAIG) What are the 3 media signifiers of ‘gayness’ that are common in media representations of sexuality?
- Camp
- Macho
- Deviant
(CRAIG) Explain what is meant by the ‘Camp’ media signifier of ‘gayness’!
One of the most widely used gay representations and is found mainly in entertainment media.
Dyer’s definition of camp = The use of irony and exaggeration by characters that are generally regarded as extremely colourful and flamboyant figures of fun; being portrayed as flamboyant!
Dyer claims that heterosexual audiences do not interpret camp as threatening, but the camp persona probably does reinforce negative views of gay sexuality by being somewhere in between male and female.
(CRAIG) Explain what is meant by the ‘Macho’ media signifier of ‘gayness’!
Dyer argues that the media stereotype of ‘gay as macho’ was popularised by the pop group ‘The Village People’.
This stereotype relies on exaggerating masculinity. It is also an openly sexual look, transforming practical male clothing, such as safety helmets and police officer’s caps, into erotic symbols –> EG: George Michael’s infamous ‘Outside’ music video!
(CRAIG) Explain what is meant by the ‘Deviant’ media signifier of ‘gayness’!
Gay people are often stereotyped as deviants by media representations.
For example - They may be portrayed as evil or devious in TV dramas, as sexual predators or as people who feel guilty about their sexuality. Dyer claims that they are rarely presented in a sympathetic manner and, even when they are, plots tend to focus on heterosexual characters’ acceptance of their homosexuality.
In many cases, gay characters are completely defined by their ‘problem’, and their sexuality is often constructed to appear morally wrong.
TRUE OR FALSE - Research conducted by LGBT.co.uk and Stonewall suggests that there is NO symbolic annihilation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media!
FALSE - Research conducted by LGBT.co.uk and Stonewall suggests that there is INDEED symbolic annihilation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media!
- Gay people are given the status as the ‘comedic relief’ character = Seen as something to mock and laugh at
- Lesbianism is often over-sexualised to please male viewers
The UK mass media frequently and consistently maintains an anti-LGBTQ+ bias!
What did Stonewall find, in regards to the amount of time on TV LGBTQ+ issues get?
Out of a total of 126 hours of programming, only around 5 hours and 45 minutes were focused on LGBT-related characters or issues, and only around 45 minutes of their coverage portrayed them realistically and positively!
The rest of the media coverage depicted gay people as either:
- Effeminate
- Comedic relief
- Predatory
- Promiscuous
- Gay men were also portrayed as being ‘upset’ that they were gay
What did a BBC Survey suggest about the portrayal of lesbians in the media? HINT: Criticised by lesbians; either butch or ‘lipstick lesbians’
Lesbian respondents criticised TV for portraying their community in very narrow ways as either ’butch’ or as ‘lipstick lesbians’.
Most of the LGBTQ+ sample in this survey believed that sexuality should not be the defining feature of the TV and film portrayal as LGBT people.
