Representations in media: Flashcards
What is symbolic annihilation?
it means that a group is underrepresented in the media
How are children represented in media?
vulnerable, unable to do things themselves.
headliners shows the seven deadly stereotypes:
1. cute
2. little devils - bart simpson
3. brilliant - child prodigies
4. brave little angels - i.e. cancer
5. advanced - ellen show
6. victims of crimes - madeleine mccann
7. accessories - angelina jolie, david beckham
How are youths presented?
young people are mostly represented in terms of lifestyle and identity. Industries such as music or fashion, for example, often target their products and services at young people.
Teenage representation in media is sometimes negative - their behaviours are often shown to be a social problem. In these unfavourable portrayals, the challenges faced by teenagers or the positive things they do are neglected.
i.e. teenage boy gangs in media
Name some words to represent youths in the media.
troublesome, meddling, back in our day etc. moody, antisocial, rebellious, adaptable, woke, snowflakes
why are older people more vulnerable to media representations of youth?
they are around them less
How can moral panics be applied to youths
News media often portrays young people as immoral, consequently treating them like folk devils as part of a moral panic. For example, membership of youth in specific ‘deviant’ sub-cultures like Teddy Boys, or the consumption of drugs/binge-drinking creates disapproval in wider society.
Examples of shows showing negative youths
Skins
Shows that address youth complex issues
Sex education, Derry Girls
What 3 main narratives did Kelly find?
They are dangerous
They need protection
They are immature
Wayne - youth media
2000 news items across all the leading television channels in May 2006. They summarise that the youth are often depicted as a violent threat to society, and their perspectives or opinions are rarely shared.
According to Wayne et al., media conveys a unidimensional picture of young people that encourages fear and condemnation instead of understanding.
Why are youths presented in this way?
they are not the ones creating the media or with the money!
eval - new media
Is the representations towards youths changing?
yes, as a result of new media they now have a voice
How are older people represented?
A burden, grumpy, mentally challenged, infantile, confused, second childhood
What is the difference between how older men and women are portrayed?
Men are silver foxes, still in their prime where as women are seen as aging, less attractive, grannies etc
Top gun - replaced female actress with a younger person
Give examples of how elderly people are portrayed
grumpy - jay from modern family
burden - granddad from outnumbered
guy from up
how is the representation of elderly people changing
Lee et al. (2007) studied the representation of the elderly in adverts. They found that although they were underrepresented - being featured in about 15% of ads - more than 90% of those ads were positive.1
For example, they were shown as enjoying a second childhood – leading a healthy, active lifestyle by reliving their adolescence and doing things they had otherwise longed for.
Silver pound
In the positive portrayals of the elderly in media, they are often labelled as the golden agers - enjoying their lives to the fullest. Of course, this is not always the case for all groups of older people
Robinson - vibrant and intelligent
What are the four general representations of the working class
- the media gaze means representations of social class are filtered through the dominant ideology, results in more favourable stereotypes of upper middle class, underrepresentation of working class
- gives impression that we are all middle class, values are norms everyone should aspire to
- class is generally represented as a lifestyle choice rather than an economic catergory
- media news values - stories about the rich-> more likely to be reported
- the working class are devalued relative to the middle class across media formats, sitcoms, dramas, soaps, reality tv
How are the working class represented?
they are represented as lazy, low education, their fault etc. very negative portrayal. under-represented.
Cohen - fail to see the connection between deprivation and wealth
Media examples of working class stereotypes:
shameless
benidorm
eastenders
royle family
brassic
benefits street! - now ive got to learn how to read
working class newspapers consumers i.e. the guardian, thats life - controversy, little to do with politics
What are the four media representations of the working class?
- As dumb and stupid buffoons
- as a source of trouble and conflict
- living in a romanticized working class community
- as white trash, scums and chavs
- As dumb and stupid buffoons:
justifies existing patterns of inequality - higher status need to supervise stupid working class. role model how they can achieve success
- As a source of trouble and conflict
presented as undesirable welfare scroungers, unable to cope with uncontrollable delinquent children
Newman - a problem i.e. welfare cheats
i.e. benefits street
- living in a romanticised working class community
call the midwife
revolves around pubs, shops, close knot community
- As white trash and scums
ASBOS, social housing, Murray suggests most of us are middle class, under class emerged = replaced image of them being hard working, medias way of devaluing the working class taste and culture, encourage audience to laugh rather than understand deprived communities
How are the middle class represented?
positive light, mature, sensible, successful and educated, coping with problems. 24 hours in A&E
outnumbered, motherland
What do middle class representations help to confirm?
confirm and promote the dominant and hegemonic ideology of the normality of middle class life
Madeline Mccann
Shannon Matthews
legitimises the class structure through suggesting people who are higher up deserve to be there are they are more competent and deserve our respect
How are the upper class represented?
well bred, cultured, superior, sometimes eccentric and odd but fundamentally respectable
Downton abbey
bridgeton
the crown
made in chelsea
How do pluralists view coverage of upper class?
providing what the audience wants - pick and mix insta, social media makes it more difficult to attach
how do neo-marxists view coverage of the upper class?
celebration of hierarchy and wealth encourages admiration and envy, promotes dominant ideology and seeks to legitimise existing social hierarchy
Omaze house
A03 - newman - outnumbered
How is ethnicity seen?
through a white gaze/ white eye
BAME groups are underrepresented in heavyweight goals such as experts in a field
Give two examples of negative media stereotypes
Hall - black mugging - created a moral panic
9/11 - moral panic
Van Dijk - key stereotypes of black people
- black people as criminals
- moral panics about black people
- as a threat
- as dependant - benefits
- abnormal
- unimportant
- invisible black people - no bad or good reports
Why are ethnic minorities portrayed this way?
BAME groups are not creating the news, it is seen through a white gaze and what we want to see - creates an us and them
reinforce and maintain stereotypes
Is there a changing picture towards ethnic groups in media?
new media and citizen journalism
- have a voice, more positive outlook
- not reinforcing the negative stereotypes
new media has meant editors become accountable and face more backlash
Luther - Idris Elba plays the lead
Lucifer - devil white angel,
black panther
little mermaid
more diverse voice in the media
How is media filtered towards gender
through a male gaze, where women are portrayed as sexual objects for mens satisfaction
Connell argues that gender identities are in art constructed by the media reproducing culturally dominant stereotypes of men and women.
Female stereotypes in media
ditsy
mother
damsel in distress
hyper sexualised
slag / slut
secondary character
Beckdel test
Top gun
Male stereotypes in media:
breadwinner
strong
protective
knight in shining armour
saviour
Patrick Dempsey
How would pluralists explain media gender stereotyping
what the audiences want
How would feminists explain media gender stereotyping
L - as women gain more power they can break through the glass ceiling
M - rooted in the need to make profit
R - driven by patriarchal ideology, nothing will change
Is there a changing picture for gender?
McRobbie suggests there is a changing picture, in a postmodern society there is much more fluidity and flexibility in gender identities which weakens traditional stereotypes. Bisto gravy, fairy liquid ads
The alternative view is that women are empowered by the media - nigela lawson, desperate housewives, barbie, loose women
how is sexuality represented in the media?
through a heteronormative lense - suggesting heterosexual is normal with hegomonic stereotypes and femininity.
women are defined by attractiveness and men objects for women to lust over
what is the media representation of homosexuality seen through?
a white male heterosexual media gaze
why? due to fear of alienating audiences the media has portrayed homosexuality as deviant and perverse.
eval - new media
how are gay and lesbian characters symbolically annihilated?
gay and lesbian characters are often ignored, however we are more likely to see gay men than lesbian couples
heart stopper
sex education
why is there changing stereotypes in the media?
growing acceptance as a result of law change - equal marriage act
popularity of gay male celebs
postmodern = fluidity surrounding identity, if you are lgbt it is not a big deal anymore i,e. same sex couples on strictly
what is the impact of new media on sexuality?
new media means that lgbtq now have a voice and are able to discuss their experiences
what is the pink pound?
the lgbtq consumer market - want to make money
what is the sanitization of gay sexuality?
gill suggests that lgbtq sexuality is still viewed in a sanitised way, we rarely see gay men kiss or having sex in comparison to straight men
done to avoid offending audiences or put off advertisers
see lesbian couples engaging in sexual activity
is disability under represented or over?
largely ignored by mainstream media, symbolic annihilation = under represented
what are the negative representations of disability?
presented as disabled rather than ignoring their disability
viewed through the eyes of a medical model rather than being viewed as people who can do
what are the media stereotypes of disability?
- pitiable or pathetic = focus on what they cant do
- sinister - nasty criminals
- super cripples - paralympians
- object of ridicule - lou in little britian
- burden
- non sexual
is the overall picture of disability changing
changing due to new media, becoming accepted and normalised - strictly = chris won as a blind person, not just their disability.
