Riptide Theorists

Question 1

Objectification and Victimhood

Van Zoonen

Answer 1

• Women portrayed as objectified and victimized in the Microphone sequence
• Initial portrayal of glamorous and perfected female ideal, embodying traditional beauty standards
• Deterioration of the Microphone sequence reflects a subversive take on female objectification, inducing sympathy through collapsing gesture codes and increasing performance anxiety.

Portrayal of women

Question 2

Male Gaze Theory

Laura Mulvey

Typically based on feminism

Answer 2

• Women in media are often depicted from the perspective of heterosexual cisgender males (Camera man).
• The beach scene in Riptide exemplifies the male gaze, featuring a man pointing a gun at a woman while she smokes, a potentially erotic act with curled lips, reinforcing traditional gender roles and sexualizing the woman.
• Comment on gender perceptions in horror, Portrayal of women in media and the increasing sexualization for profit, particularly within the horror genre.

Question 3

Genre Theory (INDIE FOLK POP)

Steve Neale

Repition in lyrics

Answer 3

“Taken away to the darkside”
- Taken away to the supernatural / kidnapped
- Repeated in the main chorus

“You gonna sank the worlds wolf”
- Messing up the lyrics - deterioration of the woman singing
- Repeated in chorus with the singing woman

Audio Codes :
- Repition of lyrics > typical in indie genre
- Ukelele playing repeated rhythm

Question 4

Genre Theory (INDIE FOLK POP)

Steve Neale

Answer 4

Visual Codes
- Repititon of woman running away
- Symbol of escape from something in her life / perhaps “running down to the riptide” to escape the darkside she was taken to
- Narative device = propel the story forward / creates tension and intrigue / visual story telling
- Scene change / transition from her freeing herself from the tree to her running away - relation to theme of escapisim