Super. Human

Question 1

What are the 12 Representations of disabilities by Barnes?

Answer 1

Pitiable and pathetic
Object of violence
Sinister and evil
Atmosphere or curio
Super Cripple
Object of ridicule
Their own worst and only enemy
Burden on others
Sexually Abnormal
Incapable of participating in community life
Normal

Question 2

What is Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory?

Answer 2

Suggests heavy television exposure will have a significant influence on our perception on the real world.
- The more we see a version of reality on the screen the more we will perceive it as real.

Question 3

How can Stuart Hall be applied to Super Human?

Answer 3

Stereotypes usually appear when there’s inequalities of power for example when Katie Grimes is prevented form entering the cafe due her being in a wheelchair.
- The athletes are 3 dimensional and are distinct from one another, the adverts avoid simplifying their representations.

Question 4

What does CLEMS stand for?

Answer 4

Cinematography, Lighting, Editing, Mise en Scene and Sound.

Question 5

What does Barnes say about stereotypes of disabilities?

Answer 5

That they medicalize, patronize, criminalize and dehumanize disabled people.

Question 6

What is compassion fatigue?

Answer 6

Caused by long ads with multiple examples of suffering, or too many ads in a short time frame. Too much guilt can be counterproductive and make audiences not want to donate, due to the consistent invasive feelings of guilt and pity.

Question 7

How is the Super. Human. presenting Paralympians in a way they haven’t been shown before?

Answer 7

-By pointing a camera at the realities of their lives/
- Focusing on the human rather than the super.
- The filming, editing and audio codes combine to construct a representation of this social group, raising awareness and creating positive representations of the Paralympians as athletes first, rather than disabled people ‘doing their best’.

Question 8

How is Channel 4 a progressive company?

Answer 8

According to youGov, 65% of viewers felt the coverage of the paralympics had a positive impact on their perceptions of disable people.
Their mission statement is “To create change through entertainment”

Question 9

What are some notes about Tennis player Jordanne Whiley’s appearance/scenes?

Answer 9

• Wakes up and rubs temples, baby is crying
• Tense tennis game jump cuts to giving birth - emphasizes intensity and harships of training due to parallels between training and giving birth
• Targets mothers
• Mothers resonate/feel empathy towards Whiley (Blumler & Katz uses and gratifications)
• Shows how giving birth and training for paralympics is on the same level
• Camera movements gives audience same tense chaotic feel

Question 10

How can David Gauntlett be applied to Super.Human?

Answer 10

• Disabled athletes can act as a role model for audiences

Question 11

What are some notes about cyclist Jody Cundy’s appearance/scenes?

Answer 11

• Graphic match cut from him cycling to the hamster running on the wheel
• Clips of him interacting with his child/family, reinforces idea that this is serious for them so much so that he’s sacrificing spending time with his family

Question 12

What are some notes about Ali Jawad’s appearance/scenes?

Answer 12

• Carries his own weights - shows isolation during covid - having to be independant
• Grey mise en scene - no glamour or sugarcoating
• Tracking shot takes us with him on his journey
• Todorov’s narrative theory - resolution

Question 13

How is Todorov’s narrative theory present in Super.Human?

Answer 13

• Super,Human follows Todorov’s narrative theory as the ad starts with training as an equilibrium and then the disruption being COVID and finally them actually winning/competing as the resolution.

Question 14

What aspects of Barthe’s semiotics theory is present in Super.Human?

Answer 14

• Close up facial expressions (to see every raw emotion, quite personal)
• Wide angle shot s (Ellie simmonds in pool)
• Extreme long shots, mid shots
  -> themes of isolation (mental strain, having to do it yourself and empty space emphasizes independence)
• Quick jump cuts - chaotic, intensity, pressure, no time to rest
• Slow mo falling off of bike - anticlimax
• Intertextual references (Boris Johnson)
• Mise en scene of sports attire contrasting everyday life props eg kitchen
• Voice narration (commentary)
• Fast paced song
• Lots of diegetic sound which enhances audience emotion
  -> balls falling, bandage ripping, grunts, straining

Question 15

What connotations are there of the text “To be a paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you”?

Answer 15

Double meaning
- Depending on audience’s reading position (Stuart Hall) may decode different meanings
- Channel 4’s intention/what they encoded was the play on a phrase traditionally used as an insult/depreciating way.
- Audience can decode it as a reality check for those who may hold tradition views on disabled people being different to any other person and may hopefully feel encouraged to be a bit more understanding and willing to learn.
- Play on words and negative stereotype that being disabled is somehow wrong - although some people with disabilities though this message was wrong

Question 16

What are some enigma codes in Super Human?

Answer 16

• You see many peoples stories and it jumps to another clip right at the climax or pre-climax which entices/encourages you to continue watching to see if they’re going to succeed.

Question 17

What is Levi-Strauss’ theory and how can it be applied to Super.Human?

Answer 17

• Suggested binary oppositions are needs to propel a narrative forward
• Training (gruelling) regime contrasted with celebratory images (reality vs fantasy)
• Animated archive footage vs real life footage
• “To be a paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you” creates a conceptual binary opposition between audience perception of Paralympian athletes and the reality.
• Challenges how language is used set against the reality of the positive images in the advert.

Question 18

How can Stuart Hall’s reception theory be applied to Super.Human?

Answer 18

Negotiated position - May be more distanced from sporting genre, but may be more open to positive approach by ad.
Oppositional position - Less progressive or narrow minded people who have maybe a fixed tradition mindset eg older people or parents who don’t want their child to see that sort of thing.

Question 19

How does Super.Human go againsts Gerbner and Barne’s theories?

Answer 19

Superhuman challenges Gerbner and Barne’s theories due to going against all the 12 representations of disability and also going against the repeated exposure of one of those representations on TV for example “pitiable and pathetic”, the athletes actually show incredible mental and physical strength that makes viewers admire them.

Question 20

What is the song used in Super.Human?

Answer 20

So You Want to be a Boxer by Bugsy Malone.

Question 21

How are audio codes used to communicate meaning?

Answer 21

The chocie of soundtrack “So You Want to be a Boxer” by Bugsy Malone communciates the struggles of disabled people whilst also giving off a positive feel. The typical conventions like voice overs and dramatic music rapidly change to the sound of an alarm to the realities of daily life.
- Sound effects (diegetic sound) underscore the music, emphasising the battle of training.

Question 22

How does Super.Human use technical codes and editing to convey messages?

Answer 22

• Close up shots of expressions portray aspects of disability in a non-victim way.
• Range of shots used to convey strength and determination eg Ellie Simmonds.
  -> Close up of her putting on goggles, extreme close up of her eyes which connotes concentration, low angle shot creating power.
• Slow motion used to show cycling crash combined with muted sound to create a dramatic effect.

Question 23

What visual codes in Super.Human communicate meaning?

Answer 23

• Iconography and settings related to athletes and sport.
  Eg. Ellie Simmonds: goggles, pool, gym training etc. However thse settings are juxtaposed with domestic scenes of everyday life as a disabled person, suggesting the normality of their situation.
• Gestures of celebration, frustrations highlight the result of their hard work.

Question 24

What is SUper.Human’s target audience?

Answer 24

Target audience for this ad is a broad demographic:
- Channel 4 viewers (16-34 age bracket)
- Fans of sport
- Those who desire to see more inclusive representations of social groups
-

Question 25

What are some social or cultural contexts apparent in Super.Human?

Answer 25

Channel 4 is seeking to address the
under-representation or misrepresentation of a
particular social group.
- Covid is a universal social event that affected everyone - focuses on an issue that can be recognized globally and encourage empathy from audiences.