Super.Human Flashcards
How does SH use star appeal?
Jody Cundy (cycling)
Ellie Simmons (swimming)
David Smith (drums)
How are disabled people represented through a hero narrative?
• Iconography of medals
• Army archive montage of soldiers marching that play alongside the paralympians training
• Overcome challenges and the video ends in success
How are the paralympians represented as ‘Human’?
• Jody Cundy can’t make it to his daughters bday party because he’s training
• Ellie Simmons compares herself to her old self
• David Smith is distracted by the drums instead of training
• Giving birth scene
What phrase is shown at the end of the advert?
“To be a paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you”
Polysemic meaning, adds a level of humour
What are some scenes used to make audiences feel uncomfortable? Why do the producers do this?
Close up shots of popping blisters, bruises forming, bleeding, the puke bucket, gagging noises, straining
Represents how the athletes are not “super”, and they sacrifice a lot to be able to compete in sports
What nightmarish sequences are created and why?
• Kadeena cox being chased by a 3rd place medal puppet in her dream sequence
• Ellie Simmons is being weighed down by a giant medal in the pool
Represents how the athletes face pressure and anxiety, must overcome those fears
How does C4 hope to educate their audience?
Scene where women can’t access a cafe
Shows that despite their success they still face discrimination
What is Boris Johnson editted to say?
“You might aswell quit”
Represents how Covid impacted the athletes lives, just like everyone else - relatable issue to audiences
How does SH reflect changing representations of disabled people?
The undatables
The last leg
Offered progressive representations of disabled people
How can gauntlet be applied to SH?
Representations of disabled people have became more progressive over the years, now offering a more diverse representation overall
Audiences are more active now and can pick and mix their construction of identity due to the more diverse representation of disabled people
6 hero narratives are constructed to offer a more diverse representation of disabled people as a group and represent disabled people positively
How can postmodernism be applied to SH?
The grand narratives that were created around disabled people historically as being less capable of success than able bodied people are challenged in this advert
The representation of disabled people has developed quickly from the 2012 meet the superhumans, showing the impact modern technology has had on representations
When were the other Paralympic adverts released?
Meet the superhumans in 2012
Were the superhumans in 2016
How can Gilroy be applied to SH?
Disabled people represented as “other” in previous Paralympic adverts, now they are represented as “human”, being relatable to a mass audience and representing disabled people as the same as able bodied people
