Binary Oppositions and Ideology 

BBC Question Time with Russell Brand and Nigel Farage

The main binary opposition in this clip is both the speakers themselves, e.g. 'Russell Brand vs Nigel Farage'. This is apparent due to the fact that both speakers have completely different views on immigration which causes a major clash between them and conflict. Russell Brand sympathises with the audience by relating to them and tells them how he too was once part of the 'working-class' and had similar difficulties whereas Nigel Farage was bought up in a middle-class environment therefore his opinion will not benefit immigrants or the working-class. The dominant ideology presented through Nigel Farage is that immigrants are the reason we are running short on public resources and he further explains that allowing more immigrants into the country will result in fewer spaces available in schools, fewer GP's  and that quality of life is getting worse etc. On the other hand, Russell brands dominant ideology is that Nigel Farage had the advantages of being raised by a family which consisted of wealth and privilege, this therefore creates an emotional and personal identification with the people in the audience as it is relate-able. Furthermore, although majority of the audience applaud and cheer for Russell Brand as he is putting his pint forward there are a few members who oppose the majority. This is shown when a man states that Russell Brand should become a politician and help make a difference rather than making his point through a talk show.

Illegal To Wear Niqab/Burkah- women loses debate with muslim women

The main binary opposition in this clip is once again both the speakers themselves, e.g. 'Eva Ahmed vs Mona Elthway'. Eva Ahmed is against the banishment of niqabs/burkahs in Framce whereas Mona Elthway wishes to see the band extended everywhere. The dominant ideology presented in this clip is that the Burkah is not a religious symbol but it is enslavement and therefore France cannot accept women being imprisoned behind a mask. This ideology is supported by Mona as she goes onto explain how wearing the niqab is not written in the Quran therefore it is not an obligation and that showing the face is important during communication. However, the alternative ideology which is highlighted by Eva Ahmed is that the band is just another way for men to dominate women and tell them how to dress of live their lives and its another way to control women and by taking it to government is wrong because it is against human rights. She explains how its a free choice and it something some muslim women choose to wear. By the end of the video the main binary opposition is 'Muslim women vs the government'. Also, the dominant ideology by the end of the clip is that muslim women should be allowed to wear what they like and it shouldn't be legitimised just because a group of people don't like it otherwise every other attire people don't approve of should also become illegal.

12D Cover Work - Monday 7/12, p1/2 

The World of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia and Propaganda 

The article analyses the dystopian representation of capitalist society in the latest Hunger Games film and the series as whole, drawing attention to elements where media theory can be most usefully applied. In the dystopian society of Panem, thirteen districts exist only to serve the capital city of the country, named ‘The Capitol’. The districts are poor and barely survive on minimum food and wages. They work to provide coal, technology, food, power and other services to the Capitol. Each year two children between the ages of 11-18 are sent from each district to take part in ‘The Hunger Games’ which forces each child to kill everyone else until only one remains. The game is made to maintain peace and keep the districts under control. Using Marxist theory to assess this representation, we can see that the ruling class keep the poor under control. This physical withdrawal of the means to survive, combined with the public abuse of those that step out of line, are ‘civic state apparatuses’. There is also a vital ideological element to the way Panem is run; those in power control ideas, as well as resources. President Snow believes that hope is the ‘only thing stronger than fear’, and he deals with rebels by spreading fear among the districts. He mainly does this through propaganda and the media, using constant repeats of previous ‘Hunger Games’.

They Live: Ideology

This article explores one of the most complex and difficult aspects of the Media Studies curriculum: the concept of ideology. It explores the meaning of the term, and its related concept of hegemony, and look at the work of three key theorists. Finally it explores the term further through a powerful 1988 film acknowledged to be one of the hidden masterpieces of Hollywood: John Carpenter’s They Live. These are three features that are generally agreed to be part of the dominant ideology in Britain:

• People should put their families first.

• Women should behave in feminine ways, and look after their appearance.

• People should work hard for their money.

In 21st-century Britain, a particularly significant aspect of our ideology is that, unlike some other cultures or regimes, it is not forced upon us through violence or coercion by government or the military. Zizek explores how we now accept our control, yet are completely dominated. A fantastic starting point for a student is his documentary, subversively titled The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012). 

Year 12 cover work: Representation

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1. The female gaze article is about research that suggests advertising campaigns are dominated by heterosexual Caucasian size 0 to 2 models. It also states that representations of women in advertising is too white and exclusively under size 6. Western women on average are size 14 or above therefore the term 'plus model' has become popular since advertisers want to embrace what people actually look like. 

2. The film which has sparked the debate on female body image and female representation is called 'A Perfect 14.' 

3.The 'female gaze' differs from the 'male gaze' as Mulvey suggests the 'male gaze' is when women are portrayed for the benefit of men therefore women are presented for men to look at as sex objects whereas the 'female gaze' is more about females looking at other females and consuming the ideal body shape etc. 

4. I personally think the media should invest more time in advertising average sized women rather than size 0 models who cause a negative impact, especially on younger girls who go to extreme extents to pursue the 'ideal' body shape not realising the health problems that can cause. 

5. 'A Perfect 14' is trying to get across the message that you should feel comfortable in your own body and not feel as though you should achieve an impossible body image. The main character of the documentary is diagnosed with cancer, it also shows the journey of three 'plus size' models and the struggles they experienced. The whole film positively shows plus size models.

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1. 

• Introduction

This section talks about how a person, places, objects or ideas being represented in a media text have been mediated by the act of representation. It continues to state how representations are filtered through someone's point of view- they're ideological. 

• Representations and the mass media

This section suggests that representations process through certain people, e.g. the photographer, picture editor and news editor. They can give images multiple meanings depending on their own ideologies.

• The how, who and why of representation

We must always consider who is creating the image and for what purpose. The producer considers 4 things: 

-the expectations and needs of the target audience

-the limitations provided by genre codes 

-the type of narrative they wish to create 

-their institutional remit. 

Roland Barthes talks about the idea of 'naturalisation' and how the media have chosen certain things and used certain things purposely, however the audience believe it is natural and normal. 

• Another approach to ideology - the work of Stuart Hall

Stuart Halls critique is known as the 'Encoding/Decoding Model.' Hall believes that the audience do not passively accept the ideology of texts but instead social and cultural experiences effect their interpretations. There is a relationship between the reader/viewer and the text. 

• Representations and new media

Audience members can now construct and share their own media products, and inwebsites, video-sharing platforms and social media there are more opportunities for people to represent themselves than ever before. Individuals can now engage in the act of self-representation, often on a daily basis, through the creation of social media.

• An example - representing national identity in old and new media

Old media also constructs a view to their audience. The example is during the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to millions of homes, representing it's own concept of England. The whole paper was about 'English Identity' and was a positive approach to the monarchy. The new media, social media, was able to highlight peoples voices and their rejection towards the tabloid. The new media offered people to voice their views and opinions about the traditional old media. 

I am quite active on social media, I regularly post pictures on Instagram and check up on what is going on. When I do post, I do go through that construction process in my head, I have to think about whether or not I like the picture, whether I want to present myself in this particular way or not and then the caption underneath. To be honest, it doesn't take too much thought, I don't really spend hours thinking about it, if I want to post something online I usually just do it. 

I believe it is both, e.g. BBC is funded by the public and therefore the BBC should listen to the audience and give them what they want to see. If the BBC went against what their audience wants they would not have many viewers and the organisation would close down as they wouldn't get funds.

12D Cover Work - Thurs. 25/11, p6

Graham Norton, BBC1 – Schwarzenegger 

In this clip men are presented in a variety of ways, e.g. Graham Norton, is more feminine whilst Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very stereotypical man, who is seen as a body building icon. He is the dominant representation of men, whilst Norton is an alternative representation of males. The woman, Miranda, although she doesn't speak her physical appearance is an alternative representation of females due to her short her and broad structure. This subverts the stereotype and opposes Perkin's theory. 

London 2012 – Bond/Queen 

London is presented as an expensive area and wealthy and posh partly due to the grandeur appearance. The soldiers are presented stereotypically and the black cab is a stereotypical London vehicle. The representation of the tourists is also dominant as they are usually from other countries and are usually interested in the royal family. Tourists are also seen to be on holiday and learning new things about different cultures. This is the dominant representation of the place which therefore links to Dyer's theory and also Perkin's as the representation is predominantly positive.  

Some Girls – BBC3 trailer

The portrayal of the 4 girls is alternative as they are all part of a football team which is more of a masculine sport also this subverts the stereotype of girls being inactive. However within the 4, the characters conform to different ideologies and also challenge others; there's the 'dumb blonde,' who isn't aware of what she's doing.This links back to Mulvey as the dominant view in the media is masculine and created for the benefit of men. Women are presented for men to look at, hence the ‘male gaze’. This links to the idea of ‘sex sells’ and women being represented as sex objects.

Representation: Collages 

Stereotype 

Reality

Representation 

                                                 12 Years A slave

                                                

Black Males: They are racially discriminated against as they are presented as slaves. This movie reinforces the stereotype that white people are superior in comparison to blacks. This is a realistic portrayal of slavery times.However, the main protagonist was originally a New York State-born free African-American man violinist with a family and well established life/career which goes against the stereotype of black males but as expected he is soon sold into slavery and deceived by the white males. 

White Males: They are dominant and the black males are submissive- racial discrimination. It is dominant portrayal of white males as they are seen as powerful characters. 

Women: There is a dominant portrayal of women as they are seen simply as the lover/wife who take care of the children while the men work- mainly white females in this movie or on the other hand the black females are seen as sex objects who are abused and raped by the white males. 

Location: The movie is set in 1835, the places shown look like country sides where slaves would work. 

Representation- (Theories applied) 

12 Years A Slave portrays young African Americans as slaves and highlights the historical context of black people however the protagonist of the film challenges the stereotype because he has a good job and provides for his family and also ommjunicates and lives amongst white people. This reinforces Perkins theory as the stereotype is able to change. Furthermore, the protagonist reinforces Fanons 'Black Skin, White Masks' theory due to the way he carries himself through the film alongside the white community, almost trying make himself fit in their society. Additionally, Medhurst’s theory of shorthand value judgements can also be applied because the representation of the minority group of black people is very negative and the stereotype of black people has been reinforced in a short amount of time.

On the other hand, the white people presented are seen as dominant and overpowering therefore reinforcing an accurate description of the historical context. This links to Dyer's theory as those with the power, stereotype those with less power and generalise them all as one, racially discriminating them. However this also supports Perkins theory as the white Americans were in power during the 1600s, which reveals the truth about the situation rather than the stereotype. The white middle-class group are presented in the highest status and show the dominant portrayal of their class. Through their clothing (mise-en-scene), in comparison to the Africans, who are wearing barely nothing, we can infer immediately from his skin and his clothes that he is a dominant character.

Similarly, women are presented as the typical ‘house wives’. This reinforces Mulvey’s theory about ‘male gaze’ since the wife is the main protagonist is simply there as his wife or the mother of his kids. Although she’s not portrayed as a sex object she is still in some sense his object who takes care of him and his family while he goes out and works which also links to Dyer’s theory as its reinforcing the stereotype of the man being the ‘bread winner’. 

Furthermore, there are several binary oppositions presented in this trailer, one of them would be 'dark vs white' this is also a dominant ideology as people assume that white people are superior is comparison to black people. Additionally, there is also the opposition of 'good vs evil' in this trailer, the good people are the blacks whereas the bad are the whites. This contradicts the idea of white people being superior because even though they dominate the black people they are still viewed as the 'bad guys'.

Dependency Theory

I primarily use the internet for interacting with friends and family via social networking sites, the ones I use on a everyday basis are, whatsapp, instagram and snapchat. However, I always tend to find out news through social media rather than on a news channel or online newspaper because everyone tends to post about any major news, particularly celebrity based gossip. Furthermore, I also use the internet to help me with my coursework, e.g. research, definitions, thesaurus. On the other hand, I also use the internet to do online shopping frequently. In addition to that, I tend to watch movies online or catch up on TV shows I've missed. I also watch YouTube videos which are beauty related, e.g. makeup tutorials.

We are dependent on the media to a very large extent. I believe this because majority of the people use social media for interactions and we also are socially aware of what our friends and families are doing which makes us in a way more addicted to our phones as we constantly want to be up to date. This also links to news, we turn to social media to find out any major news and then turn to the net to read more or get to the depths of a story. 

We have become more dependant on the media because as I said previously we tend to use our phones to communicate with others, not by calling them but sending them a quick message on social media. Additionally, technology has become more advanced drastically over the past 10 years making it so simple to tend to the media when wanting to socialise, find out something, news etc. Its become very easily accessible and we have become a media saturated society.

The telegraph theory does support the dependency theory as four out of five people under the age of 25 feel 'lost' without their phone. By contrast, just three out of five people over the age of 25 said that they would feel 'lost' without the internet and one in three adults surveyed would choose the internet over television which again further implies how dependent we have become on media and technology.