Zoella - how is identity mediated through digitally convergent media in a postmodern world? BONUS - Postmodern sentences

To use theory at the highest level and to achieve the highest marks possible, a student must explore how theories interact and support each other. This post, built from student responses, explores the following theories and how they all synergistically combine. This is top level stuff! however, since postmodern theory is much of a headache to actually talk about, we also came up with a bunch of snappy one-liners to dump in your exam, which you can find at the end of this post. More and more information but less and less meaning?  It's a Baudrillardian nightmare! 

The three theories that this analysis ends up combining are Stuart Hall's theory that representations re-construct realities, John Baudrillard's theory that reality and meaning is fractured, and Gauntlet's theory that we can take these fractured re-presentations to construct our own identity. 

Before jumping in to things, let's start off with a reminder about what representation is: 

Representation is how a person, issue or event is shown again by the producer of a media product. Representations are always constructed through media language to demonstrate the ideology of the producer. Stuart Hall argued that representations are controlled and constructed by those in power, and that representations construct reality. In this essay, I shall argue that Zoella uses her power and privilege to construct a simple and stereotypical representation of women to minimise risk and maximise profit

Mediation - the process of moderation or control. We can also call this negotiation, or simply picking and mixing.

HUGE Summer Primark Haul | Zoella

• The video consists of a single continuous long take that goes on for a full 25 minutes. A single close up represents Sugg to her target audience. This mundane mode of address constructs a relatable ideology for Sugg’s target audience
• Zoella pulls fashion items out of three huge bags, and presents them directly to the camera. Once this thus mundanity serves a function, not only to promote a relatable ideology, but to allow the active target audience to pick and mix their own identity from this video. By buying these consumer products, her audience aspire to be like her…
• The video makes heavy use of commodity fetishism. Constant close ups of products emphasis their price as opposed to their value as a fashion item. This reinforces a consumerist lifestyle 
• Zoella smiles frequently, constructing a stereotypical and hegemonic representation of a young white woman 
• The lighting is artificial yet resembles natural light. In this sense, we see Sugg using the hyperreal MES of artificial light to construct a representation that is more real that reality itself
• The video encourages a passive audience interaction, and may well be watched in the background.
• Sugg is wearing a low cut, tight fitting black top, constructing a modern and straightforward style. Liesbet Van Zoonen argued that women’s bodies function as spectacle for a heterosexual male audience. However, in Sugg’s videos, the intended audience is clearly young, heterosexual women . Here the function of Sugg’s body is aspirational as opposed to erotic 
• The setting also constructs and anchors a stereotypical representation of women. The nig spongey cushions encode a cosy and comfortable ideology, and suggest the ultimate goal for her target audience, is to live a life of comfort.
• This video lacks any notable binary opposition or form of conflict at all. This constructs a stereotypical representation of women as peaceful, without any conflict, and without any noticeable trace of personality. From this video, all we learn is her materialistic ideology, and complete refusal to engage in conflict.
• The format of the video is under stimulating, yet engaging to the target audience. The target audience is encouraged to position themselves with Sugg, yet the audience is also encouraged to passively consume this video, perhaps leaving it on in the background. In this sense, the video functions as escapism for the target audience. However the brand Primark is affordable for much of the producer’s target audience, making this escapist fantasy very realistic and relatable. 
• Sugg is wearing makeup. The makeup is natural, apart from her eyes, which is conventional for Zoella. Her smile is a key part of her ideology, and constructs a hyperreal representation that she is always happy, reinforcing the hegemonic ideological perspective that in order to be desirable, a woman must smile constantly
• Sugg explicitly and actively shows fashion objects to the camera to form an active relationship with her female target audience
• The MES of Sugg’s costume in this video is revealing. However, it can be argued that the address is not for a heterosexual make audience. Here her body is presented as an aspirational mode of address for her target audience. Sugg is clearly very skinny and therefore reinforces hegemonic values of women’s bodies to her target audience
• Sugg is rich and famous, which conflicts notably with her brand identity of her as a relatable and normal woman. 
• Stuart Hall’s theory of representation argues that only the rich and powerful and privileged own the means of representation

How is Zoella a hyperreal simulacrum of a woman? What aspects of media language re-present her? How is her face, body, hair etc utilised as part of her brand identity?

This is not Zoe Sugg. This is a representation of Zoe Sugg...

Note - in this exercise, we analysed Zoe Sugg's body itself. Which is a little strange. However, Zoe Sugg's appearance is a key facet of her brand identity, and is clearly instrumental in her massive success as a vlogger. 

• Sugg is clearly very hegemonically attractive. Her face and her body are particularly appealing to her increasingly older female target audience. 
• Her features are soft and appealing. Her voice is generally soft and stereotypically feminine which reinforces a hegemonic stereotype of women in general 
• Sugg generally wears a significant amount of makeup. The makeup itself is somewhat natural yet clearly visible, which would appeal to her younger audience demographic. This provides audiences with the aspirational opportunity to emulate her makeup and be like their idol
• Her style at public events is casual and stereotypically feminine. Adopting a conservative style, Sugg is likely to appeal to a conservative and less adventurous target audience (Sugg typically avoids political discussion to avoid alienating her audience)
• Sugg is noticeably very skinny, and therefore potentially is not relatable to her target audience, although she does construct a representation of hegemonic beauty standards. 
• Finally, Sugg constructs a hyperreal representation of white hegemonic beauty and lifestyle standards. She presents a singular and straightforward representation to her predominantly white target audience
• Zoella is famous. She is notable among a certain group of people 
• The MES of Sugg’s hair is straightforward, relatable and yet attainable for her target audience. This is a key aspect of her brand identity 
• Her style is casual ,straightforward and yet classically feminine, and suggests a relatable and conservative mode of address.
• The gesture code of the way in which she stands at official event is confident and assertive. Yet she lacks the sophistication and aggressive assertiveness of certain celebrities. The MES of her smile is welcoming and practiced. This conflict between the fakeness of her smile and the connotations of relatability is highly hyperreal 
• Her appearance is completely lacking in any risk or friction, constructing a highly stereotypical representation of young women 
• Sugg is clearly highly hegemonically attractive. She has long hair and wears make up, yet her smile, which involves her eyes becoming smaller and dimples forming at the side of her mouth constructs a classic, traditional and straightforward femininity 

Nice

Postmodern phrases to drop in to exam responses 

• In a postmodern world, nothing is real, but everything is a representation of reality
• Hyperreality is representation is more real than the real itself 
• We live in a postmodern world, that means that meaning has collapsed
• Watching Zoella’s videos only breeds discontent and reminds us we can never live up to her hyperreal standard. This is a symptom of the postmodern condition
• “Online media has completely shifted our perception of what is real and what is not…”
• “The videos of Zoe Sugg reflect the postmodern condition…”
• “Jean Baudrillard argued that we are exposed to more and more information, yet now have less and less meaning….”
• “With the postmodern condition, we lose our sense of authenticity….”
• In a postmodern world, the idea of reality has been replaced with the hyperreal…”
• “Zoe Sugg’s perfectly imperfect house is a hyperreal construction…”