What questions could come up for the representation comparison question of component one section A?
- how audiences are positioned by the representations
- How ideologies conveyed through the representations
- construct versions of reality
- represent social groups
- representations of gender convey values and attitudes
- how audiences may interpret the representations of gender
- how representations convey values and beliefs
- how the representations position audiences
consider how the representations [construct versions of reality]
consider the similarities and differences…
make judgments and draw conclusions about how far…
Generic introduction
Representation refers to how reality is reconstructed by the producer using media. Representations can be used to convey an ideological message to the audience, and producers will use media language to anchor and position audience response. In this essay, I shall argue that music videos can use representations to position audiences in dramatically different ways.
Example one: The Killers 'When You Were Young' vs Sam Fender '17 Going Under'
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Plan
17 - sad, miserable, depressing mode of address
Moments of hope
The Killers - sad, isolated, yet with moments of hope
Costume codes
All white: purity and innocence and undertones of religion
Cross
Church
Rapid fire montage - proairetic code
Long shot, isolated, helpless
Working class representations
Audience positioned through intense emotional performances
Representations of heterosexual relationships
Positioned through diegetic sound
Representations of rural areas - bleak, directly, depressing
Master shot: fender on northern terraced street
Use of stereotypes. Stereotypical settings, costumes…
Representations of religion - of the past, gothic
Conventional romance narrative in the killers
Killers: conventional master shot
Fender: constructed as isolated yet important
Ocean shot: fender standing around a group of stereotypical teenagers
Representations of grief and loss and depression as an issue - shot of mother in panic in the living room
“The fist fights on the beach” - strong northern accent
Representations of gender: assumption that men must be strong and emotionless - Liesbet Van Zoonen or Judith Butler
Mother on the cliff vs standing on the cliff in the killers - representations of mothers
Example two: Bang Chan 'Railway' vs Beyonce 'Formation'
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Compare how this music video extract and the music video for Formation represent social groups. [30]
In your answer you must:
• consider the similarities and differences in how social groups are represented
• consider how representations construct reality
• make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the representations reflect social
and cultural contexts.
Introduction
Representation refers to the re-presentation of ideologies about a certain group of people, as reconstructed by the producer to realign audiences to agree with their ideological perspective. Representations reconstruct different versions of reality, and this is essential for producers to construct a stereotypical yet compelling version of reality. In this essay I shall argue that the representation of social groups in these two videos is completely different, due to the completely different ideological perspectives of these radically different genres of of music. In order to explore this idea, I shall use the examples of Formation by Beyonce, a hip-hop/R&B track with elements of bounce and trap that explores themes of poverty, the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, and black, southern working class identity. I shall also explore the video to Railway by Bang Chan, which presents a completely different ideological perspective typical of a high budget K-pop video.
Plan
South Korean men - perfect, hegemonically attractive, beautiful
Black working class New Orleans people - powerful, prideful, diverse
Slave owner dress
Crawling on floor - power
Sexualisation and fetishism of powerful men
Horror conventions
Intertextuality
Vampires
Anime references and videogame references
Social group - fans of east Asian culture and cult audiences
Low angle shots - constructs power
Beyonce - lyrics ‘all my ladies’, MES of backing dancers
Beyonce positioned as important and commanding
Black people - subverts stereotypes of black people as violent a dangerous
CU/LS montage of child dancing: disrespect of authority
Intersectional feminism and bell hooks - challenging representations of gender and ethnicity
Subversive representation of masculinity - a binary opposition
New Orleans - exclusively black people, run down, representations of working class identity
Railway - destroyed prison. Symbolism of destroyed flags suggests shame and misery