Ajay's A Level Media Blog

                                            An image of 6ix9ine in his music video

6ix9ine is an American artist who makes a variety of music. In many of his videos he has young women who are oversexualized in several ways. During this music video, the women essentially wear only two pieces of clothing; they have cycling shorts and a small bra. This shows off their skin and makes them look more explicit. This makes women look like sex objects because they’re being used for their body and looks, consequently this supports the fact that they're only on the camera for their physical appearance and sexual demeanour. Furthermore, these women do not speak, or interact with the camera like 6ix9ine does, this presents them as inferior and less important. 

In addition, in the majority of the video they’re standing metres behind the rapper, this further infers that women are weaker than men and have less power; this is also links with the negative genre of men being more dominant in a relationship. The target audience of this video is teenagers and young men, this is obvious because the women are dressed in vibrant colours and have exaggerated hair which is eye catching and appeals to young males. In this music video, the colour red outlines a seductive and sexual theme.

Generally, the women’s body language is extremely seductive which keeps viewers entertained, they’re showing off their body parts which exaggerates their physical features. At certain points, the camera angle switches to a close up of each women’s oversexualized areas, this can tempt viewers to want to be with these ladies and makes their body parts look bigger. Consequently, they lay in sexual positions and even lay on the ground below 6ix9ine, showing that he is more important and once again connects with the typical genre of women’s voices not being heard. Continuing on, there is camera shots very close up to the women’s facial expressions, in these shots their lips look much bigger and they pout to express the size of their features. There's also other technical codes, for example the close up shots show the women's faces to be soft, gentle and once again seductive. Furthermore, one of the women stretch their tongue to brush 6ix9ine’s face; this implies the stereotype that woman sexually tease men and have no other required day to day qualities, because this is mainly things they do during the music video.

 On the other hand, these ladies are of colour which outlines that there is no discrimination, because 6ix9ine is a paler complexion, whereas, the women are darker. This is a good feature because it attracts all ethnicities and doesn't connect with the negative stereotype of a specific race being discriminated. 

                                      An image of Solomon, also the cover image of 12 years as a slave.

                                                   

 

12 years as a slave was a film released in 2013, that was based around 1853. Many stereotypes are used in this movie, because the target audience is aimed at minority groups, they may be able to engage with this film as they may have experienced some of the stereotypes, however it is also guided towards white people so they can also understand what it was like for minority groups and specifically black males. Continuing on, this film could possibly counter the stereotype, because not every single white person was racist, this can be unfair because they can also be stereotyped into the racist groups even if they don't agree with the stereotypical views. Stuart Hall's point that stereotypes occur from inequalities of power, is correct and emphasised in this movie, because the white males and people are more powerful and therefore get to create stereotypes against minorities less powerful than them. The purpose of this, is to show the major stereotypes and how black people/ males were treated in the past, also to portray an understanding that the world was a different place with a different type of hierarchy. 

The main character, Solomon Northup, was kidnapped in Washington by two white men and sold into slavery. This instantly connects with the stereotype that white men are more powerful than other minority males because they knew that they could commit a crime with no punishment. In the movie trailer, Solomon gets locked up into chains and trapped in a room. This is a powerful image because it infers to the stereotype that black men were similar to zoo animals, furthermore at this scene he is also laying on the concrete, lower than the white men, therefore he is of lesser importance. Consequently, this presents the white males as higher in the hierarchy, making the black man look defenceless and inferior. One of the white men also refers to Solomon as a ‘boy’, he sarcastically states ‘well boy, how do you feel now?’ This links with the stereotype that black men are dogs, the word ‘boy’ is the type of word you use to interact with other animals, specifically dogs. Furthermore, this shows a sense of dominance that the while males have over the black males.

In another scene, the white slave owner rests his left arm on the young black boy's head as a place of rest, this expresses the idea that white males abuse black men and boys; this is also ironic as the slave owners do not need to rest as they don't complete any physical work. This scene, emphasises that white males abused the use off black males and treated them with disrespect. Consequently, my point infers and links with the theme that black men were stereotyped to be physically bigger than white males, so they were said to be only good at physical work. Furthermore, the owner's sleeve is dirty and looks unwashed, so this scene can possibly infer that the mans clothes are more important than the black males as it is above the black boy; also it shows that they were considered as dirty and treated like dirt on the bottom of white men's shoes.

At a different section in the movie, Solomon is working with a white man and they interact, this subverts the stereotype because the white man was engaging with the black slave for a short amount of time without abusing him; this rarely happened because originally the slave owners only told their slaves about when they're going to be whipped and tortured. Solomon states how he has been to Canada before which is the something he and the white man have in common, however, Solomon is quickly shut down and reminded that he is a 'real traveller for a slave', the scene is powerful because the camera angle is above Solomon once again showing the superiority of the white male and the viewers can immediately see the change in Solomon's face as he brought back down to reality. This message always shows the stereotype that black men weren't meant to participate in luxury activities like holidays, because they were supposed to work in the fields picking cotton. Furthermore, it portrays the fact that black males weren't allowed to have any positive similarities to white males because they were 'dirty' and 'unwashed'.

                                            An image of the mother in 'Remember Preston'

'Remember Preston' is an old advert that has stereotypical themes towards women. The purpose of the advert is to promote their product, however the stereotypical purpose is to show how difficult and hard women work for their families. At the beginning of the advert, the mother/woman is already chopping peppers and cooking in the kitchen, then the kids run in from the garden and disturb the woman. The first stereotype, is the kids instantly not being fond of the food. This links with the genre that mothers slave in the kitchen cooking, only for their children to not be grateful and refuse to eat all the food, also it connects with the stereotype that women receive no recognition or praise for their continuous work. Consequently, this is similar to the reality, particularly in the 1900's and before, that woman do all the work around the house.

Later in the advert, the woman is seen with a large pot in her hand, a tucked pink shirt. The mother standing up with the pot, infers the stereotype that once again she is doing all the hard practical work. However, her shirt is not a vibrant shade of pink which subverts the stereotype that women are only useful around the house and for sexual actions. 

Alternatively, in this advertisement there is minimal references and images of women being sexualised which is a positive. 

On the other hand, the husband\father is sitting down at the end of the table reading a newspaper; this links with the stereotype that men did not do house work and that they would come home after work and relax. Leading on, the contrast between the man and woman, is that one is peacefully reading, whereas the other is working hard to feed the family; this major difference shows another stereotype that the mothers are constantly on their feet within the home. In this scene, the camera is behind the family so we can see the whole setting; in this section there isn't a seat at the table for the woman, this exaggerates the stereotype of woman spending time on something and having to do several things by themselves.

After this, the woman proceeds to outline multiple facts to silence her kids before they say sarcastic comments about her cooking, for example she says 'no, I haven't cooked this before'. This emphasises that the woman receives unpleasant comments and complaints about her meals which isn't fair, this links with the stereotypical theme that it is impossible for women to please everyone in the family. Furthermore, the mother looks at the elder son and mentions 'no Nick, no garlic'; this shows that he has complained about the food having garlic which he clearly doesn't enjoy. The stereotype this shows, is that kids moan at any little inconvenience they face, even if it isn't majorly important, which is ironic as the advert exaggerates that women deal with a lot.

The last scene of the advert, is the mother telling her husband 'Michael' to 'remember preston'; this final message makes the husband pleased which is also irony, as the woman should be the person who is pleased after all her work. Furthermore, this further links with the stereotype that men always end up satisfied whereas the women do not; this also connects with the genre that the only reward for women is witnessing their family be happy.

Charity adverts:

The purpose of this charity advert; is to raise awareness about child maltreatment and child abuse. In addition, it is aiming to change the behaviour of people who may abuse their children and help them realise it is a foul act. Furthermore, it makes the majority of viewers feel sympathetic towards these children. Consequently, the purpose is to also make people call the phone number to help the defenceless children.

To achieve this purpose, there is the image of the inferior boy with half of his face in darkness, this infers that child abuse is an issue that isn't heard about, and children are not being helped. Furthermore, the side with light on his face shows his bruises and scars from abuse, this creates a sense of sympathy because viewers can physically witness the effects and pain the child is in. This could further present the child as nervous or scared to show the rest of his face, this forces the viewer to want to help the issue and pushes them to want to call the number. Continuing on, the inference of a kid hiding his face is powerful because it makes viewers feel guilty because they do not have these bruises, furthermore kids are supposed to be confident and happy, whereas kids who are victims of child abuse are not. 

This charity advert was made to also raise awareness about poverty in Africa, and to show to people the living conditions of people in Africa. In addition, the advert was also made to convince people to donate money to help a severe cause. 

To do this, they have touching images throughout the video to make people sympathetic; for example, a toddler is crying with no clothes towards the start of the video. This scene shows that the kid is crying in pain from being hungry, this makes viewers sympathetic and feel guilty because they're not in horrible conditions like the children. Furthermore, his body is fully shown and it is malnourished and skinny, this infers he isn't consuming the correct nutrients toddlers need, this is also powerful because it makes viewers fear that thousands of kids could be like this in Africa. Consequently, viewers also are forced to show empathy, because in a variety of scenes children are staring into the cameras which can make people feel like they're crying to them for help. Once again, this makes people that are watching the advertisement want to donate and text the number as nobody likes to witness kids in need of saving.

 Media theories:

Clay Shirky- The internet has an effect on media and relationships. Audience members are no longer passive, they speak back and share and create content with each other.

Judith Butler- There is actually no gender behind the identities of gender. Gender is a social construct/ societies opinion, 'masculine' and 'feminine' are create through repetition. 

Liesbet van Zoonen- Gender changes according to historical and cultural beliefs. The western culture symbolises the beliefs of women bodies as objects. Men and women are represented differently in the media. 

Stuart Hall- Stereotyping reduces people to a few characteristics. Stereotyping occurs when there is inequality of power. Media language is used to create representations, and stereotyping is often used to assert power.

Steve Neal- Genre is represented by repetition, but shows difference, variation and change. Genres change as they overlap each other.

George Gerbner- Exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way people see the world.

Claude Levi-Stauss- Texts can be understood by studying their underlying structure. Meaning is presented through the use of binary opposites. Binary opposites drive the narrative forward.

Save Syria's Children Charity Advert: 

The purpose of this advert is aimed to raise awareness and raise money in the United Kingdom for children in Syria who are suffering. To achieve this goal, there is many general conventions throughout this advert. 

The target audience of the advertisement is mainly white families; using a white girl is different to traditional charity adverts because it makes white families sympathetic towards the helpless girl as she is vulnerable. It makes viewers also feel empathy for her as she is defenceless and is in need of our help.  In addition, targeting a white audience is smart because it is a bigger audience group in the United Kingdom than other coloured groups, this gives them a higher chance of receiving more donations. Furthermore, using a white girl is a bigger contrast to Syrian children; it makes a larger group feel guilty  and generally makes the wealthier audience engage with the advert.

The Save Syria's children advert, has a main camera shot as a close up of the girls face, which focuses on her change of emotion. Having the girl as the centre of every shot shows the viewer she is the main focus of the advert, and keeps the viewers attention on her. This forces the reader to engage and relate with her feelings, making them feel more sympathetic and guilty. Even though the shots are close up, the camera distance is slightly ranged from her face so we can see the setting; this is so we can relate with her thoughts and experience the suffering in her environment. Furthermore, this camera shot forces the reader to be intimate, therefore they capture the innocent girl's facial expressions and makes viewers feel empathetic. Consequently, the advert is direct address; at the end of the video the girl stares into the camera, the audience can feel her pain through her eyes. This scene further makes the audience feel sympathy because she is directly looking at them for help. The start of the video has a scene where the mother says 'make a wish', the video then ends with the same words 'make a wish' said by her mother. However, the contrast between these two sections is that the first time we hear these words, there is a family behind her singing happy birthday, whereas at the end there is only her mother. This further makes the audience feel sympathy, it also makes them feel guilty because her family are no longer with her. Furthemore, the viewers can infer the girls wish at the end of the video when she looks into the lense; she wishes for the audience to donate and save lives. In addition, her dad disappears from the narrative, this has an emotional effect on the reader because dad's are seen as protectors of their daughters, this presents her as vulnerable and helpless. At the end of the video, there is another contrast to the birthday cake, before the attacks she had a large birthday cake, on the other hand, at the final stages she has a cake that hasn't been baked and has barely risen. Her face also changes from bright and happy, to dark and lifeless. Once again ,this forces viewers to commiserate towards the little girl and raises the chances of receiving donations.

In the opening stages of the charity advertisement, there is vivid warm lighting; the yellow light beaming from the candles infers a sense of happiness and security around the girl. The warm lighting is used again in her bedroom; the reflection of the light onto the wall is a yellow shade. However, as the audience find out more about what is happening around the girl, the lightning starts to become cold and the tone begins to darken. The lighting infers her feelings and symbolises her emotions, this is because as she starts to get worried and experience traumatic incidents, the setting gradually becomes dark. In the final scene, the atmosphere is depressing and the surrounding is filled with cold lighting. This outlines that the girl is lifeless as well as emotionless, and shows she lost her happiness a long time ago; this connects with the fact that viewers feel emotional. Furthermore, the start of the advert has many light sources, for example there is eight bright candles, whereas at the final scene there is only one candle and the light does not have the same effect as it did before. This is because the cold lighting outweighs the warm lighting, symbolising that her happiness is being overruled by the bomb attacks.

This specific advertisement has no music in any section of the video; this makes the advert feel more realistic and tense. The upbeat sounds at the start infer how she feels and emphasises her happiness, however we begin to hear glimpses of what's happening around her. It isn't long after this, where the tone gets extremely dark and the upbeat sounds are non-existent. The sound effects of bombs blowing up behind her, are enhanced to be loud so the audience feel like they're in the situation, furthermore it makes them relate to the scene and understand how petrified the girl would be, once again this forces them to feel empathy. This advert as a whole, guilt trips parents which is the best way to raise money because parents realise they can make a difference.

'Make a wish' is a reference that is mentioned at the opening stages and at the end of the advert. This catchphrase is meant to fulfil kids with joy and hope as they blow out the candles hoping for their wish. The contrast from when she first makes her wish to when she finally makes a wish at the end shows how much the girl has changed within 1 year. Furthermore, this slogan remind people that kids should have their family around them at their birthday, however this girl has nobody but her mother, this creates a sympathetic atmosphere and makes the audience feel guilty. This is another example of guilt tripping.

The 'SaveSyria'sChildren' message is at the end of the video, this is because if the message was at the start, then some people may instantly click off as they have seen many adverts like this before. In addition, the fact it was said at the end, allows viewers to be more interested and work out the message for themselves, also they engage more with the narrative and therefore they see all the effects in the video. Around the middle of the video, the girl trembles in fear saying 'where are we?' This shows the viewers that the girl is confused and helpless, this links with the theme of guilt ad empathy. 'Ready or not here I come' has many connections to the video; this was said by the Dad in a game of hide and seek with the daughter. This could connect with the idea of the Dad symbolising the bombs because the girl hides from them, this could be the first link in the advertisement to gunmen and bombers.

UK Breast Cancer charity advert:

The aim of this charity advert is to raise awareness and raise donations to help the cause. There is general conventions. A little girl researches about time machines, and aims to fast forwards her and her mum into 2050. This is also the year that people believe that the majority of breast cancer victims will be able to beat the illness. 

The target audience of this charity advert, is white families; this links with the general theme of attracting a wealthier audience to raise higher amounts of donations. Using a young, innocent white girl creates a sympathetic atmosphere to the target audience. Targeting this audience is clever, because it is a larger group in the UK which will raise more awareness. 

The camera angle in this advert varies, however the main angle has the girl in the centre and also has the surroundings in the shot. This can emphasise various points that can create sympathy. At the start of the advert, there is a scene of the girl writing and doing school work, this makes the reader feel guilty that this child is experiencing her mother go through cancer while she is so young. Furthermore, this makes the viewer engage with her which makes them feel empathy. The advert is indirect address to the audience, this is because there is no scene of the girl looking directly into the camera or directing any message towards the viewers, this type of address can also infer that the girl has no idea that people could help her and her family. In addition, this makes viewers feel guilty as the girl seems innocent and helpless. However, there is a close up shot of the girl smiling with her Mum, this shows the girls emotions and emphasises her happiness when she is with her Mum, this makes viewers feel guilty because her Mum is most likely going to pass away from the severe illness. Consequently, the scenes are short, they are around 3 seconds, this is good because it keeps viewers entertained, this also explains why the camera shot fits all the setting in so that they can get their message across.

In the scene when the girl is laying in her bed, in her bedroom, there is warm lighting. This lighting comes from her lamp shade, this creates a calm and peaceful environment which all children should have. Furthermore, it gives off a sense of happiness and safety around the girl, this makes viewers engage with the girl and once again makes them sympathetic towards her. On the other hand, towards the end of the advert, there is more cold lighting. For example, the mother has a dark blue headscarf, top and bottoms; this isn't cold lighting but it is cold colours which create a darker atmosphere. We start to see these colours when the mum is introduced into the narrative, this is powerful because she is the breast cancer victim, this could infer the depression and emotions she has to deal with when fighting the illness. In this scene, there is also warm lighting in the girls 'time machine', this could be to counter the mums emotions as she is happy with her daughter at that moment in time. Furthermore, it could also show that the girl is happy even though her mother is fighting a life threatening disease, this makes the viewers emphasise with her and make them feel guilty.

In this charity advert, there is a light soundtrack in the background; it is a sad song that provokes the viewer to emotionally engage with the girl which makes them feel guilt. It sets the tone of the advert immediately which helps the audience to gage an understanding of what to expect. Furthermore, there is points where the sound effects of the girl making the machine are made louder, this shows the girl is making a mess, this brings the stereotypical side out of kids making noise and not tidying up. Once again, this reminds the viewers of their children and makes them feel empathy.

 

The 'Do not Disturb' sign on the girl's bedroom door, infers she is working hard on the time machine, this infers to the reader that she is desperate to skip to 2050. This means her mum would still be alive which would keep her happy, this makes the audience feel guilty and engage with the girl's desperation. The main message of this advert is put at the end, this is so viewers are still interested until the end. If the message was at the start, many people could click off the advertisement and not be as interested. Furthermore, it also leaves the audience with the reminder that in 2050, 'breast cancer now' want breast cancer victim to be able to fight off the illness.

WaterAid Charity Advert:

The purpose of this charity advert is to raise donations and raise awareness about African people not having access to clean water. At the start of the advertisement, there is a shot of the rain. This outlines to the reader that the beginning is set in the UK, this is the target audience of the advert, therefore there is radio news explaining rain is expected in the UK. The target audience is middle class families, this is due to the average radio and pant pot on the window sill, this can attract wealthy donations. Africa is a contrast to the UK; in the United Kingdom people hide when it rains, people also dismiss water and do not treat it preciously. On the other hand, African people celebrate when they receive clean water, this shows the difference between the two regions towards the presence of water. Furthermore, this advert only shows the poorer parts of Africa, this is to make the viewers feel more sympathetic and connects with the stereotypical view that Africa is a dry, sandy place; however there is many regions of Africa that are wealthy and urban. These areas are not shown, because viewers can disregard the suffering if urban areas were shown in the charity advertisement. 

The beginning of the advert, shows cold lighting. There is a cold, blue theme to present the weather and emphasise the effect of the rain and how it makes the UK a depressing place, whereas in Africa, there is warm lighting. Once again, this shows the difference between the two regions and infers the UK is ungrateful with their water. Africa has bright colours which infers a sense of happiness within the village even though they don't always have clean water. This can make viewers guilty because they dismiss the use of water, whereas African people cherish it. In this ad, the areas are binary opposites because the UK has cold lighting and rain, however Africa has no rain and warm lighting. Furthermore, the water looks valuable, precious and golden because the warm lighting beams through it; this shows how valued the clean water is which makes the audience feel sympathetic as they don't appreciate the water in the same way.

Creating a feeling of hope in the narrative, appeals to the audience because it is different to stereotypical advertisements where kids are suffering. It subverts the stereotype, because Claudia is singing, the stereotypical advertisements generally show people crying towards the camera showing their desperation. Furthermore, she doesn't look extremely in pain and she has clothes, this is a different approach to the traditional African adverts. Linking with the camera angles, there is close up shots of Claudia, in these shots she is smiling which is a contrast to other charity adverts. In addition, the camera zooms in on the empty bucket, this makes the audience guilty because it emphasises the point that they have to work hard for their water. Furthermore, there is a scene of young kids holding buckets, this makes the audience empathise with the children because they should not be carrying heavy buckets at a young age.

Showing that the girl and the people around her are not struggling, is a risky technique because the audience could assume these people do not need help or donations. The end of the advert creates a feeling of guilty, this is because the African people are very joyful when they receive clean water; however in the United Kingdom, people are not grateful for having daily water which can make them feel at fault. Ending with the reward of water, is a positive end to the advert, this once again gives hope which can make people want to donate. Furthermore, the 'text sonny' message at the end is also positive, because it further emphasises the feeling of hope which encourages the audience to donate bas they know they can make a difference.

Code	Connotations
The gesture code of the woman hugging the tide product.	This has connotations of love and relationships, and presents the product as having an important role in her life.
The use of superlatives, for example in ‘World’s cleanest wash’.	This has connotations of superiority and conveys a sense of excitement.
The bright colours, like red lipstick.	This has connotations of stereotypical women in this era, a seductive colour that links with love.
The hyperbole, ‘Tide’s got what women want!’	Has connotations that the brand is once again superior and persuades women to buy the product so they can fit in with other women.
Iconography of the heart above the women.	Shows the product is important to her and she loves it.

 Dizzee Rascal 'Dream' Music Video:

Dizzee Rascal's music video in 2004, called 'Dream', is about his rise to success, he raps about the struggles of young black males and how he became successful. It is a pop/ hip hop genre video, with a positive message which is the opposite to Dizzee Rascal's typical grime genre. Dizzee Rascal's change to pop music in this song, outlines that when you are successful you have to change the way you represent yourself; it also infers that the streets force black people present themselves in a certain way. Furthermore, it could show that black people are portrayed by white people in a certain way without a choice. 

The video is set in a small urban setting compared to the rest of the surrounding; it has a light hearted feel because of the colourful props and and costumes. Even though there's a fight with the white cop and the black youth, the bright colours create a different atmosphere which makes it feel less threatening and less realistic. Furthermore, the artificial environment symbolises a joyful, fantasy feel to the video which fits the pop genre because it is not aggressive, however it opposes the stereotypical views of typical black males. This allows the audience to engage with Dizzee Rascal and view the world from a different perspective.  In contrast, the puppets are golliwogs. Golliwogs are dolls that were created by white people, they have stereotypical references that black people are unserious and seen as jokes. Dizzee flirts with both ideas, the audience don't know whether he is happy to be seen as one of these dolls, or outlining he is frustrated and wants a change. In addition, there is ideological implications and a binary opposite of white and black groups; there's an upper class white woman representing the white wealthy minority groups, whereas, Dizzee Rascal and black puppets represent the lesser minority groups. In this video, the minority group is on the piano, this infers that they're in her world. Furthermore, the fact they're smaller than the woman, infers that they're less important, and further symbolises that they are lower in the world's hierarchy. It emphasises the stereotype that white people rule the world and dominant black people. In addition, the puppets give the video a light hearted feel, however they are controlled; this forces the audience to link it qith the stereotypical idea that upper class white people control black people and their actions. To subvert the stereotype, Dizzee Rascal is not being controlled by strings, this is because he has become successful, this suggests to viewers that once you are successful you can escape the streets. Once again, this joins with the theme that the streets can trap the youth, and once you are rich and become wealthy you are accepted more by the wealthy white groups. The woman also looks uncomfortable and does not approve of Dizzee, this suggests that pop or hip hop makes makes white groups feel on edge. There is another stereotypical reference, this is when the white police officer starts to abuse the youths, the white cop represents authority and safety. This stereotypes that the black young males are causing problems, and the police man is always an older white male who brigs safety to the area.

Within this song, the soft gentle colours subvert the stereotype of Dizzee Rascal. At the beginning of the video, his name is represented on colour toys, this gives off a playful atmosphere which forces the audience to understand it is an up beat narrative. In addition, it is a brightly lit video, this is the opposite to the majority of videos done by black males in the street as they're usually presented in a darker tone. Continuing on, the white woman also refers to Dizzee as 'such a rascal', this suggests that the lady once again isn't fond of Dizzee Rascal. It could further infer that white groups looked down on black groups, this connects with the stereotype that minority groups are considered less important. The start of the song, shows that Rascal is kept in a box by the woman, this makes the audience consider that he is like a prisoner; he is also only let out of the box to perform his track and trapped again when he is finished. Consequently, this shows that black minority groups area still restricted even when they become successful, it could also have references to the idea that black people will always have challenges and struggle to have full freedom. On the other hand, there is a clash because the theme of the video is positive but there is still signs of negative stereotypes. Another negative stereotype portrayed in this video, is when Dizzee Rascal is analysing the body parts of the women walking past the corner store; this refers to women being over sexualised. However, to make this stereotype have a humorous atmosphere, the woman are dolls and not real humans like Dizzee. In addition, the woman recoils and feels on edge when the cop is fighting the black minority groups, she does not intervene or get involved in the situation; this further supports the point that she presents the white wealthier groups. Leading on, it also suggests that upper class white people feel that they're too important to get involved with young black males. In contrast, it also shows that she could be silent because she is afraid of Dizzee and his black friends. Towards the start of the video, Dizzee states that she is 'too sensible' for him; this outlines that white people came across as boring compared to black people. Moreover, it suggests that both ethnic groups have different humour. The end of the video shows a subverted stereotypical view, this is when Rascal is walking a baby pram; it is a contrast because this isn't seen on general pop videos, and the stereotype that black males leave their new born babies is countered. Additionally, this closes the video with a positive message before he re-enters his box.

In his lyrics, he mentions that the 'youngers cothin' on the stairs in the flats' can 'go far if they put their mind to it'; this is a positive message to the youth which contrasts the stereotype that black musicians from the streets always have bad influences on younger people. On top of this, he states that 'when I'm gone I'm always thinking about my hometown'; this lyric emphasises that despite how successful he will become, he will always remember where he grew up and the streets he came from. In addition, this could imply that white groups restrict black people because of the areas that they were raised in.

Paul Gilroy's theory, links to the fact colonialism still affects society despite the point that it happened many years ago. Colonialism, was a time period when countries intruded over countries, took over the land; they controlled these countries and the locals were forced to listen to the wealthier people. Many countries did this, especially the UK. The UK started to control Jamaica, this connects with the video because the white woman represents the UK, whereas Dizzee represents the Jamaican groups who were controlled. In addition, this summarises that that colonies are no longer around, however the representations of the groups are still used and shown in media.

Riptide: Music Video:

Riptide is a music video about domestic violence against females; there is a recurring theme of violence towards females. In the first scene, there is an image of the woman looking afraid and inferior, this sets the tone while also outlining the theme of the video. In this video, the film makers know and understand what they're doing, furthermore the Indie genre is presented used the ukulele instead of the guitar. There is direct and literal lyrics. 'Running down to the riptide' is a direct lyric because when this is aid there is an image of the woman jogging down to the river. In addition, 'cowboy's running from himself' is also a direct lyric as the cowboy is trying too escape from himself. There's a repetitive storyline that is fragmented into sections with an unidentified message.

 

In this video, there is an image of the women on the balcony, she is shown as high up. 'She is living on the highest shelf', this is a reference to her on the balcony, and further links with the term that women don't want to be left on the shelf. Furthermore, the lyric symbolises that she is not important and she has been forgotten about. The opening scenes of the woman singing at the club, have no negative connotations; she looks confident, she's high up in there frame, and there is bright light on her skin making her facial features glow. This is countered because the tone gets more violent as the video progresses, this is shown when the video returns to sing the same song in the club. She returns to the microphone with bruises, blood, the girl appears lower down in the frame. Appearing lower down in the frame shows she is less confident and feels weak, it also infers she is not powerful. Consequently, there's a change in lighting, it begins as bright and symbolises positivity, however it then changes to dark and symbolises depression and portrays a dark atmosphere. In this video, there is a camera shot from behind the woman, this is stereotypical, as it links with the idea of women being oversexualized; it infers that the woman is being watched. Furthermore, the audience being behind the lady shows that she is unaware of people following her, this further links with the point that women are oversexualized without consent. On top of this, this angle emphasises her figure and can make her appear as a sexual object. To subvert this stereotype, there is positive scenes in this music video. An example of this, is when there is a low angle shot of the woman's upper body. The blue sky in the background symbolises peace and a positive environment, it also suggests that there is no danger and the woman is safe. Furthermore, this scene shows her as unthreatened and superior; the woman also has a yellow top which is a warm colour which emphasises how she is feeling on the beach, this also opposes what she wears when she sings which is black clothing. On the other hand, this is opposed throughout the video, for example when she is in the dark with a lowly lit torch and she is afraid of her surroundings. Once again, this presents women as defenceless and portrays them to be victims. In addition, the section of the video when she is dragged away further shows her as helpless, the use of cold and dark lighting creates a traumatising setting which supports the theme of the video. Continuing on, there's more counters to the negative connotations; the holiday tickets alongside the aeroplane outlines that there is hope for the woman as she has escape routes. Alongside this, the woman also spies on people instead of being spied on, this is subverts the stereotype the audience see at the beginning where the roles are reversed. The most aggressive scene in this video is when a sharp knife is buried into the woman's hand, this is the most aggressive part of the video and presents her as inferior. After this, she appears at the microphone with blood dripping down her neck, this scene extends the darkened tone further. 

 On top of these points, there's another positive connotation when the girl untangles the rope from her neck and runs away, this connects with the inference that she has hope because she can escape. Furthermore, there's intertextual links between this video and horror, for example when she is dragged across the tiles. In this specific scene, the angle of the camera is pointing down, it shows only her hands, the tiles and a dark surrounding. The tiles are a dark blue shade, which is a cold colour. Leading on, her nails are painted red which is a colour that is associated with oversexualising women. Continuing on, the background in this section is pure darkness, this interlinks with the theme of horror and shows that she is being dragged into the unknown where she is not safe. Riptide reflects links to Wes Anderson's camera frames and techniques, he prefers central shots that are symmetrical. Lastly, in Riptide there is reflexivity shown when the producers are shown shooting the music video.

 

Paper 1 Section A, exam practice question:

Analyse the representation of gender in the music videos for 'the man' by Taylor Swift and 'Riptide' by Vance Joy. (30 marks) (800 words minimum)

In 'the man' by Taylor Swift, the male gender is represented as nonchalant and are shown to have a low intelligence; this connects with the stereotype that people believe when they state that men are dumb and not as clever as women. This type of video is similar to her usual genre, because they also contain certain type of camera shots that are in 'the man'. Consequently, men are also symbolised as rebels that are unbothered about the environment who believe they're more important than other people.

Towards the beginning of the music video, there is a scene of 'the man' smoking on a train, this is ironic because smoking on public transport is against the law. Continuing on, this instantly infers that men have an unbothered behaviour. In addition, this part of the video also shows an old woman coughing from the fumes and smoke radiating off the cigarette. Using an old woman creates a sympathetic atmosphere and can make the audience view 'the man' as selfish. Furthermore, 'the man' proceeds to empty his ash onto a white middle aged woman's bag; using a white woman can capture the empathy from a larger audience group. Connecting with my point, this scene also emphasises that males are careless. On the train, he also appears to look slumped in his seat, this means he is taking up space and not considering the personal space of the people around him. Once again, this supports the fact that men are presented as inconsiderate and careless. Furthermore, the long camera shot on the train is a powerful image, it shows 'the man' in the centre making him the centre of attention, this is crucial because this angle also shows the other people who are sitting around him. These people are a contrast to 'the man', therefore this type of camera shot is used to outline the differences between the type of people and it captures the disgusted facial expressions of other people. However, to contrast this point, there is also another man in this section of the video who is seated like the others on the train, this opposes the main message of the video and infers that not all men are careless and irresponsible. Continuing on further into the video, there is a portion of the video where 'the man' is urinating against the wall. This further shows his uncaring attitude and bad behaviour, this connects with my starting point that they only worry about themselves, their personal needs, and presents them as childish. For a second time this is irony, because in the next section 'the man' is shown with his daughter. The irony is that men/fathers are supposed to be role models to their children and clearly the majority of men are not this according to Taylor Swift. When he is with his daughter, a woman walks past him and he stares at her figure before pulling out his phone. A long range shot is used in this section to capture the warm lighting and bright setting around the park. This portion of the video outlines the point that men over sexualize women, the camera shot being behind the woman further suggests that she is unaware he is continuing to stare at her body shape. Separately, this can make the audience frustrated at 'the man' because it is an inappropriate act to do especially when his daughter is sitting next to him. In contrast to this, he then taps her head and picks her up. The warm lighting infers the girl's happiness as she is raised to the sky, and the mid range shot also catches the people in the park admiring the father with his daughter. Subverting the stereotype, presents 'the man' as a good parent which makes the viewers feel less anger towards him. The third sense of irony in the video, is shown after this when everyone in the park applauds the father, this is ironic because he is awarded 'worlds greatest dad' even though he was previously sexualizing women. These people form a circle around him showing that he is important and thought highly of, this supports Taylor Swift's message and suggests that men are easily rewarded whereas women are disregarded. After this, 'the man' and his friends are seated around a table in a strip club. Men being in a strip club also links with the stereotype that they use women as sex objects. The use of red lighting in this scene, presents a sexual vibe as red links with a sexual theme. These men are also shown to be talking about 'bitches and models' which once again links with the stereotypical view that men speak about women's bodies and features. Furthermore, he also performs numerous hand gestures showing his friends the sexual figure of a woman; this also presents them as childish as they're treating women with no respect which supports my point from earlier. On top of this, throwing money on the strippers symbolises women are inferior to men, the woman is laying down with her eyes closed, on the other hand the men are jumping around while smiling. Showing the contrast between the two genders, infers that males have fun treating women in this manor, whereas strippers do not enjoy what they do. The bra and flirtatious bottoms, continues to support the point that women are used for their body features alongside the fact that red is a seductive colour. Overall, this portrays women as inferior to men.

In conclusion, this video interlinks with Judith Butler's theoretical points. She mentioned about gender is created through repetition; the strip club scene connects with this because men using women for their body is repeated, therefore it has been normalised. Secondly, this music video relates to George Gerbner's theory, he believes the more of the same representations we see the more we start to believe they're true. For example the genre of 'the man' staring at the woman's lower body is repeated later in the video in the strip club, connecting with Gerbner's theory this means that the audience could start to believe using women as sex objects is a ordinary act. 

In Ritpide, women are presented as victims of domestic violence, and show men to be evil bullies. This connects with the stereotype that they're weaker than men as well as being inferior. Consequently, it interlinks with the stereotypical idea that society is dominated by the male gender. 

 

In the opening scene of the video, the woman is laying down with sharp equipment in her mouth. This scene sets the tone and theme of the video which also outlines the context. The beaming light on her face shows the audience her emotions, this allows the viewers to see the fear in her eyes and creates a sense of sympathy. Immediately after this specific point, the darkness appears to cover her face until we no longer see the lightness. This shows her to be helpless, it allows the audience infer that she is in the unknown, once again this presents women as inferior and makes the viewers feel sympathetic. In addition, shortly after this scene, there's a mid range shot with the white young woman at the beach undressing herself. Separately, using a young white female captures a wider crowd to engage with the music video. Linking to my point before, having a mid range shot behind the woman infers to the audience that she is unaware that she is being watched, this shows the viewer that women are sexualised without their consent. On top of this, it connects with the stereotype that women are sexual objects which further portrays them as the inferior gender. On the other hand, there is positive connotations in this text about females, for example in a portion of the music video the camera is at a mid range, low-down shot which captures the women's body posture. Using a low down shot, presents the women as superior and powerful which subverts the stereotype as they're usually portrayed as weaker. This is a contrast to the rest of the video because in the majority of the song she is symbolised as a weak, helpless figure. On the other hand, the video returns to a negative tone when she is running down to the beach; the camera is behind the woman once again which interlocks with the fact that she is unaware, having her as the centre of the shot forces the audience's attention to be focused on her, adding on top of this it shows her surrounding. In this scene, she is alone on a quiet road, this infers that she could be in danger and outlines that she is vulnerable. Connecting with my starting point, this emphasises that women are seen as defenceless in this video. Three powerful scenes in this music video, is each time the main character is shown singing 'Riptide' towards the microphone. Firstly, the camera shot is a close up, however the audience is still able to see down to her neck. Using this camera shot forces the viewers to feel sympathetic as they can see her emotions. Each time the camera cuts back to this setting, her face becomes brutally bruised alongside her lip syncing becoming worse, as well as her emotions drastically changing. To achieve this, as her relationship becomes more violent, the lighting on her face when she is singing gradually sinks into a darker colour reflecting her feelings. The dark lighting further emphasises her confidence decreasing with her physical appearance. One of the last times we see her singing, we also see her neck bleeding. She puts her hand over the injury and acts like it isn't there, this can infer to the viewers that women are afraid to speak on situations that are happening to them because of the fact that they're judged. Once again, this links with the idea that women are victims in Riptide. The final scene shows her as beaten and weak, she has dark bruises underneath her eyes and the light has dimmed across her face, this ends the video which leaves the audience with the message that women are powerless, vulnerable and inferior. 

Similarly to Taylor Swift's music video, this also has links to some of the theories. Judith Butler's theory reflects this video because women are only represented in a certain way because of repetition, Liesbet van Zoonen's theory also connects with the video as she said women bodies are objectified to be looked at in sexual ways. Lastly, George Gerbner's theory has connections to 'Ritpide', as we see the woman being dominated more throughout the song making us believe she is helpless.