Blog 7

Do you think people today use the mass media differently compared with how people use media 10 or 20 years ago? Whatever your position, justify it.

I believe that people use mass media the same as they did 10 or 20 years ago. Regardless of the form the media takes the goal is always the same. Take advertisements for women’s clothing for instance. In every era the message women receive is not one of comfort or usefulness, but the idea of maintaining physical beauty for a man. Advertisements for cooking products have always been directed towards women, except for grills; they belong to the men. And while perhaps the messages may have changed over the years, the goals for corporations have stayed the same. The idea is to instill the values of the perfect man or woman.

Television shows do the same thing, though differently than advertisements. Movies and television have longer to get their message across than a thirty second commercial, so they are able to be more subtle about it. Look at a show like “Friends,” which aired from 1994-2004. In friends the women are always dressed perfectly for the year it is. Even during flashbacks Rachel is always praised for being popular and pretty, while Monica, who is heavier in weight, is not. Even Phoebe, whom they all love, is a little on the outside of it all because of her quirkiness. Though they love her and she is still as much a part of the group as any, it is clear she does not follow the same standards as the rest. From 1994- 2004 the characters changed but the messages viewers were receiving did not. I believe mass media is used the same today as is was 10 or even 20 years ago.

Miss Representation

Miss Representation is a documentary which discusses the way women, particularly those in leadership roles, are portrayed in the media.  From every aspect of the media body image comes in to play. Girls are taught in movies, television, video games, even commercials, that their body is their most important asset. So no matter what else a woman does, those aspects of her life are always over shadowed by her clothing or body type.

Hillary Clinton is a prime example of this, as are many of the women in political roles. Rarely do people discuss her politics but rather focus on her choice of clothing. Men don’t have to worry about that. A suit rarely changes and there is never commentary on the color of a tie. For those female politicians who wear choose to dress conservatively or those who show the shape of their body, there is not right way to dress. The same goes for any woman in the media, regardless of what she does she will be ridiculed for her choices. Constantly women are objectified by the media and because of that women begin to self objectify which leads to depression and anxiety.

My issue with this movie lies not in the information it gives, but rather that nowhere in the film are there suggestions for how to change what is happening. Clearly the first step is to have an understanding and to know what is happening in the media, but there were no ideas on how to fix the issue long term. I believe it is up to modern women to stand up for what they believe in, but it is also the job of men to stop objectifying women. We should be treated with respect and everyone, women included, need to leave looks out of the discussion. 

Psychoanalytical Analysis

A psychoanalytic critique of media is based primarily on Freud’s psychological theories dealing with the conscious and the unconscious mind. Many times the science is applied to people wanting to understand motives for an action, but for the sake of a media analysis can also be applied to places as well as people. The id, ego and super ego play a significant role in deciphering the idea of the conscious mind versus the unconscious. The id is part of the unconscious part of thinking, based on pleasure. In short the id is what drives an individual. It is impulsive and primitive. The ego is “that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world” (Navaneedhan 1). If the id is the impulsive quality of a person, then the ego is the reasoning that stills some of those urges.  It is the job of the ego to point the id in the correct direction. Lastly we have the superego which the conscious part of the mind. Its job is to control both the id and the ego. Like the ego, the superego’s job is to steer the id away from its impulses, specifically those that seem particularly destructive. As for how the superego helps the ego, it guides the ego toward more moralizing goals as opposed to simply realistic and perfect outcomes.

While this seems complicated, in reality we do not realize our mind is constantly striving to better itself. Vampire movies or television shows are excellent places to see all three characters. Take Buffy for example. Toward the beginning of the series Spike is the id, always taking what he wants and never dealing with consequences.  Buffy would be the ego, striving to do what is right and trying to help Spike do the same. Giles is the superego, the consciousness of the group, pushing the id and the ego to be just and right, pushing them to do more for the right reasons.

However, Freud’s ideas of id, ego, and superego are only a small part of what psychoanalysis truly is these three ideas help us to better understand our minds and the thoughts of others.

                                                                                                                                       

Navaneedhan, Cittoor Girija. "Balance of Internal Drive, Ego and Super Ego through Self-Hypnosis." Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science JBBS 2 (2012): 221-24. Print.

Blog Post 4

Marxism in Short

Marxist analysis focuses on the social and economic structure of a given group of people in order to reinforce the status quo. Looking through a Marxist lens we aim to decipher the social construct of a given society or social group. Conflict between classes, as well as alienation of those who fall outside of the norm, is a common occurrence and a theme often seen when looking at the structure of a larger society. Also important to look at, are the individual people who make up the larger community. There are four lifestyles of people that, when analyzed, help to break down the larger picture, and as we look at an individual’s motives we get a better understanding for how the community works as a whole.

The movie “But I’m a Cheerleader” is a satirical film that follows a group of gay and lesbian teenagers as they are sent to True Directions, a “straight camp.”  Here we see the desired social norm is to appear and act like a heterosexual. The main character, Meghan, is sent there by her parents who view her vegetarian lifestyle and her desire to hug her female friends as straying from what is acceptable. The woman who runs the camp is a hierarchical elitist, believing it is her job and responsibility to fix those who are less than perfect. Being gay is looked down upon and even though the majority of the characters in the movie are homosexual, they are still considered to be the lower class. This is only a short example of a Marxist analysis, but even from this, the basic tools to construct a more in depth look at Marxism in the media exist.   

Blog Post 3

Each week in the media we are bombarded with messages. Things we should buy or do, how we should dress and act and even eat. It is hard to get through the day without passing media that tries to change who you are. Facebook is full of advertisements most people don’t even see anymore. It is so integral to our daily lives that most days we hardly consciously notice them. But subconsciously we take in everything around us. When we go shopping for groceries we have a tendency to buy name brand items because we have heard of them and we trust one over the other. Or when buying clothing, there is a reason styles come and go and it is not because suddenly everyone thinks crop tops look good on them.

Because of our study in semiotics I look much more closely as I am passing an advertisement to see what it is really saying about its product. The way an actor is standing in the photo and the colors they are wearing are meant to be attention grabbing. Colors are used to make different aspects stand out in print articles as well as on the television. I am an Art and Performance major with a music concentration. I have a tendency to pay close attention to the music choices television advertisements, as well as television shows, use to create the mood they want to convey. An excellent example of this is the well known SPCA add that uses Sarah
McLaughlin “Angel” an incredibly sad song that when partnered with images of sad puppies will wrench the heart of even the toughest among us.Through this class I have learned to look more closely at the images surrounding me every day; to stop and think what is it really saying. 

Blog Post #2

Sherlock Holmes has been a classic since 1887 when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began writing fictional mysteries about a man whose problem solving abilities are almost inhuman. Today, Sherlock Holmes can be seen not only in books, but in movies and television as well. In the BBC version of the story, the first episode is entitled A Study in Pink, based off of the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet.

In the first episode of the season we meet not only Sherlock, but Dr. Watson as well who has just come back from a tour in Afghanistan. The opening shot shows Dr. Watson sitting in the office of his therapist, who is telling him that his injuries are psychosomatic and that he doesn’t really need the cane that he is holding on to. The audience becomes increasingly aware of the Dr’s need to keep his cane around. It becomes not only his literal crutch, but also it serves as a reminder of the past he so desperately wants to hold on to. The cane stays by his side for most of the episode, until Sherlock leads him on a car case though the city. Instantly the cane is forgotten as Dr. Watson is reminded of the adrenaline he felt on the battle field.

Though the two are polar opposites, Sherlock and Dr. Watson represent a duality between the need for structure as well as the ability to go with the flow. Even in their manner of dress can it be seen; Sherlock’s shirt is unbuttoned loose while Dr. Watson’s sweater seems to come all the way up to his neck in an almost suffocating way.

These are only two of the many devices used by the author and producer to illustrate the characters of Sherlock and Watson, as well as to set the tone for the entire series. Each episode is filled to the brim with metaphor and symbolism just waiting to be unlocked. It is precisely this reason that shows like Sherlock draw people in and envelope them in the story line encouraging them to watch further episodes. 

Blog Post 1

In terms of body image, Dove has been a huge supporter of changing the way that girls and women see themselves, particularly within the advertising world. Changes have been made to portray women of all body types and color, from skinny to curvy as well as the young and the old. This is exemplified in the advertisement shown above. The women in this picture all look comfortable in their bodies, with smiles and relaxed posture. Their ability to pose comfortably in plain undergarments shows that it is not lingerie that makes women beautiful, but simply the skin they are in. The advertisement is white, with a clean background which forces your attention on the women. Unlike many ads featuring women that aren’t completely covered, Dove chooses not to concentrate on their physical features, but simply on the fact that each of these women is beautiful in her own way. Not one of the women is a celebrity, which is unusual as many companies rely on facial recognition to sell their product. Here we have what looks like everyday women, showing the public that even mothers and teachers and your average every day girl can look beautiful too. Although this is an advertisement for a beauty product intended for “firming” the skin, steps have been taken to make beauty more accessible to the average women. We now see a variety of body sizes and shapes, colors of skin, as well as ages. Beauty should be a standard that all women feel capable of reaching, it is not just for the rich and famous anymore and Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty is working on making that dream a reality.