Blog Post #7 - Question 4

4) What are the advantages and disadvantages of content analysis?

     Understanding the underlying meaning behind information can be deciphered by using content analysis. Arthur Asa Burger describes Content analysis as being “…a research technique that involves measuring something in a random sampling of some form of communication. Investigating messages and communication allows for some insight into some aspect of the people who receive these messages.

     Utilizing content analysis brings a whole new meaning to light and it can allow for a greater appreciation for the content. There are both advantages and disadvantages to content analysis. Here are some advantages to using this research technique: it is inexpensive to conduct, it is usually relatively easy to get material, it is unobtrusive (and thus doesn’t influence its subjects, it yields data that can be quantified, and it can be used to examine current events, past events, or both. Of course, there are some drawbacks to this technique. These disadvantages include: it is hard to be certain that the sample studied is representative, it is often hard to obtain a good working definition of the topic being studied, it isn’t always easy to find a measurable unit, such as a frame in a comic strip, and it isn’t possible to prove that the inferences made on the basis of content analysis are correct. Even though there are disadvantages, there are ways to reduce the downfalls by effectively using content analysis.

     Researchers have begun to focus on what they want to understand and started using categories to aid them. For example, here are some possible category topics for comics: physical characteristics of heroes and heroines, villains and villainesses, social characteristics, and the emotional nature of characters. Categorizing the medium chosen will allow for a more in depth analysis.

     Even though there are strengths and weaknesses to content analysis, it is still a viable technique in wanting to understand more. By researching and discovering new information about the chosen medium, a greater mindset about it can form. Content analysis, when used correctly, will show that there is not just one set of information presented, but many underlying ones to be found. 

Blog Post #6

     After viewing the documentary, Miss Representation, I now have a better understanding of how women are being portrayed and treated in media. It is quite appalling to see the inequality of the female gender compared to males in various media outlets. In the past, media inequality was really prevalent compared to today. Women were not able to voice their opinions as readily as they do today. Women are still treated unfairly in today’s media, and it is unfortunate to see that men are dominating upper level positions while women are not given the chance to move forward. In terms of the media, they are more judged by their appearance. There are a lot of news articles today that spotlight the question “who are you wearing?” in terms of women’s’ clothing. Men are never asked any questions regarding the type of clothes they wear. I remember there was an article about a male TV anchor in Australia who wore the same suit every day for a year, and no one questioned it. It is strange to see that people care more about what women wear, instead of focusing on what they have to say. We are all humans, and yet, there is a clear division between us because of our gender.

     In this documentary, they showed kids in middle school discussing this inequality. It is very impressive to see how knowledgeable teenagers are about this subject. The struggles that women face are something that a lot of youths are unaware about, and I am proud to see that they understand this problem in this evolving society and are trying to find ways to resolve it. We need to continue educating the youth on this prominent issue, because they hold the power to change the future.

     Even though this documentary was produced in 2011, the information presented is still relevant to this very day. Shedding light on this issue has brightened my perspective on genders in media. This documentary has got me noticing a lot of the media inequality it speaks about, and I hope our future is built on equality, not inequality. 

Blog Post #5

     Psychoanalytic criticism uses two parts of your inner-being: the conscious and the unconscious. By using Sigmund Freud’s iceberg theory, only 10% of the iceberg is shown above water, which represents your conscious. This is constantly running and we use these thoughts to go about our day to day tasks. Below the tip of the iceberg is the other 90%, which is your unconscious. These thoughts take some effort to access, and they are not as readily available as the conscious. To further understand the conscious and unconscious, they are further divided into three categories: the id, ego, and superego. The id is a part of the unconscious and it is the need to fulfill pleasure principles, whether in a rational manner or not. In the show Bojack Horseman, the main character, Bojack, is seen as representing the id. His parents paying little attention to him as a child is mostly likely the stem for his need to be liked by everyone. Next, the ego helps the id rationalize their behavior, and assists in helping show these pleasure principles in an acceptable way. The ego is represented as Bojack’s roommate, Todd. He aims to help guide Bojack fulfill his behavior in ways that are deemed more acceptable in society. Lastly, the superego focuses on suppressing irrational urges of the id and tries to make the ego understand the gravity of situations. Diane, a ghost writer for Bojack, is the superego. As she writes Bojack’s memoir, she has a strong influence in leading Bojack to doing things that are positive. She tries to help Bojack be seen in a positive light and it also affects Todd behavior around him. Whether it’s defined by a person’s past or by someone you meet, everybody is constantly growing. The use of the psychoanalytical theory can allow you to have a greater understanding of why people act the way they do in media. 

Blog Post #4

The use of Marxism in media allows for analyzing how influential each person is in a hierarchical structure. The use of the grid group analysis can be used to determine the social role of an individual in a group. This includes four roles: the hierarchical elitist (the person on top, the leader), the competitive individualist (more concerned with themselves and not others), the egalitarian (seeks to find peace in any conflict), and the fatalist (sees the bad outcomes or doesn’t participate in political dilemmas). Knowing this, we can view and understand how people act in different scenarios. Even if the roles are determined at the beginning of the media, there is usually a constant power struggle between the characters, and their roles in the grid group analysis can change by the end. The hierarchical elitist could create a false consciousness, which means that subordinates in a group unknowingly follow ideas blindly, even if the leader is a hypocrite of their own ideas. People could also rise against the empowered, meaning that they disagree with someone trying to push their ideals onto people. This could lead to alienating the person revolting, because they disagree with a person or idea that people conform to. These are just a couple of Marxist ideas involved in social conflicts. The main analysis is interpreting what the ideologies of the media are. Ideologies are the underlying themes that a media creates. They can be applicable in real life situations, and because of this, the media has a huge position in instilling ideas in peoples day to day life. Using Marxism to critique media can allow for a better understanding of how influential sociopolitical groups can have in the real world.  

Blog Post #3

Before starting this class, I never really analyzed the media I consumed. I watched something on Netflix, and I wanted to be entertained out of the show/film I chose. When looking at advertisements, I looked at what they were trying to sell; I didn’t think about how they position everything to convey their message. After learning about Semiotics the past couple of weeks I now try to analyze the inner workings of the media I consume. In shows, I am more understanding of how the syntagmatic analysis is formed, and I notice how influential symbolism could be. I started to pay attention more to the foreshadowed clues and I try to make sense of it by the end. In regards to advertisements, signifiers and symbolism have a huge influence on the message they create. It’s not just about the product, it’s about the audience they are targeting, and the message they illustrate. Knowing about how semiotics affects the media brings a whole new level of “entertainment” I’ve never experienced before. In the last class we were introduced to Marxism and that’s whole other level of analysis within the media. When we watched Freaks and Geeks I was already focused on determining what semiotic techniques I can gather, but using Marxism to determine the hierarchical status of characters was interesting. It gave me a greater appreciation of the characters and observing how they act around different types of people. Now that I know and understand semiotics and Marxism, it is hard to go back to the way it was. I can’t just watch something for pure entertainment; I have to analyze and figure out why the media is the way it is. 

Blog Post #2: Semiotic Analyze of Sherlock

After viewing the first episode of Sherlock, A Study in Pink, it is blatantly clear that it is filled with several key semiotic concepts. The BBC adaptions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters are successfully portrayed in creating a thrilling mystery show. From how Sherlock and Dr. Watson act around each other, actions leading into more perplexing depth, and just the overall cinematography of the show, it really succeeds at making the viewer want to dissect the episode using some of Sherlock’s detective abilities.

            Over the course of the episode, we learned vital information about Sherlock’s psyche, which, in the end, leads up to his decision in a life or death situation. The syntagmatic analysis of this is that Sherlock does things because he’s bored. In the beginning of the episode, we learn that he gets excited of the fact that there are more deaths in the case, and that he also does detective work because they intrigue him, since he doesn’t get paid for it. Knowing this attribute about him explains why he wanted to take a chance at taking the pill in the end, which might have caused his ultimate demise.  

            An example of synecdoche, which is a prominent one in this episode, is the symbolism of Dr. Watson’s cane. It is shown as being a sign of weakness holding Watson back. There are times when he struggles to keep up with Sherlock, due to this hindrance. Another example of syntagmatic analysis that parallels this thought is his time spent with Sherlock allows him to attain more confidence. This causes him to be able to walk and run without a cane, and overall, become more decisive about his actions.

            This is just a scratch at the surface of the semiotic infused episode of Sherlock. These techniques gain our attention and allow us to engage in the show by analyzing the information given. A lot of these subsets of semiotics allow this episode to succeed in providing the viewer with what they crave, mystery. 

Blog Post #1

In this advertisement, we see an overly sexual use of imagery for a clothing brand, Abercrombie and Fitch. This advertisement shows that it is less about the clothing itself, but more about using sex appeal to draw in their consumers. The outdoor background is blurred out, while the man in front is in clear detail. Even though the company’s name, Abercrombie and Fitch, is displayed above, the man is covering half of the words, so it shows that the company itself is not even the main focus of the advertisement. This leads to the thought that Abercrombie and Fitch are more geared towards selling sex appeal, rather than promoting the style and quality of their products. Upon viewing this ad you will most likely be drawn towards the muscular torso of the man. Taking out the face of the man creates the idea that anybody could have a body like this. The company purposely does this so that men are lead to believe that wearing these jeans will make their body look like this or that they have to attain a muscular body in order to wear this brand. Not only are they trying to attract a certain demographic of people to their stores, but doing this means that they only want “muscular” or “fit” people to represent their clothing brand. It is apparent that in order to really wear this pair of jeans, you have to have this unrealistic body type. The audience, specifically younger people, will have an ill-advised mindset on sexuality. The semiotic tactics used here create a skewed image for younger people, and Abercrombie and Fitch promotes an overly sexual message, rather than just promoting their clothing.