Identity
itself refers to who we actually are, the construction of ourselves – perhaps
even the representation of ourselves and our social groups that we as media
consumers wish to have.
While many such as Buckingham and Gauntlett champion the fact we create
and construct our own identities; others such as Theordore Adorno see identity as something pushed upon us
by the mass media, that we have no alternative but to take the dominant
identities we are exposed to “something is offered for all so that none may
escape,” he writes in explanation of this fact. Adorno therefore argues that our identities are
becoming increasingly mediated – that is, that they influenced by the mass
media, inherent identifies are weak and influenced by the media around us
Good points:
- Immediately uses a theorist
- Used a quotation from a theorist
- Use of media specific terminology
- Gets to the point
- Very clearly outlines the collective group
- Debate is introduced
- Clear understanding that the representation is constructed
- Comparison of theorists ideas
‘Nuts’
magazine is a stereotypical ‘lad’s mag’, aimed at 18-24 year old males. In an analysis
of the 19-25th March 2010 issue I performed the content proves interesting with
regards to representation of women. Images of semi-naked females in suggestive
poses represent women as victims of symbiotic annihilation. They are portrayed
as merely
objects of
sexual pleasure for men – the images have been constructed, Laura
Mulvey
would argue with her theory of the Male Gaze, solely with the male consumers in mind,
who using the Uses and Gratifications Model are
consuming the text for sexual pleasure. Most significant here, however, is the
so-called Mirror Effect of Mulvey’s Male Gaze.
This
states that women themselves consuming the images will apply the Male Gaze, and
see the female in the image in a sense of what Baudrillard would call hyper-reality,
assuming the idea that this representation is ‘how women should be’ and in turn
they should construct their identities similarly in order to appeal to males – after all women
are the sub-dominant group in an apparent patriarchal society.
Identity therefore has become mediated in this situation as Adorno
says. The “culture industry” that is the mass media has imposed a dominant
representation onto a collective group; who have felt pressured to adapt it as
part of their collective identity.
Good points:
- Use of specific examples
- Detailed analysis of examples, but its not overly descriptive
- Saying something about the examples, outlining the issues
- Consistent use of media theory woven into examples
- Consistent discussion about how representation effects the viewer/reader
Bad points:
- Slightly lacking in examples - more detailed
In
the 2001 film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, Lara Croft, the main female character
is represented as fairly masculine (stereotypically masculine) in terms of her
choice of clothing, body language and manner. All of these micro-elements
construct her identity. However, throughout the film, we also see Croft use
what can be considered the concept of femininity to her advantage, flirting
with male characters and wearing stereotypically feminine clothes towards the
final scenes.
In
terms of her character’s identity this supports Buckingham’s aforementioned
assumption that “identity is fluid and changeable” but also conforms to Queer
Theory. Queer Theory is widely recognized in Judith Butler’s
1990 book ‘Gender Trouble’ and states that the genders male and female are just
as much the product of representation as the concepts of masculinity and
femininity. She
calls for a blurring of boundaries between genders and their stereotypical
identities and calls for the media to celebrate such diversity. As a character,
Croft arguably has blurred the boundaries displaying traits of both male and
female behaviour.
Good points:
- Moved onto the 2nd text
- Moved onto another issue
- Keeps going back to theory
- Clear understanding of theory
Bad points:
- Specific details
- Too many theories
If Adorno’s
assertions are applied here it can be argued that again the dominant identity
of women as sly, untrustworthy and in need of patriarchal dominance is being
applied through Croft’s deviant use of fronting identity to her advantage.
However
some could argue that the prominence of Queer Theory does not encourage the
mediation of female identity instead it encourages dominant representations to
be characterized and boundaries to be blurred – implying greater personal
control over identity as advocated by John Fiske and David Buckingham rather
than mediated identities.
Cosmopolitan
is a magazine aimed at females around 30+. In all ways it can be said that
pragmatically the magazine pushes femininity as an identity for itself, with
stereotypically female colours and text styles. In turn, the feminine identity
of the magazine is applied as a representation of the readers, further
suggesting a mediation of women’s identity. The magazine focuses heavily on
beauty and fitness, reinforcing the dominant ideology of the “ideal” women that
women should aspire to a fixed concept of beauty
Good points:
- Another representational issue
- Goes back to the argument about how identity is constructed
- Moves onto another issue (beauty/body/image)
Bad points:
- Difference in the mediums (e.g. watching a film and reading a magazine, does one have more impact than the other?)
As an
example in the April 2010 issue a large image of Holly Willoughby (celebrity)
features on the cover. Although unlike Nuts magazine, she is wearing fairly
covering clothing and lacks cosmetic make-up, it is interesting to note that
her clothing is white in colour – Ferdinand de Saussure would note that this
has semiotic significance using his semiotic theory and Roland Barthe’s
levels of signification, we can identify that white has connotations of
innocence and weakness. Therefore this represents her as innocent and weak –
reinforcing dominant patriarchal representations of women. Due to her status as
a celebrity, her level of influence is great. In herself she is a semiotic
symbol of success and affluence, so those who take inspiration from her will
take this constructed innocence and weakness and apply it to their own
identities. This is a clear example of the mediation of identity. It suggests a
passive audience, influenced by the mass media as Adorno and
other quasi-Marxists would suggest.
Good points:
- Use of example/textual evidence
- Tie in the theorists ideas with analysis
- Impact of the representation
- Theory of audience
Bad points:
- Limit theorists - do not just name check
- Much better if had gone back to the Butler quote
It
can be seen therefore, that as post modernists say, we live in a media
saturated society. We are surrounded by signs which cannot be ignored. Women in
the media are often represented as varying, whether it be as sexual
objects for the pleasure of males; or as innocent, as ‘stay at home’ housewives
as
suggested in 2008’s film Hancock. Here, despite possessing stereotypically male
strength and ‘superpowers’, the lead female aspires to be a housewife –
reinforcing the sub-dominant representation of women. Either way however women
are often the victims of mediation. The theories of consumption and
construction of identity from theorists such as Adorno and Mulvey clearly show that despite the specific
representations, one common identity is ‘forced’ upon women in the media – a sub-dominant social group living in a patriarchal society. Identity is
constructed using this as a basis; and even media texts which challenge this
representation and encourage Queer Theory diversity are still arguably
mediating identity with their influence. Identity is fluid and changeable and
can be individually constructed as Gauntlett and
Buckingham state.
But arguably,
the
mass media are, and have, mediated the identity of women in contemporary
society.
Good points:
- Good cycle of essay, by going back to the introduction
- Conclusion goes back to the issues of representation
Bad points:
- Not much put about Hancock film
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