Females: Magazine Representation

Collective Identity, We were checking the female representation within magazine such as 'cosmopolitan' and 'women health' however we looked also at males representation in 'mens health' was comparable to women. Plus looking into female representation in male magazines throughout the year was interesting also.

Magazines and gender from stmarysmediastudies

Here was the analyse and response to the slide share:

Females: Judith Butler's Gender is a Construction

Gender is: Constitution of Identity culturally and socially instituted through repetition of stylised acts throughout time.

 Acts are bodily gestures, styles, movements (language aswell).

 Judith Butler

Gender Norms build social cultural subjects as women and men. Our ideas what men and women are reflected nothing that exist in nature: Our derive from customs that embeded social relations of power.  The reality of being a woman (or a man) is not an empirical fact, but rather a preformative effect of the language and the constitution acts that define her (or him).

"Butler suggested that feminists rejected the idea that biology is destiny, and our culture which assumed that masculine and feminine genders would inevitably be built, by culture, upon 'male' and 'female' bodies, making the same destiny just as inescapable. That argument allows no room for choice, difference or resistance. She prefers; rather than being a fixed attribute in a person, gender should be seen as a fluid variable which shifts and changes in different contexts and at different times. She argues that sex (male, female) is seen to cause gender (masculine, feminine) which is seen to cause desire (towards the other gender). This is seen as a kind of continuum. Butler's approach is basically to smash the supposed links between these, so that gender and desire are flexible, free-floating and not 'caused' by other stable factors. Butler suggests that certain cultural configurations and expectations have come to seem natural in our culture as it presently is. but, she suggests, it doesn't have to be that way. She also argues that we all put on a gender performance, whether traditional or not, anyway, and so it is not a question of whether to do a gender performance, but what form that performance will take. By choosing to be different about it, we might work to change gender norms and the binary understanding of masculinity and femininity.This idea of identity as free-floating, as not connected to an 'essence', but instead a performance, is one of the key ideas in queer theory. Seen in this way, our identities, gendered and otherwise, do not express some authentic inner self but are the dramatic effect (rather than the cause) of our performances. It's not (necessarily) just a view on sexuality, or gender. It also suggests that the confines of any identity can potentially be reinvented by its owner..." Credits to: zlorhenley

Exam Question 1b. Narrative: Todorov

Todorov's narative theory basically states that most story's plot lines follow the same pattern or path.
1. Equilibrium.
The first part of the story will display a happy start, where the majority of characters are content and everything is as it should be.
2. A Disruption (disequilibrium)
The second part of the stroy will feature a problem or somthing will disrupt the happiness.
3. Realisation
This part of the plot is when everyone realises the problem and it is chaos.
4. Restored order
This part of the plot os when the characters attempt to repair the damage and restore the problem.
5. New Equilibrium
This is the final part of the plot where the problem is resolved and normality can resume again.

Exam Question 1b. ALL: Roland Barthes

Barthes was a french media theorist who was writing from the 1950s through to the 1970s. Barthes has unravelled or deconstructed a number of texts and came to the conclusion that texts may open (with numerous semiotic threads to pull) or closed, (with only one obvious thread to grasp). The most obvious aspect of enigma codes is that they are constructed primarily to attract and hold the attention of the audience want to see solved.

The five codes which are woven into any narrative are:
1. The Hermeneutic Code (action)
Is the story avoids telling the truth or revealing all the facts, in order to drop clues in through out to help create mystery.
2. The Engima Code (puzzle)
The way the tension is built up and the auidence is left guessing what happens next
3. The Symbolic Code
This is very similar to semantic but acts at a wider level, organising semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning. This is typically done in the use of antithesis, where new meaning arisis out of opposing and conflict ideas
4. The Semantic Code
The semanitc points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation which the story suggests.
5. The Cultural Code
Looks at the audience wider cultueral knowldge, morality and ideology.

Exam Question 1b. ALL: Claude Levi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss was a french lingustic theorist who wrote many books on how culture and meaning relate. Narratives we realate to each other unconsciously reflect the ideologies, obsessions and fears of our society. These naratives are constructed using opposites, such as dark and light. We see in texts many binary oppositions, this slideshare explains how Levi- Strauss uses the concept of opposition:

Strauss binary opposites from laurenminns

Exam Question 1b. Narrative: Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp was a russian media theorist, known as a formalist, who analysed over 100 Russian folk tales and realised that certian characters recurred in completley different stories:

- the villain, who struggles with the hero (formally known as the antagonist)
- the donor,
- the helper,
- the Princess, a sought-for person (and/or her father), who exists as a goal and often recognizes and marries hero and/or punishes villain
- the dispatcher,
- the hero, who departs on a search (seeker-hero), reacts to the donor and weds
- the false hero (or antihero or usurper), who claims to be the hero, often seeking and reacting like a real hero (ie by trying to marry the princess)

Propp also realised that certain narrative themes were used again and again: prepartation, complication, transference, struggle, return and recognition. Propps narrative functions cover 31 different functions, some of which can be applied and some of which wont apply, depending on the narrative.

1. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced as a unique person within the tribe, whose needs may not be met by remaining)
2. An interdiction (a command NOT to do something e.g.'don't go there', 'go to this place'), is addressed to the hero; 
3. The hero ignores the interdiction 
4. The villain appears and (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim encounters the villain); 
5. The villain gains information about the victim;
6. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim); 
7. The victim is fooled by the villain, unwittingly helps the enemy; 
8. Villain causes harm/injury to family/tribe member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc); 
9. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment); 
10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action; 
11. Hero leaves home; 
12. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor); 
13. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them); 
14. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (it's directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, is eaten/drunk, or offered by other characters); 
15. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search; 
16. Hero and villain join in direct combat; 
17. Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf); 
18. Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
19. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed); 
20. Hero returns;
21. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero); 
22. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life); 
23. Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country; 
24. False hero presents unfounded claims;
25. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks); 
26. Task is resolved; 
27. Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her); 
28. False hero or villain is exposed;
29. Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc); 
30. Villain is punished;
31. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

Female: Ken Loach's Representation in 'I, Daniel Blake'

Ken Loach is a director of the social realism genre. His movies captures social realism through the eyes of the real life people in real life situations. They aren't really recognised by the mainstream market, however this film is available at the Big Screen Cinemas recieveing outstanding reviews:

The storylines he has crafted are stemmed from the stories that already of people lives. The actors he chooses also are the true representation of working call people as, for exmaple Daniel Blake played by Dave Johns is not an actor by occupation but a Stand up Comedian. This captures the comical element to the film effortlessly as his character keeps the upbeat theme going.

Furthermore Ken Loach's representation of his female characters is throughly thought through and decided. The single mum with two kids struggling for a place to live is showcased through an actress called Hayley Squires, who interview with BBC explains how she met with women who were in a mirror situation to her characters so she could engross herself into the characters full potential. The concept of "revenge eviction" when those to welfare are evicted after they complain about boilers or damp is the storyline of 'Katie's Life' (Hayley Squires) and surprisingly to see, Hayley embodies the character so throughly that she argues in the interview that "We are fed by the Media to look at those who need welfare as scum" when really they are just normal people that have had traumatic events or low income events alter their pathways, guving them no other choice but to seek help. So the representation of this female character although weak and vunerable in financial state is actually an accurate represetation of all those is this situation.

Females: Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' Theory

Is Hollywood finally succumbing to feminism?

Last year women such as Emily Blunt and Sandra Bollock were cast in roles originally for men. This seems to be the case in the forthcoming blockbuster reboots of Ghostbusters and Ocean's Eleven, where the females are replacing the men in lead roles.  One of the huge hits of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road, Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa overshadows the titular Max (Tom Hardy). This prioritising of women over men has not been universally acclaimed.
However let's investigate the extent to which women are actually empowered in Mad Max, using the acclaimed 'Male Gaze' theories of Mulvey.

Laura Mulvey is one of the most frequently cited theorists in both film and media studies. Mulvey suggested that the mainstream cinema institutionalises the male gaze; that is, the most films are shot from a male's perspective. Her analysis remains useful in exemplifying how texts are inherently ideological, more specifically, it helps demonstrate how mainstreams cinemas are patriarchal in nature.

Mulvey suggests patriarchy is inscribed in mainstream cinema by ensuring that men are the 'bearer of the look' whilst women exist 'to be looked at', primarily as sex objects for both male protagonists and the spectator in the audience. Therefore do we automatically view women in film through a 'male gaze'? Mulvey also suggested that women's bodies are often fragmented, through the use of close-ups, giving women the 'quality of icon' rather than the active agents in three-dimensional space. Men are seen as active agents according to Mulvey "forwarding the story, making things happen" in contrast to women.

So applying this to Mad Max, Charlize Theron, is a very beautiful women actress. However as Furiosa in Fury Road, her looks are not emphasised. George Miller's camera refuses to objectify her! For example, in the first glimpse of Furiosa we see is of the tattoo on the back of her neck, however as she walks away from the camera, the shot cuts away before her backside enters the frame. The sight of her backside would have suggested the shot was intended for the heterosexual male gaze. Again, later in the film, she talks convincingly about mechanical aspects which is thought to be a typically male topic.

However despite her dominance through the DVD cover features Mas as the dominant; he has a gun and Furiosa is looking on from behind:

Furiosa isn't however, a woman who simply adopts the male gender role,  in the movie she cries and asked Max for his name, typically female traits. 

So is this a feminist narrative?

Applying Mulvey's theory suggest that Fury Road can be seen as progressive in its representation of women. Director and Co-Director George Miller also includes older women who give as good as they get in the action sequences. Max Mad is a blockbuster that does actually break the rules. Furiosa can therefore, take place in that rare pantheon of female action heroes. 

Credits to: Nick Lacey. April 2016