Representation of women

Key Terms
Mediation
Objectification
Con -nation
Denotation
Male Gaze
Challenge the stereotype
Confirms the stereotype
Self representation

Theorists 

George Gerbner
George Gerbner started the cultivation theory. Cultivation theorists argued that the media have long term effects which are small and gradual. Cultivation theory helps us understand the importance of the media, making an immediate effect to a slower more accumulative effect. 

Jean Baudrillard 
Jean Baudrillard in media is best known for the Hyper-reality  theory which has blurred lines between the real and fictional for example Disney world exists in the real world but is fictional.

Roland Barthes 
Roland Barthes argued and believed that the representations are a myth in the sense that they have an appearance of being natural or commonsense.Representations are problematic and simulations of realities that don't exist for example celebrity image.

Richard Dyer
Richard Dyer said that how we are seen determines how we are treated and how we see others is how we treat them. How we see them comes from representation.

David Chandler 
David Chandler says that representation always is a construction of reality.

Anthony Giddens
He believes ideology refers to the influence of ideas on peoples beliefs and actions. 

Henry Jenkins
Henry Jenkins believes in cultural convergence the meaning of this is that consumers have the power to edit, annotate and create content. For example photoshop. 



Blurred Lines

In the music video 'Blurred Lines' the representation of the women in the clip is that they are being represented to be objectification this means that they are shown to be the expected stereotype as women in the media can be stereotyped as sexual figures this is through the women in the second clip of 'Blurred Lines' where women are walking around naked. This has been produced so that the male gender can consume it as pleasure for them. This is very clever as then they will purchase the song as well as increasing the views on YouTube. Also the red lipstick that the women are wearing is that the denotation is that they are wearing red lip stick and the connation is that it makes them fit the sexual figure more and make them more seductive. Therefore the overall stereotype of women in this clip is that it confirms the representation. This clip also follows the theory 'Male gaze' which is where middle aged men design and make the media for the male population as a target audience.

This clip has been self represented through the web 2.0 allowing consumers to become prosumers as they have access to upload there own copy or style of the clip. For example someone uploaded an interpretation of 'Blurred Lines' where the stereotypes were being challenged as the women were the controlling role and the men were represented to be objectification. The theorist Henry Jenkins says that we are more superior to the media now because we can get involved and re-create the media ourselves this is through the development of technology for example web 2.0. 

The theorist Richard Dyer says that 'How we are seen determines how we are treated' this links with representation as how we first see and experience the media is how we will interpret it. This ties in well with the music video 'Blurred Lines' as when I first watched the video I saw the women dancing around in little clothing while men were taking control over them. Therefore my representation on women is that they are sexual objects and men have higher status through there dominance and actions even though this is just a stereotype.
The hyper reality theory by Jean Baudrillard says that there is blur between what is real and what is not. For example celebrity image. In this music video the female models are shown to have a perfect figure, perfect hair and flawless faces this isn't real as in real life they don't look like this. This has been done through photoshop and other photography sites. 


Sia-Chandelier

In the music video 'Sia- Chandelier' it represents females to be very wild through the over exaggerated dance moves which confirms the stereotype of young girls as she is dancing around having fun. However the song is about alcohol and suicide and it is a young girl being shown. A dance move where she is falling through curtains wrapped around her neck denotes that she is falling however the connation of this is that she is committing suicide. The clothing she is wearing is a nude colour leotard which from first look looks as if she is naked this represents the producer to taking away the innocents of the young female. As the challenge of the stereotype is that it is a young girl copying an adult with an adults wig and wearing little amount of clothing. This music video gained 1 million hits when first posted this was due to the controversy.

 Also because of the success of this music video the video was self represented as many females copied the dance as they were inspired by the young girl who is famous in America for her professional dancing.

The theorist Roland Barthes is shown in this music video this is because the song is about alcohol and suicide and the young girl in the music video is only 11 years old therefore this is a myth as at her age she isn't dealing with any of these issues in her life therefore this isn't real as she wouldn't be associated with this.  

Sket

In the film Sket the producer represents women to be very violent, disrespectful and rude towards other women this is shown when the three females are beating up the women on the floor. This shows a contrast of the representation of women as the women on the floor is represented to be very weak, dominated by others and vulnerable. However when the the young female is walking through the streets in the night two men harass her and act very intimidating this confirms the stereotype of the relationship between women and men as men are stereotyped to be the dominant figure. In this film a women is getting dressed this is the denotation however the connotation of this is that the women and man have just slept together.

The theorist 'Dick Hebdidge' says that a subculture is a group who feel neglected by social standards and develop a sense of identity, differing from the dominant. This is shown in the film 'Sket' as a few points that ken Gelder listed was having a negative attitude and social groups are more important than family. In Sket the group of girls wear hoodies to symbolise them. They also have a very negative attitude this is shown when they are beating the older women up on the floor while using bad language.