Representation Task

There are several representations of foreigners, men and women within The Big Bang Theory, and we can apply theories towards these representations that have been created.

Medhurst’s theory of shorthand that carries value judgement’s can be applied to Raj. The fact that he is represented as the typical Indian through his accent etc. immediately suggests to the audience that he is intelligent (stereotype of Asians being smart) and his beliefs may be backwards and that the “westernised” ideology on certain things may not always appeal to him, the audience usually find this appealing and funny, and schadenfreud plays a huge deal in this. However, this representation is still carried out through the show and can be shown through the clip where Raj tries to enforce the fact that men are superior to woman. Raj tries to interfere and control who his sister date, he then refers back to religion to restrict Priya's freedom of choosing whom she wants to be with. This supports Medhurst’s theory, as the audience immediately shorthand Raj through the way he is represented by his ethnicity and then it is applied to the show. Richard Dyers theory of stereotyping and power can also be applied to the character of Raj because he is a foreign character, and because Dyers theory states that those with power stereotype those with less power it makes sense that there are quite a lot of stereotypes for non-white people, poor people etc.

We can furthermore link Perkins theory of stereotypes being positive or partly true to Raj as Asians have the stereotype of being intelligent, and this isn’t necessarily a negative stereotype.

Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze can be applied to TBBT towards the character of Penny.  Mulvey suggests that the dominant view in the media is masculine and that women are presented for men to look at, hence the ‘male gaze’. This links to the idea of ‘sex sells’ and women being represented as sex objects. Penny is represented as the pretty Caucasian character that has quite some appeal amongst the male characters and also male viewers, this is most likely because some of the characteristics of Penny were made to be appealing towards men i.e. her looks. However, Penny also carries the stereotype of blondes being “stupid”, which is quite negative but a common and dominant stereotype. This can be linked to Dyers theory on stereotypes as women are quite inferior therefore it is easier for them to be stereotyped.

We can apply Levi-Strauss’ theory of representation and ideology towards the characters of Leonard, Howard and Sheldon as they have all been represented as socially awkward because of they are highly intelligent. This set of beliefs and values must have been held by the producer of the text, who may have been influenced by this growing stereotype of intelligent men being awkward through the media or maybe even experiencing or seeing this stereotype in action themselves.

Overall, the theories of Levi-Strauss, Mulvey, Perkins and Medhurst’s can be successfully applied to the characters of TBBT and their representations. 

Year 12 cover work: Representation

MM50

1) This article is about the representation of females, and focuses mainly on the modelling agency which is dominated by heterosexual Caucasian size 0-2 models. This article also highlights the problems of the "false and unattainable images of the idealised female body" and is linked to the female gaze theory.

2) The film that has sparked this recent debate on body image and female representation is called "A Perfect 14"

3) The Female Gaze differs from Laura Mulvey's theory of the Male Gaze because the Male Gaze suggests that women are presented for men to look at, hence the ‘male gaze’. This links to the idea of ‘sex sells’ and women being represented as sex objects, whereas the female gaze suggests that women are also spectators and consumers of media images of other women, and this causes them to compare themselves to these models and want to change what they see as their flaws.

4) Personally I believe that something should be done to create more diversity within the representation of women in advertising, not only body-wise but ethnicity wise, sexuality wise etc. I believe that there is no such thing as a representation of a "real" woman and that all females are real regardless of their body size whether they are slim or not, what I don't believe is that in the same way that anorexia shouldn't be promoted neither should an overweight body. I do not believe that a clinically overweight woman should be seen as the ideal body and promoted in the modelling world, and that a healthy body should be promoted instead.  Fat shaming and skinny shaming should both not be accepted, because skinny shaming also does exist and is a problem. As a society we should focus on the fact that what makes a woman real is instead on the inside and who she is rather than her body image. 

 5) The aim of this film is to raise awareness on the issue of the lack of diversity within the modelling industry, which is dominated by skinny Caucasian females. The film also trying to prevent woman from being put into boxes and being fitted into labels, and instead encourages companies and modelling agencies to hire models regardless of their size. 

MM51

1)    Introduction - The media almost pre-plans a representation of something, and that the media stands in between what we see and what the object actually is. 

2)    Representations and the mass media - The media has the ability to change an image so the audience can perceive the representation the media wants us so see i.e. an image can be photoshopped to create a re-presentation of a particular person, and this distances the person away from the image that is reproduced, however it is unlikely that the audience are aware of this therefore they take in the representation of this person that the media has created.

3)    The how, who and why of representation - The representation of something/someone is influenced by several factors such as the expectations and needs of the audience, remits, and genre codes.

4)    Another approach to ideology - the work of Stuart Hall - The way the audience perceive a certain text/image depends on the relationship between the audience and the text, the audience are able to have their own interpretation on the content.

5)    Representations and new media - People are able to create their own representations of themselves through the new media i.e. Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, people can now also associate themselves with specific cultures and groups based on their sense of belonging through the new media. 

6)    An example - representing national identity in old and new media - Old media forms would attempt to create one identity for its audience using certain types of representations. On the other hand, the new media allows the audience to have their own opinions even if these opinions conflict the representation that the institution was trying to put out. 

2) I am quite aware of how I represent myself online, and make sure it is a true representation of me rather than a false one. I make sure what I post is appropriate on social media, and that it represents what I believe in and who I am as an individual. 

3) I believe that institutions have the most power regarding representations in the media to an extent, as these institutions are what bring us our films/shows and our news and they do have the ability to change your views on an issue. However, I still do believe that the audience equally do have power in terms of representations as the audience can choose what they believe in and share their opinions with others freely through social media etc.

Dominant and Alternative Representations: America

Alternative Representation of America

  

The reason why I have chosen these images is because they link to the negative and alternative representations of America such as conspiracies i.e. the illuminati. America is also often linked to gun crimes, gang crimes and racism, which is why I have selected images of gangs and protests. I also chose to post the confederate flag as it links to the recent event of it being banned due to its links with the slave trade. I have chosen to add images of McDonalds because it links to the current obesity crisis of America. An image of a man drinking oil links to the idea of America taking advantage of countries for their oil, and the image of factories links to the environmental issues of America.

Dominant representation of America

The reason to why I have chosen these images for the dominant representation of America is because these locations i.e. Hollywood were the first things that came into my head. The american dream is also one of the major periods of America which have shaped it to how it is today. America is also known for its freedom and happiness, and its continuing financial growth which I have shown through my collage.

Representation

The Big Bang Theory: 1:37 onwards

1. Men, women,foreigners, highly intelligent men
2. The general representation of the men and women in this scene is a dominant portrayal as men are often represented as superior to women and women are inferior to men i.e. when Raj tries to control who his sister dates. This can be proven midway through scene in the shot reverse shot that takes place between Raj and Priya while he refers back to religion to restrict Priya's freedom of choosing whom she wants to be with. Raj supports this ideaology by stating that they're "Indians" and that "We believe in this stuff". Penny represents the dominant portrayal of blonde women being stupid throughout the show. However Priya creates an alternative portrayal of women as she is represented also as quite intelligent as she makes witty comebacks, which makes her superior as shown through 2:43 where she states that "If you eat beef you need to live with cows for 3 months and drink their urine" in return to Raj stating that they're Indians and they need to follow their religion. This was enough to make Raj feel uneasy and saying that "some of it makes sense, some of it is crazy" and dropping the subject. Sheldon and the rest of the male characters are represented as highly intelligent men, however they are also represented as socially awkward which is the dominant portrayal of nerdy/highly intellectual people as shown through Sheldon mentions that Penny and Sheldon used to date, which makes the whole atmosphere awkward. 
3. The Indians who follow their strict traditions (don't follow the westernised way of life), scientists who are socially awkward/ don't know how to communicate, the dumb blonde.

Dependency Theory

1. I primarily use the media as a form of entertainment through social media. I also use the media as a source of finding out what is going on in the world and around me through reading the news online whenever I have time. 
2. I believe that as a society we are quite dependent on the media. However I see that this is inevitable as technology has become a huge part of our lives, and that we are replacing traditional forms of finding information with the internet which is easily accessible to everyone. The fact that certain technologies such as phones are becoming more advanced means that people are able to do more anywhere and everywhere, making us more dependent on them. 
3. I believe our dependence on the media in the last 10 years has changed significantly as the media is becoming more advanced and accessible everywhere i.e. phones, tablets, making it easier for people to get addicted and dependent on the media. 
4. The telegraph article supports the dependency theory as it shows how people feel 'lost' without the internet and the article also describes us as  "A generation that has grown up with the web" and that we have "become dependent upon it". This links back to the dependency theory which states that  people rely on the media for information determining their decisions. My personal opinion on this issue is that it is a growing problem but it is inevitable as we are growing up and living in a world where we need the media to help us get on with our everyday lives. It has reached a stage where even schools and work places use the media constantly to help educate us and get on with work. 

Audience theory

Hypodermic Needle Theory

1. This article links to the hypodermic needle because it is suggesting that violent video games, which are addicting, can have a dangerous effect on us. The article states that "Playing a violent video game for just an hour over a three-day period is enough to increase aggressive behaviour" which supports the hypodermic needle theory as it states that the media injects information into the audience like a hypodermic needle and therefore can have a dangerous effect on us.
2. The coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case also links to the hypodermic needle model because it is blaming a form of media (Violent video games) for influencing the teenager to hack Talk Talk and that violent video games have a dangerous effect on teenagers. On the other hand someone may criticise this article because this theory is not necessary always accurate and also quite outdated. This can be shown through the fact that hacking and violent video games have no link to each other whatsoever.

Two-Step Follow Theory

1. The two step follow theory was developed in the 1940's after the hypodermic needle theory was deemed too simplistic. Therefore, the two step theory came forth and changed the concept of the hypodermic needle theory, which suggested that the audience consumed media without thinking. The two step theory states that the audience are influenced by ‘opinion leaders’ in the media who have an impact on how the audience react to media texts. This  theory is different to the hypodermic theory as it suggests the media is not all-powerful and that social factors are important, rather than the audience being seen as mindless and consuming the media without thinking. 
2. The youtube blogger fits into the two step follow theory because he is a critic, and critics are considered to be 'opinion leaders' as the opinion he has on a certain game for example can influence how the audience also see that game i.e. good or bad. This links back to the two step follow idea of opinion leaders and social factors influencing the audience.
3. The telegraph article also fits into the two-step follow theory as the article shows how Britain's most influential tweeters are based on followers, and by having such a large amount of followers you are able to influence many people through your opinions and therefore are seen as an opinion leader which links back to the idea of the media having an impact on how the audience react to media texts.
4. Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model as it influences readers to not give up on their dreams as he says "Try anything, don't be scared of failure, that is my advice," and because his status is a multimillionaire, he can be considered to be a opinion leader therefore having an influence on the audience (readers)

Uses and Gratifications

Diversion:  Social media networks such as Facebook are seen as past-times and often an escape from everyday problems and routines.  This makes Facebook a useful source of entertainment and is often the choice people go for as there are many things you can do on the website and app. Facebook is often advertised as a place to keep in touch with others like yourself  which can be considered as an escape from the outside world,  this can be shown through several adverts such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U16XShROI8

Personal relationships: Sitcoms like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ can be linked to this category as TTBT creates familiarity between the audience and the show because it is a situated comedy and we see the same characters in the same setting. This allows personal relationships to be created as the audience began to develop affection for their favourite characters etc.

Personal identity: Documentaries such as Educating Yorkshire can link to the category of personal identity because this documentary can be seen as a way of young viewers i.e. students finding themselves reflected in the documentary. It also allows the audience to learn behaviours and values which can connect to their own personal identity.

Surveillance: BBC news fits into the category of surveillance because it gives out useful information such as news, travel information and weather news which is all important for living. The BBC is also useful for keeping their audience in touch to outside through news. It can be accessed anywhere i.e. TV, phones, tablets, online, which makes it more handy, it also has a find local news section which makes it easier to find out about what is going around you.

Young and Rubicam: Psychographics

Psychographic group: Succeeders

Names: Benjamin and Charlotte

Where do they work/study?

Benjamin is the CEO of a finance company and Charlotte is a barrister. They both got degrees in economics and law.

What do they do in their spare time?

Visit museums and galleries, drink fine wine and go to restaurants in Central London. Benjamin plays golf and Charlotte spends time with her higher class friends

Print: What newspapers/magazines does your group read (if any)? Is this on paper or tablet?

The Guardian, Telegraph. Independent. Mostly on tablet, sometimes on printed paper if they're on their way to work, 

Broadcast: What TV programmes/channels do your group watch? Radio stations? TV package? Films?

They have the full Sky package. Charlotte enjoys lifestyle channels, sky living etc. Benjamin likes news and business related channels such as Bloomberg. BBC channels and news so they remain informed, educated and also entertained i.e. The Great British Bake Off. 

E-Media: What technology do they own? What websites do they visit (if any)?

iPad, Mac, iWatch, Apple products mainly. Benjamin uses the Flipboard app and LinkedIn and Charlotte uses Pinterest. They usually visit news related websites such as The Independent as they don't have time for social networks.