Media Representation Theory Pack Five: Gender as Performance/Butler

 Gender as Performance/Butler

Legally Blonde(2001)

The movie Legally Blonde shows gender performativity and how Elle learned to overcome it. Elle Woods is the main character who wears pink clothes, always has a happy mood, and is friends with the cool people at school. Originally, everyone around her assumes that since she wears pink all the time, always in a jolly mood, and hangs out with the cool people at school, she is not smart enough to be at Harvard Law School. But during, the film, she wanted to be different, but she didn’t stop acting feminine. Instead, she uses it to her advantage, creates gender subversion.  The movie doesn’t make her change who she is to fit in, it shows that being smart and responsible are not always seen the same way. The film also includes heteronormativity, especially in the beginning when Elle’s goal is to win back her boyfriend. The idea that a woman’s success depends on a man’s approval is something the film changes. As the story goes on, Elle learns to do things for herself, not to impress anyone else. A parodic representation is the exaggeration of interest in her femininity, creating fun at how society defines what being a “real woman” looks like. Lastly, Legally Blonde turns what starts as a stereotype into something empowering, showing that gender isn’t something fixed but something you perform and can redefine on your own terms.

Media Representation Theory Pack Four: Postcolonialism/Gilroy

 

Postcolonialism/Gilroy

You only live twice (June 13, 1967)

Live and Let Die (June 27, 1973)

Die Another Day (November 22, 2002)

Skyfall (November 9, 20012)

The trailers Connery, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig eras, shows that racial otherness and civilizations show up in different ways over time. In the Connery era, for example, Bond is shown as the ultimate symbol of Western civilization, calm, logical, and sophisticated—while the people and places he visits are often presented as exotic or dangerous. This reflects Gilroy’s idea of a 2-sided world, where the civilized West is always in contrast with the racialized other. The Moore era does the exact same thing but with more energy and uniqueness, when using non-Western villains and locations to show the difference and cultural tension. Even though these films were not meant to be entertaining for the audience, it was reinforced that the idea that Western power and values were superior and powerful. In the Brosnan era, globalization starts to play a bigger role, but the same subtext remains. The trailers show villains from Russia, Asia, or the Middle East who threaten global order, keeping that same fear of cultural incompatibility that Gilroy talks about. By the Craig era, the films try to humanize Bond and question his role, but the marketing still uses the idea of Western civilization under attack by foreign or chaotic forces. In all four eras, the trailers show how the Bond company depends on the ideas of otherness and civilizations using race, culture, and geography to build excitement and tension. Also, when the style or tone changes, they keep trying to strengthen the same story in the past of the West defending itself against the world.

Media Representation Theory Pack Two: Feminist/Van Zoonen

 Feminist/Van Zoonen

The silence of the lambs (1991)

a. The extract engages with Van Zoonen's theories about "the male gaze," objectification and patriarchy by going against it. This is because the extract shows the women doing outdoor activities that proves to viewers that girls can do it too and the FBI agent was looking at her like she was crazy for what she was doing. While the male gaze is how females are portrayed as being beneficial for their husband/boyfriend and doesn't do too much of hands-on things and that's for the men to do. 

b. The extract does not reinforce the idea of the female body as spectacle because the extract did not show off her body in any form or way that would be making her instantly looked at. 

c. An aspect of Van Zoonen's concepts about masculinity that is apparent in the extract is the active gaze because of her body languages especially in the elevator it just gave a sense of independency and equality.

d.  Active representations in the extracts are the FBI agent in the woods seeming to have power. Also, the others that were outside doing training similar to the women in the woods.

e. The extract is a female subversive representation because the woman in the extract is portrayed completely different from the male gaze. As the extract does use the female in ways that shows her as being a strong individual who could be just as good as the guys in this world. Lastly, The extract was created to show the audience a different way that a female could be seen as for their profession instead of just nice, shaved legs etc.

Media Representation Theory Pack Three: Identity/Gauntlett

 Identity/Gauntlett

a. In the Tv show Love Island is a great show that includes active audience engagement. As the purpose of the show is for everyone to find love and win by staying coupled up and being fans most favorite. Although they are cut off from the real world for almost 3 months. It shows active audience engagement because the people who watched the show can interact and make votes that will affect the outcome of the challenges played and the overall winners of the show that take home the money. 

b. A film that expresses aspirational narrative would be one of them days. The film is showing the struggles of financial issues and eviction all at the same time, while trying to figure a way to a solution with anything it takes. Also, their creativity and friendship are what led the two to a positive outcome. This film would allow the audience to realize that there is a way to achieve things in life even if you're at your lowest. It brings the audience to think about the things they need to do know so they could eventually achieve their goals in the future.

c. A film that would include fluid identity is the show black lighting. The character black lighting who is a superhero also played as Jefferson pierce who is a father of two daughters and has a wife. The film includes fluid identity because of the transitioning of Black lighting seen as the worlds protector although he has enemies out the world trying to kill him which affects his other life when he is Jefferson pierce

d. The film blind spot includes the aspects of multiple leads with diverse identities. In the film the main character jane with multiple different identities that is revealed later in the seasons. As time goes on jane's past is being revealed by all the tattoos, she is covered all over her body and she has decided if she wants to be the old versions of herself or the new version.

e. The film zombies is a good movie that included identity play. Zed who is a zombie and Addison who is a cheerleader at the schools eventually gets together. The zombie at the school wants to prove they are just the same as the humans at the school, so they are rivals until they eventually came to a positive resolution allowing the two different types of people be able to interact with each other. This allows the audiences to learn that even when you do not feel comfortable in an environment you can make yourself comfortable the right way.

Media Representation Theory Pack One: Representation/Hall

 Representation/Hall

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Opening Scene (2019)

The central idea of the text is miles (main character) who is intelligent, that is going to a new school where he does not feel he fits in and would rather his old school where he feels most like himself which he referred to it as “normal school “and already has a bond with the people there. The filmmakers use appropriate representation to support the main idea of the film because of showing miles variety of hobbies that describes him as a black person who is mixed. This supports the stereotypes that people have towards black people because they are used to them being middle-class and not as talented then other races. A counter typical representation being used in the clip is miles going to a school that required an entry test he passed and got the lottery. Usually, theirs a stereotype of white people being the ones organized, seen to be perfect, talented, smart individuals as black people are usually in need of something, hard to talk to, and usually having to look up to someone that's not their race. Another counter typical representation is miles dad who is black that is a cop. This does not support the stereotype that black people usually dislike cops. A deconstructed representation in this clip is miles use of a different language because of his mom being Hispanic. This is observed by his mom speaking Spanish to him and mile's responding back in Spanish.

Media Language Theory Pack Five: Postmodernism/Baudrillard

 Postmodernism/Barthes

Outer banks season 2(2x10)

An effect of postmodernism that is shown in the film is our private areas have been invaded. While it was getting harder for them to fight the guy off the non-diegetic music started to pick up the pace making the audience anticipate that something was bad was going to happen at any moment. Also, the sudden non diegetic low sound made as JJ falls into the water gives a sense of curiosity. Media implosion is a support aspect for the film, because JJ falling into the water, then not waking up when ke jump in the water, and when put onto the boat eventually getting back conscious. Makes the audience confused on why it was making it seem JJ was dead for a little minute if he wasn’t and could've just made him conscious quicker.

Media Language Theory Four: Structuralism/Levi-Strauss

 Claude Levi-Strauss

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

The purpose of this scene is to show the audience, that no matter how good the quality is of a team's outfits is or how they show up to play a match does not have anything to do with their playing skills on the field. Structurally, there is a binary opposition between strong vs. weak. This is because of the Puma team appearing to strong, cocky, and prepared to win while the other team appearing to be weak, unprepared, and poor skills overall. Also, to create compelling narratives is a function in the clip because a main problem is the puma team thought they were going to win just off of their team looking better and more put together than the shaolin team.

They Live (1988)

The purpose of this scene is to show the audience that the main character (Nada) is being able to witness what the world is really compared to what it just appears to be seen as from other people in the world just by a pair of glasses. Structurally, there is a binary opposition between truth vs. lie because of whenever the glasses were put on it would tell the truth about life and the things around him, but without the glasses on the surrounding would be like a cover up of the truth (when glass is off). Also, to create identifiable character types is a function in the clip because as he would look at certain things the audience would see his point of for instance, when he would look at the guy that appeared as a skeleton when the glasses were on, which showed his POV many times of the guy.

Genre Theory – Steve Neale (Blog Post 8)

 Genre Theory – Steve Neale

Everything, Everywhere All at Once(2022)

The convention I would describe as the genre the most is verisimilitude. This is because there were many duplicates of Evelyn around the world that each of them had a skill they could do, and she was possibly the only way she could save the world. Also, verisimilitude involves the world.

Historical effects apply to the film because her ability of reading people's emotions and being able to do the same as them, is the only way to change the great evil, people in the world are being affected by. 

 One aspect of genre hybridity in the film was the mixing of drama and fantasy throughout the entire clip especially when she talking to lady about her receipts problem and gets dragged back and turns a new person in the same body. This is relevant because the tone of the clip is confusion, variety of culture, and surprised..

Phanton of The Paradise

The convention I would describe as the genre the most is character convension. This is because the character is personally saying hearts are broken, bad guys wins while, the intense music plays in background. Making the audience feel something is about to happen and it does.

Social context applies to the film because of interaction between the man with blonde hair and the young man who's signing off on papers to sell his soul to the devil.

One aspect of genre hybridity in the film is the mixing of horror and musical. The young man playing on the guitar on stage and gets hit by the young man with the mask on his face. This is relevant because it shows there will be vengeance towards certain people and even regret.

       Electric Dreams (1984) Roadshow Home

 The convention I would describe as the genre the most is audience targeting. Only because the trailer shows that it will appeal to people who like fiction romantic comedies especially with the computer and the man having conversations out loud.

Social context applies to this film because a representation shaped from the characters is the man loving the woman while the computer is causing chaos because it loves him.

One aspect of genre hybridity in the film is the when the man and woman is enjoying the moment and the computer does not like it and messes up the moment that was being had sneakily. The genres mixed were romance and action. This is relevant because the computer is what catches viewers' attention the most making it not a forgettable character.

Narrative Equilibrium – Tzvetan Todorov (Blog Post 7)

 Narrative Equilibrium – Tzvetan Todorov

Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation(2015)

Proppian Character:The hero(Ethan), The helper(Bengie and Luther),The dispatcher(Brant)

Equilibrium:The package is on the plane. The door to get into the plane is locked.

Disruption: Bengie has no access to the plane’s control system 

New Equilibrium: Bengie got access to open the locked door on the plane. The package has been removed from the plane as needed.

In media res: When Ethan came running from out of nowhere not showing what led up to that point.

Multi-perspective narrative:Everyone’s different point of views of the plane moving as it’s about to take off. Ethan is living in the moment as he is watching the plane fly off the ground. Bengie is shocked Ethan is on the outside of the plane. Brant is watching the plane Ethan is on from a screen.

Three-sentence paragraph(Equilibrium Theory)

The purpose of the clip was to get the package of the plane in an extreme way that catches the audiences attention instantly. This is because Ethan starts running out of nowhere to jump onto the moving plane before it lifts off to go, risking his life in the process. Ethan has to hang from the outside of the plane as it is in the air until he eventually gets into the plane.

Semiotics - Roland Barthes(Blog Post 6)

 Semiotics-Roland Barthes

                   A Car Crash & A Harmonium(Opening Sequence) |Punch-Drunk Love

Sign: Piano  

Signifier: the instrument itself 

Signified: the sounds that come from the piano (creating music) 

Denotative meaning: Piano is a large keyboard musical instrument  

Connotative meaning: Expensive instrument 

Code: The blue suit Adam Sandler is wearing shows how he blends in with the background showing how unimportant he is. 

Three-sentence paragraph(Semiotics Theory)

Showing the character's loneliness is the purpose of the clip. The wide shot shows the character's separation from the outside world creating the sense of loneliness. This is because of the character's surroundings: big room, small desk he sits at making him look tiny & unpowerful, the huge empty space with nothing in it, plain walls.