Representation

By definition, all media texts are re-presentations of reality. This means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written, framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us. When studying the media it is vital to remember this - every media form, from a home video to a glossy magazine, is a representation of someone's concept of existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which can be read by an audience. However, it is important to note that without the media, our perception of reality would be very limited, and that we, as an audience, need these artificial texts to mediate our view of the world, in other words we need the media to make sense of reality. Therefore representation is a fluid, two-way process: producers position a text somewhere in relation to reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship to reality.

 

Masculine	Feminine
Aggressive Corporate Formal Un emotional Sexists Hegemonic (dominant) Bullies Brave Tall Muscles	Make –up ‘Dumb blond’ Kooky Emotional Floral Organised Small Vulnerable Tart Headstrong Indecisive Caring/ loving Fashion conscious
Xbox Football PS3 Beer Suits Fags Burgers Chips Hoody Knife Kebabs Tools Cars Gadgets DIY Pies	Make-up Clothes Hair products Credit Cards Jewellery Shoes Sushi Salad Cocktails Teddy Bears Ballet Kitchen Shopping Reading

Reception Theory - Stuart Hall (1970)

Reception Theory, at it's basic level, suggests that the media has coded layers of the characters, scenes etc, which we, the audience, then decode.


Apply this in exams. not write about it individually.


When analysing...

-Who produced it?
- What/who is being represented in the text?
- How is the thing represented?
- Why was this particular representaion (this shot, framed from this angle, this story phrased in these terms etc) selected, and what might the alternatives have been?
- What frame of referance does the audience use when understanding the representation?


Ways in which women are represented
- Beauty (within narrow conventions)
- Size/ physique ( again, within narrow conventions)
- Sexuality
- Emotional ( as apposed to intellectiual) dealings
- Relationships ( as opposed to independene/ freedom)

Ways in which men are represented
- Strength - physical and intellectual
- Power
- Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)
- Physique
- Independence (of thought, action)