Gender, Identity and Advertising: Blog Tasks :)

Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media. 

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?

• Traditional views of women as housewives or being low-status workers has now been replaced by the image of feisty and successful 'girl power' icons 
• The masculine ideals of toughness, self-reliance and emotional silence have been replaced by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice and the problems of masculinity 

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

Gauntlett suggests that the media influences the way we construct our own identities because of media products like magazines that promote self-confidence and provide information about sex, relationships and lifestyles in order to help people feel more comfortable with who they are. Other media products such as television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet also provide us with a form of guidance that we might then reflect in ourselves

3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

Gauntlett suggests that there are generational differences regarding views and opinions towards certain discussions- for example, people born in the first half half of the 20th century have less tolerance towards homosexuality and they tend to be less sympathetic towards unmarried couples living together compared to their younger counterparts. As the digital age has come about, the media has been able to promote more liberal views which allows younger generations to be more open-minded and more accepting towards all kinds of people 

4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?

Gauntlett suggests that masculinity is not in crisis because it is changing- he says in men's magazines there is an "obsessive relationship with the socially constructed nature of manhood". When the biggest seller of magazines (For Him Magazine) showcased a more caring and generous representation of masculinity there were no signs of 'crisis' in the magazines or the readers

5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

• Advertising still reinforces the idea of the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses in media products such as perfume adverts (like the Carolina Hererra 'Bad Boy' advert where there was a representation of men as dominant and independent)
• Advertising also subverts the idea of the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses with adverts such as the Gillette "The Best Men Can Be" (where the typical stereotypes of men have been rejected such as being violent from a young age in order to speak out against toxic masculinity)

6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

Personally, I don't think that advertising provides enough evidence to support the idea of 'girl power'  because the traditional representations of men and women are still being portrayed. Although modern adverts are trying to subvert the stereotypical representations of men and women, there is still an underlying sexism that causes women to only be seen as successful if they are made to look sexualised 

7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

I agree with Gauntlett's argument that the younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes because social media has allowed more liberal opinions in the younger generations so they are more understanding of social changes and nontraditional stereotypes. Although younger generations may have more traditional parents, they tend to interact with people their age more so they are surrounded with like-minded people. Advertising does show examples of reinforcing that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles with the John Lewis 'Let life happen' advert which depicted a boy dancing around his living room wearing make-up and a dress- this is something that is not likely to be accepted by older generations who are used to more traditional views 

8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

• When discussing the changing nature of gender in society, Gauntlett talked about the sexually charged but androgynous imagery promoting the CK One fragrance 'for a man or a woman' which had reminded viewers of the similarity of genders which hinted that it wouldn't matter which of the attractive male or female models you chose to desire
• Other adverts (such Impulse deodorant and Kronenbourg lager adverts) playfully teased heterosexual desires only to reveal that the lust object was more interested in their own sex, pointing audiences to the unpredictability of sexualities

9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

Advertising is a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Guantlett discusses with regards to the mass media because it is extremely diverse and different parts of the media put out a range of different messages that may contradict each other. For example, women's magazines always carry out a particular message because they are aimed at a diverse target audience. However, contradictions are important because the multitude of messages being depicted offer an open realm of possibilities 

10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?

I believe that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society but the representation is not dominant enough yet to make an impact on the years of stereotypes that have already been drilled into the minds of society. However, if the media carries on representing changing and modern identities, people will start to be more accepting of these attitudes. The media holds a huge impact on people's opinions so if they carry on representing these kinds of messages, people will soon start to accept the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society too 

Representation of Women in Advertising: Blog Tasks :)

Academic reading: A Critical Analysis of Progressive Depictions of Gender in Advertising

Read these extracts from an academic essay on gender in advertising by Reena Mistry

1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990s?

Mistry suggests that advertising has changed since the mid-1990s as advertising has started increasing the use of images that purposely make the gender or sexual orientation of the subject ambiguous. There has also been an increase in the number of distinctly homosexual images that are far from the camp gay depictions that the media is used to 

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?

In the 1940s and 1950s, some common female stereotypes found in advertising were women being guilt-tripped that there would be dangerous consequences to the home if they tried to pursue their own plans or careers- Betty Friedan suggests that this led to the 'feminine mystique'. The 'feminine mystique' is 'the highest value and the only real commitment for women lies in the fulfilment of their own femininity. It was presupposed that women would be purchasing domestic goods for the household, thus advertising was calculated to focus attention on their domestic role, reinforce home values and perpetuate the belief that success as a woman, wife and mother could be purchased for the price of a jar of cold cream, a bottle of cough syrup, of a packet of instant cake-mix'

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

The increasing influence of clothing and make-up has changed the representation of women in advertising by allowing them to be seen as decorative objects. The example of perfume adverts could be used because they portrayed women to be the 'fair maiden' that is associated with pure things 

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

Laura Mulvey came up with the idea of the 'male gaze'- she stated that the media has been created for the benefit and pleasure of men so women have been presented in a way that benefits men. This links to the idea that "sex sells" so women must be sexualised in the media in order for the product to sell successfully

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?

Representation of women changed in the 1970s because there was a rise in distinct images that were labelled as the 'New Woman' who were seen as representative of the 'changing reality of women's social position and of the influence of the women's movement'. The 'New Woman' was intended to be 'independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfilment' 

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

Van Zoonen suggests that the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations earlier years because she presents the idea that the New Woman 'only departs marginally from her older, more traditional sisters'. In the advert for 'Jenni Barnes Working Style', van Zoonen points out that: 'a woman should look forward to dressing for the office. Having a job is seen merely to provide another happy occasion for women to dress up and present themselves. Indeed, a woman is portrayed stepping confidently towards the camera in an office environment observed by a male colleague from behind but she is not portrayed actually working' 

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

Barthel suggests that 'today's young women can successfully storm the bastions of male power... without threatening their male counterparts providing we can reassure them that, underneath the suit, we are still 'all woman', that 'no serious gender defection has occurred''

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

Richard Dyer suggests that the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up are misrepresentations of women's liberation by saying: 'agencies trying to accommodate new [feminist] attitudes in their campaigns, often miss the point and equate "liberation" with a type of aggressive sexuality and a very unliberated coy sexiness'. This creates a woman who continues to construct herself as a spectacle and presents her as a willing co-conspirator of men's sexual advances while believing that she is 'liberated' in doing so

Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?

The Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign was launched in the Spring of 2015 on the London Underground (perhaps as an attempt to attract a female audience that is likely to use the London Underground) in order to promote their product. On the advert, we can see a tanned, blonde woman that is showing her full body to promote this product. However, this advert was controversial because some audiences felt ashamed of their own figures due to seeing the model's body and setting that as the beauty standard- this caused some women to believe that they needed slimming supplements to make their body look like the model's body. Although the advert was aimed for the 'male gaze' but the message was undeniably designed for women 

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The Dove Real Beauty Campaign was one of the most successful campaigns in the digital age as it features real women with real bodies of all races and ages- this campaign out women in charge of the advertisement to decide what was seen as beautiful in order to attempt to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 

Social media has changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns because audiences now have the option to boycott products if they deem it appropriate to do so. Social media has allowed audiences to voice their disapproval of certain messages on a bigger scale than was possible before social media. In response to the 'Beach Body Ready' advert, a change.org petition was made and signed by 71,000 people urging the ASA to take the adverts down- some protesters even responded visually by posing next to the advert in their own bikinis in order to offer a more realistic depiction of women’s bodies

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

We can apply van Zoonen's feminist theory to the 'Beach Body Ready' Protein World advert as we can see the woman in the advert being objectified into a spectacle rather than a women- we are positioned to form an opinion of her based off her appearance rather than anything else. We can also see that this model reinforces the Western beauty ideals of being white, slim, young and having blonde hair

5) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

I believe that the representation of women in advertising has changed in the last 60 years but not in a positive way- the representation has gone from women being inferior to men to women gaining more dominance but only through the use of their bodies and this has built up a negative representation of women over the years 

Advertising Persuasive Techniques: Blog Tasks :)

Media Magazine 54 (p62)

1) What does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

He suggested that 'All publicity works on anxiety' which means that advertising offers us an improved version of ourselves to promote a product because publicity is always about the future buyer. Advertising offers people an image of themselves that has been made glamorous by the product and then this image makes them envious of who they could be with the product and then they are made to imagine themselves transformed by the product and into an object of envy for others 

2) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

Psychologists refer to referencing as when people knowingly or subconsciously reflecting lifestyles that are presented to us (could be through the media or in real life) that we find attractive. We are able to create a vision of ourselves living this idealised lifestyle and then we start to behave in ways that help us realise and achieve this vision

3) How was Marmite discovered?

Marmite was discovered in the late 19th century when German scientist Justus von Leibig discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten 

4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?

Owned by Unilever

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

Marmite marketing has used intertextuality since 2003- in 2007, a £3m campaign was launched that featured the 1970s cartoon character Paddington Bear. These adverts continued the ‘love it or hate it’ slogan, including the element of nostalgia that appeals to the family member that does the grocery shopping. Paddington Bear is shown enjoying the taste of Marmite, while others are repelled by it. ‘Paddington has eaten marmalade sandwiches for 50 years. If he can change his habit, so can anyone,’ said Cheryl Calverley (Marmite marketing manager). This links to the persuasive technique of testimonial/association is Paddington who is advertising marmite and he is also a well-known figure among British people which encourages people to buy it if they love it or try it if they haven't 

6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?

• Popular culture: Refers to a set of practices, beliefs, and objects that are dominant in society during a given period of time 
• High culture: Refers to a collection of ideologies, beliefs, thoughts, trends, practices and works that are intended for the elite 

Marmite has played with this by parodying the approach of the Royal Family approaching goods and services- in the advert, breadsticks have been used to form the Queen's crown and the lion and unicorn are replaces by the Queen's corgis 

7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?

They do this through the awareness that postmodern audiences realise that they are being exploited by marketing and will play along as long as it brings them a sense of superiority and social cache. Postmodern consumers understand the joke and this allows them to become the promotional agents of the product by talking about it amongst their postmodern counterparts 

8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

The writer thinks that Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism because of the use of hyperreality (which blurs the lines between reality and fiction). The #Marmiteneglect campaign is rooted in the 'reality' that Marmite is often neglected in the back of the cupboard because they haven't been used. This 'real-life' concern has been used within a narrative of social neglect - postmodern advertising may transgress boundaries in order to make audiences question the realities in society 

Narrative In Advertising: Blog Tasks :)

Nike has received critical acclaim for its February 2018 advert ‘Nothing beats a Londoner'

1) How does the advert use narrative? Apply at least three narrative theories to the text, making specific reference to specific shots or key scenes in the advert.

We can see that Barthes' enigma codes have been used in this advert as the first person who talks about their struggles leads us to wonder what the next person will say. We can also see elements of Todorov's theory of equilibrium where we can see equilibrium when a man walks into the corner shop on the phone and the disequilibrium is when the phone call is disrupted and causes the boy to be interrupted. We can see the new equilibrium where the guy from the beginning is on a bike as he had previously mentioned on his phone call. Subtle elements of Propp's character theory can be applied to the advert as we can see that each character can be seen as a hero of their own lives whilst they overcome their own hardships in their own individual lives 

2) Read this BBC feature on some of the people in the advert. How does the advert use celebrities and less well-known people to create stories in the advert?

  In order to portray Nike as a trustworthy and dependable brand, they used celebrities in the advert such as Giggs, Skepta, Harry Kane, Mo Farah, and Dina Asher-Smith. The use of successful athletes in the advert almost gives the suggestion that wearing the Nike shoes will allow the audience to be that successful too. The lesser-known people in the advert provide a sense of personal identity (Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications) such as the teenage YouTuber Darnz who vlogs himself playing videogames like FIFA which many young people may identify with

3) Read this AdWeek feature and interview on the Nike London advert. [Note: this may now be behind a paywall - you can find the text from the article here]. How did the advert use technical codes (camerawork, mise-en-scene, sound, editing etc.) to help create narratives that could connect with the audience?

With regards to the camerawork, the camera is constantly moving in order to reflect the chaotic nature of their lives as well as life in London in general. We can also see the chaotic editing that mirrors how everyone has something different going on in their lives- this paired with the constant movement of the camera truly captures the essence of what it feels like to live in London. Parallel sound has been used throughout this advert and perhaps this adds a fast pace to the advert which resembles the fast pace of life in London- especially for the people in this advert who have to overcome all of these daily challenges. Another aspect worth mentioning is the costume because everyone in the advert is wearing clothing appropriate to what they spend every day doing and this helps get the message across to the audience of what each person does 

4) What representation of London does the advert offer?

The advert offers a diverse representation of London as different areas are shown that may have their own individual stereotypes but as well as that, a diverse range of ethnic groups are presented in order to reflect the true diversity of London. Despite this diverse representation, it could be said that the advert mainly focuses on the working-class without much regard to other social classes 

5) Why might this advert appeal to an audience?

Using Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, it may be said that this advert appeals to a certain audience due to personal identity- this is because many different types of people are represented in this advert so if somebody identifies with one of the types of people shown, they are more likely to enjoy this advert. Still referring to the Uses and Gratifications theory, this advert may appeal to an audience due to the entertaining nature of it- if an audience is entertained by this advert, they are more likely to share it and increase the publicity that the advert gets. However, it could also be said that this advert could appeal to an audience because of star power- the use of celebrities in this advert encourages fans of the celebrity to watch the advert and allow them to enjoy it more 

MIGRAIN Assessment 3: Learner Response :)

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: Well done for comparing the unseen advert to Beyonce's music video for Q2

EBI: Q1 is lacking any media subject terminology or any media theory apart from Mulvey. Q2 is missing a focus on how masculinity is presented in regards to social and cultural contexts- here you could have linked to Gillette's 'Boys Will Be Boys' campaign 

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the two questions: _/8; _/12. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.

• Q1: (4/8) In order to achieve the full marks for this question, I should've used media subject terminology when analysing the unseen adverts as well as using more than one theory 
• Q2: (8/12) In order to achieve full marks for this question, I should've mentioned and focused on how masculinity is presented instead of only mentioning how femininity is presented 

3) For Question 2 on the social and cultural contexts of gender representations, identify three potential points in the mark scheme that you didn't include in your answer.

• David Gauntlett argues that masculinity is constantly evolving and social concerns that masculinity is ‘in crisis’ are exaggerated- this campaign does not provide particular evidence for an evolution in representations of men. Indeed, this campaign reinforces classic masculine stereotypes and therefore perhaps provides evidence against Gauntlett’s theory 
• The adverts strongly reinforce classic gender stereotypes which contrasts with recent campaigns such as Gillette’s ‘Boys will be boys’ advert that went viral for attempting to challenge toxic masculinity 
• Carolina Herrara campaign reinforces Liesbet van Zoonen’s ideas regarding the media and patriarchal dominance. Undoubtedly, the female model is presented as a ‘spectacle’ for male pleasure and the positioning of the models and the use of text establishes a male dominance 

4) Having read the whole mark scheme, pick out one media theory that you didn't include in this assessment and summarise it briefly here so you can use it confidently in future.

Liesbet van Zoonen: Believed culture plays a crucial role in establishing gender roles and dominance of patriarchal ideologies. She also builds on Mulvey's idea of the 'male gaze' by arguing that the media presents the female body as a 'spectacle' and sexualises women for the benefit of male audiences  

5) Based on your experience in this assessment, identify three aspects of Media (e.g. skills/particular theories/examples) that you need to work on for your next assessment.

• For my next assessment, I need to ensure that I have familiarised myself with all of the theories within that topic so that I am easily able to apply any theory to the unseen products given 
• For my next assessment, I will ensure that I use subject specific terminology throughout my answers so that I can achieve closer to full marks 
• For my next assessment, I will link my answer to other aspects of media (using my personal knowledge) in order to strengthen my points 

MIGRAIN Index :)

My MIGRAIN Index

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions

2) Media consumption audit

3) Semiotics blog tasks - English analysis and Icon, Index, Symbol

4) Language: Reading an image - advert analyses

5) Reception theory - advert analyses part 2

6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions

7) Narrative: Factsheet questions 

8) Audience: classification - psychographics presentation notes

9) October assessment learner response

10) Audience theory 1 - Hypodermic needle/Two-step flow/U&G

11) Audience theory 2 - The effects debate - Bandura, Cohen 

12) Industries: Ownership and Control

13) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

14) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting

15) Industries: Regulation

16) Representation: Introduction to Representation

17) Representation: Feminism - Everyday Sexism & Fourth Wave MM article 

18) Representation: Feminist theory

19) Representing ourselves: Identity in the online age - MM article & Factsheet

20) Ideology: BBC Question Time analysis and MM articles