Case Study

Running Riot: Britain's Teen Crimes
http://www.channel5.com/shows/running-riot-britains-teen-crims/episodes/running-riot-britains-teen-crims

The opening scene of the show is a negative representation of young men in Britain. We are presented with the fact that over a million crimes are committed by under 18s each year by the narrator as non diegetic sound. Accompanying this is the visual codes of CCTV footage of someone dressed in suspicious clothing (hoodie and a mask) creating an enigma code leaving the audience to want to continue watching and see the consequences. Immediately a negative representation of male youths has been created as the shocking fact suggests that a lot of under 18s are criminals. This is followed by scenes of drug taking and the fact that 85% of these young criminals are drug users. The audience now makes an assumption about these people, a negative one relating to violence, crime and drugs.

Case Study

Closing Time: Newcastle After Dark
http://www.channel5.com/shows/closing-time/episodes/episode-1-631

This programme shown on Channel 5 is useful for representing age, gender, regional identity and issues in the media today. In the opening scenes of the show we are shown close ups of the streets, showing us in detail the extent of the litter scattered around. Waste from McDonalds is seen along with some chips lying on the floor immediately suggesting that Newcastle isn't clean place and also that the people living there don't have a healthy diet. In the following shots, we see a series of younger people, probably aged 18 - 25, of both genders acting irresponsibly. Anyone watching the show may get the idea that everyone in the night life of this city acts in an unpleasant way because the people on the show have been selected by editors to convey this message. The frequent shots of paramedics and ambulances in the city makes out that violence is something that is common on a night out in this city, suggesting that it is a violent place. Mainly it is males involved, creating a negative representation of this gender in Newcastle. We are shown close-ups of a man in the back of an ambulance receiving treatment, giving detail into the injuries he has suffered. However this is not wholly negative as the man is released shortly later without any major injuries. Newcastle is represented as a busy and vibrant city through the mid shots of the main streets and the back of cabs that have been sped up to emphasise the amount of people going through it. This is backed up through the non diegetic sound of the narrator stating that the cab driver 'Mattie' will cover over 100 miles on his saturday night shift. A lot of people in the show make reference to the 'famous Geordie kebab' again representing the region as unhealthy or laid back about their diet. The scene in the kebab shop represents the older man who is running the shop positively as he is running a successful business from the night life of the city. In the scenes involving the work party, a wide range of age groups are shown to be drinking heavily. This represents people of all ages in reference to the issue of binge drinking explored in the programme.

Case Study - Gender

In the music video for Blurred Lines, women are represented as sexual objects that are to be exploited by men. Mid shots are used, showing the lack of clothes the women are wearing with less focus on their faces. In the song the only people talking and singing are the men which suggests that they are the only ones with a voice or a valid opinion. This creates the idea that Robin Thicke, T.I, and Pharrell are ordering these women around, with shots often shown of these women dancing closely to the men. The fact that the males are the only ones wearing dignified clothes suggests that the only thing women are good or interesting for is their body. Whenever Robin Thicke walks around or dances in the video, the women in the shot often follow suit which suggests that they are not capable of expressing themselves or doing what they want to do, only what the men around them do. The men in the video are represented as quite smart and sophisticated through the clothes worn and the mise en scene. This creates a representation of the ideal man for both men and women. Men would look at the clothes worn and the actions of Robin Thicke and believe that if they act and dress in this masculine way, they too will be surrounded by girls and have respect from the people around you. Women watching the video will look at Robin Thicke as an attractive figure as he is represented as quite cool and again very masculine.

The lyrics of the song reinforce the ideology that is conveyed through the visual codes. The repetition of the line "I know you want it" suggests that the singer is putting these ideas in the head of the females in the video and in the audience. The fact that he is stating this again represents him as the ideal man for women, what they should look for in men in their life. However the deeper meaning of these lyrics implies that women are objects that should be used primarily for sexual purposes. The fact that the women in the video don't speak and that Robin Thicke is telling them that they want him suggests that women have no choice or freedom to express themselves. It gives a message to female viewers that if they act like those in this video they will be rewarded with a powerful and masculine partner like Robin Thicke. Another line from the chorus is "And that's why I'm gon' take a good girl". This creates a representation of the women in this video as what men will consider as 'good'. The female audience could look at this representation and feel that if they act and dress in this controversial manor they will receive attention from men like it happens in the music video. The lyric "You the hottest bitch in this place" creates a hierarchy between men and women, implying that men are above women and that they have the right to refer to them in an objectifying manor through words like 'bitch'. The fact that the singer is using this line to compliment the women in the video gives of a bad message to the audience. Women may see this and feel that if they are referred to in this manor they should accept it and take it on board as a positive comment. Whereas the male audience may feel that they should talk to women around them in this way in order to seem attractive, powerful and masculine to them.

Textual Analysis Question

Benefits Street

Gender:

• The representation of both men and women in this programme are negative. 
• A character who features a lot is 'White Dee' who is only really shown when sitting at home, smoking. This suggests that this is all she does with her life, supported by the fact that she is overweight which makes the audience think that she doesn't live an active and healthy lifestyle. 
• This character along with the other females in the programme are always involved with issues to do with paying rent and looking after children in the house. This creates a negative representation of the men in the show as they are never seen doing any of this work, painting a negative picture of them as a father figure. 
• They are represented as irresponsible and childish as they are only really shown on the street, drinking and playing around with footballs.
• We can see the effect of their absence from the home environment through the mise en scene in the background of most shots. All houses featured look messy and very basic which suggests that it isn't taken care of.

Age:

• Like gender, age is something that is represented negatively on this programme. 
• The majority of the characters on the show are at the age where most would be reaching the highest and most authoritative positions in their career. Instead, the adults on this show are out of work with many being like this for quite some time. 
• The character 'Fungi' shows that the main objective of the people on the street is to earn themselves alcohol or drugs rather than a wage and a living.
• He is seen doing small, not very good jobs around the street to be rewarded with a can of alcohol which suggests that people of this age have given up and have no real ambition in life anymore.
• They are not fitting the norm of most people this age who are most likely to be earning a decent salary.
• Younger people are also represented negatively on the show. Some are seen rebelling against their parents and being out on the street at all times, suggesting they are leading themselves into a life like their parents on benefits.

Ethnicity:

• At the start of the show the narrator in the non diegetic sound informs the audience that there are thirteen different nationalities living on the street, all unemployed, all on benefits.
• This creates a negative representation of ethnicity as it suggests to the audience that all immigrants in the UK are doing negative things to the country and scrounging off benefits.
• Watching this show could leave viewers with a negative view of all immigrants in the country because of the negativity surrounding them on the programme.
• The majority of people coming into the UK are here to work but the construction of Benefits Street shadows this as it portrays a very small minority in a negative light.

Issues:

• The issue of benefits in the UK is explored in this programme and represented negatively throughout. The camera style looks as if it is hand held which suggests that this is the reality.
• There is not much non diegetic sound which shows the programme hasn't been edited and this negative portrayal is how life on benefits really is.
• Anyone watching the show without much knowledge of the benefits system may think that everyone on this street and in the UK are scroungers, giving them a negative view of benefits.
• However, a lot of the scenes will be constructed therefore forcing the audience to take this view which may not necessarily be correct.

Audience:

• The target audience of Benefits Street is fairly wide. 
• Some people will watch the show to get information about benefits in Britain whereas some may just watch for entertainment purposes, to laugh at the people on the programme.
• Alternatively, the audience could personally identify with Benefits Street as they may be benefits claimants themselves, living a similar lifestyle.
• Those taking the preferred reading from this show are likely to be those of a working age who understand the pressures of British society. These people are likely to be in classes C to E as they may be able to relate more to the situation if they are currently claiming benefits or have done in the past.
• The oppositional view of Benefits Street is probably going to be taken by people of higher classes such as A and B as they would fail to relate to the ideas conveyed by the programme.

Ethnicity Representation

Sports - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24647259

This article from the BBC Sport website represents ethnicity in both a positive and negative light. Firstly, it could be considered a negative representation because of the use of language like 'racist' and 'targeted' which suggests to the audience that the player is being discriminated and treated unfairly because of his ethnicity and race. We can see the emotional response of the player through the use of words like 'furious', 'disappointed' and 'very sad' which are taken directly from an interview. On the other hand, the article could be considered as making a positive representation of Yaya Toure due to his ethnicity as he is taking a stand and threatening to take action against the fans abusing him. He is said to 'want action' which shows him as being courageous and against the minority who believe it is acceptable to mock someone because of their skin colour and ethnicity.

TV Show - Skins

In this clip from Skins we see a muslim father accepting the fact that his son is gay. It is a typical representation of the muslim culture to be against homosexuality but this programme challenges this with a positive representation of Maxxie's father. He respects the choice of his son although he may not understand why, showing that not everyone of muslim ethnicity is completely against the idea of homosexuality even if it is within their own family.



TV Show - Spooks

In this clip ethnicity is represented negatively through the visual codes and language used. The black character is treated like a slave being tied to the chair and interrogated whilst all the white people in the scene stand over him. His ethnicity is referred to as 'your people' suggesting that they are different to everyone else just because of their skin colour. Towards the end of the scene he is threatened with a knife with no way of defending himself, treating him unfairly because of his ethnicity.

Reception Theory on Websites

www.bbc.co.uk - This website explores a wide range of different topics from current affairs to entertainment, lifestyle and sports. The audience who would take the preferred reading would be people from ages 20 to 55 from A to C2 class. These people are likely to have an interest in reading about the news and it's wide range of topics including politics and sport, depending on the individual. People in the audience taking a negotiated view are likely to be younger and slightly lower in the socio economic scale, from ages 15 to 30 in class B to D. This is because they would use the site as a way of finding out about entertainment news and catching up on their favourite TV shows and celebrities. They may not be as interested in the main news or 'knowledge' section of the site but they would use it as a place to access TV clips and shows. Thirdly, the oppositional view would be taken by younger children who are unlikely to understand the topics explored on the site. 

www.asos.com - ASOS is a clothing website which sells a wide range of different brands aimed at all ages as well as their own unbranded products. The audience taking the preferred reading from this site are likely to be aged 15 to 35 in class B to C2. The clothes sold on the site are considered as trendy and fashionable which people from these groups will be looking to purchase. The producer has used eye catching visual codes promoting a sale as well as language like 'FINAL CLEARANCE' which make the audience feel as if they can't miss out on the offer and that they should look at purchasing something. The people taking a negotiated reading from ASOS are likely to be aged 40 - 60 in class B to D. This group is less likely to keep up to date with fashion and the latest trends but may look on the website occasionally to buy clothes at a reasonable price, in events like the 70% sale which is shown in the screenshot above. Finally, the oppositional reading will be taken by people at low and high ages such as 0 - 12 and 65 - 80. These people are unlikely to be interested in the clothes that are sold by ASOS as they are more associated with people of a younger or older age in respectively. These people would not feel attracted by sales and reductions as much as the audiences who take the preferred and negotiated reading as they probably wear clothes of a similar style and are aware of the majority of the brands sold.

www.youtube.com - YouTube is a popular website which is often used for entertainment and informative purposes by the audiences engaged. The audience taking the preferred reading are likely to be people from ages 13 - 28 who will be in classes C1 - E. This audience would use YouTube as a platform to watch videos that they would consider amusing or interesting due to their interests in the topics involved. This could be anything from video games to sports and music. The producer attracts this audience and leads them to take a preferred reading due to sections such as "Recommended for you" which is displayed on the homepage. It takes into account the viewing history of the user and finds other videos which they may also find entertaining. 

Age Representation Homework

Young people



The TV show 'Skins' is an example of a media text which represents young people in a negative light. The name of the programme itself is a reference to use of drugs, showing how the writer has used language to bring out these negative teenage connotations. In the video above we see the characters at a house party drinking large amounts of alcohol, taking drugs and having sex. This depicts the negative stereotype of teenagers entirely. In terms of visual codes, the characters in the video are all wearing clothes that would be considered trendy or fashionable by this age group. This enables the viewers to relate to the show and shows how the writer assumes that this is typical behaviour of all people this age, representing the whole age group in a negative light.

This article taken from the Daily Mail website is also an example of a negative representation of youth. It can be considered as a rich text as it also shows stereotypes of the male gender. The language and mode of address used in the headline has been included specifically to shock the reader and to create a negative light over the teenager. The fact that he is described as a student suits the stereotype in society today that students of around 18-20 spend their time drinking excessively and doing stupid things. Also in the second paragraph it says he was dared by his other friends to do the act, suggesting that this is a typical mentality of most teenagers, boys in particular.

Old people

This article has been taken from the website of newspaper The Independent. It represents people of an old age in a negative light through the language used by the writer. The specific age of the woman has been included in the title of the article along with words like pensioner in order to establish just how old she is. These words often have connotations of being settled and leading un-exciting lives. However this article challenges these ideas through the use of words like 'arrest', 'cocaine' and 'birthday bash'. These are words that are often considered to be negative and related to people of a much younger age. The fact that these words have been selected in this context creates a negative representation of the elderly woman and potentially this age group as a whole. It could represent them as out of control and wild.

Stereotypes of age in media

This is an article taken from The Independent website and creates a stereotypical view of teenagers in modern society. The language and mode of address used portrays teenagers and boys in particular as obsessed with drinking and being out of control. Also the use of social media in the text creates a stereotype as the majority of british teenagers are users of sites like Facebook, labelling everyone of these people as the same.