Even though i have got the key words from the pack, i'll just repeat the work!!!
American Dream - refering to contradictions and conflicts in society.
conflict with culture of individualism.
corporate life
Fears of all kind - terrorism.
-Heroes - crisis of identity, have to be seen as "normal"
Laura Mulvey - Male Gaze, the portrayal of women, and the judgements made about them.
Women are often seen as passive and weak.
-Apparent as nikki has an alter ego, which is fighting back showing a more dominant character.
New Man - A more caring, and gentle role of a man, often as a father and husband who is able to show feelings.
-Male characters such as peter have issues with their identity, and what is expected of them and what they want to do.
Prime time is the time between 7.30 - 10.30 which has the largest number of viewers on tv.
-Extremely important as Heroes is aired on BBC2 at 9pm. Not only could this explain the popularity, however younger audiences also watch it.
Syntagm - a combination of signs that forms a chain of meaning. A certain symbol that has been recurring through out the season. Build up of tension as neither the audience nor the characters know the meaning.
Genre theory - Richard Dyer 1973, genres are pleasurable because they offer escapist fantasies into fictional worlds which remove the boredom and pressures of reality.
In a sense Heroes does the opposite because it is bringing topical issues to light, eg terrorism.
Sexism - discrimination on the basis of sex pften against women.
-both female characters nikki and claire face this.
Patriarchy - male domination where women are percieved as subordinate.
-similar to heroes the female characters are defined with the relation of a man.
Claire and her father or boyfriend.
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Links....
Sigmund Freud
Penis envy - women wanting male roles eg taking on masculine roles...
Freud has also come under fire from many feminist critics. Although Freud was an early champion of both sexual freedom and education for women (Freud, "Civilized Sexual Morality and Modern Nervousness"), some feminists have argued that at worst his views of women's sexual development set the progress of women in Western culture back decades, and that at best they lent themselves to the ideology of female inferiority. Believing as he did that women are a kind of mutilated male, who must learn to accept their "deformity" (the "lack" of a penis) and submit to some imagined biological imperative, he contributed to the vocabulary of misogyny. Terms such as "penis envy" and "castration anxiety" contributed to discouraging women from entering any field dominated by men, until the 1970s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy
Fantasy genre refering to superhuman powers and the role of heroes.
http://superheroes%20reflect%20society/
Penis envy - women wanting male roles eg taking on masculine roles...
Freud has also come under fire from many feminist critics. Although Freud was an early champion of both sexual freedom and education for women (Freud, "Civilized Sexual Morality and Modern Nervousness"), some feminists have argued that at worst his views of women's sexual development set the progress of women in Western culture back decades, and that at best they lent themselves to the ideology of female inferiority. Believing as he did that women are a kind of mutilated male, who must learn to accept their "deformity" (the "lack" of a penis) and submit to some imagined biological imperative, he contributed to the vocabulary of misogyny. Terms such as "penis envy" and "castration anxiety" contributed to discouraging women from entering any field dominated by men, until the 1970s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy
Fantasy genre refering to superhuman powers and the role of heroes.
http://superheroes%20reflect%20society/
Stuff....
http://www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/womenrep.html
The influence of female filmmakers does have an effect on the representation of women in films, it is clear that women avoid the representations of gender associated with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ and strive for equality for women within their work. However, this idea of a ‘female gaze’ is limited due to the prevailing patriarchy within the film industry, which is evident in the state of women’s employment in the business.
The influence of female filmmakers does have an effect on the representation of women in films, it is clear that women avoid the representations of gender associated with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ and strive for equality for women within their work. However, this idea of a ‘female gaze’ is limited due to the prevailing patriarchy within the film industry, which is evident in the state of women’s employment in the business.
More internet links...
http://mediagoldfish.blogspot.com/
Another blog that has looked at the conventions of superheroes.
Characters often have a back-story which explains their upbringing or how they got their powers in a short format. This provides us with a good idea of what sort of character they are, it also links the hero with the arch-nemesis, who are usually friends in the beginning.
Their appearance is very important to how we view the character. Heroes usually have big muscular physiques, chiseled features, bigger eyes, they are essentially the perfect human.
Names also guide our conception of a character. Heroes often have alliterative names, such as Peter Parker and Clark Kent. (In heroes - Peter Petrelli)
The arch-nemesis, however, is often not muscular and attractive, their eyes are smaller, they have wicked grins, they are often not human like creatures, features are distorted (particularly the head) and they are often dressed and speak in a much more sophisticated fashion than the hero.
Of course the defining feature of a superhero/villain is the costume. Not only the physical costume, but the alter-ego. A superheroes costume usually consists of a tight fitting number, that has some resemblance to their super-name.
The storyline of most superhero narratives are as follows. Establishing story, relates the characters to each other and explains how they got their superpowers. The love interest is usually introduced here too. The Hero goes out and saves someone, sparking a reaction from the nemesis. They attempt to kill the hero, someone he knows, or the entire world. The superhero tracks him down and tries to put a stop to the evil. The plan backfires and the hero is caught, on the brink of death or simply losing the fight. The villain reveals his plan to the hero in a laborious monologue. The hero over comes his problem, defeating the villain and stopping the evil plan. The villain may either escape, or be arrested, they rarely die. The story finishes with a scene with the superhero, with the love interest/collegue, talking and having a happy time.
Another blog that has looked at the conventions of superheroes.
Characters often have a back-story which explains their upbringing or how they got their powers in a short format. This provides us with a good idea of what sort of character they are, it also links the hero with the arch-nemesis, who are usually friends in the beginning.
Their appearance is very important to how we view the character. Heroes usually have big muscular physiques, chiseled features, bigger eyes, they are essentially the perfect human.
Names also guide our conception of a character. Heroes often have alliterative names, such as Peter Parker and Clark Kent. (In heroes - Peter Petrelli)
The arch-nemesis, however, is often not muscular and attractive, their eyes are smaller, they have wicked grins, they are often not human like creatures, features are distorted (particularly the head) and they are often dressed and speak in a much more sophisticated fashion than the hero.
Of course the defining feature of a superhero/villain is the costume. Not only the physical costume, but the alter-ego. A superheroes costume usually consists of a tight fitting number, that has some resemblance to their super-name.
The storyline of most superhero narratives are as follows. Establishing story, relates the characters to each other and explains how they got their superpowers. The love interest is usually introduced here too. The Hero goes out and saves someone, sparking a reaction from the nemesis. They attempt to kill the hero, someone he knows, or the entire world. The superhero tracks him down and tries to put a stop to the evil. The plan backfires and the hero is caught, on the brink of death or simply losing the fight. The villain reveals his plan to the hero in a laborious monologue. The hero over comes his problem, defeating the villain and stopping the evil plan. The villain may either escape, or be arrested, they rarely die. The story finishes with a scene with the superhero, with the love interest/collegue, talking and having a happy time.
Monday, 19 November 2007
Blog buddy meeting
What we discussed:
We found it hard to make links at first as our studies are not that similar. However, we managed to find some common areas of research that would be relevant to use both:
- Identity,
- Gender roles
- Genre theory
1) Identity:
In both of our studies the theme of identity is a key element. We will be looking at how identity is shaped in the texts.
For instance, ‘HSM’ identity is a major theme that runs throughout the film as the main characters Troy and Gabriella struggle to find their identities due to peer pressure etc .
In ‘Heroes’ identity also plays a major part as the heroes have dual identities.
2) Gender roles:
What are they?
What are audience expectations of these?
Why are they used?
Do our texts conform/reject them? Why?
3) Genre theory:
Find theorists that can be applied to both of our studies.
We found it hard to make links at first as our studies are not that similar. However, we managed to find some common areas of research that would be relevant to use both:
- Identity,
- Gender roles
- Genre theory
1) Identity:
In both of our studies the theme of identity is a key element. We will be looking at how identity is shaped in the texts.
For instance, ‘HSM’ identity is a major theme that runs throughout the film as the main characters Troy and Gabriella struggle to find their identities due to peer pressure etc .
In ‘Heroes’ identity also plays a major part as the heroes have dual identities.
2) Gender roles:
What are they?
What are audience expectations of these?
Why are they used?
Do our texts conform/reject them? Why?
3) Genre theory:
Find theorists that can be applied to both of our studies.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Blog buddy research...
American Dream...
"Our challenge is to create an America that lives up to the principles and ideals of our Founding Fathers."
The "Founding Fathers" being Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln & Theodore Roosevelt.
In the Declaration of Independence, America's Founding Fathers laid out very clearly for us the true meaning of the American Dream ...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
It is clear that the "american dream" had become materialistic and there seems to be a "sign of moral decay"
Statistics:
90% feel uncertain about their future peace and security.
66% believe society is becoming much more materialistic.
50% believe Americans have lost the opportunity for the American Dream.
71% believe major change is necessary to regain American prosperity.
http://www.todaysamericandream.com/
Today the "American Dream" is often associated with immigrants as it is seen as the "land of oppurtunity" where people are able to make something of their lives. the immigrants are commonly from South Asia, and Latin America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream
Ronnys' Research:
American Dream: a cultural myth based on the belief that the USA is a land of promise and opportunity where anyone who works hard can achieve all the good things in life, notably love, esteem and wealth.
The origins of the myth lie with the American Declaration of Independence which emphasises the equality of all humanity and the right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. At the time this document many wealthy American colonial citizens were slave owners.
Belief in the American Dream can leas to a conflict between the desire for wealth and material happiness and the means by which this ideal is achieved.
The realities of US society are far from those of the idealised version and are sometimes called the American nightmare.
The myth of the American Dream is important because it forms the background ideology of media products from across all genres but in particular of film and television productions.
"Our challenge is to create an America that lives up to the principles and ideals of our Founding Fathers."
The "Founding Fathers" being Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln & Theodore Roosevelt.
In the Declaration of Independence, America's Founding Fathers laid out very clearly for us the true meaning of the American Dream ...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
It is clear that the "american dream" had become materialistic and there seems to be a "sign of moral decay"
Statistics:
90% feel uncertain about their future peace and security.
66% believe society is becoming much more materialistic.
50% believe Americans have lost the opportunity for the American Dream.
71% believe major change is necessary to regain American prosperity.
http://www.todaysamericandream.com/
Today the "American Dream" is often associated with immigrants as it is seen as the "land of oppurtunity" where people are able to make something of their lives. the immigrants are commonly from South Asia, and Latin America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream
Ronnys' Research:
American Dream: a cultural myth based on the belief that the USA is a land of promise and opportunity where anyone who works hard can achieve all the good things in life, notably love, esteem and wealth.
The origins of the myth lie with the American Declaration of Independence which emphasises the equality of all humanity and the right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. At the time this document many wealthy American colonial citizens were slave owners.
Belief in the American Dream can leas to a conflict between the desire for wealth and material happiness and the means by which this ideal is achieved.
The realities of US society are far from those of the idealised version and are sometimes called the American nightmare.
The myth of the American Dream is important because it forms the background ideology of media products from across all genres but in particular of film and television productions.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Books...
Williams, Kevin (2003) : Understanding Media Theory. Great Britain, Arnold
Craig, Steve (1992) : Men, Masculinity and the Media. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Mackinnon, Kenneth (2003): Representing Men - Malesness and Masculinity in the Media. Great Britain, Arnold
Tolson, Andrew (1996) : Mediations. Great Britain, Arnold
...... (1994) : Study the Media. Great Britain, Arnold
Strinat, Dominic (1995) : An Introduction To Theories of Popular Culture. ... Routledge
Jurgens, Dan (1993) : World Without a Superman. USA, DC Comics.
Flowers, James R ( 2000) Comics Books and Superheroes. ... Facts on Demand Press.
Simpson, Paul (2004) Superheroes. London, Penguin Group.
Craig, Steve (1992) : Men, Masculinity and the Media. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Mackinnon, Kenneth (2003): Representing Men - Malesness and Masculinity in the Media. Great Britain, Arnold
Tolson, Andrew (1996) : Mediations. Great Britain, Arnold
...... (1994) : Study the Media. Great Britain, Arnold
Strinat, Dominic (1995) : An Introduction To Theories of Popular Culture. ... Routledge
Jurgens, Dan (1993) : World Without a Superman. USA, DC Comics.
Flowers, James R ( 2000) Comics Books and Superheroes. ... Facts on Demand Press.
Simpson, Paul (2004) Superheroes. London, Penguin Group.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Blog Buddies...
In my class: Ronny
A short summary of each study:
Ronnys' study is focused on the genre, and how the conventions have changed in teen musicals.
Areas of overlap between each study (texts, topics, issues, debates):
Although Ronny is looking at genre, both studies look into the American ideology, (musical and superheroes is based in America and has similar ideologies such as the portrayal of girls in highschool) and also being "united"
I will also be looking at how the conventions of superheroes has changed, eg superheroes are no longer wearing capes and masks which was much more typical before...
What you've each learned from looking at each other's study that might be useful:
I hadn't really looked at how the country may have influenced the text (until now) ..i think i had read that superheroes become more popular during or near to the war. Which could be important, as womens roles were also changing.
In the other class: Saz
Short summary of each study:
Saz is looking at the representation of women, focusing on issues such as sexism, and the portrayal of women as "whores".
Areas of overlap between each study ( texts, topics, issues debates):
We're both looking at representation, in particular women. I have also looked at characters who have been represented as both a "whore" and a "hero" Also the topic of dominance in society, and how women are often shown as subordinate to men, however even in Heroes, female characters are taking on more "masculine" roles.
What you've each learnt from looking at each other's study that might be useful:
I didnt know Sin City was a comic. Stuff about Frank Miller, who was widely recognised, and one of the most influential comics creator. This is useful, as superheroes originated from comics.
A short summary of each study:
Ronnys' study is focused on the genre, and how the conventions have changed in teen musicals.
Areas of overlap between each study (texts, topics, issues, debates):
Although Ronny is looking at genre, both studies look into the American ideology, (musical and superheroes is based in America and has similar ideologies such as the portrayal of girls in highschool) and also being "united"
I will also be looking at how the conventions of superheroes has changed, eg superheroes are no longer wearing capes and masks which was much more typical before...
What you've each learned from looking at each other's study that might be useful:
I hadn't really looked at how the country may have influenced the text (until now) ..i think i had read that superheroes become more popular during or near to the war. Which could be important, as womens roles were also changing.
In the other class: Saz
Short summary of each study:
Saz is looking at the representation of women, focusing on issues such as sexism, and the portrayal of women as "whores".
Areas of overlap between each study ( texts, topics, issues debates):
We're both looking at representation, in particular women. I have also looked at characters who have been represented as both a "whore" and a "hero" Also the topic of dominance in society, and how women are often shown as subordinate to men, however even in Heroes, female characters are taking on more "masculine" roles.
What you've each learnt from looking at each other's study that might be useful:
I didnt know Sin City was a comic. Stuff about Frank Miller, who was widely recognised, and one of the most influential comics creator. This is useful, as superheroes originated from comics.
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