Coursework ideas: Band Aid

Band Aid (1984) - Do they know its Christmas? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQzJAKxTrE
Band Aid II (1989) - Do they know its Christmas? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83xYDazJavE
Band Aid 20 (2004) - Do they know its Christmas? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5vMdmajxFY
Band Aid 30 (2014)- Do they know its Christmas? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1jeiC-JEsI

It can be argued that the evolution of 'Band Aid' is to reach new audiences in younger generations, spreading the message to everyone. The use of You-tubers such as Zoella and young pop-sensations such as One Direction and Olly Murs mean that the message can reach larger audiences in western culture. (Evolution of Band-Aid - http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertain/pages/entertainment/music/band-aid-do-they-know-its-christmas-history.htm) -Mode of address

http://news.sky.com/story/1374910/bob-geldof-denies-adele-band-aid-song-snub - Bob Geldof interview with Sky News, interviewer states that if  "People like Bono paid their taxes correctly then there would be no need to rehash the song". - Marxism

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ebola/11236278/Why-Adele-was-right-to-ignore-Bob-Geldof-and-Band-Aid.html - arguing Adeles side on Band Aid 'snub'. Adele was snubbed for not attending the Band Aid recording, yet as she has a toddler to care for she privately donated money to Oxfam. This is apparently 'not done' in celebrity world. Post-colonialism (the expectations of people with higher power)

Angela Barry: The Other - Songs like Band Aids' provide stereotypes to the 'Other', such as them being the 'dependant', shown as victims. -Post-colonialism

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/band-aid-30-ditched-the-only-halfdecent-line-it-had-9867716.html - the changing of the lyrics from "Well tonight thank god its them, instead of you" to "Tonight were reaching out and touching you". It could be argued that this is because we live in a postmodern society in the west, where the original line could be under-analysed and seen as selfish, even though it is pinpointing the selfishness of not giving to the cause, not the selfishness of the lyric itself. The article states that the reason for this may be to not cause a 'twitter' rage over the line, which can easily be done in this mislead post-modern society. - Postmodern

Campaigns first started with Telethons and celebrity filled rallys to gain awareness. Band Aid has grown with Technology to a certain extent, now moving to iTunes and purchasing the track via mobile etc. http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.2840715 - This link shows quotes from Caroline Riseboro, a VP in marketing for Addicts and Mental Health. She says "I would say the celebrity telethon for charity is dead," and "Compared to 30 years ago, accessible information and travel has allowed the public to educate themselves, and challenge some of the statements that celebrities can make.". This is where more campaign methods have been created, such as the Ice-Bucket Challenge for ALS Research, No-makeup Selfie for Cancer Research UK and Movember for Mens Health. These are more 'democratic efforts' of raising awareness and giving to charity that Band Aid haven't quite tapped into yet. Technology, Mode of Address and Post-modernism - Global Village/Electronic Village

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/band-aid-30-you-know-it-must-be-christmas-when-everyones-shouting-about-a-charity-single-9881668.html - Fuse ODG turns down chance on "Do they know its Christmas?" because of the skewed representation on Africa, refusing to sing “There is no peace and joy in West Africa this Christmas”, when he says: “For the past four years I have gone to Ghana at Christmas for the sole purpose of peace and joy.” -Postcolonialism, Angela Barry and the Other

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/band-aid-30-emeli-sande-says-lyrics-for-do-they-know-its-christmas-need-to-be-rewritten-and-admits-her-own-edits-were-rejected-9878221.html - Emeli Sande and Angelique Kidjo also challenged this stereotypical view of Africa by attempting to change the lyrics in the song, although Bob Geldof did not allow the original song to be 'changed with the times'. Emeli says she is "so proud of my Zambian heritage. No offence or disrespect to the beautiful and prosperous continent was ever intended. In my eyes, this song is specifically addressing a medical crisis, which is very real and in urgent need of awareness and support.", yet still agrees that some less offensive lyrics should have been incorporated into the song to give a more positive representation on Africa and rid of the negative connotations surrounding the continent. Post-colonialism, Anglea Barry and the Other

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/18/band-aid-30-becomes-fastest-selling-single-of-2014 - Band aids sales figures in the first weeks and Sir Bob Geldofs quote on the 'digital age'. - Postmodernism


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/bob-geldof-hits-back-at-band-aid-critics-they-can-fck-off-9912594.html - Nick Dearden who is the director of the World Development Movement, argues in an interview at London Live that Bob Geldof is "ignoring the fact that Africa is in a political crisis caused by the western world", and that he is portraying an "ignorant vision of Africa" through his lyrics such as "a world of dreaded fear", "how can they know its christmas time at all?" - yet the majority of Africans are christian and celebrate christmas.
Plan:
Title: Are Band-Aids efforts in raising awareness truly
Intro - Link to Wondrous Stories, factual information (record label, when it was released, sales figures)
Para 1 - Postcolonial
Para 2 -
Para 3 -
Para 4 -
Para 5 -
Conclusion -

Dapper Laughs:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/nov/17/dapper-laughs-itv-turn-off-vine-vlogger

Dapper Laughs was a 'vine' star, known for his short vine and Facebook clips which the comedy featured usually revolved around the sexualisation and objectification of women, showing younger generations that it is okay to treat women disrespectfully.

The show Dapper Laughs: On the Pull, which aired on ITV was shut off after the first series as it received 10x more criticism than his vines.

Postmodernity: Description

Postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. 'Looking for meaning in a meaningless world'

Links for postmodernism: 

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/enlightenment/summary.html 

http://www.essortment.com/definition-postmodernism-20903.html - an in depth description on post modernism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0DwRAVJZ4A - This definition is not accurate. Dadaism is more 'weird for the sake of weird'. Postmodernism is just playing with what has gone before, and self-reflexivity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFrhZhyf2_Q&feature=channel&list=UL - song about postmodernity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ymGcDskys&feature=related - hungarian animation about postmodernity

Coursework ideas

Are Disney Princesses in actual fact role models to younger generations?

http://www.ranker.com/list/7-disney-princesses-that-make-the-worst-role-models/molly-mahan?format=SLIDESHOW&page=1 - analysis as to why the princesses aren't feminist and are bad role models.

http://micechat.com/71968-feminism-and-disney-princesses/ - an analysis as to why they are role models and very feminist.

-                      Ask a little girl if the scene where they sing “A Girl Worth Fighting For” where Mulan says “a girl who speaks her mind” and the men respond “Nah!” is supposed to be taken seriously, 99.99% of them will look at you like your crazy. 

-                    Oh, Mulan. She’s meant to be non-offensive, and she ends up being not-anything. Despite claims to the contrary, she’s not a feminist hero. She has to dress as a boy to achieve selfhood, and refuses political influence in order to return to the domestic constraints of her father and husband-to-be. The movie itself doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test, if you consider that the only topic the other female characters discuss is Mulan’s marriageability – a hypothetical relationship with a man. The final defeat of the antagonist is achieved by the male Mushu riding on a phallic firecracker, as Mulan flails helplessly at his feet. Positive female role model? Case closed.

-                 For my final piece of analysis I wanted to look at the ending after Mulan saved the entire city from the Hun’s. She is offered a job by the Emperor as the Emperor’s consul in which she refuses so she can return home and be with her family. This was the most shocking moment because she had the chance to be empowered beyond many men and yet she decided to return home. This gave me the speculation of her in the end playing into the stereotype of what women should be like: homemakers.

http://thesnarkwhohuntsback.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/things-feminists-hate-disney-princesses-mulan/ - feminists issues on the movie 'Mulan'.

http://feministtruths.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/disney-princesses-capitalism-and.html - against capitalism of disney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZyVNDti2Fg - video on deconstructing disney 'happily never after'

http://rmonaleza.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/the-paradigm-of-the-disney-princess/ - very in depth article of the change from oldto new disney, taking on issues such as ethnical and feminist views.


-         Men want girls with good taste

Calm

Obedient 

Who work fast-paced 

With good breeding 

And a tiny waist 

You'll bring honor to us all (youll bring honor to us all lyrics)
-        Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons? (make a man out of you lyrics)
-        How 'bout a girl who's got a brain 

Who always speaks her mind? 

Nah! (a girl worth fighting for lyrics)
http://www.fpx.de/fp/Disney/Lyrics/Mulan.html - mulan lyrics

https://sites.google.com/site/disneyprincessproject/home/how-gender-is-constructed - blog posts on disney princesses affecting self esteem and gratifying gender roles

http://www.scoop.it/t/the-effects-of-the-feminist-movements-on-the-disney-princesses - list of articles all relating to disney princesses and feminism

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/05/30/the_merchandising_for_brave_breaks_the_mold_of_the_disney_princess_while_still_appealing_to_girls_.html - how brave is marketed in shops

http://ldeare1.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/38/ - a whole new world of consumerism

Marxism and Market Liberalism revision questions:

Which particular form of inequality are Marxists interested in?
Social and economic inequality - this inequality can be seen in society in contexts such as wages, where the politicians get £80k+ a year and the reserve pools of labour are on minimum wage or 0 hour contracts. Also it can be seen when there is a hierarchy in social classes such as higher classes who penalize the lower classes.

How does Marxist thought divide society?
Marxist thoughts can divide society into two roles, proletariat and bourgeoisie. 
Bourgeoisie: Those who have an effective and active role in governing society, controlling those lower than them. These people have the upper hand in the production.
Proletariat: Those who do not have an effective and active role in governing society, controlled by those higher than them (the bourgeoisie). Need to sell their labour for the people with higher power.

What is an example of what a Marxist would see as exploitation?
Marxists would see the selling of products for profit an exploitation of the working force who sell their labour to the company's and receive nothing back.  An example of this is Cadburys, where all the profit from the chocolate sold goes to the company and not the loyal workers that have been there 30/40 years. Suddenly all of the workers were made redundant so the company could make more profit from employing cheaper staff members in Poland, which a Marxist would see as an exploitation of the original work force.

In what ways does Marxist thought suggest we are in false consciousness?
Marxist thought suggests that we are in false consciousness as we are distracted by the false needs placed on us through capitalism. Marxists state that equal society is not a Utopian ideology, but an achievable goal if we open our eyes to recognize that capitalism is making us consume more than we need to. Russell Brand touches on this in his Revolution book, asking how are we allowing this to happen? Upgrades on phones and everyday appliances are seen as false needs which capitalists force us to buy into.

What benefits might a market liberal (capitalist) system bring to the population?
Escaping poverty through working, earning and saving for your living. Also, it allows people to buy labour saving devices through the market price(a fair price in a capitalists eyes), such as dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves and so forth, making life easier for us westerners.

How are false needs reinforced, according to Marxist thought?
False needs are reinforced to society through basic agents of socialization, which capitalist markets target to address the widest audience and get the biggest profit from. These agents of socialization are things such as the media and our peer groups, where if one person has a trend, everyone must have a trend, otherwise we are deemed 'uncool' or we don't fit in. This false need imposed on us by capitalism is links with the Pygmalion effect or self fulfilling prophecy.

Illustrate Baumans ideas about the 'perpetual non-satisfaction' of consumers?
Baumans ideas on perpetual non-satisfaction basically mean that as long as consumers are not satisfied with a product for a long time (as the product does not last), the consumer will repeatedly have to put money into the large companies to replace their items, a cycle purposely placed by the capitalists that run the large companies, such as the first light bulbs ever made, which were given 1500 less hours of light so that customers would have to buy more. 
Definition: Perpetual - never ending or changing, reoccurring. 

Explain why we might pay more for a product than we think it is actually worth?
We may do this to increase our self-esteem, part of the self-fulfilling prophecy touched upon in the AS year of the course. It could be argued that we are not actually aware that we are paying more for something than its worth, as it could be said that we are falsely conscious and not aware of what capitalism is doing to us.

What do critics of late capitalism such as Paul Moore and Bill Gates suggest is needed to make capitalism more acceptable?


What does market liberalist thought suggest when it criticizes Marxism as promoting a 'utopian ideal'?

Iggy Pop on John Peel Lecture

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04lcj6z

Polly Toynbee with John Lydon

Polly Toynbee speaking to John Lydon on Russell Brands opinions for change in his call for Revolution:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2014/oct/15/john-lydon-russell-brand-revolution-video?CMP=twt_gu

Polly Toynbee is a writer for the guardian, who is known for her opinions on political matters written in her articles. She is in an interview here with John Lydon, singer of the Sex Pistols, who is much like Russell Brand in the fact that he is trying to redeem himself in the medias eye by taking on political issues.

In the interview, Toynbee states that "The time in history we were most equal was in 1977"
Former Sex Pistol John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, tells Polly Toynbee that comedian Russell Brand's call for people not to vote is ignorant, flippant and liable to 'make you all homeless'. Lydon also explains why he'd never vote Conservative, labels Ukip 'morons' and calls anarchy a 'mind game for the middle classes'
Russell Brands response to their criticism:
 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/russell-brand-occupies-wall-street-and-calls-for-revolution-again-9798218.html

Russell Brand on Capitalism

Article on The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/oct/11/russell-brand-revolution-exclusive-extract

In this article and in the book Revolution, Russell Brand offers a modern marxist argument in the form of popular culture, helping to address less likely to understand individuals in hope for a revolution against capitalism.

Although these arguments are not his own, he delivers them in a witty way which reaches a wider global audience than the people who originally proposed the arguments. 

An example of this is David Graeber, who is adamant that all debts should be cancelled. Russell supports his argument with the following statements: 

• The bible talks of 'Debt Jubilees', where all debt is cancelled everyso years.
• Islam states that credit at extortionate rates, loans and bank interest etc, is forbidden.
• 75% of Americans are in debt, 40% of that being over $50'000.
• 9 million brits in serious crippling debt
• 2008 financial crash in America resulted in 13.1 million homes being repossessed as credit cards were given out so people could pay for everyday items, and also $700 billion of debt was wiped out.

Marx's theory of False Consciousness says that we are not aware of how far we are letting capitalism go, we are turning a blind eye and not facing reality.

Marxist and Market Liberalist links:

Wall Street - Gordon Gecko (why greed is good)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF_iorX_MAw

Milton Friedman on why Capitalism is best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLiVoHuBvNI&feature=related
Friedman is saying that capitalism is what keeps the world in order, being the most productive way of getting messages to society. He also makes the point that countires who have capitalism in play and are run on greed are the countires that are better off.

Captain Capitalism cartoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4W4a5XweFA

Bill Gates - Where capitalism is going
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA1ioym5OYA

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy: Television,The Drug of the Nation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4uYnsF3kc

The truth about capitalism - John Perkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XidlRhyU7MO

Problems with Materialism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGab38pKscw

Andrea Dworkin: Fairy tale representations

‘Woman Hating: A Radical Look at Sexuality’, written by Andrea Dworkin was published in 1974. A large section of this book is focused on the fairy tale and its meaning in our culture.

Female characters in fairy tales.

Dworkin discusses the roles that men and women play in Western fairy tales and their implications. For example, she identifies that females are particularly desirable when they are sleeping (some like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are practically comatose). She also points out that good men are likely to fall under the influence of a powerful female and harm their children. (E.g. Hansel and Gretel)

Dworkin states; "The good woman must be possessed. The bad woman must be killed, or punished.  Both must be nullified.’

‘The roles available to women and men are clearly articulated in fairy tales. The characters are vividly described, and so are the modes of relationship possible between them. We see that powerful women are bad, that good women are inert. We see that men are always good, no matter what they do, or do not do.’ (The fathers in Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel are still described as ‘good men’ despite failing to protect their children from the evil female characters).

Dworkin on the ‘princess’ characters in fairy tales:

‘Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel - all are characterized by passivity, beauty, innocence and victimization.  They are archetypal good women - victims by definition. They never think, act, initiate, confront, resist, challenge, feel, care or question. Sometimes they are forced to do housework.’

Dworkin on mothers in fairy tales:

‘These fairy tale mothers are mythological female figures. They define for us the female character and delineate its existential possibilities. When she is good, she is soon dead.’

On stepmothers: ‘She is ruthless, brutal, ambitious, a danger to children and other living things.  Whether called mother, queen, stepmother or wicked witch, she is the wicked witch, the content of nightmare, the source of terror.’

In her reading of ‘Cinderella’, she states: ‘Cinderella's stepmother understood correctly that her only real work in life was to marry off her daughters. Her goal was upward mobility, and her ruthlessness was consonant with the values of the market place.’  

Dworkin has this to say about the prince character in fairy tales:

‘He is handsome and heroic. He is a prince, that is, he is powerful, noble and good. He rides a horse. He travels far and wide. He has a mission, a purpose. Inevitably he fulfils it. He is a person of worth and a worthwhile person. He is strong and true.

Of course, he is not real, and men do suffer trying to become him. ‘

On the role of the fairy tale in our culture:

‘Women live in fairy tale as magical figures, as beauty, danger, innocence, malice and greed. On the personae of the fairy tale - the wicked witch, the beautiful princess, the heroic prince - we find what the culture would have us know about who we are.

The point is that we have not formed that ancient world - it has formed us. We ingested it as children whole, had its values and consciousness imprinted on our minds as cultural absolutes long before we were in fact men and women. We have taken the fairy tales of childhood with us into maturity, chewed but still lying in the stomach, as real identity. Between Snow White and her heroic prince, our two great fictions, we never did have much of a chance. At some point, the Great Divide took place: they (the boys) dreamed of mounting the Great Steed and buying Snow White from the dwarfs; we (the girls) aspired to become that object of every necrophiliac's lust - the innocent, victimized, Sleeping-Beauty, beauteous lump of ultimate, sleeping good. Despite ourselves, sometimes unknowingly, sometimes knowing, unwilling, unable to do otherwise, we act out the roles we were taught.’

Feminism Links:

Caitlin Moran on modern issues for feminism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ4DzEJ8ax4

Objectification  - effect on young women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYa4WtULJWs

Feminism and the C – word

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJutaFuVD0

Women objectified in advertising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxi1e-VGC8

Feminism Questions:

What is Feminism?
The belief that all men and women should be equal in all ways, social, sexual etc.

What is the objectification of women?
This is how women are presented in the media as sexual objects, mainly for no reason other that a male audience. This can be clearly seen in many rap videos such as Candy Shop - 50 Cent. Also it can be seen in advertising such as the recent Sheba cat food advert.

How can gender be seen as a social construct?


First Second and Third Wave feminism differences?
The first wave of feminism was in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and women were appealing for political quality, eg the right to vote. They used violent tactics such as invading parliament and hunger striking in prison to fight for womens equality. The second wave of feminism was in the 50s and 60s, and women were concerned with their social status against men, being known as the housewives and on less money than men at work. The women in the second wave of feminism fought for their equality against men in hierarchy above women. The third wave of feminism were concerned with the pressures placed on women in society today to conform to an un-achievable image. This took place in the 80s, 90s and 2000s and to some degree is still happening today.

Characteristics of femininity in fairy tales?
Female characters in fairytales are characterised as passive, beautiful, innocent and victimized, basically damsels in distress. This means that they are automatically set to be saved by the male lead role, who in every fairytale is seen as the hero (such as Cinderella, even though her father didnt protect her from her stepmother), who is portrayed as vulnerable from the beginning of the film. Another example of this is Rapunzel, who is seemingly strong to begin with but really has to rely on a man to make her way through the world. Jasmine from Aladdin also represents this as she is really of no political worth until she is married (relying on the male counterpart).

How can the portrayal of women in fairytales effect the real world?
The portrayal of women in fairytale films, especially Disney, is a slim figured, big breasted and beautiful woman who unfortunately have to lean on their male counterpart to be secure in life. This message and representation is imprinted on us since children as Andrea Dworkin says, and therefore we grow up believing these stereotypes and so strive to be the 'princesses' we have always seen as role models. Women can get breast implants and force themselves to love a man in order to feel complete.

The 'Male Gaze':
The male gaze is the ideology that everything is seen through a males perspective in the media, such as through advertising and in magazines. This can be argued as the reason a lot of women are objectified in the media, as men would like to see big breasts and less clothing on a woman.

What does the male gaze suggest about power of genders in our society?
The male gaze suggests that men still have hierarchy in our society, as men would never be objectified to such extremes as women are today (through mens choice presumably). An example of this is Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke, where women are dancing on set naked to a song about rape. A feminist version was released as a parody, yet has no where near as many views and has been criticized by men for being too out of context. The original version is www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU and the feminist version is www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC1XtnLRLPM

How are 'normative standards of beauty' formed?

Whats the difference between capitalism and normative standards of beauty?

How might these beauty standards affect womens health?

Important links for Postcolonialism continued

M.I.A - Born Free
http://vimeo.com/11219730

Public Enemy - Harder Than You Think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHO5Brsd3E
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/publicenemy/harderthanyouthink.html

White People Stole My Car - Racist Google Correction
http://loyalkng.com/2009/09/30/google-is-racist-white-people-stole-my-car-results-in-black-people-stole-my-car-wtf/

Complying to Angela Barrys Stereotypes:

Troublemaker: 
Chris Brown - I Can Transform Ya
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC1sUf4-Pc
Chris Brown & Rihanna - tattoo article

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/craig-and-marc-kielburger/chris-brown-tattoo-_b_1885499.html

Media Spiral linked to Angela Barry's Stereotypes (Racism link)

• Black people are seen in the media as 'troublemakers', 'entertainers' and 'dependents'.

• Blacks being shown as troublemakers by the media can urge many more black people to become troublemakers to fit their stereotype.

• Media can then cause a hype about the amount of troublemakers there are which causes a moral panic.

• People become scared of the situation and therefor attempt to be like troublemakers too.

• More people are living up to the stereotype of blacks in the media because they are scared of the exaggeration of the situation, therefor the cycle continues as more people panic as the media panics.

Wilkins' Media Amplification Spiral

The media amplification spiral is a theory that suggests that mass media take issues out of context, and therefore cause a long chain of events from the one exaggerated story, for example knife crime.

• A small group of people commit a crime.

• The media’s values pick up on an ‘interesting story’ and a ‘problem group’ is identified. 

• The media produce headlines, stories and photographs to interest readers and viewers. 

• To maintain readers’ interest, the crime is taken out of context through exaggerated reporting.

• People become scared of the people committing the crime, so join the people committing crime. 

• A moral panic develops. Public concern is aroused at the real or imaginary ‘threat’ to society; the media campaign for ‘action’ to be taken against this perceived threat. 

• More social control – politicians, police and magistrates respond to public demand as shown in the media, and law-and-order campaigns are begun to stamp down hard with deviants. 

• More crime happens as people are scared of it, so more people carry knives etc to protect themselves, and the process repeats.

Angela Barry's identification of stereotypes

Angela Barry identifies 3 stereotypes commonly used to represent black people in the media. Firstly, Angela identifies the 'troublemaker' stereotype as one associated to blacks in the media. The people who are given this representation may or may not be a trouble maker, but they are given only this representation, and so the audience do not think anything different of them. This theory can apply to many black people such as Chris Brown, who is nearly always a dominant troublemaker through the media (such as the Rihanna incident) and his drug use etc. Also, the London 2012 riots were seen by most of the nation via the medias representation, which dominantly showed black males as the main rioters.


Additionally, Angela identifies blacks to be stereotyped as the 'entertainer'. This carries connotations that these people are not 'intelligent' or 'sophisticated' enough. People that this may apply to can be music artists like Nicki Minaj or Pharrell Williams, or comedians/tv stars such as Kevin Hart, Lenny Henry and Will Smith, and maybe even sports stars such as Lewis Hamilton and Ashley Cole.

The last stereotype that Barry identifies as representing blacks in the media is 'dependent'. This means that black people are seen in the media as not being sufficient for themselves and always depending on people of white culture. This can include tv advertisements such as WaterAid, where only black people are featured and represented as 'desperate' and 'in need of help' from us. This is a false representation of black people as most are self-sufficient, but representations like this give white cultures the impression that the whole continent of Africa is dependent on our help and input.

Postcolonialism links:

Bengali in Platforms:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qTY6-xKHpM
http://www.metrolyrics.com/bengali-in-platforms-lyrics-morrissey.html
This song was written in 1988 by Morrissey, in a time where immigration in the UK became popular. This song is signifying the artists views on cultures known as 'the other', in this case a Bengali boy happened to be the subject. Bengali in Platforms says "Life is hard enough when you belong here", which is a more polite way of saying 'Foreigners don't belong in the Western Culture' and that they make life harder for westerners. The song is very hypocritical because the artist is slating the Bengali boy for trying to embrace and live with the Western Culture, when in reality that is what people of our society today would hope for in an immigrant.

Skin Whitening documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9T9SNi-u6M
This video is a documentary focusing on skin whitening techniques and importance of colour and self-esteem in Jamaica. The video consists of Jamaican interviewees sharing mixed opinions on the subject, some saying that lighter skin shows worth and power, whilst others saying that it is important to love yourself although whitening techniques are signifiers of power and wealth which give people below the poverty sign a sense of worth and admiration. The warped representation of white hierarchy due to the slave trade is shown in the documentary to have a large impact on the way Jamaican culture deals with their identity.


Racism in the United Kingdom:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_Kingdom
This is a wikipedia page which highlights and talks in depth about the issue of race in the UK. The page talks about how race riots can take place when there is hate between communities that have racial difference, and gives examples such as the Bradford Riots, which took place between whites and Pakistanis, and the Birmingham Riots, which took place between Asians and blacks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUgk3pWrnUY 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU28Pv26nNQ&feature=related - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnS53fNfpkE 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPZydAotVOY&feature=related 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/what_you_told_us.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_test  

Eminem - Not Afraid (Rap Video Analysis)

Video :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s

Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/notafraid.html

Analysis: 

• Uses direct adress to engage his audience via lyrics and video - "Come take my hand" whilst pointing to the camera. Also says "Holla if you feel like youve been down the same road", connecting to his fans/audience, unlike many other rappers who rap about their audiences ambitions/aspirations, eg. Cars, money, glamorous lifestyle.
• Acts as a superhero in part of the video to show connotations of strength, power and being unstoppable in relation to the songs topic. (overcoming drug addiction)
• Violence and aggression are shown just like stereotypical rap videos, although to represent the depth and meaning in the lyrics and the emotion he feels about his words.
• His body language also supports the passion for his lyrics, shows enthusiasm and the fact that he is not creating a persona solely for a video.
• There are no conventional props of a rap video featured in this (chains, cars, money, baggy clothes etc.) No rap signifiers worn during the video.
• The video for 'Not Afraid' is not a staged studio based video as he is using the video as a mode of address to get across the 'real' feeling he wants to portray. This also contradicts rap stereotypes.
• In the lyrics, Eminem refers to his old music as "ehhh", which supports the fact that there are no sexualised women featured in the video (as there was a lot of sexualisation featured in the videos from his old albums).
• The atmosphere in the video is very grungy/non saturated, which depicts the mood of the audience and also pinpoints the songs tone. The video later gets brighter to represent 'seeing light at the end of the tunnel' in terms of his recovery from drugs. 
• Running past mirrors in the video signifies that Eminem is running away from his subconcious/old self. Breaking through them also is a signifier to support the idea that he is breaking away from his old self and becoming a new person.
• Lyrics and video cleverly link by saying "facing my demons" and featuring Eminem running past mirrors which reflect him as a ghost/demon.
• The first 3 lines of the song suggest that 'haters' turned him to drugs and ruined his music/career.

AQA Comms and Culture A2 Link

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/communication-and-culture/a-level/communication-and-culture-2625

Fight the Power - Public Enemy Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnS53fNfpkE
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/publicenemy/fightthepower.html

Public enemy present themselves as typical rappers, in the same dress code as many would be seen in today. The reason for this may be that the video was so influential that from 1989 to present rap artists have modelled themselves on this song and rap band. The typical props that identify stereotypical rap artists are baggy clothing, large chains, snapback hats and chunky trainers, which seems to appear throughout the whole music video. Their body language suggests that they are driven for the cause they are fighting for and passionate about the protest for black rights as featured because they seem very aggressive at certain points in the video in relation to the lyrics, such as "Elvis was a hero to most, But he never meant shit to me you see, Straight up racist that sucker was, Simple and plain" They also seem in touch with the crowd through their body language to give off a friendly tone and assure the crowd that they are not aggressive in their real selves. 
The lyrics "1989 the number another summer (get down), Sound of the funky drummer, Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got soul" suggest that the 1963 rally led by Martin Luther King wasnt enough to protest equality for blacks, so they were stepping up with something modernised (hence "the sound of the funky drummer"), which would appeal to the audience of 1989 and raise more awareness.

Dark Shadows Analysis A2

Dark Shadows Trailer - Vampire Movie

• Typical gothic castle as a setting as well as an eerie and dark beginning to the trailer. This gives the impression that the film will be very dark and traditional. 

• The colour scheme is gothic, reds, blacks and deep purples to support the originality of vampire films, although the film is a comedy twist of a vampire film.

• 70's music supports the era in which the film is set in, in order to modernise the film and break away from the tradition of vampire soundtracks and bring a new appeal. 

• As with all vampire films, it is a tradition to add a 'love scene' to the film, but Dark Shadows adds a comedy take on this tradition by making it exaggerated and not a kill scene as with most other films.

• Traditional sea side town - keeps elements of vampire tradition so the understanding of the film doesn't stray too far from its context.

• Eerie sound of old piano featured to add an element of tradition to the family home and keep in touch with the roots of the context.

• Villian or 'bad guy' in red to stick to tradition and support the connotation of danger attached to both the colour and the character. 

• No daylight scenes featured of the vampire characters which is complying with traditions related to the represenation of vampires. The only scene where the main character is in daylight, he is shown to be wearing a long black coat, an umbrella, gloves and sunglasses, so barely any of his skin is showing.

The twist on traditional vampire films is placed in order to attract a younger audience and keep interest in the vampire genre but changing it up a bit. The younger audience is catered for with humour (such as the TV scene), a modern soundtrack like 'Get it on' by T. Rex, as well as various scenes with more recent and less traditional features, such as the disco ball and bright colours from the 70's.

Untraditional aspects of the film trailer include the missing presence of props used in vampire movies, such as bats, capes, kill scenes and the ability to fly, although this is counteracted by the use of a long trenchcoat from victorian ages, the main character sleeping like a bat and a violent 'love' scene.

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AQA KEY TERMS

http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-2625-W-TRB-OGASKT.PDF

Lily Allen: moderation week task

Lily Allen’s ‘Hard Out Here’ (For a bitch)

Hard Out Here is a single recently released by Lily Allen, a lyrical genius in terms of realism and making a point.

The video deals with the topic of Value, as it takes us on a journey through Lily’s’ pop comeback and she has to alter her appearance to be good enough for today’s media before appearing on the set of the music video, where then she has to learn to ‘twerk’ to be able to fit into the culture she’s spent so long away from. By showing this as part of the video, it gives the viewers an understanding of what today’s society value in their pop-culture. This point is also proven by when her manager states “How can somebody let themselves get like this? It’s terrifying” whilst in an operating room where Lily is having liposuction, showing that modern music is supported by attractive women and amazing slim figures, proving that this is what the people of today value in women and the music industry.

The video and lyrics also deal with the representation of women and how they are objectified. By Lily saying “I don’t need to shake my ass for you cause’ ive got a brain”, she is suggesting that women don’t need to be eye-candy in order to attract people to the music industry and that it is stupid for anyone to think that it is necessary, as most people do nowadays. Also by saying “You should probably lose some weight / because we can’t see your bones”, she projects a sarcastic message that states how many of the expectations for women today are based around being size 0 and having the ‘perfect skinny figure’.

She also raises the issue of power between genders. She says this through the lines “If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut/ When boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss/ There's a glass ceiling to break, uh-huh, there's money to make/ And now it's time to speed it up 'cause I can't move at this pace”. This verse signifies that there is a problem within gender equality and implies that women have less power, the function of the verse to inform us of this. She later goes on to say “Inequality promises that it's here to stay/ always trust the injustice 'cause it's not going away”, highlighting the point further.  Another lyric from the song is “You’ll find me in the studio and not in the kitchen”, which shows that she is not conforming to the myth and male dominant ideology that women are the lesser gender and belong as ‘housewives’. This is a controversial topic and as the lyrics are voiced over a sarcastic video, they can be blocked from their audience as the video may act as a barrier to the preferred reading.

The modelling theory suggests that young people aspire to be culturally similar to other individuals, and through the media celebrities are portrayed to be flawless, so this is how young people wish to be. Lily’s’ message to the young primary audience through this video is that you do not have to be a size 0 or be rich to amount to something in life. The code in which she communicates this message to her audience is in a sarcastic video, purposely to attract more attention to the matter, more debate and more speculation. She outlines the fact that the song is sarcasm to not cause any confusion and misleading interpretations by adding the line “If you can’t detect the sarcasm you’ve misunderstood.”

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0CazRHB0so&feature=kp
Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lilyallen/hardouthere.html

Essential terms:

Polysemy/Polysemic: refers to the capacity of a text or part of a text to be read in 
several different ways. For example, a red rose might communicate love, a fondness 
for horticulture, a political allegiance or Lancashire. 
"The sign is polysemic, having connotations of freshness, nice odour, forgiveness, gardening and nature/habitiat."

Narrative: the way in which a text reveals information to the audience in order to 

create a ‘story’. 

"Teenagers tend to be very different due to technology in their generation, therefor creating a cyber narrative to live up to."

Open and closed texts: Eco talked about two tendencies of texts: the tendency to 

be ‘open’ and allow/invite/encourage a wide range of different interpretations: the 

opposite tendency presents ‘closed’ text which can only be read in a limited number 

of ways, sometimes only one way. 

"This text is very closed as the signs given do not have many preffered readings"

"This is an open text due to there being many connotations being intended"

Noise source: the origin of any barrier to communication. 

"The noise source of this barrier is the misunderstanding of the connotations intended by the sender."

Index: a type of sign (in C.S. Peirce’s categorisation) that has a direct or causal 

relationship with its signified. The sign points (like an index finger) to its signified. 

Smoke is an index of fire. 

"The ring on the womans hand is an index of marriage, showing that she is unavailable and in commitment."

Function: what a text, group of texts, or indeed communication itself, ‘does’ (inform, 

persuade, entertain, socialise etc).

"The function of this text is to inform its audience of the dangers of smoking"

Anchorage: directing receivers towards one particular meaning from a range of 

possible meanings. A caption can anchor the meaning of a photograph. 

Style shifting: this refers to the way in which we may modify our use of the same 

dialect within different situations. For example, we may use more formal language at 

an interview than we would use at home. 

"In the public self, style shifting is common as we form a mask and become more covered up to appear more suited to the context of the situation"

Olfactics: smell, odour. 

"The onion has connotations of vile olfactics"

Mirror self: the tendency for us to see ourselves through a reflection of how others 

see us. 

Paralanguage: consists of the non-verbal elements that accompany speech. It 

includes the way we speak (also known as prosodic features); volume; pitch; 

intonation; speed of delivery; articulation; rhythm; the sounds we make other than 

language; laughter; crying; lip smacking; yawning; sighing; screeching; coughing; 

filled pauses such as ‘Mmmm’, ‘Ahhh’, Errr’, Ummm; unfilled pauses. 

Bodily Adornment: all the ways in which ‘furnish’ and decorate the body (clothing, 

jewellery, make-up, tattooing etc). 

"The bodily adornments of the woman in the text represent wealth and class."

Context: the situation within which communication takes place.