Representation – media's version of Gender Identity

the truth, giving meaning, how the
media represents something
Stuart Hall - Hall emphasises the
importance of visual representation –
the image seems to be the prevalent
sign of late modern culture.
Representation – to present/to depict.
The word suggests something was
there already and has been
represented by the media.
Representation as that which stands in
for something else. Representation is
the way in which meaning is given to
the things which are depicted that
stand in for something.
Key Words
Visual Code – anything you can see
Soft Sell Technique – sell a lifestyle
rather than a product – e.g Dior Advert
or Coke or John Lewis
Hard Sell Technique – loads of
information/ in your face
Demonstrative Action –
demonstration of a product, like
dishwasher, fairy liquid etc.
Intertexuality – refers to another
product or relies on an audience
knowing the other existing product
USP – unique selling point – product
that is different from the competitors
Tide Demographic or Psychographic
Demographic – Female. 18+, Housewives, BC1,C2D
Mention colour codes and connotations in all essays
Key Terms
Narrative – the meaning behind a text. What the
producer wants us to take away.
Dichotomy – a division or contrast between two
things that are or are represented as being opposed
or entirely different
Affects people who watch more media and
violence believe the world is more
dangerous than it is actually is. (can lead to
more purchases of safety stuff)
This can also lead to Moral Panic
Dior Advert demonstrating a soft sell technique
ASA – Advertising
Standards Authority
Ideology – prevailing ideas behind a text
Patriarchy – 'pat' meaning father, male dominated society
Hegemony – the way power is maintained through the control of media
Good vs Evil, Man vs Woman. Women always appear on the 'evil' side due to in the
biblical story of Adam & Eve, she picked the apple from the Garden of Eden when God
told her not to and therefore cast everyone out of heaven.
Cultivation Theory – George Gerbner
The idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of
Structuralism & Levis Strauss
time can shape and infuence the way in which people perceive the world around
CLS studied myths and legends from
them (i.e. cultivating particular views and opinions).
around the world. He found that we
The idea that cultivation reinforces mainstream values (dominant ideologies).
only make sense of the world,
people & events by seeing and
Exposure to Advertising using binary opposites.
● Shops, Cinema, TV Narratives involving confict of being
When a person or group threatens our idea
of what is right
● Social Media, Internet, Busses binary opposites
● Newspapers, Billboards You wouldn't understand what good
Media Packs – tells advertisers who their is without understanding the
“Keep everyone afraid and they'll consume”
audience is and how many people will read opposite (evil) frst and vice versa.
the text. Audiences are sold to advertisers!
Dominant Reading Negotiated Oppositional
audience decodes the Reading Reading
message and agrees Take some elements Reject the meaning Reception
with what's said (this and reject others, for ideological, Theory
is the preferred neither agree nor political or cultural

Two Step Flow Theory (below)

Uses & Gratifications (above)
Social NRS Grading, White Americans They ensure adverts are reading) disagree reasons
Psychographic - Heterosexual, idealises nuclear family, truthful, fair gender
mainstreamer, aspirer neutral stereotypes and
In Comparison to Modern Adverts: More modern focus politically correct.
of family, Focus on children and all generations of family

Charity Adverts Codes and Conventions Need to be familiar

Codes and Conventions
Visual Codes (close ups, establishing shots with context of the
of Film Posters
●

of dry earth and emotive images – kids set products:

● Main Characters and
crying) Tide (1950s)
iconography that tell us
Graphics (intetext, phone number and Kiss of the Vampire
which genre of flm it is –
●

logo) (1963)
shows the narrative too
Narrative (before and after, personal story) WaterAid (2016
Title – normally towards
●
●

● Lexis (2nd person pronouns, statistics and a the bottom

presumptive close – thank you)
● Technical Codes (black and white, non
diegetic sounds, voiceover – normally male
and authoritative, diegetic sounds of kids
crying)
● Starring and Cast Credits
● Production Company
● Date of Release
● Slogan, typography
Laura Mulvey – Theory of the Male Gaze Men who were
producing the media represented women how they wanted them
to look at them. The audience view women from the heterosexual
viewpoint of a male. E.g the camera would linger on the curves of
the female body - male gaze only objectifed women further.