Monday 25 February 2008
Self Evaluation
Self Evaulation
Attainment3 - Could be doing alot more better (hopefully once courswork is out of the way)
Effort3 - Could put alot more time and effort into my work
Punctuality3 - Have to start coming in more
Submission and quality of homework2 - i always try to keep my blog up to date and i check the blog if there is any more work
Ability to work independantly1 - I have no problem in research things bymyself with the use of books and internet
Quality of Media Writing2 - I should use more KeywordsOrganisation of Media Folder2 - i maintain all my sheets and handouts
Oral Contributions in class2 - could contribute more
Contribution to debate team4 - i havent been to any debate meetings unfortunately so i havent contributed to that
Extra curicular work2 - Watch alot of films and documentaries/ read magazinesStandard of Module 5 blog2 - Up to date
Standard of Module 6 blog3 - Could be better3
Achievements
* Managed to gather alot of research for my courswork
* Learnt about theorists that was relevant
* Managed to keep my blog up to date3
Targets
* Improve attendance
* Spend time on homework/ writing
* Revise what is learnt in lessons
Sunday 24 February 2008
Goodness Gracious Me Analysis
'Going for a English'
This sketch is particularly interesting as the cast turn over the roles of the English and Indian society, showing a loud INDIAN family going to a English restaurant for a 'English' opposed to an 'Indian'. Like always, humour is used, and the Indian families behaviour presents themselves as stereotypical English people, as they have characteristics such as being Loud and Drunk. The Cast have cleverly turned the English Society as the 'Other', by making fun of them the ways they are made fun out of. The waiter, who is male, is made into a sexual object rather than the female, as the indian lady teases him with sexual comments. This is used as an example of the Female Gaze.
This sketch is particularly interesting as the cast turn over the roles of the English and Indian society, showing a loud INDIAN family going to a English restaurant for a 'English' opposed to an 'Indian'. Like always, humour is used, and the Indian families behaviour presents themselves as stereotypical English people, as they have characteristics such as being Loud and Drunk. The Cast have cleverly turned the English Society as the 'Other', by making fun of them the ways they are made fun out of. The waiter, who is male, is made into a sexual object rather than the female, as the indian lady teases him with sexual comments. This is used as an example of the Female Gaze.
Self Evaulation
Attainment
3 - Could be doing alot more better (hopefully once courswork is out of the way)
Effort
3 - Could put alot more time and effort into my work
Punctuality
3 - Have to start coming in more
Submission and quality of homework
2 - i always try to keep my blog up to date and i check the blog if there is any more work
Ability to work independantly
1 - I have no problem in research things bymyself with the use of books and internet
Quality of Media Writing
2 - I should use more Keywords
Organisation of Media Folder
2 - i maintain all my sheets and handouts
Oral Contributions in class
2 - could contribute more
Contribution to debate team
4 - i havent been to any debate meetings unfortunately so i havent contributed to that
Extra curicular work
2 - Watch alot of films and documentaries/ read magazines
Standard of Module 5 blog
2 - Up to date
Standard of Module 6 blog
3 - Could be better
3 Achievements
* Managed to gather alot of research for my courswork
* Learnt about theorists that was relevant
* Managed to keep my blog up to date
3 Targets
* Improve attendance
* Spend time on homework/ writing
* Revise what is learnt in lessons
3 - Could be doing alot more better (hopefully once courswork is out of the way)
Effort
3 - Could put alot more time and effort into my work
Punctuality
3 - Have to start coming in more
Submission and quality of homework
2 - i always try to keep my blog up to date and i check the blog if there is any more work
Ability to work independantly
1 - I have no problem in research things bymyself with the use of books and internet
Quality of Media Writing
2 - I should use more Keywords
Organisation of Media Folder
2 - i maintain all my sheets and handouts
Oral Contributions in class
2 - could contribute more
Contribution to debate team
4 - i havent been to any debate meetings unfortunately so i havent contributed to that
Extra curicular work
2 - Watch alot of films and documentaries/ read magazines
Standard of Module 5 blog
2 - Up to date
Standard of Module 6 blog
3 - Could be better
3 Achievements
* Managed to gather alot of research for my courswork
* Learnt about theorists that was relevant
* Managed to keep my blog up to date
3 Targets
* Improve attendance
* Spend time on homework/ writing
* Revise what is learnt in lessons
Thursday 10 January 2008
Paragraph 1 - Introduction
Homosexuality is an Issue that has been around longer than we can remember, however has been a sensitive issue that has only started to be more socially acceptable in recent decades, throughout changing attitudes within our society,and different ways the media has portrayed this issue. With Gay Marrages only becoming Legal within the recent decade, it is not a surprise that their has been a considerable rise in the amount of gay coverage on Tv,such as Will and Grace, a popular american sitcom, and Queer Eye for the straight guy becoming mainstream shows, aswell as Soaps such as Hollyoaks and Eastenders endorsing Gay Storylines. The main text i will be focusing on is 'Sugar Rush', a channel 4's adaptation of Judie Burchill's novel. The text consists of the main Protaganist Kim, as she goes through her journey from being a nervous young teenager with a huge amount of feelings for her best friend Sugar, into being comfortable with who she is around her family and peers and being open about her sexuality. Throughout this essay i will investigate how views on homosexuality has changed in our society and the cause of this change in attitude.
Wednesday 9 January 2008
Essay Plan x
How and why have views on homosexuality changed since previous years in particular reference to 'Sugar Rush'.
First Paragraph: Introduction
*Focus on the concept of Homosexuality, and the fact that it has been around for a long time however has only recently become acceptable.
* State how society has changed, how attitudes have changed.
* Other Shows currently Including homo-sexual storylines are 'The L word' (Living Tv), Hollyoaks (Channel 4), 'The war at Home'(E4 and Will and Grace (Channel 4).
* Talk about 'Sugar Rush', that it is based on a novel written by Judie Burchill,and talk about thebasic plot of the show and the characters.
Paragraph 2: Ideologies and Represention of characters within my chosen text
* Sugarrush contains a variety of characters, talk about each one and what they represent ie, the father 'New Man' , Sugar, the deviant woman(Femme Fatal), and Kim the protaganist (Lesbian).
* Compare it to other Older sitcoms/ shows and compare how roles have changed.
* Goes with Laura Mulvey on Some levelswith the theory of Male gaze.
* Talk about theorists on Gender Represention.
* Backlash - how male and females have become more equalwhich is represented in the text.
Paragraph 3 - Other Texts and their relevance
*Channel 4 - Talk about the Institution, Target audience
* How the channel appeals to its target audience
* Other shows shown on channel 4that have similar issues to 'Sugar Rush' such as Will and Grace,and Skins which has a silmilar target audience.
Paragraph 4- How does this text differ from others
* Although this text does go with the theory of Male Gaze, in contradicts other research that mostly males have leadroles as the main protaganist is female, the majority of the characters are female and the father figure is a representation of a new man.
Paragraph 5 - Sexuality
* Contains sexual scenes, Kimwas at first hiding the fact that she was Lesbian however she goes on the being open about her sexuality,which reflects the zietgist of modern day attitudes are becomeing open about their sexuality.
* The vaious props used within the show, phalic symbols, musc,background, setting, lighting and what they connote.
First Paragraph: Introduction
*Focus on the concept of Homosexuality, and the fact that it has been around for a long time however has only recently become acceptable.
* State how society has changed, how attitudes have changed.
* Other Shows currently Including homo-sexual storylines are 'The L word' (Living Tv), Hollyoaks (Channel 4), 'The war at Home'(E4 and Will and Grace (Channel 4).
* Talk about 'Sugar Rush', that it is based on a novel written by Judie Burchill,and talk about thebasic plot of the show and the characters.
Paragraph 2: Ideologies and Represention of characters within my chosen text
* Sugarrush contains a variety of characters, talk about each one and what they represent ie, the father 'New Man' , Sugar, the deviant woman(Femme Fatal), and Kim the protaganist (Lesbian).
* Compare it to other Older sitcoms/ shows and compare how roles have changed.
* Goes with Laura Mulvey on Some levelswith the theory of Male gaze.
* Talk about theorists on Gender Represention.
* Backlash - how male and females have become more equalwhich is represented in the text.
Paragraph 3 - Other Texts and their relevance
*Channel 4 - Talk about the Institution, Target audience
* How the channel appeals to its target audience
* Other shows shown on channel 4that have similar issues to 'Sugar Rush' such as Will and Grace,and Skins which has a silmilar target audience.
Paragraph 4- How does this text differ from others
* Although this text does go with the theory of Male Gaze, in contradicts other research that mostly males have leadroles as the main protaganist is female, the majority of the characters are female and the father figure is a representation of a new man.
Paragraph 5 - Sexuality
* Contains sexual scenes, Kimwas at first hiding the fact that she was Lesbian however she goes on the being open about her sexuality,which reflects the zietgist of modern day attitudes are becomeing open about their sexuality.
* The vaious props used within the show, phalic symbols, musc,background, setting, lighting and what they connote.
Thursday 6 December 2007
Thursday 29 November 2007
5 ADVERTS
Sheilas Wheels
Thursday 22 November 2007
10 NEW media Keywods and my own deifintion x
Content Analysis -analyising the media text that you are studying, looking at theories, representaion and other Key Concepts.
Male Gaze - The way that women are portrayed and stereotypes, as objects representing sexuality.
Bimbo - Conotations of a female that has blond hair as being promiscuous, stupid, uneducated, helpless.
Digital Manipulation - Certain body parts are altered and manipulated to suggest suxual arousal, a technique used in Sugar Rush
Indocridate - Taking in forms of media and ideas without questioning it... Passive audiences
Pluralistic Model - Sees the society as diverse and full of choices. This related to Sugar Rush as the characters are open about the homosexuality.
Channel 4 - Independant commercial television chennel established in 1982 under the Independant Broadcasting Authority.
Culteral Effects theory - focuses on the different ways in which audiences respond to media content
Male Gaze - The way that women are portrayed and stereotypes, as objects representing sexuality.
Bimbo - Conotations of a female that has blond hair as being promiscuous, stupid, uneducated, helpless.
Digital Manipulation - Certain body parts are altered and manipulated to suggest suxual arousal, a technique used in Sugar Rush
Indocridate - Taking in forms of media and ideas without questioning it... Passive audiences
Pluralistic Model - Sees the society as diverse and full of choices. This related to Sugar Rush as the characters are open about the homosexuality.
Channel 4 - Independant commercial television chennel established in 1982 under the Independant Broadcasting Authority.
Culteral Effects theory - focuses on the different ways in which audiences respond to media content
Monday 19 November 2007
WoRkIn WiTh kArInAa x
The areas of research we will be working on are :
Theorists especially Feminist theories such as Laura Mulvey
The history of Women in the media and how they are represented including important dates
Other films and programmes that interprete women in different ways.
Theorists especially Feminist theories such as Laura Mulvey
The history of Women in the media and how they are represented including important dates
Other films and programmes that interprete women in different ways.
Thursday 15 November 2007
Tuesday 13 November 2007
Lauraa Mulvey Research
As a film theorist
Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen. It later appeared in a collection of her essays entitled Visual and Other Pleasures, and numerous other anthologies. Her article was one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. Prior to Mulvey, film theorists such as Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz had attempted to use psychoanalytic ideas in their theoretical accounts of the cinema, but Mulvey's contribution was to inaugurate the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism.
Mulvey's article engaged in no empirical research of film audiences. She instead stated that she intended to make a "political use" of Freud and Lacan, and then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Radical feminists made a major criticism of "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". They claimed that, while Mulvey believed that classical Hollywood cinema reflected and shaped the "patriarchal order", the perspective of her writing actually remained within that very heterosexual order. The article was thus said to have contradicted its "radical" claims, by actually being a covert perpetuation of heterosexual patriarchal order. This was because, in her article, Mulvey presupposes the spectator to be a heterosexual man. She was thus felt to be denying the existence of lesbian women and even heterosexual women.
"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was the subject of much interdisciplinary discussion among film theorists that continued into the mid 1980s. Critics of the article objected to the fact that her argument implied the impossibility of genuine 'feminine' enjoyment of the classical Hollywood cinema, and to the fact that her argument did not seem to take into account spectatorships that were not organised along the normative lines of gender. For example, a metaphoric 'transvestism' might be possible when viewing a film – a male viewer might enjoy a 'feminine' point-of-view provided by a film, or vice versa; gay, lesbian and bisexual spectatorships might also be different. Her article also did not take into account the findings of the later wave of media audience studies on the complex nature of fan cultures and their interaction with stars. Gay male film theorists such as Richard Dyer have used Mulvey's work as a starting point to explore the complex projections that many gay men fix onto certain female stars (e.g. Liza Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland).
Mulvey later wrote that her article was meant to be a provocation or a manifesto, rather than a reasoned academic article that took all objections into account. She addressed many of her critics, and changed some of her opinions, in a follow-up article, "Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'" (which also appears in the Visual and Other Pleasures collection).
Mulvey's most recent book is titled Death 24x a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image (2006).
Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen. It later appeared in a collection of her essays entitled Visual and Other Pleasures, and numerous other anthologies. Her article was one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. Prior to Mulvey, film theorists such as Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz had attempted to use psychoanalytic ideas in their theoretical accounts of the cinema, but Mulvey's contribution was to inaugurate the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism.
Mulvey's article engaged in no empirical research of film audiences. She instead stated that she intended to make a "political use" of Freud and Lacan, and then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Radical feminists made a major criticism of "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". They claimed that, while Mulvey believed that classical Hollywood cinema reflected and shaped the "patriarchal order", the perspective of her writing actually remained within that very heterosexual order. The article was thus said to have contradicted its "radical" claims, by actually being a covert perpetuation of heterosexual patriarchal order. This was because, in her article, Mulvey presupposes the spectator to be a heterosexual man. She was thus felt to be denying the existence of lesbian women and even heterosexual women.
"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was the subject of much interdisciplinary discussion among film theorists that continued into the mid 1980s. Critics of the article objected to the fact that her argument implied the impossibility of genuine 'feminine' enjoyment of the classical Hollywood cinema, and to the fact that her argument did not seem to take into account spectatorships that were not organised along the normative lines of gender. For example, a metaphoric 'transvestism' might be possible when viewing a film – a male viewer might enjoy a 'feminine' point-of-view provided by a film, or vice versa; gay, lesbian and bisexual spectatorships might also be different. Her article also did not take into account the findings of the later wave of media audience studies on the complex nature of fan cultures and their interaction with stars. Gay male film theorists such as Richard Dyer have used Mulvey's work as a starting point to explore the complex projections that many gay men fix onto certain female stars (e.g. Liza Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland).
Mulvey later wrote that her article was meant to be a provocation or a manifesto, rather than a reasoned academic article that took all objections into account. She addressed many of her critics, and changed some of her opinions, in a follow-up article, "Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'" (which also appears in the Visual and Other Pleasures collection).
Mulvey's most recent book is titled Death 24x a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image (2006).
As a film theorist
Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen. It later appeared in a collection of her essays entitled Visual and Other Pleasures, and numerous other anthologies. Her article was one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. Prior to Mulvey, film theorists such as Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz had attempted to use psychoanalytic ideas in their theoretical accounts of the cinema, but Mulvey's contribution was to inaugurate the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism.
Mulvey's article engaged in no empirical research of film audiences. She instead stated that she intended to make a "political use" of Freud and Lacan, and then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Radical feminists made a major criticism of "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". They claimed that, while Mulvey believed that classical Hollywood cinema reflected and shaped the "patriarchal order", the perspective of her writing actually remained within that very heterosexual order. The article was thus said to have contradicted its "radical" claims, by actually being a covert perpetuation of heterosexual patriarchal order. This was because, in her article, Mulvey presupposes the spectator to be a heterosexual man. She was thus felt to be denying the existence of lesbian women and even heterosexual women.
"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was the subject of much interdisciplinary discussion among film theorists that continued into the mid 1980s. Critics of the article objected to the fact that her argument implied the impossibility of genuine 'feminine' enjoyment of the classical Hollywood cinema, and to the fact that her argument did not seem to take into account spectatorships that were not organised along the normative lines of gender. For example, a metaphoric 'transvestism' might be possible when viewing a film – a male viewer might enjoy a 'feminine' point-of-view provided by a film, or vice versa; gay, lesbian and bisexual spectatorships might also be different. Her article also did not take into account the findings of the later wave of media audience studies on the complex nature of fan cultures and their interaction with stars. Gay male film theorists such as Richard Dyer have used Mulvey's work as a starting point to explore the complex projections that many gay men fix onto certain female stars (e.g. Liza Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland).
Mulvey later wrote that her article was meant to be a provocation or a manifesto, rather than a reasoned academic article that took all objections into account. She addressed many of her critics, and changed some of her opinions, in a follow-up article, "Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'" (which also appears in the Visual and Other Pleasures collection).
Mulvey's most recent book is titled Death 24x a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image (2006).
Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen. It later appeared in a collection of her essays entitled Visual and Other Pleasures, and numerous other anthologies. Her article was one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. Prior to Mulvey, film theorists such as Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz had attempted to use psychoanalytic ideas in their theoretical accounts of the cinema, but Mulvey's contribution was to inaugurate the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism.
Mulvey's article engaged in no empirical research of film audiences. She instead stated that she intended to make a "political use" of Freud and Lacan, and then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Radical feminists made a major criticism of "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". They claimed that, while Mulvey believed that classical Hollywood cinema reflected and shaped the "patriarchal order", the perspective of her writing actually remained within that very heterosexual order. The article was thus said to have contradicted its "radical" claims, by actually being a covert perpetuation of heterosexual patriarchal order. This was because, in her article, Mulvey presupposes the spectator to be a heterosexual man. She was thus felt to be denying the existence of lesbian women and even heterosexual women.
"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was the subject of much interdisciplinary discussion among film theorists that continued into the mid 1980s. Critics of the article objected to the fact that her argument implied the impossibility of genuine 'feminine' enjoyment of the classical Hollywood cinema, and to the fact that her argument did not seem to take into account spectatorships that were not organised along the normative lines of gender. For example, a metaphoric 'transvestism' might be possible when viewing a film – a male viewer might enjoy a 'feminine' point-of-view provided by a film, or vice versa; gay, lesbian and bisexual spectatorships might also be different. Her article also did not take into account the findings of the later wave of media audience studies on the complex nature of fan cultures and their interaction with stars. Gay male film theorists such as Richard Dyer have used Mulvey's work as a starting point to explore the complex projections that many gay men fix onto certain female stars (e.g. Liza Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland).
Mulvey later wrote that her article was meant to be a provocation or a manifesto, rather than a reasoned academic article that took all objections into account. She addressed many of her critics, and changed some of her opinions, in a follow-up article, "Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'" (which also appears in the Visual and Other Pleasures collection).
Mulvey's most recent book is titled Death 24x a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image (2006).
Thursday 8 November 2007
Jellys Summary on Representation Of woman
Summary Of Representations of Gender in The past
Each week a new set of movies is released. Magazines Newspapers, adverts and even songs on the radio challenge our ideas about Gender.
Gunter (1995) and Elasmar (1999) provide useful summaries of representation of woman.
In the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970s only 20 to 35 percent of characters were female. By the mid – 1980’s there were more women in leading roles but there were still twice as more men on screen.
In the Mid 1970’s, Miles (1975) found that there were nearly equal proportions of men and women in situation comedies however humour could still be traditional and sexist.
A study by McNeil (1975) concluded that the women’s movement had been largely idnored by television, with housewives being the main female roles. Women interaction were concerned with romance or family.
He also found in other studies in the 1970’s men were dominant characters and decision makers and men were twice as likely to make decisions or to give orders. Overall men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive) whilst women were more likely to be passive.
American television tells viewers that women don’t matter as much in American society.
Tuchman asserts that those women who were shown to be working were portrayed as incompetents and inferiors as victims or having trivial interests.
Television in the Mid 1980’s is increasingly taking women seriously and there are are number of programmes that feature women in a more central what such as Sugar rush :D . There are documentaries and programmers on topics such as Breastcancer, rape etc.
Gillian Dyer Observed that the number of women in central roles and police and crime series had increased.
Each week a new set of movies is released. Magazines Newspapers, adverts and even songs on the radio challenge our ideas about Gender.
Gunter (1995) and Elasmar (1999) provide useful summaries of representation of woman.
In the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970s only 20 to 35 percent of characters were female. By the mid – 1980’s there were more women in leading roles but there were still twice as more men on screen.
In the Mid 1970’s, Miles (1975) found that there were nearly equal proportions of men and women in situation comedies however humour could still be traditional and sexist.
A study by McNeil (1975) concluded that the women’s movement had been largely idnored by television, with housewives being the main female roles. Women interaction were concerned with romance or family.
He also found in other studies in the 1970’s men were dominant characters and decision makers and men were twice as likely to make decisions or to give orders. Overall men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive) whilst women were more likely to be passive.
American television tells viewers that women don’t matter as much in American society.
Tuchman asserts that those women who were shown to be working were portrayed as incompetents and inferiors as victims or having trivial interests.
Television in the Mid 1980’s is increasingly taking women seriously and there are are number of programmes that feature women in a more central what such as Sugar rush :D . There are documentaries and programmers on topics such as Breastcancer, rape etc.
Gillian Dyer Observed that the number of women in central roles and police and crime series had increased.
Task Ten Book Research
Ten Books i have researched
'The Radio Broadcasting Industry'
Authors - Alan B Albarran
Gregory G Pitts
'The Film and Television Handbook'(2000)
BFI institute edited by Eddie Dyja
'The World of Cinema'
Christopher Kenworthy
'Introduction to media Production'
Gorham Kindem
Robert B. Musburger
Second Edition
'The Film Studies Dictionary'
Steve Blandford
Barry Keith Grant
Jim Hillier
'The Radio Broadcasting Industry'
Authors - Alan B Albarran
Gregory G Pitts
'The Film and Television Handbook'(2000)
BFI institute edited by Eddie Dyja
'The World of Cinema'
Christopher Kenworthy
'Introduction to media Production'
Gorham Kindem
Robert B. Musburger
Second Edition
'The Film Studies Dictionary'
Steve Blandford
Barry Keith Grant
Jim Hillier
Friday 2 November 2007
Thursday 18 October 2007
JeLLy's SeLf EvAlUaTiOn YuP!
Self assessment
Attainment – 2 – I look over the notes in lessons and go over anything I do not understand
Effort – 3 – I do contribute in lessons but could contribute more
Punctuality – 2 – Has improved and I make it to lessons on time
Submission and quality of homework – 2 – On most occasions I keep my blog up to date and complete the tasks as soon as I can
Ability to work independently – 1 – I find it easy to gather information via the internet independently
Quality of writing – 3 – could be better as I could spend more time on it
Organisation of Media folder – 3 – could be better
Oral contribution in class – 2 – I try to contribute whenever I’m awake
Standard of Module 5 Blog – 2 – Good as I have kept my work up to date and Posted information and Videos
Standard of Module 6 Blog – 3 – I still have to put some information up
Three Achievements -
I have managed to gather good knowledge of my independent study Sugar Rush#
I have looked through key words to gain further Knowledge of Media
Uploaded Videos and episodes about Sugar Rush on my blog so that others can see what it is about
Three Improvements
Go to the library for research
Look up Theories and Theorists that go with my production
Make an effort to go and watch the news
Attainment – 2 – I look over the notes in lessons and go over anything I do not understand
Effort – 3 – I do contribute in lessons but could contribute more
Punctuality – 2 – Has improved and I make it to lessons on time
Submission and quality of homework – 2 – On most occasions I keep my blog up to date and complete the tasks as soon as I can
Ability to work independently – 1 – I find it easy to gather information via the internet independently
Quality of writing – 3 – could be better as I could spend more time on it
Organisation of Media folder – 3 – could be better
Oral contribution in class – 2 – I try to contribute whenever I’m awake
Standard of Module 5 Blog – 2 – Good as I have kept my work up to date and Posted information and Videos
Standard of Module 6 Blog – 3 – I still have to put some information up
Three Achievements -
I have managed to gather good knowledge of my independent study Sugar Rush#
I have looked through key words to gain further Knowledge of Media
Uploaded Videos and episodes about Sugar Rush on my blog so that others can see what it is about
Three Improvements
Go to the library for research
Look up Theories and Theorists that go with my production
Make an effort to go and watch the news
Task 7 ... More Important Key words! x
Chick Flick - A film targeted at a female audience, which relates to my productiona s Sugar Rush is mainly targetted at female audience.
Cultivation Theory - audeience researcgh in the effests theory tradiction, Begun by George Gabner
Family Values - Tradictional conservative beliefs associated wit6h mainstream political and religious views of society.
Hyper Reality - AS heightened amd artificial sense of reality created by simulated enviroments such as theme parks and cybercultere.
Multiculterism- The recognition that the increasing culteral diversity of western societies should be acknoledged, supported, encouraged and reflected in all aspects of life, as being both inevitable and also socially and economically desirable.
Motif - a recurrent theme or element that runs through a film and is repeated in a significant way, often expressing a key message.
Sexism - Representations that discriminate on the basis of sex especially against women
Suspence - In a film and television audience , the creation of a feeling og tension and anticipation
Target Audience - the intended audience for a media production
Uses and gratification theory - an active audience, that focuses on what people do with the media, rather than what the media does to people, arguing that audiences are free to pick and choose from a wide range of media products to satisfy their own needs.
Cultivation Theory - audeience researcgh in the effests theory tradiction, Begun by George Gabner
Family Values - Tradictional conservative beliefs associated wit6h mainstream political and religious views of society.
Hyper Reality - AS heightened amd artificial sense of reality created by simulated enviroments such as theme parks and cybercultere.
Multiculterism- The recognition that the increasing culteral diversity of western societies should be acknoledged, supported, encouraged and reflected in all aspects of life, as being both inevitable and also socially and economically desirable.
Motif - a recurrent theme or element that runs through a film and is repeated in a significant way, often expressing a key message.
Sexism - Representations that discriminate on the basis of sex especially against women
Suspence - In a film and television audience , the creation of a feeling og tension and anticipation
Target Audience - the intended audience for a media production
Uses and gratification theory - an active audience, that focuses on what people do with the media, rather than what the media does to people, arguing that audiences are free to pick and choose from a wide range of media products to satisfy their own needs.
Jalna's Task 6 :D
In this scene here comes from a clip showing Sugar and Kim dancing around a pole together in a club.
They are wear glitsy costumes and look as if they are drunk,representing youth culture of raving and sexuality, whilst the pink pole contrasts this as it a girly innocent colour.
The Low Key Lighting also shows sexuality and the dark side.
Clamps -
Costumes - Revealing glitsy costumes which represnts their persona being carefree and confident with thmselves and how they look.
Lighting - Low Key, shadows lowangle which Shows that the audience are look up on them, showing superiarity. The dark lighting represents Sexuality, a darkey dide to themselves whilst the Birght pink pole contrasts to thins as it a girly innocent colour which isnt usually asssociated with sex.
Props- No props apart from the Pole and their costumes, Kim is wearing black, a mysterious elegent coulour opposing to her behaviour and what she is doing whist Sugaris wear gold and red, Sexual colours.
I chose this scene as it relates to one of the theories i am studying which is Laura Mulvey. The theory of Male daze. The characters are subjects of the male daze because of their costumes and the way they are acting however becasue Kim is a lesbian, their is an idea of her not needing men in her life and being more independant.
Sunday 7 October 2007
Task 4 Ten key words
Audience Profile - Characteristics of Members of the audicne that the programme is targetted at eg Gender, class and age.
Cliff Hanger - An end in an episode or series whichfinishes at an unresoled point leaving viewers wanting to watch the next installment. In Sugar Rush, the last episode of series one ended in Sugar in tears on the phone to Kim begging for help.
Devient - Behaviour commited by an individual that doesnt follow the norms or values in our society, For example Sugar is seen as devient as she drinks, raves and even ends up in prison at one point. Also being a lesbian can also appear to be deviant behavious to some.
Fantasy - Constructed reality that could never exist in real life, In sugar Rush , although being homosexual does exist, however many of the scenarios the girls get themselves into do seem to be unrealistic and farfetched.
Multiculterism - The encouragement of western society becoming more diverse in all espects of culture, ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality.
New Man - A modern term used to describe a caring and sensitive man, happy to share household duties and not neccesarily a breadwinner. An example of New Man in Sugar Rush is Kims Father Nathan.
Norms - Invisible rules and values that are expected in the Society we live in, Homosexuality is stil not considered as a Norm in the western society however problems such as L Word, Will and Grace and Sugar Rush show signs of the society's views changing.
Representation - How different genders, classes, places are depicted by the media in either a positive or negative way, some times even by stereotypes.
Post - modernism - a modern theory meaning 'after the modern' showing changing attitudes in modern day society. This relates to ' Sugar Rush' as the show does not follow tradition narratives as it is based on Homosexuality, which has become accepted only recently in our society.
Prejudice - A negative and stereotypical view of a social group, eg Refugees, Homeless people, homosexuals etc.
Cliff Hanger - An end in an episode or series whichfinishes at an unresoled point leaving viewers wanting to watch the next installment. In Sugar Rush, the last episode of series one ended in Sugar in tears on the phone to Kim begging for help.
Devient - Behaviour commited by an individual that doesnt follow the norms or values in our society, For example Sugar is seen as devient as she drinks, raves and even ends up in prison at one point. Also being a lesbian can also appear to be deviant behavious to some.
Fantasy - Constructed reality that could never exist in real life, In sugar Rush , although being homosexual does exist, however many of the scenarios the girls get themselves into do seem to be unrealistic and farfetched.
Multiculterism - The encouragement of western society becoming more diverse in all espects of culture, ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality.
New Man - A modern term used to describe a caring and sensitive man, happy to share household duties and not neccesarily a breadwinner. An example of New Man in Sugar Rush is Kims Father Nathan.
Norms - Invisible rules and values that are expected in the Society we live in, Homosexuality is stil not considered as a Norm in the western society however problems such as L Word, Will and Grace and Sugar Rush show signs of the society's views changing.
Representation - How different genders, classes, places are depicted by the media in either a positive or negative way, some times even by stereotypes.
Post - modernism - a modern theory meaning 'after the modern' showing changing attitudes in modern day society. This relates to ' Sugar Rush' as the show does not follow tradition narratives as it is based on Homosexuality, which has become accepted only recently in our society.
Prejudice - A negative and stereotypical view of a social group, eg Refugees, Homeless people, homosexuals etc.
Monday 1 October 2007
TaSk 2... CoMmEnTs oN OtHeR bLoGs xxxx
Karina
http://lil-mizz-kaz.blogspot.com/
* Talks about Representation
* Includes alot on Institutions
* Talks about audiences
EBI- more Video links and more detail
Pardeep
http://pardeep-uglybetty.blogspot.com/
* Research well into wider context
* Doesnt only include others views but also her own opinions
* Alot of Images which makes the blog look interesting
EBI - Include more video links
Jasmit
http://www.jasmit-meangirls.blogspot.com/
* Relates well to my own independant study as the text also involves alot of female characters/ issues (can make comparisons as to how they are represented)
* Alot of Images to make the blog look interesting
* Nice colours
EBI - Include more detail
Pooja
http://www.superheroesinheroes.blogspot.com/
* shows representation of women
* Alot of research and detailed analysis
* detailed analysis on theories...
EBI - Include more images to break down all the text
Kirandeep
http://www.bb8-kiran.blogspot.com/
* Usefull to me as it is includes as one on my related texts (Desperate housewives)
* Interesting blog to read
* Lots of Links
IBA - More analysis
http://lil-mizz-kaz.blogspot.com/
* Talks about Representation
* Includes alot on Institutions
* Talks about audiences
EBI- more Video links and more detail
Pardeep
http://pardeep-uglybetty.blogspot.com/
* Research well into wider context
* Doesnt only include others views but also her own opinions
* Alot of Images which makes the blog look interesting
EBI - Include more video links
Jasmit
http://www.jasmit-meangirls.blogspot.com/
* Relates well to my own independant study as the text also involves alot of female characters/ issues (can make comparisons as to how they are represented)
* Alot of Images to make the blog look interesting
* Nice colours
EBI - Include more detail
Pooja
http://www.superheroesinheroes.blogspot.com/
* shows representation of women
* Alot of research and detailed analysis
* detailed analysis on theories...
EBI - Include more images to break down all the text
Kirandeep
http://www.bb8-kiran.blogspot.com/
* Usefull to me as it is includes as one on my related texts (Desperate housewives)
* Interesting blog to read
* Lots of Links
IBA - More analysis
Sunday 30 September 2007
Theory's Related ...X...x
Laura Mulvey
She argued that the masculine position was made subject , with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Post Modernism
A theory including many aspects of contempory society, culture, modernism, philosopy. Related to my text as Sugar Rush contains many aspects of Post Modernism such as the sexual and homo-sexual aspects of the show, as well as challenged stereotypes i.e the Father who has no control of his family, and Kims brother who dresses up like a girl in his spare time.
She argued that the masculine position was made subject , with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas').
Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate the "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods. She called for a new feminist avant-garde filmmaking that would rupture the magic and pleasure of classical Hollywood filmmaking. She wrote, "It is said that analysing pleasure or beauty annihilates it. That is the intention of this article".
Post Modernism
A theory including many aspects of contempory society, culture, modernism, philosopy. Related to my text as Sugar Rush contains many aspects of Post Modernism such as the sexual and homo-sexual aspects of the show, as well as challenged stereotypes i.e the Father who has no control of his family, and Kims brother who dresses up like a girl in his spare time.
Thursday 13 September 2007
JeLLy'S sUmMeR rEsEaRcH.....
xX Jalna’s Summer Research on Sugar-Rush Xx
Quotations:
"There could be hundreds of millions of straight men walking around with this gay allele [variety of a gene] but who are straight simply because it didn't penetrate" Chandler Burr, "A Separate Creation" 1
"As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children." Anita Bryant, 1977 2
"There is no scientific data that substantiates a genetic or biologic basis for same-sex attraction. Anybody can change." Richard Cohen, at the year 2000 PFOX convention, 2000-MAY-19. 3
sUmMaRy ...
Link To show views on Homosexuality... conserative/liberal view etc x
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_fixe.htm
Sixteen-year-old Kim is horrified when her dad tells her she's got to leave her posh private school and go to infamous Ravendene Comprehensive, 'the source and inspiration of five thousand urban myths and horror stories'. How will she survive in this wild and hormonal adolescent jungle? But then Kim meets gorgeous Maria (better known as Sugar) Sweet, queen of the 'Ravers', and falls instantly under her spell. Leaving her restrained, good-girl past far behind, Kim finds herself not only drawn into Sugar's exciting and daring life - but also asking herself a disturbing question: has she fallen deeply in love with her best friend?
Title – How have views on homosexuality changed since recent years in particular reference to ‘Sugar Rush’.
Sociological Issues –
It challenges Gender stereotypes as the father is represented as someone who is not in control of his family, and lets his wife walk all over him, rather than being the breadwinner he is supposed to be.
Gender Roles within the family
New man
Disfunctional family
Historical Issues
Past events can show how views on home-sexuality has changed over the recent years. Research shows that Homosexuality has become more acceptable, as Gay marrages have become legal. This influences how media portray homosexual behaviour, as it is shown more frequently in tv in programs such as big brother and the L Word.
Laws as to when laws wear changed for gay rights.
Theorists/Theories
Laura Mulvey
Carol Clover – Final Girl
Post Modernism – this is about a mixture of other different theorists ideas challenging one another, Sugar Rush is related to post modernism, as even though Homosexuality has been around for centuries, the idea has only become more accepted recently in society.
Who is being represented-?
Many of the characters are represented for different things, and within most of the series, most of the narratives are based around females, such as Kim, Sugar and Beth.
Kim the main protagonist. In the first series she is represented as an insecure individual, who is insecure about her homosexuality, and even tries sleeping with a boy to hide her feelings for her best friend Sugar, however this changes in series 2 as she is open about her sexuality and is in a relationship with Beth and has come clean to her family. I believe that this allows the audience to familiarize themselves with Kim as they go through her journey into become a stronger person, which also allows ‘Kim’ to become idolised.
On the other hand, Sugar is represented as a strong minded confident individual from the very beginning, however her little adventures result to her ending up in prison.
The subject of Homosexuality is represented through the character very subtle at first, however in the second series very bluntly which I believe could represent society, for example how societies attitudes have become more accepting with Gay marriages become legal and the rise in Gay clubs across the UK as apposed to before, and also rather than being frowned upon like before, is now a more ‘normal’ think, as demonstrated by gay individuals in Big Brother and other serious such as ‘L word’.
Is the representation fair and accurate?
With scenes of both Homo and hetro sexual behaviour, the show represents the idea that we are living in a fairly open and accepting society, however in reality homosexuals are still judged, not is a large extent like before.
Media Languages and Forms
Denotations/ Connotations
Leather Whips – Sexuality, Power
Lips/Eyes – Feminism, Seduction, sexuality.
The title ‘Sugar Rush’. The literal meaning is getting a high from a sugary substance, however this connotes various things. One interpretation is Kims feelings for ‘Sugar’, how she gets a pleasant feeling or an high whenever she is around her.
The importance of these is to demonstrate to audiences the main theme of Sugar Rush, Power, independence, sexuality.
Non verbal structures of meaning: During the day the main characters are dressed normally, which could represent their class (lower middle-class), which also creates a sense of normality, however on nights –outs, main characters such as Kim, Beth and Sugar dress more provocatively, which could represent them being set free, as this is the time when most of their sexual behaviour is displayed and they feel more at ease.
Props such as the Sex Shop where Beth works also relates to the theme of Exploring Sexuality.
Iconography
Mis en scene – The whole show is set it Brighton. Brighton is known for its gay scene, so it relates to why Sugar Rush is set there, however this is not representative of all on England, which indicates homosexuality is still not mainstream and is still quite a sensitive subject.
Narrative
Here are some of the narratives included:
Conflict within the main protagonist and the environment, people such as her father are still finding it hard to come to terms with Kim’s new identity as a Lesbian female.
Linear Narrative
As many of the storylines are based around Kim and Sugar, the target audience is female. Also because Kim and Sugar are young teenage characters, the target audience is also most likely to be teenagers, but around 15 + due to the sexual content and the time it is shown, after watershed. The audience category is c2/c1, working to middleclass, as it set in Brighton, a working class ideology so is targeted and the working and middleclass audience.
I believe that different characters are assigned with pacific roles.
Sugar, even though she is one of the main characters, she is presented as the adventurous one, and represents promiscuity and sexuality, however her antics get her into trouble most of the time and she is portrayed as an irresponsible individual.
Beth on the other hand is the opposite of Sugar, she is Kim’s new girlfriend and even though she is confident like Sugar, she is responsible and caring, and is in control with her actions as she works and has her own band.
The Use of these two contrasting characters are used maybe as an Binary Opposition, and a variety of different personas to make the show that bit more dramatic.
The major Themes of Sugar Rush are:
Homosexuality
Lesbianism
Love
Family
Feminism
Patriarchy
Genre
The Text I am studying belongs to a series and the genre is Drama, however I do believe it contains mixtures of other Genre’s such as comedy as it can contain humour at times.
The conventions Sugar Rush has are that it contains a lot of drama, and a mixture of different feelings. The show is face paced, has Non – Die-getic Rock music in the background which relates to the shows face paced events.
The lighting in some scenes for example when at the club, is Low Key, creating a sense of enigma for the audience, close up to facial features such as the eyes and lips add to the sexual side of things.
The show, also has commentary sound, where Kim is speaking almost like she is speaking to her diary, which allows audience to relate to her and know what is going on inside her head.
Media Institutions
The show is Shown on Channel 4, along with other Drama series related, such as Skins, (Themes included are sex, homosexuality, growing up) and Desperate housewives (Themes include sex, gender roles, feminism).
However the Story line isn’t produced by Channel 4, it is based on a novel by Julie Burchill.
Sugar Rush does fit in with Channel 4’s criteria of programmes, as it is a contemporary text and deals with modern day issues.
The Text has been distributed On Television, and is promoted Via Advertisements in the TV times, adverts on Tele and radio.
Quotations:
"There could be hundreds of millions of straight men walking around with this gay allele [variety of a gene] but who are straight simply because it didn't penetrate" Chandler Burr, "A Separate Creation" 1
"As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children." Anita Bryant, 1977 2
"There is no scientific data that substantiates a genetic or biologic basis for same-sex attraction. Anybody can change." Richard Cohen, at the year 2000 PFOX convention, 2000-MAY-19. 3
sUmMaRy ...
Link To show views on Homosexuality... conserative/liberal view etc x
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_fixe.htm
Sixteen-year-old Kim is horrified when her dad tells her she's got to leave her posh private school and go to infamous Ravendene Comprehensive, 'the source and inspiration of five thousand urban myths and horror stories'. How will she survive in this wild and hormonal adolescent jungle? But then Kim meets gorgeous Maria (better known as Sugar) Sweet, queen of the 'Ravers', and falls instantly under her spell. Leaving her restrained, good-girl past far behind, Kim finds herself not only drawn into Sugar's exciting and daring life - but also asking herself a disturbing question: has she fallen deeply in love with her best friend?
Title – How have views on homosexuality changed since recent years in particular reference to ‘Sugar Rush’.
Sociological Issues –
It challenges Gender stereotypes as the father is represented as someone who is not in control of his family, and lets his wife walk all over him, rather than being the breadwinner he is supposed to be.
Gender Roles within the family
New man
Disfunctional family
Historical Issues
Past events can show how views on home-sexuality has changed over the recent years. Research shows that Homosexuality has become more acceptable, as Gay marrages have become legal. This influences how media portray homosexual behaviour, as it is shown more frequently in tv in programs such as big brother and the L Word.
Laws as to when laws wear changed for gay rights.
Theorists/Theories
Laura Mulvey
Carol Clover – Final Girl
Post Modernism – this is about a mixture of other different theorists ideas challenging one another, Sugar Rush is related to post modernism, as even though Homosexuality has been around for centuries, the idea has only become more accepted recently in society.
Who is being represented-?
Many of the characters are represented for different things, and within most of the series, most of the narratives are based around females, such as Kim, Sugar and Beth.
Kim the main protagonist. In the first series she is represented as an insecure individual, who is insecure about her homosexuality, and even tries sleeping with a boy to hide her feelings for her best friend Sugar, however this changes in series 2 as she is open about her sexuality and is in a relationship with Beth and has come clean to her family. I believe that this allows the audience to familiarize themselves with Kim as they go through her journey into become a stronger person, which also allows ‘Kim’ to become idolised.
On the other hand, Sugar is represented as a strong minded confident individual from the very beginning, however her little adventures result to her ending up in prison.
The subject of Homosexuality is represented through the character very subtle at first, however in the second series very bluntly which I believe could represent society, for example how societies attitudes have become more accepting with Gay marriages become legal and the rise in Gay clubs across the UK as apposed to before, and also rather than being frowned upon like before, is now a more ‘normal’ think, as demonstrated by gay individuals in Big Brother and other serious such as ‘L word’.
Is the representation fair and accurate?
With scenes of both Homo and hetro sexual behaviour, the show represents the idea that we are living in a fairly open and accepting society, however in reality homosexuals are still judged, not is a large extent like before.
Media Languages and Forms
Denotations/ Connotations
Leather Whips – Sexuality, Power
Lips/Eyes – Feminism, Seduction, sexuality.
The title ‘Sugar Rush’. The literal meaning is getting a high from a sugary substance, however this connotes various things. One interpretation is Kims feelings for ‘Sugar’, how she gets a pleasant feeling or an high whenever she is around her.
The importance of these is to demonstrate to audiences the main theme of Sugar Rush, Power, independence, sexuality.
Non verbal structures of meaning: During the day the main characters are dressed normally, which could represent their class (lower middle-class), which also creates a sense of normality, however on nights –outs, main characters such as Kim, Beth and Sugar dress more provocatively, which could represent them being set free, as this is the time when most of their sexual behaviour is displayed and they feel more at ease.
Props such as the Sex Shop where Beth works also relates to the theme of Exploring Sexuality.
Iconography
Mis en scene – The whole show is set it Brighton. Brighton is known for its gay scene, so it relates to why Sugar Rush is set there, however this is not representative of all on England, which indicates homosexuality is still not mainstream and is still quite a sensitive subject.
Narrative
Here are some of the narratives included:
Conflict within the main protagonist and the environment, people such as her father are still finding it hard to come to terms with Kim’s new identity as a Lesbian female.
Linear Narrative
As many of the storylines are based around Kim and Sugar, the target audience is female. Also because Kim and Sugar are young teenage characters, the target audience is also most likely to be teenagers, but around 15 + due to the sexual content and the time it is shown, after watershed. The audience category is c2/c1, working to middleclass, as it set in Brighton, a working class ideology so is targeted and the working and middleclass audience.
I believe that different characters are assigned with pacific roles.
Sugar, even though she is one of the main characters, she is presented as the adventurous one, and represents promiscuity and sexuality, however her antics get her into trouble most of the time and she is portrayed as an irresponsible individual.
Beth on the other hand is the opposite of Sugar, she is Kim’s new girlfriend and even though she is confident like Sugar, she is responsible and caring, and is in control with her actions as she works and has her own band.
The Use of these two contrasting characters are used maybe as an Binary Opposition, and a variety of different personas to make the show that bit more dramatic.
The major Themes of Sugar Rush are:
Homosexuality
Lesbianism
Love
Family
Feminism
Patriarchy
Genre
The Text I am studying belongs to a series and the genre is Drama, however I do believe it contains mixtures of other Genre’s such as comedy as it can contain humour at times.
The conventions Sugar Rush has are that it contains a lot of drama, and a mixture of different feelings. The show is face paced, has Non – Die-getic Rock music in the background which relates to the shows face paced events.
The lighting in some scenes for example when at the club, is Low Key, creating a sense of enigma for the audience, close up to facial features such as the eyes and lips add to the sexual side of things.
The show, also has commentary sound, where Kim is speaking almost like she is speaking to her diary, which allows audience to relate to her and know what is going on inside her head.
Media Institutions
The show is Shown on Channel 4, along with other Drama series related, such as Skins, (Themes included are sex, homosexuality, growing up) and Desperate housewives (Themes include sex, gender roles, feminism).
However the Story line isn’t produced by Channel 4, it is based on a novel by Julie Burchill.
Sugar Rush does fit in with Channel 4’s criteria of programmes, as it is a contemporary text and deals with modern day issues.
The Text has been distributed On Television, and is promoted Via Advertisements in the TV times, adverts on Tele and radio.
Sunday 15 July 2007
Info on My study :D
Some Info On Sugar Rush... Institution... etc Xx
Sugar Rush is a British television drama series developed by Shine Limited and broadcast by Channel 4, based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name. It is centred around the life of a 15 year old lesbian Kim Daniels who at the beginning of series one moves from London to Brighton on the south coast of England.
The first series was broadcast in 2005 on Channel 4, at 10:50 p.m, but would sometimes air later due to Big Brother 6 UK over-running, with the next episode on E4 afterwards, sometimes overlapping the Channel 4 broadcast. The programme was shown significantly after the watershed.
The first episode of the second series was broadcast on Channel 4 on 15 June 2006, and the last episode was aired on August 17, 2006 on Channel 4, and on August 10, 2006 on digital channel E4.
Both series one and two of Sugar Rush have been released on DVD box-sets. The first series' box-set was released on August 15, 2005. The second series box-set, and a separate series one and two box-set were released on 21 August 2006. An audio CD compilation of the first series' music has also been compiled, but as of September 2006 a similar audio CD to compliment series two has yet to materialise. It should be noted that some of the commercial music used in the TV series has been changed to stock background music for the DVD release.
Series one currently airs on OUTtv in Canada. Re-runs of series two have recently aired on the Channel 4 broadcast.
Lowdown On the characters ... x
Kim - Protaganist, at the start of series 2 Kim is fifteen and sexually obsessed with her best friend Sugar while she desperately tries throughout the series to understand her feelings, questioning whether she is a lesbo, and is prepared to live a life of sex, drugs and costant raving with Sugar (Maria).
Sugar - Actual name Maria, an bad influence on Kim as she is into sex, drugs and rock and roll, she is sexy and knows what she wants, and teaches Kim the 'wicked' ways, however
Sugar Rush is a British television drama series developed by Shine Limited and broadcast by Channel 4, based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name. It is centred around the life of a 15 year old lesbian Kim Daniels who at the beginning of series one moves from London to Brighton on the south coast of England.
The first series was broadcast in 2005 on Channel 4, at 10:50 p.m, but would sometimes air later due to Big Brother 6 UK over-running, with the next episode on E4 afterwards, sometimes overlapping the Channel 4 broadcast. The programme was shown significantly after the watershed.
The first episode of the second series was broadcast on Channel 4 on 15 June 2006, and the last episode was aired on August 17, 2006 on Channel 4, and on August 10, 2006 on digital channel E4.
Both series one and two of Sugar Rush have been released on DVD box-sets. The first series' box-set was released on August 15, 2005. The second series box-set, and a separate series one and two box-set were released on 21 August 2006. An audio CD compilation of the first series' music has also been compiled, but as of September 2006 a similar audio CD to compliment series two has yet to materialise. It should be noted that some of the commercial music used in the TV series has been changed to stock background music for the DVD release.
Series one currently airs on OUTtv in Canada. Re-runs of series two have recently aired on the Channel 4 broadcast.
Lowdown On the characters ... x
Kim - Protaganist, at the start of series 2 Kim is fifteen and sexually obsessed with her best friend Sugar while she desperately tries throughout the series to understand her feelings, questioning whether she is a lesbo, and is prepared to live a life of sex, drugs and costant raving with Sugar (Maria).
Sugar - Actual name Maria, an bad influence on Kim as she is into sex, drugs and rock and roll, she is sexy and knows what she wants, and teaches Kim the 'wicked' ways, however
Tuesday 10 July 2007
x Delicious Tags x
Homosexuality Ideologies
http://del.icio.us/search/?fr=del_icio_us&p=homosexuality&type=all
Representation of women in other texts
http://www.anitapuni.blogspot.com/
Xx CHANNEL 4'S REVIEW xX
Sugar Rush is the riotous exploration of what it means to be young, horny and queer in 21st-century Britain. It's 18 months on since we first met Kim, and she's now 17, out, proud and living life to the full on the Brighton lesbian scene... in her dreams.
Sugar Rush explores the world of Kim and her earth-shattering lust for the gorgeous and sassy Maria Sweet, otherwise known as Sugar.And if Sugar wasn't enough to blow Kim's mind, there's also her dysfunctional, embarrassing family - a mini-freak for a brother, an obsessively house-proud dad and a mum who's behaving as if she's the one who's 15 years old.Each episode is a different journey inside Kim's world as her wry observations take us into the mind of a screwed up, loved up, lustful adolescent experiencing the bright lights of Brighton and the rush of forbidden love for the first time. Sugar Rush, the riotous exploration of what it means to be young, horny and queer in 21st-century Britain, returns for a second series. It's 18 months later and Kim is 17, out, proud and living life to the full on the Brighton lesbian scene... in her dreams. In truth, she's holed up in her bedroom with only her A Level revision and an electric toothbrush for company. Her best friend Sugar isn't getting any action either, but she's got a good excuse: she's serving time in a Young Offenders Institute.
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