LESSON 49: RE-PRESENTATION

Objectives: 

understand the concept of representation

application of concept to elected images

application of concept to range of images

We have focused on the concept that representation is the idea that media products in their content and construction contain ideas about the culture that created them. If we analyse the product in terms of the intention [what it is; who it is aimed at; it's purpose] we will uncover understanding of the prevailing zeitgeist.

Look at this advert for Harvey Nicholls sale

what does it tell us about the company [?], the audience [?] the zeitgeist of the culture [?]

Apply the questions below to help reveal the issues

Key Questions about Specific Representations

•          What is being represented? 

•          How is it represented? 

•          How is the representation made to seem ‘true’, ‘commonsense’ or ‘natural’? 

•          Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect? How do you know? 

•          At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know? 

•          What does the representation mean to you? 

•          What does the representation mean to others? 

•          How do people make sense of it? 

•          With what alternative representations could it be compared?

We noted that the campaign - though a comment on the sales and people's behaviour at them - whilst suggesting the desireability of the sale also conveyed ideas around the acceptability of violence to get what you want and even linked to attitudes towards domestic abuse.

Some of you found this work tough, possibly the hardest task we'd undertaken - but you all managed to say something around the issue.

We finished by taking a look at the I AM WHAT I AM Reebok campaign from 2005, specifically the advert featuring 50 cent.
We explored ideas around WHY he was chosen, HOW the mise-en-scene of the advert and the campaign slogan all linked to construct a reading of the advert that objected to the product because the advert suggested his lack of remorse and appeared to glamourise the violence of his youth.
we explored how this might be constructed - the soundtrack; the location; his demeanour; the camera angle; his laughter and the slogan - i am what i am.
In banning the advert the ASA said it 'endorsed his type of lifestyle and disregarded the unsavoury aspects of it'. Reebok said that the campaign was 'a positive and empowering celebration of freedom of self-expression, individuality and authenticity'
At the time, a mother of a young black boy killed in such a drive-by incident in London expressed her objections at an adert that she felt glorified a gang lifestyle.

Great insights today - though we struggled with a few of the concepts! Overall we seemed to get to the main ideas quite well but struggled when applying the more sophitsicated ideas to the Reebok advert. These are the ideas that grant access to the B and a grades so several of you [ Manny; Jeeves; Rachel; Steven; Dorian; Ravi; Jacob] really do need to step up in terms of the thinking around the idea of intended representation and divergent readings.