shrek 2

Mind your language: part 1

2007-06-16T23:48:00.001+01:00

Russell Peters

2007-06-16T23:35:00.001+01:00

Russell Peters Indian Accent

2007-06-16T23:29:00.001+01:00

Russell Peters - Indians

2007-06-16T23:23:00.001+01:00

incomplete Essay on representation January 03b:

2007-06-16T20:26:00.001+01:00

In the past, women have been represented as inadequately when compared with the portrayal of men. This is evident as women were once symbolic annihilated (Tuchman, 1975) meaning that women were invisible in the media. However, due to the increase in feminism; women have been able to challenge patriarchy and as a result have much more status now in society and the media then before. This is apparent in many different types of media; but then again it can be argued that although there has been an improvement it would not be fair to say women are represented equally to men.

Women are still being represented in stereotypical roles for example in the British soap Hollyoaks, Carmel is represented as the blonde bimbo. This is made clear to the audience as she is represented as attractive and popular but lacks common sense and academic intelligence. Possible reasons why she is represented in this way is because it makes it easier for the producers of the show to use as a short hand for the audience as it helps audience identify with the stereotype characters and can also give the producers the opportunities to challenge these stereotypes.

On the other hand, Monica subverts stereotypes of a typical woman as she is assertive and dominant over chandler. However, she conforms to the typical “housewife” role by her excessively cleaning; but then again this exaggeration of her cleaning obsession can be constructed to create humour for the audience. This demonstrates how sitcoms have progressed since the 1970s as Miles research states how sitcoms of the era showed equal number of men and women in them but the women representations were sexist.

Moreover, women in films are still placed in generic roles. These generic roles include the final girl in slasher films, the damsel in distress in action films and the femme fatale in film noir. A key example is Jane Greer in “Out Of the Past” (1947). The final girl in slasher films is represented with male qualities this typically includes short hair, masculine costume and not having a masculine name. An example is Laurie in “Halloween” (1978, John Carpenter). Moreover, an example of a damsel in distress in action films is the bond girl that is rescued by Bond. However, there has been a progression of this role throughout the years due to feminism as the Bond girls have develop by becoming strong characters with the resourcefulness and skills.

Plan (June 03a)

2007-06-16T20:20:00.001+01:00

Do stereotypes change over time? Answer with reference to specific examples.

Yes:
♥ Asians were considered hardworking but are now seen as terrorists due to September 11 attacks, London bombings- reinforces Nandy’s theory on “the other”.
♥ the role of the whore has changed as women are now allowed to have sex and is seen as more acceptable in society. However, if the women chooses to be promiscuous then she is still labelled as a “whore” this is evident in Christiana’s “can’t hold us down” song where she talks and about the disgust of the attitudes people have towards men and women and that how society still favour men.

♥ Damsel in distress has changed because bond girls over time have become more resourceful and skill full.
♥ Housewife has adapted to a certain extent women now tend to take on qualities of this role. For example Monica from FRIENDS enjoys cleaning making her conform to this role. However, her assertiveness and dominances over chandler makes her challenge this stereotype as a housewife in the pass is typically passive. Additionally, her taking on this role can be done to create humour as stereotypes create humour.

No:
♥ Women being represented as “blonde bimbos” still applies in contemporary soaps like “Hollyoaks” Carmel plays the bimbo
♥ Ladette played by Jacqui in “Hollyoaks” conforms to this role

Plan: January 03b Representation

2007-06-13T12:43:00.000+01:00

How does media represent a social group (women) that you have studied? Illustrate you answer with examples.

Television:
Theorist:
♥ Gunter (1995) 1950-1970s showed 25-30% of women on TV

Point:
Women are stereotyped

Evidence:
Hollyoaks:
♥ Carmel-“bimbo”

♥ Jacqui “Ladette”

♥ Michaela “troublemaker”

Explanation (reason why):
♥ Stereotypes are a short hand as producers of the show do not have enough time to go into too much detail for each character.
♥ Helps audience identify with the character

Point:
♥ Women are not stereotyped

Evidence, explanation and theorist:

FRIENDS: Monica subverts stereotypes of a typical woman as she is assertive and dominant over chandler. However, in a way she is stereotyped is by her confirming to the typical “housewife” role by her excessively cleaning; but then again this exgeration of her cleaning obessession can be constructed to create humour for the audience. This demonstrates how sitcoms have progressed since the 1970s as Miles reseach states how sitcoms of the era showed equal number of men and women in them but the women representations were sexist.

Film
Humm (1997):
Fatal attraction (1987)
Women are “bad hysterical careerists”

Point:
♥ women take on generic roles

Evidence:
♥ Femme fatale- film noir

Jane Greer a film actress best known for her role as femme fatale Kathie Moffat in Out of the Past (1947).

♥ Daphne in the animated series Scooby Doo plays the role of the Damsel in distress as she is the one female in the group who is most likely to get kidnapped, tied up, and left helpless this role is really typical in action movies to.

♥ Madonna vs. whore/vamp- Bollywood films (binary opposition)
Mere Jeevan Saathi (2006):
Anjali takes on the role of the Madonna represented as pure and innocent
Natasha takes plays the role of the vamp by taking on the role of the whore this is illustrated as she sleeps with Anjali’s boyfriend and in the end is punished by her commit suicide

♥ Final girl in slasher films
Typical had masculine qualities this is noticeable to the audience through their costume, short hair or them not having boyfriend.

Explanation (reason why)
♥ Audiences have expectations that needs to be fulfilled
♥ Audience find it easier to identify with these characters
♥ Audiences don’t like change

Adverts
Theorist:
Laura Mulvey (1975, Visual pleasures and narrative cinema)
Point:
Women are castrated
Evidence and Explanation (reason why):
Women are presented with phallic object or fetishised – substitute for a man and to take away the male spectators anxiety

Music
Point:
Women are shown to be powerful, independent and autonomous but are still objects of the “male gaze”.
Evidence:
Pussycat dolls
Christina Aguilera
Spice girls

Explanation (reason why)
It could be argued they are not objectifying themselves but doing this to make themselves look good and feel proud of themselves as they have the power to tease a man.

Magazines
Point: women are allowed to get the same pleasure as men from sex
Evidence

Cosmopolitan promote girl power and how women these days are allowed to gain the same pleasure as men.
Explanation (reason why)
Feminist theory

Plan:June 02b

2007-06-13T00:51:00.000+01:00

Can we determine genre from mise en scene alone?

Agree:

Clamps=costume, lighting, angles, make up, props, setting

C:
Mask for the killer
Masculine clothing for the final girl

L:
Low key lightening
Under lightening
Back lightening

A:
Point of view shots
Enigmatic shots

M:
Blood

P:
Phallic objects: Hook, Gun, Knife, Chainsaw
Corpses/dead bodies

S:
Isolated location
Bad weather
Parallel sound/music
Low budget- grainy effect

Disagree:

Conventional iconography is needed for the audience to identify this includes generic characters such as failed authority figures

Narrative should have no closure and should end with an open narrative

Ideologies of the text help the audience know what the genre is e.g scream explicitly states the rules of the genre
Sex= death
Other ideologies the films don’t mention but are ideologies to help the audience establish the features of slasher genre are:
White flite/flight
Patriarchy making the phallic symbol present in every film which therefore supports the conservative values. However, the impact of feminism is shown through them slowing establishing a final girl (Carol Clover, Men, Women and Chainsaws 1992)

Directors can be known for certain genre films for example Alfred Hitchcock is known for his thriller films and take the title “master of suspense”.

Auteur theory e.g. trantino has his only style and uses post modernism making it more innovative

Scary movie- post modern text uses similar mise en scenes to previous slasher films but instead mocks them.

Dark castle is an institution that helps with horror remakes from 1950/60s

Conventional iconography is used in other mediums e.g. music industry where Eminem wears the Jason’s hockey mask and carries leatherface’s chainsaw.

Genre does not fit into neat categories

Horror/slasher changes

Asian’s essay

2007-05-27T19:32:00.000+01:00

Choose one group whom you believe is inadequately represented in the media. Discuss some examples of how this group is represented and why the group is represented in this way?

In the past, the biggest problem Asians have been faced with is being invisible in the media. However, successful television programmes such as “Goodness Gracious Me”, “Mind Your Language” and “Bharji on the beach” have increased the awareness of Asians. Despite these successful television programmes there is still a lack of Asians and the vast amount portrayed are represented inadequately represented seeing that in each of these successful television shows the Asians have been placed in conventional stereotypical roles. The stereotypes used are to create humour and this reinforces the role of the “brown clown” theorised by Stuart Hall.

Furthermore, by placing Asians in these comedy roles reinforces Nandy’s theory on “the other” which gives makes them less threatening to the white audiences because the comical characteristics given make them less inspirational as the audiences are encourage to laugh at them. An example that illustrates this is “Mind Your Language” where the audiences are laughing at Ali’s misunderstandings and his accent. On the other hand, films like “Bombay Dreams” (2004, Lena Koppel) emphasises the glamorous aspect of Asian culture. This is further promoted by British celebrity Elizabeth Hurley as she was dressed in a sari to her wedding which demonstrates how western society these days are acceptable to Asian culture.

Whereas, in the past Asian clothing such as salwar kameez were seen as “naff” which made Asians feel embarrassed to be seen in them. An example of a film that illustrates this is “Anita and Me” (2002, Meera Syal) a comedy drama and a coming of age film set in the 1970s, showing a young Asian girl Meena ashamed to be seen in Indian clothes, as she aspires to be more like Anita a white teenage girl who is represented as glamorous and attractive. This is accomplished through showing her in a point of view shot of her walking out of smoke in slow motion.

However, the change of attitudes to Asians clothing can be down to films like “Bend it like Beckham” (2002, Gurinder Chadha) where the protagonists are shown in both western and Asian clothing and comfortable in it. This mixing of the two cultures supports Homi Bhabha’s theory on the “third space” which is a hybrid of the two cultures giving the audience something new, different and unrecognisable so that a new area of recognition and meaning is created. Furthermore, the idea of the “third space” is promoted in the current music industry today as mainstream hip-hop artists like Dr Dre, Redman and Bubba Sparxxx have composed music videos were they have English lyrics with Indian music exemplifying and promoting Asian culture.

Furthermore, the increase of Asians and Asian culture is down to migration which now makes them 3.5% of the total UK population. Having this many Asians has helped society become more multicultural and progressive and this is evident because of the “brown pound” which is becoming stronger as modern Asians are in high paid jobs such as a doctor’s work of line. Despite, this achievement, successful animated television programme “The Simpsons” show Apu the token Asian in the stereotypical “shopkeeper” role, reinforcing traditional stereotypes. But then again, it could be argued that this stereotype is true as most Asians are still shopkeepers or work in shops as a pose to offices. Additionally, the September 11th attacks in America have publicized Asians in a negative light as they are shown as terrorists who are seen as uncivilised, barbaric and devious; again supporting Nandy’s theory on “the other”. As a result of this today society suffers moral panic causing Islamophobia to be evident.

In conclusion, 78% of the Asians feel they are better represented but lack of Asians in the media still remain low as BBC ex general Gregg Dyke states how the “BBC are hideously white” (2002) which to some extent goes against it’s remit as they have to reflect cultural diversity and having only 4% of ethnic minorities in management roles reflects how Asians still are inadequately represented.

Plan genre: June 06a

2007-05-27T13:08:00.000+01:00

It has been argued that all genre texts promote a set of values related to the contexts in which they are produced. How far do you agree?

Agree:
Sex=death is the ideology promoted in films like “Psycho” (1960, Alfred Hitchcock), “Halloween” (1978, John Carpenter) where both the female characters who engage in sexual intercourse are punished by being killed.

Mothers are crazy/un reliable is another ideology promoted in films like “Psycho” (1960, Alfred Hitchcock), “Friday the 13th” (1980, Sean S Cunningham) where it is the mother either mentally or physically killing the victims. This helps reinforce misogyny as the audience are position to dislike this women. Furthermore in early slasher, women are subordinate to men therefore the patriarchy is reinforced because even though the final girl exists she still relies on the help of a man.

Family values= as in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper) there is a scene where the family sit around the table to promote how family is important and that they should eat together.

Hypodermic model:
♥ audiences pick up the dominant reading
♥ audiences are passive

Disagree:
Uses and gratification theory:
Audience watch films for different reasons
Audience are active
There is no dominant reading- David Morley

Scream- relies on active audience that have knowledge of the previous slasher films like Prom Date, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Plan (Jan 07A) representation

2007-05-27T13:00:00.000+01:00

Examine the reasons why stereotypes within the media have changed over time.

Define stereotype:
Stereotyping is categorising people into groups based on characteristics they share in common.

Why they exist:
♥ Short hand for audience
♥ There to be challenged

Examples and why they change:
♥ feminism
Film:
Women are more independent, active- drive the narrative forward this challenges the stereotype of women being “looked-at-ness”
Kill bill- main protagonist- we identify with Uma Thurman

Music:
More female artists e.g. girl bands, female singers
It wasn’t common for women compose songs
Spice girls promoted “girl power”

Newspaper:
Rebekah wade editor for successful tabloid paper “The Sun” where in the past news and politics was totally male dominated but there a few females there now.

♥ Increase in the “brown pound”-
Television:
Goodness Gracious Me
Family trying to be like the “Brown Englishman”

♥ Audience
The audience are broader now because of immigration. Therefore institutions like the BBC need to cater for them.
They have to help promote the Diversity policy which is to Attempt to reflect diverse people whether it is TV, radio or online and the Cultural diversity network which is an organisation that tries to make sure that there are more ethnic minorities on TV

Slasher film genre

2007-05-26T19:11:00.000+01:00

Narrative ingredients that make slasher films attractive to audiences:
♥ Gory killings
♥ Chase between final girl and killer
♥ Open ending/ no closure
♥ Taking on the challenge to be scared
♥ Masochistic- identify with victims
♥ Sadistic- identify with the killer
♥ Visceral – heart beating fast
♥ Intellectual- thriller/ “who dun nit” enigma
♥ Counter culture attraction- being able to break moral and legal regulations
♥ Counter reading- repertoire of elements this is created by fan groups or create genre through their shared interest. E.g. slasher created from fans who like elements of both horror and thriller.
♥ Audience are taking of the challenge to be scared and can release their taboo desires in a safe social context.

Iconography of slasher films:
♥ Mask
♥ Murder weapon e.g. Knife (phallic object)
♥ Psycho killer
♥ Victims
♥ Final girl
♥ Isolated location
♥ Screaming
♥ Blood
♥ Bad weather
♥ Dead bodies/corpses
♥ Phone call
♥ Enigmatic Shadows

Narrative theory:

Propp character roles:
♥ Hero- in contemporary slasher is the final girl
Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock) - hero is Sam Loomis because he saves her from Lila Crane

Texas chainsaw massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper) - hero is final girl sally

Halloween (1978, john carpenter) – Laurie

Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S Cunningham) Alice

Nightmare on elm street (1984, Wes Craven) Nancy- she saves herself

Scream (1996, Wes Craven) Sidney Prescott

Texas chainsaw massacre remake (2003, Marcus Nispel) final girl Erin

♥ Villain/s
Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock) Norman Bates/ mother

Texas chainsaw massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper) Leatherface, hitchhiker, old man

Halloween (1978, john carpenter) Michael Myers

Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S Cunningham) Mrs Voorhees

Nightmare on elm street (1984, Wes Craven) Freddy Kruger

Scream (1996, Wes Craven) Billy Loomis and Stuart

Texas chainsaw massacre remake (2003, Marcus Nispel) Leatherface and his family

♥ Helper
Psycho remake (1998, Gus Van Sant) Sam Loomis as he hits Norman in the head with a pan
Lila kicks him in the face

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter) Dr. Sam Loomis is the helper as he shoots Michael which results him falling out the window

Scream (1996, Wes Craven) - Gale Weathers

Todorov narrative structure:
Does not follow as there is no closure at the end as the killer usually escapes
Or the killer is not dead
However, in scream both killers are killed off so there is a resolution and a sense of closure and does conform to Todorov’s narrative structure.

Strauss binary oppositions:
Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock):
♥ Mother vs. Norman
♥ Killer vs. victim
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Female vs. male
♥ Mother vs. son
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Hate vs. love
♥ Life vs. death

Texas chainsaw massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper):
♥ Male vs. female
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Life vs. death
♥ Killer vs. victim
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Heroine vs. villain

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter):
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Final girl vs. killer
♥ Victim vs. killer
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Life vs. death

Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S Cunningham):
♥ Killer vs. victim
♥ Final girl vs. killer
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Life vs. death
♥ Mother vs. son
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Heroine vs. villain

Nightmare on elm street (1984, Wes Craven):
♥ Authority figures vs. teenagers
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Reality vs. dream
♥ Female vs. male
♥ Life vs. death
♥ Parents vs. Freddy
♥ Victims vs. killer

Scream (1996, Wes Craven):
♥ Authority figures vs. teenagers
♥ Male vs. female
♥ Final girl vs. killer
♥ Heroine vs. villain
♥ Mental vs. sane

Texas chainsaw massacre remake (2003, Marcus Nispel):
♥ Teenagers vs. authority figures
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Life vs. death

Switchblade romance/ Haute tension (2003, Alexandre Aja):
♥ Love vs. hate
♥ Male vs. female
♥ Good vs. evil
♥ Mental vs. sane
♥ Life vs. death

Barthes Roland
Enigma code- used in:
♥ Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock)
♥ Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S Cunningham)
♥ Scream (1996, Wes Craven)

useful notes from the debates

2007-05-26T16:45:00.000+01:00

Hegemony= a set of values that are what we become to believe in because of what the mass media and mainstream culture promote to us.
For:
♥ Hegemony is glossed over as entertainment to maintain and set the power of the elite
♥ Antonia Gramsci=It is so successful that it become common sense
♥ Rupert Murdoch owns 40% of the media so his ideologies and views are likely to be reflected in the texts we consume. He owns 18% of ITV, Sky, Fox Broadcasting, The Sun, The Times. He is part of the white middle class demographic that impose right wing policies
♥ Impossible for the mass media to reflect the wide range of opinions that exist in society when controlled by the so few.
♥ Injects passive audiences with ideologies
♥ Bobo doll experiment- how audiences are passive
http://shrek-2.blogspot.com/2007/05/bandura-1965-bobo-doll-experiment.html
♥ America itself is a hegemony- has influence over the United Kingdom

Against:
♥ Effect theory treats children inadequately
♥ Uses and gratification theory- suggests audience actively consume texts and for different reasons
♥ No text has a single meaning- therefore some texts that generate humour may not be funny to all audiences
♥ People are individualist and pluralist.

Genre:
For Arthouse:
♥ Watch them west end cinemas, not played at local cinemas
♥ Changing and different
♥ Educational- clockwork orange- Russian slang is used- audiences learn something new
♥ Unconventional
♥ Active audience create their own interpretations
♥ Low budget hard to market- relies on methods like word of mouth, you tube/viral advertising- cheap
♥ Original, artistic, changes conventions
♥ Has both realistic and unrealistic films
♥ No preferred reading
♥ Auteur- own unique style e.g. Tarantino
Against Arthouse:
♥ niche audience
♥ low quality

For Hollywood:
♥ aimed at mainstreamer and aspirers
♥ gives celebrities, escapism, entertainment, quality- money worth
♥ Blumer and Katz- personal identification with characters and the audience aspire to be like these characters, emotional interaction with them it what the audience want
♥ follows Todorov and Propps’ theory on narrative
♥ audience don’t want change- they like the repetition it meets their expectations
♥ mainstream
♥ “No good and bad films but there are good and bad directors.”
Against Hollywood:
♥ Repetitive
♥ not original
♥ conservative
♥ money drive institution
♥ endless budget- helps with marketing films
♥ formula sells to a passive audience
♥ relies on sequels, remakes and adaptations- no writing talent
♥ outdated 1950s institution
♥ tool of control for the hegemony

Women
For:
♥ Women careers end as they get older
♥ “Zoo” and “Nuts” have naked women in the magazine- reinforcing how they are there just to be “looked-at-ness”
♥ Pepsi advert- Britney spears a sex symbol is present with a phallic object to help sell the drink
♥ The sun’s page 3 girl- fetishised to appeal to men
♥ Sex and the City- women in that show are shown to be skinny and beautiful promoting the qualities Laura Mulvey states on how women are there purely there to be “looked at ness”
♥ Most men take lead roles- audience identify with the man
♥ More successful male directors
♥ Dove campaign- promoting how women need these products to look good
♥ Women are remembered for their looks
♥ Music: 50 cent, Jay Z mainstream hip hop artists portray women being inferior to a man by referring to them as “bitches” and try to represent them as only being good for only one thing.
Lil Kim – promotes sex because she feels she has to conform to stay in the music industry

Against:
♥ Enough- show women to be strong and independent
♥ Sun editor- Rebekah Wade- has authority and integrity
♥ Diet coke adverts- men are being objectified
♥ Feminism has helped women become powerful and equal to men
♥ Casino Royale (2006) show Bond emerging from the water making him the object of the “female gaze”
♥ Dove campaign show curvy women
♥ Women are in more professional jobs and are highly educated- they have more to offer then just there looks
♥ Examples of Women who are dominant, independent and successful:
Monica in friends- is dominant over chandler
Lara Croft in tomb raider- fights against the male antagonists
Charlie’s Angels- don’t use guns – no phallic objects
Thelma and Louise- empowered women as they shot a man
♥ Women are more sexually assertive- Samantha in “Sex and the City”
♥ Cosmopolitan- allows women to gain the same sexual pleasures that was once only acceptable for a man to have
♥ Femme fatale- women are in control, they have to power to trick weak men
♥ batman and superman are dressed in tight costumes suggesting neither women or men are being or objectified/ both women and men are being objectified but a reason could be the it is a convention of the mise en scene of the genre of superhero/action films
♥ men these days are under as much pressure as women to look good and try to satisfy the women desire
♥ matriarchal society

Genre revision notes

2007-05-21T18:25:00.000+01:00

What is genre?
A set of conventions recognisable, usually through iconography, familiar narrative, mise en scene, actors and style of representation.
“Genre is what we collectively believe it to be”- Andrew Tudor (1986)
“Genre is a context in which meaning is created.”- Douglas Pye (1975)
Genre is define by repertoire of familiar elements

Repetition and variation
However Phillip Brophy (1986) “argues that modern horror film is a saturated genre as audiences are over familiarised with the repertoire elements and their possible variations.”
Variation is needed so audience to not become bored.
“Difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre.”- Steve Neale (1980)
“A set of predictable conventions provides a number of pleasures. These include anticipation of these predictable features and satisfaction when expectations are fulfilled.”- Patrick Phillips (1996)

Hybrid films
Mix the convention of two or more genres for instance in slasher they consist of elements of comedy, thriller, horror e.g. in “Psycho” the thriller was the “who dun nit” enigma running though the film, the horror was the killer and the comedy was cross-dressing of Norman Bates.

Basic genre development
Christian Metz genre cycle:

1- Loose grouping of films- “Psycho”(1960, Alfred Hitchcock), (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)(1974, Tobe Hooper) (Black Christmas)(1974,Bob Clark)(Halloween)(1978, John Carpenter)

2- Evolution to “classic period”-“Friday the 13th” (1980, Sean S Cunningham), “Nightmare On Elm Street”(1984, Wes Craven)

3- Decline (“genre in crisis”)- sequels and Freddy vs. Jason franchise nothing new was being created so the audiences became smaller

4- REINVOGRATION- “Scream”(1996, Wes Craven), Remakes

Series of cycles:

1st cycle- relaxation of censorship, (Vietnam War), growth in teen culture

2nd cycle- special effects- technology- more gory/graphic

3rd cycle – change in the way audience consume films
♥ 1980s- Video was invented

4th cycle- (post-modern cycle) parodies other slasher films
♥ New generation of audience

5th cycle – remakes: Big institutions cashing in money to produce these remakes.
♥ “Halloween” (2007, Rob Zombie)
♥ “Black Christmas” (2006, Glen Morgan)
♥ “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003, Marcus Nispel)
♥ “Psycho” homage (1998, Gus Van Sant)

Before and after event: Rick Altman “Film/Genre” (1999)

Before event=Producer define genre before films have been made by: Discovering what is successful in previous films and imitates features = formula. They would then looked at new successful films to see if they same formula is being used.

After event=Critics/ theorists define genre after the films have been made by: Analysing features of the film and arriving at a description of genre. E.g. film noir arrived from American crime films in the 1940s

Benefits of genre

Producers:

♥ Limits risk for producers because it is tried and tested and provides element of security for investors

♥ More straightforward- because the producers can use the same expertise, same props, cast ect... therefore is cheaper

♥ Can use repertoire of elements for marketing the film

♥ They use repeated storylines and stock characters

Audience:

♥ Audience know what to expect this limits risks as satisfaction and pleasures are repeated

♥ Plan to view with certain expectations and when these expectations are met the “Genre offers comfortable reassurance”- Patrick Phillips (1996)

♥ Enjoy subtle variations within the predictable framework

♥ Consist form of release and escapism

♥ Can engage quickly with easily recognisable plots and characters

♥ Easily follow narratives within genre

♥ Experiences a sense of cultural and emotional security

♥ Finds the choice of entertainment easy

Audience pleasures:

♥ Masochistic

♥ Sadistic

♥ Visceral

♥ Intellectual- thriller/ “who dun nit” enigma

♥ Counter culture attraction- being able to break moral and legal regulations

♥ Counter reading- repertoire of elements this is created by fan groups or create genre through their shared interest. E.g. slasher created from fans who like elements of both horror and thriller.

♥ Audience are taking of the challenge to be scared and can release their taboo desires in a safe social context.

Slasher films
1960s:
Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock): “granddaddy of the slasher genre”
Villain/Psycho- Norman Bates
Final girl- split role between the two sisters Lila and Marion Crane
Hero-Sam Loomis
Failed authority figure: Arbogast
Narrative moment: “shower murder” became template for slasher films to follow. This scene is aimed at a male spectator as it has become fetishised through showing bits of Marion’s body, which is done to fit into the mentality of the killer/psycho. The phallic object is shown penetrating the women.
♥ The audiences are not reassured at the end as the film finished with Norman just laughing.
♥ Hitchcock is being sadistic to his audience
♥ The colour is black and white as black connotes bad/evil and white connotes good, which could be a metaphor for Norman Bates as the good aspect of him was the loyal son and the bad side of him was the mother. This reinforces misogyny and how the mother is to blame for his behaviour.
♥ The woman is older because there was not an emergence of youth culture at this point.
♥ Marion is punished for stealing and illicit sex, which is considered as deviant behaviour as she was pursuing her desire for money and passion. Again reinforcing misogyny and support the patriarchal conservative ideology.
♥ Monster becomes humane and something the audience could relate as horror films before Psycho; had monsters that were European like frankstien and mummies.
Wider context:
♥ Attitudes change towards sex, marriage and family life
♥ Relaxation in censorship in films
♥ Horror/suspense films reflect growing interest in psychology; schizophrenia and the killer as the boy next door rather then a monster or a vampire figure
♥ The Vietnam War (1964-1975) provided material for exploration of the horrors of the war and its dehumanising effects.
♥ 1961- contraceptive pill introduced- giving women greater control over their sex behaviour
♥ 1963- era of mini skirt and an increased in frankness of sex
♥ 1967- colour television introduced in Britain
♥ 1968- Assassination of Martin Luther King

1970s:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper)
Villains: Leatherface (take on the role of the absent mother), Hitchhiker, OldMan and Grandfather
Final girl: Sally doesn’t have a boyfriend
Group of teenagers: Jerry, Franklin, Kirk and Pam
Murder weapons: knife, butcher’s hook, chainsaw and sledgehammer.
Set piece: chase between final girl and killer, the torture she is put through when she is tied to an armchair made out of human body parts.
The audience are not reassured at the end because Leatherface is left whirling his chainsaw around in a circle in the air. This connotes how his killing cycle will be everlasting, as a circle has no end. Additionally, this could be interpreted as symbolic masturbation as his killings are a metaphor for sex. However, they are reassured because sally escapes but she is mental when she does escape.
♥ Film was banned in mainstream cinema, was considered as a “video nasty” Video nasty was a term used to describe films that were distributed on video that were held by some to be unfit for domestic viewing. Many of these "video nasties" were low-budget horror films produced in Italy and the United States.
♥ Humans were considered as monsters which were capable of anything. In the film it was like a whole family of Ed Geins. It scares people because there are people like Ed Gein in the world.
♥ Dark humour is used in the film
♥ Reflects the zeitgeist by portraying the anxiety of the moral panic of the oil crisis.

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter)
Conventional slasher film
Psycho/villain: Michael Myers is like the devil/ the personification of evil
Final girl: Laurie is a virgin and does not have a boyfriend
Group of teenagers: Annie, Lynda, Paul and Bob.
Failed authority figures: Sam Loomis
Phallic object: knife
♥ Enigmatic shots, point of view shots of the killer
♥ Intertextual reference to psycho (1960) Marion’s boyfriend Sam Loomis
♥ Set in a suburban area – links to the wider context the moral panic influenced “white flite” in which white middle class people went to live in safe suburban settings. However, what they repressed returns.
♥ Ideology of sex= death is promoted through Michael Myers seeing sex as a bad thing in Psychopathology. This is illustrated to the audience by him killing his sister as she is being irresponsible by having sex with her boyfriend instead of looking after Michael.
♥ Humour is used in film
♥ Exploitation films feature explosions, drug use, scantily clad women, nudity, machismo, forbidden sex, wanton violence, freaks and geeks, gore, monsters, destruction, rebellion and mayhem. Such films have existed since the earliest days of moviemaking, but they were popularized in the 1960s with the general relaxing of cinematic taboos in the U.S. and Europe. Was considered as an exploitation film but became a successful independent film.
♥ “Tale of the hook” (urban legend) was used to scare teenagers from having sex and was used in Halloween.
♥ Was not intended for a mass audience, but had a huge response there were people screaming when they watch it.
Wider context:
1970- Growth of feminism and demands for gender equality
1973:
♥ Oil crisis leads to three working day week in Britain,
♥ Film: “The Exorcist” (William Friedkin, 1973) causes controversy in the UK.
♥ “Festival of light” pressure group campaigns against pornography and violence in films
1975- Vietnam War is over- USA withdraw
1979- Margaret Thatcher comes to power

1980s:
Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S Cunningham)
Villain: Mrs Voorhees
Final girl: Alice has masculine qualities this is established through her costume and appearance
Isolated location
♥ Enigma running though the whole film
♥ Counsellors punished for abandoning their responsibilities
♥ 1980s version of the Blair Witch Project
♥ violence was overt
♥ Major release because of the audience. Girls were the primary audience they would go with their friends and then go again with their boyfriends.
♥ No stars, low budget
♥ Real success in the last 3/4 minutes in the film where Jason emergences from the water
♥ Role reversal mother is psycho and has a split personality used as the novelty aspect of the film. Intertextual reference to Psycho
♥ Oedipal relationship between the mother and the son

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, Wes Craven)
Villain: Freddy Kruger has inhuman qualities as is very much like the “bogeyman”.
Final girl: Nancy is more resourceful and independent. She does not die and comes back in one of the sequels nightmare on elm street 3 and dies in that one. She saves herself on her own.
Failed authority figures: Nancy’s father who is a policeman. Parents are either physically or emotionally absent from the children. Police failed to grant the seriousness of the teenager’s worries and fears.
Group of teenagers: Glen, Teena, Rod
♥ Freddy Kruger- work of fiction as he was monstrous and devilish
♥ Fairytale: “Blood Chamber” going into a place where you shouldn’t
♥ Confine space because he invades the dream of teenagers
♥ Circular narrative starts off as a dream and ends as a dream
♥ Sleep=death because sleep is a teenage pleasure therefore is regarded as worthy of punishment
♥ Darkened boiler room analogy of the unconscious deep down underground, trapped
♥ Freud believed a dream is an unconscious desires and wishes being fulfilled and a nightmare is a wish gone wrong
♥ Wes Craven’s new nightmare (1994) Kruger as a character making fun of the genre.
♥ Kruger was the iconic monster of the 80s
♥ Franchising Freddy Kruger made him less scary as he became a lovable character through merchandising him through dolls and making lots of sequels which resulted in the audience becoming familiarised with him taking away the impact he once had on an audience. Additionally, by franchising him it took away the character from the plot.

Wider context:
1981- Economic depression- unemployment reaches 3million
1982- AIDS identified and named
1984/1985-Under the 1984 Act, the BBFC was renamed the 'British Board of Film Classification' and became responsible for the certification of both cinema and video releases. All video releases after 1 September 1985 had to comply with the Act and be submitted for classification by the BBFC. Films released on video before that date had to be re-submitted for classification within the following three years. The increased possibility of videos falling into the hands of children required that film classification for video be a separate process from cinema classification. Films that had passed uncut for cinema release were often cut for video.
1986- Widespread homophobic reaction to AIDS
1989- Collapse of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe

1990s:
Scream (1996, Wes Craven)
Villains: Billy Loomis
Final girl: Sidney Prescott had boyfriend and is not a virgin
Failed authority figures: Dewey
Phallic objects: gun, knife
♥ Post-modern text- Intertextual references to a number of films some examples are: Halloween, Prom Night, Candyman, Basic Instinct, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Exorcist, Silence Of The Lambs, Nightmare On Elm Street…
♥ Explicitly state the conventions making it a self referential text/self reflexive
♥ Reference to film and film making
♥ Killer is not monstrous is a normal person
♥ 3rd wave feminism women can have sex- attitudes to sex have changed
♥ knowing audience
♥ who dun nit enigma running through the film
♥ refers to why audience watch horror films
♥ reinvigorates slasher genre
♥ is a pastiche because borrows elements of other texts for example the opening of “ when a stranger calls” and parody to some extent as the mask mocks previous slasher masks.
Wider context:
1991- Development of the Internet
1995- Film “Natural Born Killer” (Oliver Stone, 1995) cause controversy

2000:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003, Marcus Nispel)
Villains: Leatherface and his family
Final girl: Erin has a boyfriend
Group of teenagers: Morgan, Pepper, Andy, Kemper
Failed authority figure: Sheriff Hoyt, old women at the diner
♥ killings are more graphic
♥ final girl has to kill her own friend can reflect euthanasia play more of an active role she tries to save her friends, tries to save her male friends who is badly hurt
♥ more suspense as audiences are more desensitised now
Wider context:
2000- Project for New American Century see the USA as globally dominant

Why genre changes over time?
♥ Changes in target audience
The demographics influence the way a text is made, they decide on things like the special effects used. Target audience for films have become younger over the years and could be the reason why slasher films are aimed primarily at teenage audience. This is called “juvenilisation” of cinema. Moreover, research states in heterosexual relationship the woman tends to pick the film whereas the man pays. This suggests the films have to carefully marketed to attract the female audience.

♥ Changes in audience expectations
Audience are more sophisticated viewers therefore an audience reading a text from and established genre is likely to be familiarised with the codes and conventions of the genre from looking at other similar texts. Filmmakers can manipulate the audience emotions by meeting or cheating the expectations. Therefore a certain amount repetition and variation is required for the audience to gain satisfaction. Furthermore, the genre is kept fresh through developing parody, pastiche and hybrid forms. However, to enjoy these new developments you would have to have knowledge on previous texts. For example, in order to enjoy “Scary Movie” (2000, Keenen Ivory Wayans) you would have to be familiar with the conventions of both parody and horror to see how the genre has changed.

♥ Changes in society, ideologies, values and representations
Contemporary audience are harder to shock and are desensitised to the representations of graphic violence, sexual images and “bad” language.
Feminism has helped improve the representation of women
Vietnam War has been reflected in films

♥ Censorship and codes of conduct
Relaxation of censorship has made audience desensitised to graphic sex and violence. However, in 1960s explicit nudity was banned and swearing and excessive and lustful kissing was considered unacceptable.

♥ Influence of particular texts, stars, authors and directors
Some stars, directors and authors have a big impact on audience. For example Alfred Hitchcock’s work has amazed audiences that that his work in influenced in contemporary thrillers as a result of this he is referred to as “the master of suspense.”

♥ Media institution e.g. film industry
Powerful media owners fund the text which goes through a process of production, editing and marketing the text. Over time, particular studios or publishers become associated with particular genres and they will influence the style or themes of the text they produce. For example dark castle entertainment which is a production house associated with Warner Brothers that help with horror film remakes from the 1950/60s. Some of the films they have made are:
(x) House on Haunted Hill (1999)
(x) Ghost Ship (2002)
(x) Gothika (2003)
(x) House of Wax (2005)

♥ Changes in technology
() Steadicam is development in technology that helps with stalking shots.
() Development in digital video editing techniques have led to fast paced editing and exact pacing of music with on-screen action.
() Films can be marketed through internet

How slasher genre appears in other media?
Eminem is a rapper who uses iconic elements from slasher film when he is performing. For example, the Jason’s hockey mask from “Friday the 13th” is used and the chainsaw is from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is used. This is used in a post modern way and is communicating to his fans in a short hand way that he is like a psycho who people can not control.

Representation Revision Notes

2007-05-21T16:40:00.000+01:00

Representation is carefully shaped version of reality because what the audience see in any media text is less real then what they see in reality as it has gone through the process of mediation, which makes it a re-presentation. Additionally, these representations have underpinning ideologies and values which are put across in a subtle ways and this can promote or challenge dominant ideology in society.

Liberal values are progressive or radical often calling for equality. (These are usually left wing because they want equality between men and women as well as for disable people and other ethnicities.

Conservative values are traditional and reactionary, supporting the status quo. (right wing- don’t like change)

Stereotypes are categorising people into groups by only a few characteristics. These can be positive, negative or changing.

Representation of Women:
Common stereotypes were:
♥ Damsel in distress (princess role in Propp theory)
♥ Housewife
♥ Bimbo
♥ Mothers
♥ Madonna
♥ Whore
♥ Ladette
♥ Femme fatale

Gunter (1995) - between 1950/1970s only 25-30% of the people seen on television were women

Tuchman (1975) describes “symbolic annihilation” of women meaning that women are invisible in the media

Lauzen and Dozier research in 1995-1996 showed 43% of female representations

Miles (1975) research showed that sitcoms in this period of time had a balance of both gender roles how the representations of women were sexist.

Humm (1997) suggest films like “Fatal Attraction” (1987) show women making a choice between family and career; women that choose their career were considered as “bad hysterical careerists”

Laura Mulvey’s theory on the “male gaze” states how women are primarily there to be looked at and they are objectified for pleasure for the male spectator.

Freud theory on castration: believed men feel anxiety if they see a woman without a phallic object as it would make them feel castrated, but having the phallic object present would take away their anxiety making women less threatening for men to watch.

Examples
Politics and News:
Minority of women are shown here as it suggests women are not intelligent enough or do not have a strong valid opinion like men.
Newspaper:
Tabloid newspaper “The Sun” consists of page 3 girls. According to Mulvey’s theory these women are objects of the “male gaze” and second wave feminists would agree with this as they believe these women are exploiting their bodies to pleasure men. However, third wave feminists would argue these women are empowered because they are using their bodies to lure men therefore they are the ones maintaining power. Moreover, cultivation theory suggests page 3 girls exist as society is desensitised to them and have accepted that. Additionally as Rupert Murdoch owns “The Sun” his male values are like to be promoted and having the page 3 girls is an example of this as they were only introduced when he re-launched this newspaper.

Rebekah Wade a successful women editor that works for “The Sun” helps reinforce the “status quo” as she is helping exploit page 3 girls as they are one of the primary reasons that help sell the paper seeing that before they were around the newspaper was loosing sales. Moreover, she is helping them become famous for the wrong reasons an example of this is Katie Price known as Jordan who has claimed fame through her breasts which objectify her and help reinforce patriarchy which is why most women look down at her.

Films:
Slasher films have “final girl” theorised by Carol Clover in her book “Men, Women and Chainsaws.” This shows how women are more independent, strong and resourceful seeing that as time goes on they rescue themselves. Additionally, the male viewer can cross gender identify with her. However, slasher reinforces patriarchy by killing off promiscuous women this is illustrated in “Psycho” (1960, Alfred Hitchcock); but having a “final girl” shows the result of feminism.

Progressive text is “Tomb Raider” (2001) where Lara Croft is a strong female protagonist she is shown beating male antagonists with her physical strength, letting her authority, power and determination drives the narrative forward. She carries a gun which connotes her power and could make the audience feel threatened but at the same time anxiety free as it connotes the phallic object which stops men from being castrated. Furthermore, as she appears in games, which is primarily played by males they are able to cross gender identify with her. However, it could be seen as a man controlling her therefore resulting in him in power over her.

“Charlie’s Angels” can be seen as a progressive text too seeing that there are three independent women who are “active” as they are going out fighting showing off their physical strength. However, them listening to Charlie’s demands shows patriarchy is still evident as they are taking orders from a man. Moreover, Charlie is represented godlike as you cannot see him throughout the film and this show portrays his dominance over the angels.

However, contemporary films still portray women in negative roles. An example of a film that does this is “Mere Jeevan Saathi” (2006) a Bollywood film where Anjali is portrayed as the “Madonna” and the vamp/villain is Natasha who is portrayed as the “femme fatale/whore” and as a result is punished at the end, reinforcing misogyny.

Another example is “Kidulthood” where they show young females Becky and Alissa prostituating themsleves to the men making the audience to think the females as weak and that men could control them through money; reinforcing the stereotype of the “whore”.

Television:
“Hollyoaks” is a soap that shows how women are purely to be looked as they represent them as youthful and sexy in the title sequence and there is only one token female who is fat. However, the majority of the females shown in this soap are placed in a stereotypical role for example Carmel takes on the role of the “blonde bimbo”, Tina the “geeky/clever” one and Michaela as the “troublemaker”.

A reason for these stereotypes could be so the audience can identify with the characters and the producers of the text do not have enough time to go into details about each character so the stereotype is used as short hand.

“Sex and the city” American cable show liberates women as all four women are represented as sexually active especially Samantha who could even be labelled as the “whore” as she is sex obsessed, assertive and independent. However, she is not punished for wanting to have sex neither of the women are which promotes women values and suggests society is accepting that women have sexual needs and desires as well.

Adverts:
Dove adverts are progressive as they show women who are chubby giving a more realistic representation of women. Seeing that, these women are not fat but curvy still makes them attractive to the male audience and placing them with very little clothing reinforces them as objects of the “male gaze.” However, it could be seen as a convention of an advert for the characters to wear revealing or tight clothes to make them look sexy as “sex sells”.

An example, of a post feminism text is the Pepsi advert featuring celebrities Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez. In this advert, the two females are placed in active roles as they are out fighting and riding motor bikes; typically associated with what a man would do, this role reversal classify this text as post-feminist. However, the women are taking orders from a man indicating they are subordinate to him as they are listening to him by going out and fighting the people he has instructed them to fight.

Moreover, print adverts help reinforce the “male gaze” as the women are shown with fetish objects like whips or dressed in a fetish manner for example, wearing stockings and having phallic objects present make them less threatening to the male spectator as if the phallic object is not present can cause them to feel castrated and to a man can be his biggest fear.

Lastly, there is the Lynx advert in which conventionally attractive and slim female characters are only there to be looked at.

Music:
Spice girls were big in the 1990s and promoted “girl power”. This caused girl groups like Destiny’s child, Pussycat dolls and TLC to come out and promote a similar message.

Pussycat dolls are empowering to women as their songs “I don’t need a man” and “buttons” convey how women are more independent and sexually active now therefore promoting how women are more autonomous.

Christina Aguilera’s lyrics to “can’t hold us down” is really empowering to women as she sings about how she is disgusted with how society are more lenient with one group then the other, she explicitly states how she feels about males stars getting respected and worshipped for bragging about their sex lives, but when women tries to express their sex lives, they get labelled as “sluts” and “whores” which reflects the inequalities that still remain in society today. However, Christina lets people know how she doe not appreciate being called a “bitch” simply because she stands up for herself and is a strong woman.

Even though women promote girl power they are still objectify themselves. However, it could be argued they are not objectifying themselves but doing this to make themselves look good and feel proud of themselves as they have the power to tease a man.

General information about representation of women:
Women representation can be stated as inaccurate due to the lack of female directors. This could be for the reason that women are criticised for neglecting their family and film is really a male dominated industry and being a token female could be hard as men may not take your seriously. Despite this there are a few successful female directors for example Sophia Coppola who directed “Lost in Translation” (2003).
Sophia Coppola poses with her Academy Award for Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation.

The media is mainly controlled by males such as Rupert Murdoch which means that media texts produced are promoting male values in a subtle way; making successful women rare and placed in token roles.

Models are airbrushed by:
Having their pupils dilated to suggest sexual arousal
Irises made blue to connote innocence
Flushed cheeks to indicate sexual arousal and youth
Pimples and wrinkles removed
Teeth whitened to suggest health and youth
Lips are made more red to make the similar to female genitalia
Breasts are enlarged

“Female gaze” introduced in James Bond’s film “Casino Royale” (2006, Martin Campbell) show Bond emerging from the water for the females to gaze at as he is being objectified.

Representation of Asians:
Theorists:
Ashis Nandy- “The Other”:
A binary opposition of one self
The other=hate/fear
Civilised vs. Uncivilised
Hardworking vs. Lazy

Examples groups of people that are seen as the other:
♥ Immigrants
♥ Homosexuals
♥ Women
♥ Ethnic minorities
♥ Muslims

Colonialism:
Dehumanises colonisers (British)
Brutalises colonised (Indians)

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak- “Third World”
Indian feminist
Argues against “hegemonic historiography”
Wants to move non western discourses in totally new spaces where difference is the norm and new “worlding of the world” is created.

Non west must create its own representation

Third world is:
Ø a creation of the west(British) that locks non-western cultures
Ø how the west views and deal with them into a imperial representation

Homi Bhabha “third space” and “cultural hybridity”
Idea of the “Brown Englishman”( Hideous version of ourselves undermines colonialism) Goodness Gracious Me, Kapoors like to be referred to as the Coopers which satires English culture.

Third space
Hybridity
East and West come together to create something new and different.

Examples of how Asians are inadequately represented:
Lack of Asians in management roles in the BBC. (Only 4% are ethnic minorities in management roles). This suggests (ex director general of BBC)(2002) Greg Dyke’s statement on the “BBC hideously white” is true.

Ethnic minorities still think it is harder for them to get jobs in the media then it is for a white people.

Asians in comedy roles- “brown clowns”- supports the hegemonic view/representation.
Few examples are:
Goodness Gracious Me
Mind your language
Bend it like Beckham

Euro centricity promoted by British as Christians are dominant in USA.

Islamophobia-Popular films ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to children's cartoons are portraying "crude and exaggerated" stereotypes of Muslims such as the Disney film Aladdin represents Arabs as "(cruel) ruthless caricatures (humorous illustration) "with "exaggerated and ridiculous accents”.” Good Arabs" including Aladdin are given American accents while the rest of the cast have "exaggerated and ridiculous Arab accents".- promotes American hegemony
British comedy East is East have helped demonise Muslims as violent, dangerous and threatening, and reinforce prejudices
Those Muslim figures who do appear in the media are seen as either holding extremist views or are "marginalised Muslims" who do not represent the Muslim community.
CBB7 Jermaine calling Jacquie “white trash”.- reflects class differenceJade, Danielle, Jo vs. Shilpa row- reflects racism/bullying/class divide/ignorance
Use and gratification- David Morley- how the audience read the text; dominant/hegemonic reading, oppositional reading & negotiated

Positive examples of how Asians are better represented:
♥ Brown pound- Asians are becoming more wealthy
♥ Asian culture is popular in mainstream- part of the mass media
♥ Self representation. Meera Syal and Gurinder Chada successful Asian women.

Gurinder Chada directed:
Bride & Prejudice (2004)

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Bhaji on the Beach (1993)

Meera Syal produced:
Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee (2005) (TV)
Anita and Me (2002)

♥ 67% of Asians feel they are better represented on television now
♥ 78% of Asians think they are better represented on screen then ten years ago

General points of representation of Asians:
ETHNICITY:
Race: biological inheritance
Culture: (social) society that shape individual’s thoughts

Diversity policy:
Attempt to reflect diverse people whether it is TV, radio or online.

Cultural diversity network:
An organisation that tries to make sure that there are more ethnic minorities on TV

Colonial culture:
Domination of one group and believing their ideologies; refers back to the British Empire
E.g. everyone started speaking English

♥ 2001= 8.6% non white/ethnic minorities. Most ethnic minorities from London.

♥ South Asians are the highest/largest ethnic minorities (2million+)

♥ Asians high birth-rate and immigration.

♥ A lot of Asians who work in the BBC often leave because they don’t fit in

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE: (sitcom)

♥ Prime time TV, Saturday night, (LWT/ITV 1977)

♥ 17 million viewers

♥ Brown people onscreen, they were stereotyped and exploited by exaggerating national characteristics.

♥ negative views/stereotypes of Asians which reinforces peoples assumptions

♥ less politically correct

♥ all nationalities equally stereotyped

♥ turned fear and anxiety into humour

♥ head was exaggerated because she was women

♥ people are laughing at the ethnic minorities and their misunderstandings

♥ the character speaking Urdu has no subtitles so the joke can be reversed as teacher can not understand the joke which suggest the text is slightly progressive

♥ Religious violence, Asians are unstable reinforcing Nandy’s theory on the other as well as reflecting the zeitgeist.

GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME (sketch show)

♥ Written by Meera Syal – self representation

♥ BBC 2 (public service broadcaster)- more of a niche audience, more middleclass, however appealed to mass audience

♥ Prime time show

♥ Making fun of English people in the restaurant scene as the Englishman has to conform to be accepted

♥ Using Indian words making the white audience outsiders

♥ Indian culture influenced by black street culture – Homi Bhabha “cultural hybridity”- loosing traditional values

♥ Using cultural myths about “the other” assumptions

Parodies and references in the show
♥ "The Six Million Rupee Man" - Parody of Six Million Dollar Man.

♥ "Skipinder: The Punjabi Kangaroo" - Parody of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

♥ "I'm a Punjabi Girl..." - Parody of Aqua's Barbie Girl song.

♥ "I want to live like Hindi people" - Parody of Pulp's Common People.

♥ "Asian Bride Shop" - Homage to Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch and Dead Parrot sketch.

♥ "Maharajah's hotel" - Homage to Fawlty Towers.

♥ "The Delhi Tubbies" - Fictional Asian equivalent of the Teletubbies

Bandura (1965) Bobo doll experiment

2007-05-21T16:02:00.000+01:00

Children are shown a film where an adult is attacking a Bobo doll. The adult is shown kicking, throwing, punching and hitting the Bobo doll with a mallet.

Children in group A are shown the adult being praised with sweets and lemonade after beating up the doll.

Children in group B are shown the adult being told off after beating up the doll.

Children in group C are just shown the film where the adult is attacking the doll.

After the film each child spent 10 minutes in a playroom with a Bobo doll. Children in group A and C showed same level of aggressive behaviour. Children in B showed less aggression as they extract the cognition that aggressive behaviour would be punished.

This experiment illustrates how audiences such as children are still passive and reinforces how the hypodermic model theory is still evident as the passive audience in this case the children imitated what they saw in the film showing how children pick up the hegemonic readings.

Plan: (June ’02 b)

2007-05-17T12:29:00.000+01:00

Compare the media portrayal of two social groups.

How the media portray women:
Television:
Stereotypes in Hollyoaks Carmel-blonde bimbo, Tina- clever/geeky and Michaela- troublemaker
Sitcoms like FRIENDS- use stereotypes buy role reversal as well to show the equality of men and women

Film:
Lack of women directors, so most movies are seen through a man’s perspective
Women stereotypes – “bimbo”, “geek”, “Madonna/whore” complex, “femme fatale”, “housewife”Women as powerless, passive, weak
However, James Bond, Casino Royal (2006) introduces “female gaze” shows society is pluralistic and promotes progressive values

Adverts:
Adverts- women shown with phallic objects

Newspaper/news:
Lack of women in news and politics -Token females in high jobs e.g. Rebekah Wade- successful women editor for “The Sun”
Most of the women in the media conform to the “male gaze”- Mulvey, women are objectified in newspaper “the sun”- Rupert Murdoch introduced pg3 when he re-launched the tabloid reinforces patriarchy.

Music:
Pussycat Dolls – conform to be objectified but sing songs promoting “girl power”

How the media portray Asians:
Television
Goodness Gracious Me-self representation- brown clowns- Stuart Hall
67% of Asians feel they are better represented on television now

Film
Islamophobia-Popular films ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to children's cartoons are portraying "crude and exaggerated" stereotypes of Muslims such as the Disney film Aladdin represents Arabs as "(cruel) ruthless caricatures (humorous illustration) "with "exaggerated and ridiculous accents”.” Good Arabs" including Aladdin are given American accents while the rest of the cast have "exaggerated and ridiculous Arab accents".- promotes American hegemony

Similarities:
Represented negatively
Are seen at “the other”
Placed in stereotypes

Differences:
Representations are becoming progressive this is because the media need to cater for all groups as if they don’t appeal to the Asians they are going to loose a target audience as audience.

Plan: (June ’04 b)

2007-05-17T12:16:00.000+01:00

It is argued that dominant media representations serve the interests of the powerful. Discuss with reference to one or more social group or place.

Social group: Women, Asians

Rupert Murdock controls most of the media- he gets the final say if he not happy with the editing of the paper.

Film male dominated industry thus women are still being objectified and conform to Mulvey’s theory on the male gaze and how they are primarily there “to-be-looked-at-ness”.

Asians placed in comedy roles to be successful.

Conservative values are traditional and reactionary, supporting the status quo. (Right wing- don’t like change)

Having a minority of women are shown in the news and politics as it suggests women are not intelligent enough or do not have a strong valid opinion like men.

Greg Dyke (ex-general of the BBC)- states how the media is still “hideously white”.

Producers of text like “Mind Your Language” reinforce negative stereotypes of Asians. This places them in the role of “the other” which reinforce Eurocentric stereotypes that promote the culture.

Keywords to use:
Hegemony
Patriarchy

Plan: (Specimen Question, ’00 a)

2007-05-17T11:50:00.000+01:00

What is there to be said for or against stereotyping in the media? Answer with reference to specific examples.

Define what a stereotyping is:
Stereotyping is categorising people into group based on a few common characteristics.

For:
Create humour
Short hand for the audience as producers to not have enough time to go into details for each character
Identify with the characters
Some stereotypes are true
Some stereotypes are challenged

Examples:
Television
In “sex and the city” Samantha takes on the role of “whore” but is not punished in the end which shows how the stereotypes are developing and being challenged. Additionally, it promotes women values and suggests society is now accepting that women have sexual needs and desires as well.

“The Simpsons” show Apu as a corner shop owner which to some extent is considered a true stereotype therefore giving an accurate representation of reality.

In “goodness gracious me” the audience are laughing at the characters but are laughing at how they mocking the two different cultures as in some cases they exaggerate cultural expectations too much to generate humour.

Against:
Reinforces misogyny
Reinforces patriarchy
Supports conservative ideologies
Maintains the “status quo”

Examples:
Television
Damsel in distress- women are represented as weak and passive (Propp- princess role- reward for the hero at the end)
Blonde Bimbo- women being represented as unintelligent this is represented in Hollyoaks (a contemporary soap) that shows the character Carmel reinforcing this stereotypical role.

Asians are placed in comedy roles this conforms to stereotypical representation and supports hegemonic views as for Asians to be successful they have to conform to the role of the “brown clown” (Stuart Hall). For example mind you language- humour is created and in most cases the audiences are laughing at the misunderstandings of the character and the characters.

Adverts
Housewife- women in a domestic servant role as cleaning products such shake and vac advert 1979 is aimed at women
Mothers – Iceland slogan “that’s why mums go Iceland”

Films
Madonna - reinforces how women should be maternal and innocent. This is illustrated in “Mere Jeevan Saathi” (2006)
Vamp/Whore- women who are sexually active are negative/bad reinforced in slasher films for example women who are sexually active are punished through them being killed. For example “Halloween” all the females having sex are killed.
Femme fatale- women who are powerful are dangerous. This is reinforced in film noir where this role first became evident and became a convention of having a seductive evil woman as it would offer narrative pleasures for the audience.
Ladette- main protagonist in bend it like beckham prefers football to girly things.
Bad Hysterical careerists- women choosing work over family in “Fatal Attraction”
Teenagers- rebellious represented in “Kidulthood”(2006) shows young females prostituting themselves reinforcing the stereotype of the “whore” as these young teenage girls are doing it for money for drugs, resulting in how contemporary youths are disobedient as they are engaging in anti- social behaviour i.e. using drugs.

Children cartoon films such as Aladdin portray Muslims in a negative way. For example, they have good Arab such as Aladdin given American accents to make his threatening and the rest of the cast are given “exaggerated and ridiculous accents to support the American hegemony.

Newspapers:
Women are only there to be looked-at-ness page 3 girls conform to this
However this could be interpreted in two ways. A second wave feminist would interpret this as
And a third wave feminist would interpret this as

All Asians are terrorist or supporters of terrorism is another new negative stereotype that has developed since September 11th giving a negative and inaccurate representation of Asians as well as making Asians conform to Nandy’s theory on “the other” as they are represented as chaotically violent, barbaric and religious. As a result of these representations moral panics are created through the news especially in British tabloid papers such as “The Sun”.

Plan: June 03a

2007-05-07T13:34:00.001+01:00

Account for the popularity of one genre of your choice. Illustrate your answer with examples. (Explain why slasher films are popular)

Introduction:
Over the years, slasher films have become popular and developed starting with “Psycho” (1960, Alfred Hitchcock) which was regarded as the “granddaddy of slasher films” that then became the template for slasher films to follow. This is down to several factors and according Altman’s theory by using the successful formula that previous successful slasher films share in common would make it a popular genre for the audience to consume as in each film they have the repetition which creates familiarity for the audience and the variation of repertoire elements so that the film is fresh for the audience to watch.

Audience pleasures:
Visceral pleasure of heart racing all slasher films
Intellectual pleasure in slasher films with enigma through the narrative as it keeps the audience guessing and engages them into the film. Example: Friday the 13th (Sean Cunningham, 1980) the killer is revealed right at the end and it is the mother which gives the slasher fans even more pleasure as they know through watching previous films like Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) how they use variation and will like the novelty aspect of the film.

As the primary audience are teenagers primarily girls who worry about things like sex are taking into account in the films narrative by promoting the ideologies it is wrong for girls to have sex and if they do they should be punished as in nearly every slasher up to scream the girls who have sex die. This reflects the inequalities between men and women which helps reinforces patriarchy. As men are not punished for sex in films like Psycho (1960), which regarded as the “granddaddy of slasher films” has a male hero Sam Loomis who was not punished for sex instead the audience identify with him and classify him as the Proppian “hero”.

Furthermore, slasher films are popular because they reflect what is going on in society for example:
The Ed Gein killings are portrayed in films like Psycho (1960), Texas chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs. This is linked to Psycho by Gein having the overpowering mother like Norman Bates which links to how Gein had a very close relationship with his mother in Freudian terms referred to as an oedipal relationship which was also another similarity highlighted in “Psycho.” This could be a reason for it popularity as Norman feelings could be considered to be crazy and the fact he loved her so much that he pretend she was still alive represents how he was considered as schizophrenic and society around that time were very interested in psychology so this could be a possible reason why it was popular. Furthermore, as the face of the psycho was humanise which made it scarier to some extent as it suggest there are people in the world like Norman Bates who are psychos.

Moral panics going on in society which influenced the “white flite” and this is reflected in films like “nightmare on elm street” which is set in a surban setting to show the middle class people could not run away from what they feared as it will turn up and takes it revenge upon them.
Another example of moral panic reflected in slasher genre is in Texas chainsaw Massacre (1974) which reflects the oil crisis in 1973, as that was one of the reasons how the teenagers become killed as they stop by an gas station.

Feminism as the character role of the “final girl” (Carol Clover) was introduced. Reflected in “Friday the 13th”. Additionally, in contemporary slasher texts portrays a vast development of the “final girl” as in texts like “Scream”(1996,Wes Craven) and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake”(2003, Marcus Nispel) the final girl is active in contrast to older texts where the girl has be more passive and takes on the role of the “damsel in distress” for instance in texts like “Halloween”(1978, John Carpenter) Laurie is saved by Dr Sam Loomis the detective, “Psycho”(1960, Alfred Hitchcock) Lila Crane is saved by Sam Loomis.

Issues and debates:
Hypodermic needle theory-
Uses and gratification- entertainment
Cultivation theory- audience are desensitised to violence partly due to censorship relaxation.

Slasher texts can be seen as progressive as male audience cross gender identify with the “final girl.”

Plan: Jan 06b

2007-05-07T13:26:00.000+01:00

Recent developments in genre have included the emergence of parody, pastiche and hybrid forms. Show how such developments have influenced media texts.

Introduction:
Philip Brophy (1986) argues “modern horror genre is a saturated genre as audiences are over-familiar with the repertoire elements and their possible variations.” Therefore parody, pastiche and hybrid films give audience the familiar elements of previous slasher texts. For instance character roles are taken and used in new ways such as subverting the typical character role in texts such as “Scary Movie” (2000) creating humour for the teen audience.

Key texts:
Parody: “Scary Movie” (2000), “Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth” (2000) mocks other genres
Pastiche: “Scream” (1996) explicitly makes reference to previous slasher films as well as copying that certain style e.g. “Scream” copying the phone call scene from “when a stranger calls”.
Hybrid forms: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) consists of comedy elements
Freddy vs. Jason can be seen as a pastiche and a hybrid as it franchises the two villains too appeal to two groups of slasher fans moreover it makes reference to the previous Friday the 13th films and nightmare on elm street. Additionally, as villains like Freddy Kruger and Jason Vohrees have become merchandised through dolls would make them less threatening and take away the impact they once had therefore creating more slasher films about them would clearly be unsuccessful but using them in parodies and pastiches can be quite successful as the producers are using repetition through having familiar characters but varying the narrative.

“Imitation is of images from the past offered as nostalgic substitute for any real exploration of either the past or present.”- John Belton (1994)

Moreover, the producers rely on an active audience who have seen or have knowledge on previous slasher films so that they can understand the jokes and references about the other films giving them nostalgic and intellectual pleasures. E.g. in “Scream” the phone call scene people who have seen the text discussed in the opening sequence would have a better reading of the text.

Genre is dynamic not static therefore parody, pastiche and hybrid forms can be seen as a novelty aspect.

The target audience have changed as most audience are desensitised to the gory graphic scenes shown in slasher films therefore just repeating again and again would make it boring for the audience and lead the genre into decline.(Metz cycle)

Hybrid forms help appeal to a wider audience which would target a mainstream audience.

In the text “Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth” (2000) explicitly states they are in a parody situation by explaining the rules of a parody situation. Those rules are:
Exaggerate everything.
Accept that the ridiculous is logical.
Sexual sight gags are always funny (especially with wacky sound effects)
Unlimited absurdity
Nothing is sacred (At this point, "The Killer" knocks down a cross off of a wall, killing a drunk girl who is passed out on the bed.)
Point out the obvious
Perpetuate painful stereotypes.
You can't have a successful parody without mocking contrived, confusing endings.
By talking about parodies the text is being Post modern by playing with conventions and being self referential.

“I want what any princess wants – to live happily ever after… with the ogre I married.”[1]

2007-05-04T14:01:00.000+01:00

How are heroes/heroines and villains typically represented in contemporary animation films, paying close attention to “Shrek 2” (2004)?

In 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG released its most successful film sequel “Shrek 2 (Dir:Andrew Adamson): The “biggest CGI movie ever, grossing £470million”,[2] and emerged to become Disney’s biggest competitor. Unlike most animated films, it challenged the normal codes and conventions expected from this genre by reversing the typical Straussian binary oppositions, making the ogre the Proppian “hero” and the fairy godmother the Proppian “villain”.

The typical representation of the heroine/hero requires s/he to be “good looking”[3] and have “youthful traits.”[4] This includes characteristics such as “big eyes and round cheeks,”[5] which are illustrated in “smooth, round, soft, bright, curves and with european features,”[6] whereas, the villain is “drawn with sharp angles, oversized, often darkly”[7] and is “often ugly”.[8] This is because the “colour, shape and size evoke certain psychological responses and attitudes towards an object.”[9]

Shrek 2 can be seen as a parody or a pastiche that uses the traditional characters from Disney films and fairy tales to subvert sterotypical roles, which can be interpreted as the “nostalgic substitute for any real expoloration of either the past or present.”[10] An example, is the role of ‘the big bad wolf’ which is challanged by showing him in a positive relationship with the Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio and Shrek as they are all friends. This again reverses the binary oppostion as he is portrayed as a hero because he is on Shrek’s side. Moreover, he is represented as typically modern in his identity disorientation. This is conveyed in the course of the film as the fairy godmother refers to him as the “gender confused wolf”[11] and when he is seen dressed in Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother’s clothes, there is the suggestion that he actually is a cross dresser. This has been constructed in this way to create humour for the adult contingent audience accompanying their children to the film, which is done by “mixing modern and fantasy culture.”[12]

Even though the producers of Shrek 2 represent cross dressers and the transgender bartender, the audience may perceive them as being negatively represented and there by supporting the ‘status quo’ because they are shown with all the other villains in the ‘Poison Apple.’ This suggests cross dressers and transgender people are bad characters. This supports the homophobic view as they show the villains segregated from the other people in ‘Far Far Away,’ which reflects “the shallowness of Hollywood.”[13]

However, Pinocchio is implicitly referred to as a cross dresser in a scene where he is going to save Shrek. He is asked if he is wearing womens’ underwear and because he lies his nose starts to grow. This angered many conserative groups who had complained about “the film's sexual content. However, these concerns were widely ridiculed in the media.”[14] Although, he is represented in this way he was still a likeable character this is due to him being loyal to Shrek.

In contrast, to many animated films, Shrek 2 is aimed at two audiences. The primary audience are children who gain pleasure through escapism, scopophilia and identification with the main protagonists; this is because the animation “visually stimulates their emotions.”[15] Furthermore, “psychologists suggest that children under six can not tell the difference between fantasy and reality”[16] and “children under five love repetition”[17] as it offers them “comfortable reassurance.”[18] Alternatively, the secondary audience are adults/teenagers who gain pleasure due to the nostalgia feeling, appeal of the stars/celebrities and the narrative itself. Overall, Shrek 2 is aimed at a mainstream audience and appeals to all ethnicities and ages.

The “uses and gratification” theory suggests the audience watch the film for entertainment and escapism and the fact that the sub genre is fantasy, adventure and comedy contributes to the pleasure received by the audience. Conversely, the effects theory implies “children exclusively as potential “victims” of the mass media, and (rather cruelly) allow young people no opportunity to express their critical abilities, intelligence, or free will.”[19]Additionally, the reception theory proposes the children are likely to pick up the hegemonic reading,[20] which “patronise and devalues children and young people, by assuming that they have no competencies worth considering.”[21] In contrast, they anticipate that an adult or a teenage may grasp a “negotiated reading”[22] or an “oppositional reading.”[23]

The producers of Shrek 2 rely on an active audience, who understand the jokes and the imitations of the characters from Disney films; this supports the hilarity created and strengthens the ideology of the text. The mockery of the Disney films mirrors “Disney's hostile relations with DreamWorks co-founder Katzenberg,”[24] as he was fired for asking for a promotion after one of his colleagues had passed away. A lawsuit was filed against Disney to claim the money that was owed to Katzenberg.

While, Katzenberg was working at Disney, himself and other producers made successful films such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), “Cinderella” (1950) and “Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty” (1959). However, the representations of the heroines in these previous animated films were stereotypical because they took on typical passive roles such as playing the Proppian “princess”; this resulted them in playing pretty, passive, homemakers who were subordinate to men. Moreover, the function of the princess was to perform the role of “the damsel in distress”. This is because it helps reinforce patriarchy, as the women were dependant upon the males to come and rescue them.

On the other hand, the representation of villains in these films were all women because at the time, the first wave of feminism was being introduced and this mainly focused on women getting their rights to vote. Therefore, women who were active in anyway were considered to be evil or crazy which became the assumption that became common sense to the society. This is reinforced by drawing the characters like the wicked queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with the fang shape in the collar of the cloak, and the narrowed, tricky eyes to connote her evilness. The fang shape became iconic as it was repeated in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, where the villain Maleficent had “the fang shape in the horns on her head”[25] to connote her devilish personality.

Alternatively, “Lady Tremaine” from Cinderella was similarly represented to the fairy godmother from Shrek 2; seeing that both these villains did not appear scary, as they were not illustrated with “sharp angles.”[26]However, both women were represented as selfish because they were “determined to forward”[27] their own interests as well as their childrens. The fairy godmother is characterised in the complete opposite of a typical fairy godmother, seeing that she is “scheming, conniving, opportunist of a woman, who sought to get the best for herself and her son, rather than others.”[28] She clearly does not care about Fiona emotionally, as she tries to sabotage Shrek and Fiona’s marriage at every chance possible.

Fairy godmother is represented negatively as she is the most powerful woman in the film because of the wand she clings on to. The wand has connotations of a phallic object, which represents the power she holds, as she is un-castrated. Although, she has power, she is still an un-likable character for the audience, who are positioned to feel alienated towards her, which to some extent helps reinforce misogyny, as she is a female villain.

Moreover, the codes and conventions that the producers of Shrek 2 choose to repeat is representing the female antagonists with magical powers to demonstrate how they are weak, this is created to support the dominant ideology of women being inferior to a man. This encourages the audience to hate these villians and make it easier for them to conflict against them, but then again, young girls may enjoy the “strength and the power”[29] these women hold and aspire to be like them. However, according to Freud’s theory, they would also want to be like the heroine as “every child at some time wishes that s/he were a prince or a princess--and at times, in his/her unconscious, the child believes s/he is one, only temporarily degraded by circumstances.”[30]

Fiona plays an active heroine as they portray her to be “matrix-style martial expert,”[31] which is shown when the ninjas begin to attack her and Shrek, (when Shrek is caught in the trap and hanging off the tree.) This is constructed to show how “women and men have similar skills and abilities”[32] now and to indicate that society is now more post feminist. However, in the prequel “Shrek” (2001), she acts slightly more passive because she takes on the role of the “damsel in distress”. This is signified to the audience by her having “high expectations of how she is to be rescued, and who is to rescue her.”[33]

On the other hand, “Mulan is a very different type of heroine.”[34] She goes against sterotypes as she is a ethnic minority who is the main protagonist. She goes against sterotypical roles as she is an active heroine who drives the narrative forward. The producers of this text represent her as rebellious and strong because “she always speaks her mind and goes against the wishes of her family by pretending to be a soldier and going to war.”[35] The audience are encouraged to cross-gender identify with her because they see things through a female presepective. The ideologies in “Mulan”(1998) is to encourage social change as the period in the film is set in a patriachal time. However, to encourage the change she has to be sneaky, sly and untruthful to promote “girl power”. Aditionally, Mulan takes on the role of the “final girl” by “fighting back against her attacker and defeating him.”[36]

In contrast to Mulan, Fiona challenges how a typical woman should look. When she is in her ogre form, her physique is not slim and she herself states that she is “ugly”. This is conveyed in Shrek when she hides away at night so that Shrek and Donkey does not see her ogre form. Furthermore, when she is transformed into a human woman, she is represented as slim, fair and beautiful and this suggests Mulvey’s theory on the “male gaze” is valid as it helps support the hegemony of women having to be slim to remain attractive.

Moreover, the stereotype of overweight people being “jolly/happy” is reinforced because Fiona chooses to look like an ogre. Nevertheless, she subverts the typical heroine role as she is happy looking “ugly”, which again reverses the binary opposition and promotes a new more feminist ideology for the young audience, which is “real beauty comes from the inside.”[37] Furthermore, the end/resolution of the film conveys Shrek and Fiona being ogres again to promote the ideology of self-acceptance because society accepts them. Additionally, as Fiona makes the decision that they should stay as ogres and not conform to what society believes to be beautiful; shows how women are more powerful and independent as Fiona decides how she and Shrek should look like.

This message is similar to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (1991). Seeing that, the protagonist starts off as a prince and is then turned into a beast. During the resolution, he is transformed back into the prince when he learns not to be selfish thus the spell is broken. This promotes similar ideology as Shrek 2 because Bella loves the beast for who he is and not his appearance, in the same way Fiona loves Shrek for who he is and not the way he looks.

Furthermore, Shrek is portrayed as an “ogre” to begin with and then during the middle of the narrative transforms into a good-looking man, which introduces the “female gaze” and shows how men are objectified as well in today’s contemporary western society. This is demonstrated when Shrek has to change his clothes and the female maids become excited.

“Shrek is Yiddish for monster.”[38] The film conforms and plays up to the connotations of the word “Shrek” because throughout the film he is represented as “a large, strong, peace-loving green ogre.” This challenges the stereotypes of ogres and gives the audience narcissistic identification with Shrek as they would aspire to be like him because of the way he is represented.

However, at one point in the film Shrek acts “Like an ogre!” [39] by challenging royalty, this shows him going against the norms of society and showing deviant behaviour. The way Shrek behaves can appear to be normal to the audience because the whole kingdom have predjuices attitudes against him. This can justify his actions and opinions towards them. This text is produced in this way to reflect the zeitgeist as it shows how they see royalty to be inadequate because it portrays how Americans feel about kings and queens seeing that they do not have any in the United States. This encourages them to understand Shrek and not feel horrified or shocked by his behaviour towards his royal in-laws.

On the other hand, a key scene that shows Shrek in a typical role of a hero is when he tries to break into the castle to rescue Fiona from Prince Charming. The cinematography used in the scene is a big close up of Shrek, which is then turned into a long shot. The action seen by the audience is Shrek riding on a white horse, which reinforces the traditional stereotypes of a typical hero. This is done to help the younger audience identify with Shrek, as he is the one playing the role of a hero. Moreover, the action is parallel to the off-screen sound of the song “I need a hero”, which is done to emphasise how Shrek is the hero to the young audience.
Alternatively, the villians in Shrek 2 are represented in a more comical rather than scary. The villians are seen as “the other” in Nandy’s theory, therefore they are given comedy charasterstics to make them less threatening. Moreover, “contemporary audience are much more sophiscated viewers”[40] therefore they would like to consume a text that is “fresh” and that would prevent them from getting bored. Consequently, the villians are made comical to highlight that Shrek 2 is a hybrid, which consists of comedy elements. In addition, the villians in contempoary animation have typically been a supernatural being or an animal to highlight the fantasy sub genre.

Another typical character that is subverted is the role of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 he is represented as a “weak-willed mummy's boy.”[41] In historic films such as “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, he is represented as the Proppian “hero” who saves all three of the heroines and they live “happily ever after.” However in Shrek 2 he is the Proppian false hero. The cause for the change in representation can be down to a several reasons.

Firstly, due to society changing and becoming post modern most of the conservative ideologies are rejected. Secondly, it could be perceived as another sarcastic remark about Disney films. Seeing that, Prince Charming is another version of “Gaston” from Beauty and the Beast. This suggests that the changing representations are not altered to encourage social change instead they are made to mock and have another dig at Disney. Thirdly, the familiarity of the characters and altering them slightly encourages children to watch the film and receive pleasure.

This is linked to how genre is “flexible.”[42] It uses “repertoire elements”[43] such as the theme of good vs. evil, the closed narrative of reassurance at the end of the film and the familiar characters in the animation genre. However, some of these elements used change by introducing “new elements or similar elements used in new ways.”[44] For example in Shrek 2, the style has changed as CGI is being used because of the development of technology, this development started off a new genre cycle of CGI films.

A fairly recent low budget CGI movie is “Hoodwinked”(2006), which is catogorised as a dectective style, family-comedy. It uses Altman’s theory on the producer’s game by using the same formula of what made the Shrek films successful. Examples it uses from Shrek films are having post modern elements such as making references to other films for instance “XXX”(2002) and subverting the stereotypical character roles by giving the role of the villian to Boinge. This challenges typical representations of villians, which is similar to Shrek franchise as Boinge the most cutest bunny is the “goody bandit”. The connotations and denotations correlate the villain, who appears to be “goody.” However, he is represented as a ‘baddie’ therefore making him a ‘bandit’.

Again, the role of the “big bad wolf” is switched, as in this film he is represented as sarcastic and does not take on the role of the villain. Instead plays the role of the Proppian helper, as he is a reporter trying to catch the “goody bandit.” The convention of having anthropomorphism is used by, having the frog interview the three humans and the wolf, which creates humour for the audience as they have animals as authority figures. In contrast, Shrek’s friends are all animals as he is not exactly human himself; this convention is used to help “engage audiences with the experiences of animal characters”.[45]

Furthermore, the audience are able to engage in Shrek 2 as it is classified as a classic realism text by following Todorov’s theory on narrative structure. The equilbruim is there to begin with when Shrek and Fiona are on their honeymoon. The dis-equilbruim then crops up when they receive an invitation from Fiona parents and the disequilbruim is resolved when the Shrek is accepted by the kingdom of “Far Far Away” which promotes progressive values as typically “the hero represents the truimph of what society holds to be good.”[46] However, in this case the society learns to accept Shrek. But as the audience see Shrek as a hero, the good truimphs evil ideology conforms to the “moral outcome that is typical of most hollywood films.”[47]

Finally, Shrek 2 follows the tried and tested formula by using “myths and legends which usually have the same ingredients: a hero or heroine, a baddie, a fight or a conflict and in the end, good almost always wins over evil.”[48] Though, the ways in which heroes/heroines and villains are represented have changed to some extent this is partly due to society changing. Therefore the stereotypical roles are challenged, as society is now pluralistic, post-modern and post-feminist.

To finish, the representations are carefully shaped versions of reality because what the audience see in these texts is less real then what they see in reality as it has gone through the process of mediation, which makes it a re-presentation. Therefore, the representations of heroes/heroines and villains can never be accurate because the majority of the audience believe animation is “fictive, not real: it’s just a cartoon!”[49]

Words: 3115

[1] Shrek 2 (USA, 2004) Dir: Andrew Adamson
[2] http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007000220_7,00.html
[3] Lacey, Nick (2002): Narrative and Genre, New York: Palgrave pg66-67
[4]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[5]ibid
[6]ibid
[7]ibid
[8] Lacey, Nick (2002): Narrative and Genre, New York: Palgrave pg66-67
[9]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[10] Belton, John (1994)
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf_%28Shrek%29
[12] http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvds/id/930951
[13] http://www.answers.com/topic/princess-fiona
[14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf#Shrek.27s_Big_Bad_Wolf
[15] http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-36853_ITM
[16] Simpson, Paul (2004): The Rough Guide to Kids' Movies. New York: Rough Guides.
[17] ibid
[18] Phillips, Patrick (1996)
[19] Gauntlett, David (2004) Media, Gender and Identity. London, Routledge. Pg30
[20] Morley, David (1980) Bennett Jacquie (2005): Revision Express Media Studies ("A" Level Revise Guides) Pearson Education Ltd. Pg89
[21] Gauntlett, David (2004) Media, Gender and Identity. London, Routledge. Pg30
[22] Morley, David (1980) Bennett Jacquie (2005): Revision Express Media Studies ("A" Level Revise Guides) Pearson Education Ltd. Pg89
[23] ibid
[24] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamworks
[25] http://www.wavecrest.org.uk/wavecrest/Quest%20tease%2010.htm
[26]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[27] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Tremaine
[28] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Godmother_%28Shrek%29el
[29] http://www.gwu.edu/~folktale/GERM232/sleepingb/Disney.html
[30] http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/goosegirl/notes.html
[31] Gauntlet, David (2002): Media, Gender and Identity, USA, Routledge pg75
[32] ibid
[33] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Fiona
[34] http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/Mulan/mulan3.html
[35] ibid
[36] Clover, Carol (1992): Men, Women and Chainsaws, Princeton: Princeton UP
[37] http://www.mutantreviewers.com/rshrek2.html
[38]Simpson, Paul (2004): The Rough Guide to Kids' Movies. New York. Rough Guides. Pg55
[39] Shrek 2 (USA, 2004) Dir: Andrew Adamson
[40] http://www.teachit.co.uk/ genre227 pg1
[41] http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews/feature/446/Shrek+2/
[42] Maltby, Richard (1995)
[43] Neale, Steve (2000): Genre and Hollywood. Fetter Lane, London: Routledge.
[44] Wendy Earle and Roy Stafford (2001): Film genre and introduction. London, BFI
[45] Philip Alan (2005): Essential Word Dictionary. Oxfordshire, Raithby, Lawrence and Co Ltd, Leicester
[46] Lacey, Nick (2002): Narrative and Genre, New York, Palgrave
[47] Tim o Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (2003): Studying The Media (3rd edition), London, Arnold
[48] http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/Mulan/index.html
[49]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm

Plan: June 05A

2007-05-04T10:26:00.000+01:00

Plan: June 05A
“The audience may know what to expect, but are still excited by genre texts.” To what extent is this true?

Introduction:
Genre is dynamic and is the “subject to constant process of change and adaptation” (Richard Maltby) therefore repetition is required for the recognition of the genre which is determine through “semantic elements” and “syntactic elements” the producers of the text chooses to use.

For:
In slasher films they are still excited by the texts because they know what to is going to happen because they are the “knowing audience” but because the slasher films have the feature of suspense keeps them excited and motivated them to want to watch them.

The novelty aspect is what excites the audience, as they want to know the “twist”.

“Popular film storytelling is largely repetition.” Patrick Phillips - therefore repetition is needed for the text to be successful, as the audience needs something they can relate to.
Too much variation makes the audience loose interest

Furthermore, audiences are still excited by genre because to some degree they decide what genre as it changes over time due to what is going on in society as it is reflected in most films for example:
The Vietnam War was reflected in classic slasher films such as “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974, Tobe Hooper)
Moral panics which encouraged the “white flite” was reflected in films like Halloween (1978) the idea of what the white people feared came into their safe surban homes to wreck revenge.
The anxieties teenagers felt about sex was reflected in the film through promoting conservative ideologies and reinforced the “Madonna” role as the females who were virgins survived which promotes the message of “sex equals death.”

Furthermore by promoting these conservative ideologies they are supporting the status quo.

Against:
The slasher genre went into decline after the sequels started to come out and this was no longer exciting for the audience as they became familiarised with the villains and were no longer scared of them. For example “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984, Wes Craven) franchise made Freddy less threatening and took away the impact he once had on an audience.

“Cultivation theory”- audience are desensitised to the horror so are no longer excited to watch the texts as they will not get pleasures of getting scared as that is the main reason why audience consume certain genre texts as they need their expectations to be fulfilled or they feel cheated.

Variation is needed for a text to be successful too as much repetition will set the genre into decline in Metz genre cycle. Postmodern texts like Scream (1996, Wes Craven) help reinvigorate the genre of slasher film as they explicitly states the conventions of slasher which you would think would make the film less scary and take away the impact but still make the audience excited to consume the text as they have the pleasure of enigma running through the film.

Issues and debates:
Patriarchy is reinforced in a covert way.
Hypodermic needle theory
Genre theory

Plan: Jan 06A

2007-04-15T13:25:00.000+01:00

Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative. Discuss.

“Genre offers comfortable reassurance.” (Patrick Phillips, 1996)

For:
Follows conventions- provides number of pleasures
Audience feel satisfied when their expectations are fufilled
“Popular film storytelling is largely repetition with just enough varition to give the film its own identity and surpise element.” (Patrick Phillips, 2000)
“Surprise element is predictable and based on a convention.” (Patrick Phillips, 2000)

Films repeat themselves in different ways by using the repetoire elements: style, setting, narrative, characters, audience response, themes, and iconography

Slasher sequel and trilogy for example Friday the 13th, Nightmare on elm street, Scream ECT…

Against:
Audiences have expectation and when these are fulfilled they are happy. Talk about audience pleasures while watching slasher films.

People generally know what to expect but their is variation within genre,

Genre changes with the time

Postmodern texts:
Scream (1996),
The conventions are stated in the film, but it still has the power to scare and was a great sucess. This reinvograted the genre (Metz)
The conventions is not what gives the audience pleasure,they are just used for the producer, the narrative devices such as the glory killings is what the audience want to see, and that is what gives them masochistic pleasures.

Scary Movie (2000)
Parodies previous slasher films

Conclusion:
Conclude and summarise all the point,
Genre movies are predictable and imagintive because…………….
However they are not predictable because……………………….

Plan: Jan 07b

2007-04-12T11:38:00.000+01:00

How do media representation reflect social representation reflect social inequalities? Refer to one or more social groups

Lack of women directors, so most movies are seen through a man’s perspective

Television shows- Hollyoaks (soap) uses a lot of stereotypes, so do reality TV programmes to some extent

Sitcoms like FRIENDS- use stereotypes buy role reversal as well to show the equality of men and women

Lack of women in news and politics -Token females in high jobs e.g. Rebekah Wade- successful women editor for “The Sun”

Adverts- women shown with phallic objects

Games- Tomb Raider object of the male gaze but show women in active role but men controlling her but can be seen a cross gender identifying by the male

Pussycat Dolls – conform to be objectified but sing songs promoting “girl power”

Most of the women in the media conform to the “male gaze”- Mulvey, women are objectified in newspaper “the sun”- Rupert Murdoch introduced pg3 when he re-launched the tabloid reinforces patriarchy. However, James Bond, Casino Royal (2006) introduces “female gaze” shows society is pluralistic and promotes progressive values

Women stereotypes – “bimbo”, “geek”, “Madonna/whore” complex, “femme fatale”, “housewife”
Women as powerless, passive, weak

Lack of Asians in management roles in the BBC, Greg Dyke “BBC hideously white.”

Asians in comedy roles- “brown clowns”- supports the hegemonic view/representation

Islamophobia-Popular films ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to children's cartoons are portraying "crude and exaggerated" stereotypes of Muslims such as the Disney film Aladdin represents Arabs as "(cruel) ruthless caricatures (humorous illustration) "with "exaggerated and ridiculous accents".”Good Arabs" including Aladdin are given American accents while the rest of the cast have "exaggerated and ridiculous Arab accents".- promotes American hegemony
British comedy East is East have helped demonise Muslims as violent, dangerous and threatening, and reinforce prejudices

Muslim are represented as “the other”- Nandy

Those Muslim figures who do appear in the media are seen as either holding extremist views or are "marginalised Muslims" who do not represent the Muslim community.

CBB7 Jermaine calling Jacquie “white trash”.- reflects class difference
Jade, Danielle,Jo vs. Shilpa row- reflects racism/bullying/class divide/ignorance
Use and gratification- David Morley- how the audience read the text; dominant/hegemonic reading, oppositional reading & negotiated

Gay men – soaps- Hollyoaks- Jean Paul bullied for being queer/gay.

2007-03-16T14:23:00.000Z

Ability to work independently: 1 I think I work very well independently.

Quality of writing: 2/3I think my writing has improved slightly since the last interim report. Moreover, I started to use key media terms to improve my writing.

Organisation of Media folder: 1 I got all my notes in the media folder and in order now.

Oral contributions in class: 2/3 I contribute now and then to lessons

Standard of Module 5 blog: 1

Standard of Module 6 blog: 2

targets/areas for improvement:
improve quality of writing
contribute more to both media lessons

The repertoire elements used in Shrek 2 are:

2007-03-07T13:52:00.000Z

Iconography:
Visual image: Magic tool in this case it was the potions and fairy godmother’s wand, princess, hero, villain, supernatural being e.g. fairy, monster, witch ECT…..
Sound image: parallel sound

Narrative:
Todrovian narrative structure- audience leave feeling reassured
Set piece: happy ending/resolution of the dis-equilibrium-“living happily ever after”
Linear narrative

Style:
Colour: bright colours
Special effects: lots are used because it is CGI
Continuity editing

Setting:
“Far Far away”- model of Hollywood – USA

Characters:
Fiona- princess
Shrek- hero
Fairy godmother-villain
Fairy tale characters

Themes:
Good vs. evil
Male vs. female
High class (Prince Charming) vs. low class (Shrek)

Audience response:
Laughter
Reassurance at the end of the film
Audience gain attachment with characters

Media, Gender and Identity,An introduction,David Gauntlett

2007-02-26T08:36:00.000Z

Pg 10
There’s plenty of evidence that traditionally femininity is no longer popular. Virtually everybody wants young women to be successful, so the traditional characteristics of femininity - passivity, reticence, assuming men and authority figures are right and that you are probably wrong-are therefore redundant.

Young women have a range of assertive “girl power” role models to choose from in magazine, movies and pop music

Pg64 gender in contemporary movie
[In the past and] today, every Hollywood women is someone else’s other. (1997:3)

Media, Gender and Identity an introduction David Gauntlett

2007-02-26T08:31:00.000Z

Pg30- the effects model treats children as inadequate
The media effects studies positions children exclusively as potential “victims” of the mass media, and (rather cruelly) allow young people no opportunity to express their critical abilities, intelligence, or free will. Hundreds of shallow quantitative studies, usually conducted by “psychologists”, have often been little more than traps for the subjects, and ironically allow no scope for developing psychological insights. More generous research methods, which are willing to listen to children, have shown that they can talk intelligently and indeed cynically about the mass media (Buckingham,1993,1996), and that children as young as seven can make thoughtful, critical and “media literate” video productions themselves (Gauntlett,1997).

Media effects studies support conservative and right wing ideologies, even if that is not necessarily the conscious intention of the people producing them. The studies typically suggest that social problems are not rooted in the organisation of society, and inequalities, but are actually the evil magic products of popular culture. Their conception of screen violence as a meaningless but measurable “thing” also helps those who want to blame modern media instead of considering the serious social causes of the violence. The reasearchers’ categorisations of “antisocial” behaviour often reveal that they are worried about challenges to the status quo. The tendency to patronise and devalue children and young people, by assuming that they have no competencies worth considering, also fits with these illiberal trends.

Representation of gender today-book research Pg75

2007-02-08T21:38:00.000Z

Shrek (2001)
“A princess has to be rescued by the male ogre, Shrek.”
But finds Fiona is a “matrix-style martial expert herself”
“She worries about not looking beautiful, but so does Shrek”
“Both learn to be happy and equal”
“Women and men have similar skills and abilities”
Women having to be “attractive, within out recognised conventions of what makes a women attractive.”
“Leading men also have to be attractive within the recognised convention for males.”

C4-100 greatest cartoons

2007-02-08T21:37:00.002Z

Shrek/2
Anti fairytale-reverse of a fairytale
Shrek-enjoys swamp and isolation

realism

2007-02-08T21:37:00.001Z

Shrek 2 uses a convention called “cultural verisimilitude” which reflects American’s society and conveys how they are a capitalist society.

useful info from bbc review

2007-02-07T23:16:00.000Z

The Kingdom of Far Far Away is the setting for a sledgehammer-subtle satire of Hollywood, which never offers anything dangerous or perceptive - just observation that it's glitzy, glamorous, and commercial.

Shrek 2 characters outed by U.S. group

2007-02-07T23:03:00.000Z

TORONTO -- The hit feature Shrek 2 joins the ranks of animated films to be "outed" by some Christian fundamentalists in the U.S., who charge that cross-dressing and transgender themes should make parents think twice before picking up the DVD for the family. Although many people see the Oscar-nominated film as a humorous story about a green ogre and his true love, the Traditional Values Coalition has a different take on the feature.
Tue, February 22, 2005
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2005/02/22/pf-938558.html

useful info from the cnn review

2007-02-07T22:50:00.000Z

"Shrek 2" feels just as fresh as the original.

Also look for a bit with a picture taped to the ceiling above Fiona's girlhood bed. The stud in the photo, "Sir Justin," looks a lot like a certain Justin dating a certain actress who happens to provide Fiona's voice in this film.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/18/review.shrek2/index.html

useful info from a review

2007-02-07T22:49:00.000Z

mostly fed on watered-down Golden Book renditions and, of course, bright, happy Disney translations. Beauty and goodness win, ugliness and evil don't, and the world is full of magical, mysterious creatures -- from elves and dwarves to fairy godmothers and Tinkerbells -- all ready and willing to serve us superior humans. And once we're old enough to realize what a line we've been fed, we give up and go to Disney World, hoping to recapture a bit of that naive magic,

It doesn't take long for kids to tire of the simplistic retellings of fairy tales we're bombarded with in our formative years -- few of us have actually read the dark and gruesome Brothers Grimm versions, after all, and so we're mostly fed on watered-down Golden Book renditions and, of course, bright, happy Disney translations. Beauty and goodness win, ugliness and evil don't, and the world is full of magical, mysterious creatures -- from elves and dwarves to fairy godmothers and Tinkerbells -- all ready and willing to serve us superior humans. And once we're old enough to realize what a line we've been fed, we give up and go to Disney World, hoping to recapture a bit of that naive magic, but instead we just get sick riding Space Mountain a dozen times in a row.

So here we have Shrek, born out of that precise mindset: the one that longs for the just world fairy tales reassure us exists while recognizing that that place is hopelessly idealistic.
its heart an entirely conventional fairy tale: beauty and goodness do win in the end, and ugliness and evil don't. Shrek, for all his green skin and trumpetlike ears, is really quite a cute and goodhearted ogre, and Farquaad is indeed an ugly little toad of a man, inside and out.

http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2001/05/shrek_review.html

Useful information:

2007-02-07T22:48:00.000Z

Actress Cameron Diaz is considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. And believe it or not, she thinks one of the most beautiful characters she's ever played is a green ogre, Princess Fiona in the animated movie "Shrek." Diaz gives voice to Fiona once again in "Shrek 2."

She's a princess with two faces, a beautiful one by day and a less than beautiful one at night,
Diaz disagrees. “I think Fiona's lovely as an ogre. I think she's beautiful, I think she's lovely. She's so soft and feminine and warm.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/17/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main617738.shtml

Useful info:princess fiona

2007-02-07T22:46:00.000Z

It is only a recent phenomenon that children’s animated movie heroines kick butt

Princess Fiona is a typical, beautiful and beautifully dressed damsel in distress, but no weakling, she. In a “Matrix-like” fight sequence, Fiona makes easy work of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a way that would make Stallone, Segal or Van Damme envious.

Does Blogging Help?

2007-02-07T20:04:00.000Z

1.How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?

It was easy to set up the independent study blog because I remembered how to do it from last year so I personally didn’t really need support. I was use to posting things up on the blog because when we made blog for the practical production I posted up quite a lot of posts so it didn’t take much getting use too.

2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?

The blog helped with my research because it was all there in one place so when it came to writing the independent study it was easy to use/find the research. The blog personally motivated me to do more research because it well presented and the colours and pictures help me remember the information

3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?

Yes it useful because if your absent you could just check the work on the blog.

4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog?

As much as I can.

5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?

Well it can be useful but as no one is really doing animation it’s not that helpful for my independent study so it’s not very useful but then again it can be helpful when looking at the representation of women because a lot of people are doing representation of women.

6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?

I don’t think it is controlling and intrusive because at the end of the day wheather you do your work on paper or the blog the teacher is still going to see it. It’s more encouraging and supportive as they can keep track of the research and preparation you are doing for your work

7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.

I haven’t really received any comments.

8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?

The blog was useful for essay planning because we had to post up keywords on the blog and it was easier referring to the keywords from the blog then looking for each word in the essential word dictionary when writing. Yes I think it was better because of using the blog because I actually bothered to look at the keywords on the blog and remembered some because I had posted pictures and made the keywords colourful so that I remember because they stood out.

9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?

I think my blog is excellent I really like the standard and the quality of it as I have put a lot of effort into it. I think the only thing I could have done to improve it is post up the actual book research or my key points from my book research.

10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?

yes

11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?

It’s hard just to pick the best three because there are so many well presented blogs.

12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?

well it certainly helped me so I guess it would.

13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?

Just that you may have issues logging into your blog.

14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?

Just how to post videos up on the blog, I still don’t know. :S

15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?

Yes I am pleased we used blogs it has been enjoyable and motivating and its helped me develop my it skills.

my first draft of the essay/independant study

2007-02-04T13:24:00.000Z

“I want what any princess wants – to live happily ever after… with the ogre I married.”[1] .How are heroes/heroines and villains typically represented in contemporary animation films? Paying close attention to “Shrek 2” (2004)

DreamWorks Animation SKG emerged in 2004, along with its most successful film sequel “Shrek 2”(Dir:Andrew Adamson).The “biggest CGI movie ever, grossing £470million”,[2]becoming Disney’s biggest competitor. Unlike most animated films, it challenged the normal codes and conventions expected from this genre by using Levi Strauss’ theory through reversing the binary opposition, making an ogre a “hero” and the fairy godmother a “villain” in Propp’s character roles.

The typical representation of the heroine/hero is being “good looking”[3] and having “youthful traits.”[4] This includes characterstics such as “big eyes and round cheeks.”[5] Which are are illustrated in “smooth,round,soft,bright,curves and with european features.”[6] Whereas, the villian is “drawn with sharp angles,oversized, often darkly” [7] and “often ugly”[8] looking. This is because the “colour,shape and size evoke certain psycholoigcal responses and attidues towards an object.”[9]

“Shrek 2” can be seen as a parody or a pastiche that uses the traditonal characters from Disney films and fairy tales to subvert sterotypical roles. For example, “the big bad wolf” is shown in a postive relationship with the three little pigs, Pinocheo and Shrek as they are all friends. This again reverses the binary oppostion as he is portrayed as a hero as he is on Shrek’s side. Moreover, he is represented as a disoriented being. This is conveyed in the course of the film as the fairy godmother refers to him as the “gender confused wolf.”[10] Another trait that shows this is that fact that he is dressed in Little Red Riding Hoods’ grandmother’s clothes which suggests that he is a cross dresser. This has been constructed in this way to create humour for the audience which is done by “mixing modern and fantasy culture.”[11]

Even thought the producers of “Shrek 2” represent cross dressers and the transgender bartender the audience may perceive them as being negatively represented and supporting the “status quo” because they are shown with all the other villains in “the poison apple” which suggests cross dressers and transgender people are bad characters. This supports the homophobic view as they show the villains segregated from the other people in “far far away” which portrays “the shallowness of Hollywood.” [12]

However, Pinocchio is implicitly referred to as a cross dresser, in a scene where he is going to save Shrek he is asked if he wears women underwear and because he lies he noses starts to grow. This angered many conserative groups “who objected to the film's sexual content. However, these concerns were widely ridiculed in the media.”[13] Although he is represented in this way he was still a likeable character this is mainly because he is a friend of Shrek and supported him.

In contrast, to many animated films, “Shrek 2” is aimed at two audiences. The primary audience are children who gain pleasure through escapism, scopophilia and identification with the main protagonists this is because the animation “visually stimulates their emotions.” [14] Furthermore, “psychologist suggests that children under 6 can not tell the difference between fantasy and reality” [15] and “children under 5 love repetition.”[16] Whereas, the secondary audience who are adults/teenagers gain pleasure due to the nostalgia feeling, appeal of the stars/celebrities and the narrative itself. Overall, “Shrek 2” is aimed at a mainstream audience and appeals to all ethnicities and ages.

The “uses and gratification” theory suggests the audience watch the film for entertainment and escapism and the fact that the sub genre is fantasy, adventure and comedy contributes to the pleasure received by the audience. On the other hand, the effects theory implies, as it is an American text, American ideologies and values are likely to be picked up. Additionally, the reception theory proposes the children are likely to pick up the hegemonic reading, whereas an adult or a teenage may grasp a negotiated reading or an oppositional reading.

The producers of “Shrek 2” rely on an active audience, who understand the jokes and the imitations of the characters from Disney films this supports the hilarity created and strengthens the ideology of the text. The mockery of the Disney films mirrors “Disney's hostile relations with DreamWorks co-founder Katzenberg”. [17] Who got fired for asking for a promotion after one of his colleagues had passed away. A lawsuit was filed against Disney to claim the money that was owed to Katzenberg.

The representation of heroines has changed drastically by looking at previous animated films such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), “Cinderella” (1950) and “Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty” (1959). Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora were represented in two typically roles. The first role was the “princess” in Prop’s narrative roles. This resulted them in playing pretty, passive, homemakers who were subordinate to men. The second role they all performed was “the damsel in distress” this helps reinforce patriarchy as the women were dependant upon the males to come and rescue them.

The representation of villains in “Cinderella, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Sleeping Beauty” films were all women, the way in which they are typically represented is by the way they are drawn. Maleficent has “the fang shape in the horns on her head”[18] to connote her devilish personality. The wiked queen in “Snow White” had the fang shape in the collar of the cloak, and the narrowed, tricky eyes to connote her evilness.

Whereas, with “Lady Tremaine” had a cat named Lucifer to connote her personality, who was similarly represented as the fairy godmother from “Shrek 2” as she was a “woman determined to forward her own interests as well as that of her daughters.” [19] this encourages the audiece to hate these villians and make it easier for them to conflict agaist them. However, young girls may enjoy the “strenght and the power” [20] these women hold and aspire to be like them. However, according to Freud they would also want to be like the heroine as “every child at some time wishes that s/he were a prince or a princess--and at times, in his/her unconscious, the child believes s/he is one, only temporarily degraded by circumstances.” [21]

Another typical role for the heroine is being a princess. The typical representation of a princess is to be “elegant”, “gentle” and feminine. The American conation of the word “princess” is “any woman of exceptional popularity.” [22] The typical costume a princess would wear is a formal dress “usually, a ball gown” [23] with high heels that are match her outfit. However “the contemporary style shows her wearing flats. On the head, a crown, diadem, or tiara is often worn.” [24]

Conversely, in “Shrek 2” Fiona plays an active heroine as she “expertly fights in hand-to-hand combat with martial arts skills” [25] this is shown when the ninjas begin to attack her and Shrek, (when Shrek is caught in the trap and hanging off the tree.) This is constructed “to display a much more feminized version of the traditional fairy tale princess” [26] and to indicate how the society is now more post feminist. Whereas, in the pre-equal “Shrek” (2001) she acts slightly more passive as she takes on the role of the “damsel of distress”. This is represented to the audience by her having “high expectations of how she is to be rescued, and who is to rescue her.”[27]

Fiona challenges how a typical woman should look, when she is in her ogre form, as she is represented as “fat” and “ugly” this is conveyed in “Shrek” (2001) when she hides away at night so that Shrek and Donkey does not see her looking “ugly”. Furthermore, when she is transformed into a human woman, she is represented as slim, fair and beautiful this suggest Mulvey’s theory on the “male gaze” is valid as it helps supports the hegemony of women having to be slim to remain attractive. Moreover, the stereotype of fat people being “jolly/happy” is reinforced because Fiona chooses to look like an ogre. But, she subverts the typical heroine role as she is happy looking “ugly” which again reverses the binary opposition and creates a new ideology for the young audience which is “real beauty comes from the inside.” [28]

This message is similar to Disney’s “beauty and the beast” (1991) as Shrek is represented parallel to the beast, he is conveyed as an “ogre” to begin with and then during the middle of the narrative transforms into a good-looking man at this stage in the film he has three maids arguing over him and the “female gaze” is conveyed when he has to change his clothes and the girls/maids are excited about that. In the end/resolution he is an “ogre” again. However with “beauty and the beast” the protagonist starts off as a prince and is then turned into a beast and during the resolution is transformed back into the prince when he learns not to be so selfish and the spell is broken.

Shrek acts “Like an ogre!” [29] by challanging royalty therefore going against the norms of society and showing deviant behaviour. The way Shrek behaves can be seen normal to the audience because the whole kingdom haves predjuices attitudes against him, which in a way can justify his actions and opinions towards them.The text is produced in this way to show a reflection of british society today. The british royal family are seen as the “knocking copy” as they are made fun of and exposed to the whole country in successful british tabloid newspapers such as “The Sun”. Moreover, it portrays how americans feel about kings and queens as they do not have any in the united states, this can reflect how they see royalty to be indaequate which encourages them to understand Shrek.

Shrek is adapted from the “Yiddish word meaning 'fear', 'terror', or (in its closest sense) 'fright'.” [30] The film conforms and play up to the connations and dennotations of the word “Shrek”. When donkey says “Oh, don't feel bad, Shrek. Almost everybody who meets you wants to kill you.” [31] Makes the audience feel sympathy for Shrek. So, instead of being scared and alienated towards Shrek, the audience identify with him and can feel empathy. This helps challenge the stereotype of “ogres” because Shrek is represented as “a large, strong, peace-loving green ogre.”[32] Yet again, Strauss’ theory on binary oppostion is reversed, to challenge the audience.

On the other hand, a key scene that shows Shrek in a typical role of a hero is when he tries to break into the castle to rescue Fiona from Prince Charming. The cinematography used in the scene is a big close up of Shrek which is then turned into a long shot while the parallel off-screen sound of “I need a hero” is sang by the fairy godmother which is parallel to the action seen by the audience, which is Shrek riding on a white horse which reinforces the traditional stereotypes of a typical hero. This is done to help the younger audience identify with Shrek, as he is the one playing the role of a hero. It can also be seen as ironic as fairy godmother is singing the song.

The villians in “Shrek 2” are represented in a more comical rather then scary. The villians are seen as “the other” in nandy’s theory therefore they are given comedy charasterstics to make them less threating. The role reversal could be because children are no longer scared of monster,witches and ghosts. Instead, are scared of terrorist after the nineth of September attacks in 2000. In most recent animated films the villians have typically been a supernatural being or an animal.

Donkey is another comical character used in “shrek 2” he is likeable character to many of the audience and is the “helper” in Propp’s character roles. The actor that plays him is Eddie Murphy who become a “star in the 1980s”[33] he is placed in many comedy roles which makes him conform to the role of “black entertainer”and ”racial clown” this could be because he is then “safe for white audiences.”[34]

Fairy godmother who acquires the role of the villain is characterized in the complete opposite of a typical fairy godmother, seeing that she is “scheming, conniving, opportunist of a woman, who sought to get the best for herself and her son, rather than others.” [35] She clearly does not care about Fiona emotionally, as she tries to sabotage Shrek and Fiona’s marriage every chance possible. Fairy godmother is represented negatively. She is the most powerful women in the film because of the wand she clings on to. The wand has conations of a phallic object which represent the power she holds as she is un-castrated. Although, she has power she is still an un-likable character for the audience who are positioned to feel alienated towards which in a way helps reinforce misogyny.

The normal codes and conventions “Shrek 2” follows are the representation of supernatural beings. Unlike Disney, the producers of “Shrek 2” show the antagonist fairy godmother with magical powers this is created to support the dominant ideology of women being inferior to a man. By giving fairy godmother magical powers it represents her as weak as she needs the support of a man. The wand is the object that gives her the power which connotes a phallic object that can be seen to represent a part of a man with her to try and defeat the hero.

Another typical character that is subverted is the role of Prince Charming in “Shrek 2” he is represented as a “weak-willed mummy's boy.”[36] In historic films such as “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs”, he is represented in the role of a “hero” as he saves all three of the heroines and they live “happily ever after” but the cause for the change in representation can be down to a several reasons.

Firstly, due to society changing and becoming post modern most of the conservative ideologies are rejected. Secondly, it could be perceived as another sarcastic remark about Disney films. Seeing that, Prince Charming is another version of “Gaston” from “Beauty and the Beast.”(1991) this suggests that the changing representations are not altered to encourage social change instead they are made to mock and have another dig at Disney. Thirdly, the familiarity of the characters and altering them slightly, encourages children to watch the film and receive pleasure.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast had the “highest number of sales which made it the third-most successful movie of 1991.” [37] Unlike, “Shrek and Shrek 2” it tried to help reinforce patriachy as Gaston made “chauvinistic comments”[38] like refering to Bella as the "little wife" [39] and having six or seven "strapping boys".[40]

In contrast to Gaston, Bella is represented as a polite women, which makes her the heroine in propp’s narrative roles. Princess Fiona, on the other hand, is represented as more assertive, ugly and unmannerly when she is an ogre as she takes on ogre characterstics like burping loud and not being ashamed of it. However in her human form she seem to be more “down to earth”. [41]

Similary, “Mulan is a very different type of heroine.”[42] She goes against sterotypes as she is a ethnic minority who is the main protagnist. She goes against sterotypical roles as she is an active heroine who drives the narrative forward. The producers of this text represent her as rebellious and strong because “she always speaks her mind and goes against the wishes of her family by pretending to be a soldier and going to war.”[43] The audience are encouraged to identify with her because they see things from her presepective.The ideolgies in “Mulan” is to encourage social change as the period in the film is set in a patriachal time. However, to promote the change she has to be sneaky,sly and be untruthful to promote “girl power”.

“Hoodwinked”(2006) is a dectective style, family-comedy. It is a recent low budget computer generated imagery movie, which is similar to Shrek as it uses the same conventions. For example, making references to other films for instance “XXX” and subverting the character roles. By making Boinge, (the most cutest bunny) the villian. Boinge is the “goody bandit” which is a binary opposite itself. The conations and denotations correlates the villain who appears to be “goody” however he is represented as a “bandit” therefore making him a “baddie.”

Again, the role of the “big bad wolf” is switched as in this film he is a reporter trying to catch the “goody bandit” and is represented as sarcastic. Anthropomorphism is a convention used in many animated films. In “Hoodwinked” (2006) the frog interviews the three humans and the wolf. This convention is used to help “engage audiences with the experiences of animal characters”.[44] “Hoodwinked” relies on an active audience as follows a non linear narrative.

Shrek 2 can be seen as a classic realism text as it follows Todrov’s theory on narrative structure. The equilbruim is there to begin with when Shrek and Fiona are on their honeymoon. The dis-equilbruim then crops up when they receive an invitation from Fiona parents and the disequilbruim is resolved when the Shrek is accepted by the kingdom of “far far away” which promotes progressive values. Typically “the hero represents the truimph of what society holds to be good”[45] However, in this case the society learns to accept Shrek. But as the audience see Shrek as a hero, the good truimphs evil ideology conforms to the “moral outcome that is typical of most hollywood films.” [46]

To finish, “Shrek 2” follows the tried and tested formula by using “myths and legends which usually have the same ingredients: a hero or heroine, a baddie, a fight or a conflict and in the end, good almost always wins over evil.”[47] Though, the way in which heroes/heroines and villains are represented have changed to some extent this is partly due to society changing. Therefore the stereotypical roles are challenged as society is now pluralistic, post-modern and post-feminist. Finally, the representations of heroes/heroines and villains can never be accurate as the majority of the audience believe animation is “fictive, not real: it’s just a cartoon!” [48]

Words: 2995

[1]Shrek 2 (2004)
[2]http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007000220_7,00.html
[3]Lacey, Nick (2002) : Narrative and genre, New York, Palgrave pg66-67
[4]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[5]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[6]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[7]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[8]Lacey, Nick (2002) : Narrative and genre, New York, Palgrave pg66-67
[9]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
[10]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf_%28Shrek%29
[11]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodwinked
[12]http://www.answers.com/topic/princess-fiona
[13]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf#Shrek.27s_Big_Bad_Wolf
[14]http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-36853_ITM
[15]Simpson, Paul (2004): the rough guide to kids' movies. New York, rough guides.
[16]Simpson, Paul (2004): the rough guide to kids' movies. New York, rough guides
[17]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamworks
[18]http://www.wavecrest.org.uk/wavecrest/Quest%20tease%2010.htm
[19]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Tremaine
[20]http://www.gwu.edu/~folktale/GERM232/sleepingb/Disney.html
[21]http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/goosegirl/notes.html
[22]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess
[23]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess
[24]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess
[25]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Fiona
[26]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Fiona
[27]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Fiona
[28]http://www.mutantreviewers.com/rshrek2.html
[29]Shrek 2 (2004)
[30]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek
[31]Shrek 2 (2004)
[32]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek
[33]Tim o Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (2003) : Studying the media (3rd edition) London, Arnold
[34]Tim o Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (2003) : Studying the media (3rd edition) London, Arnold
[35]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Godmother_%28Shrek%29el
[36]http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews/feature/446/Shrek+2/
[37]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%27s_Beauty_and_the_Beast
[38]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%27s_Beauty_and_the_Beast
[39]beauty and the beast (1991)
[40]]beauty and the beast (1991)
[41]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Fiona
[42]http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/Mulan/mulan3.html
[43]http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/Mulan/mulan3.html
[44]Philip Alan (2005): Essential word dictionary, Oxfordshire, Raithby, Lawrence and Co Ltd, Leicester
[45]Lacey, Nick (2002): Narrative and genre, New York, Palgrave
[46]Tim o Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (2003) : Studying the media (3rd edition) London, Arnold
[47]http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/Mulan/index.html
[48]http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm

MIGRAIN HOODWINKED

2007-01-30T22:22:00.000Z

M:
Establishing shot of a book similar to Shrek 2
quality of the film's animation has been criticized, specifically by animators within the animation industry, some of whom believe that the success of the movie shows a disregard for quality and will eventually hurt the industry
when red is upset they say she is feeling blue they have the mise en scene blue to symbolise her emotions.moreover the flowers close up to depict her emotions.
the snow fight similar to actions films
grandma uses slang “schizzel” to reflect/mock slang.
Diegetic sound of punk rock music frequently.
Book is shown for each new perspective
Little red was wearing modern clothes because she was wearing jeans skirt and t-shirt.
Granny had a mobile/modern phone when red rang her but red was using an old phone.-binary opposition

I:
The film grossed a total of $51.38 million in the United States box office and $49.39 million overseas for a worldwide total of $100.784 million. Based on the estimated budget of $15 million, this was certainly a profitable return.
The film was a particular box office success in Brazil, where it sold more than one million tickets.

G:
Family comedy,
CGI,
Mystery
Parodies:
crime thriller “The Usual Suspects” (1995)
Triple G (a homage to the Vin Diesel character Triple X in xXx) In the scene where the police find Grandma's trophies, Flippers sees GGG tattooed on the back of Grandma's neck. This is a reference to the movie xXx. A similar reference occurs in the scene where Granny causes the avalanche. This is a frame-by-frame parody of a similar scene in xXx.
Granny's command to Red to "use the hood" is likely a parody of the famous line from Star Wars where Obi-Wan Kenobi instructs Luke Skywalker to "use the force".
When twitchy drinks the coffee it can be seen as a parody to “popeye” as he drinks the coffee instead of the spinch which gives him a lot of energy.

R:
The character roles are subverted-accurate representation as it is not bias.

Gran prefers activities like snowboarding to being the stereotypical goody-making grandmother.
Boingo-(fluffy,furry,cute rabbit) villian. He is represented as sadistic as he teases red when she is tied up.
Wolf-sarcastic,reporter-(trys to catch the villian)
Twitchy squirell- talks fast connotes he is a fast animal.
Little Red-attuide,rebellious and shown fighting this could reflect “girl power” due to feminism
Flippers frog-clever
Other accents like europian people

Animals and human interact with each other which gives the idea of the “third space” and hybridity. Human are working for lizards.

Quite a lot of the characters are represented as dopey
Grizzly-officer
3 greedy pigs-big and fat so they are mocked aswell
Heron bird
Axe man “weird accent” german
This could be interepted as they are mocking germans

A:
Adults and children
Test audiences for the film, which featured parents and children, were generally positive, with some concerns by parents over the violence in the film (there are some physical altercations involving martial arts, and two scenes involving lethal explosions), and of the sinister nature of the character of the villain.

I:

N:
Non linear narrative
Circular
Protagonist-red
Hero-granny
Villain- boingo
Goat- donner

2007-01-29T16:47:00.000Z

Villains from DreamWorks Animation

Shrek:
Lord Farquaad

Shrek 2:
Fairy Godmother

Madagascar:
The fossa

Over the Hedge:
Vincent

Gladys Sharp:
Dwayne LaFountant

2007-01-28T17:00:00.000Z

Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:
(Grading should be1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

Attainment :2/3
I think my understanding of the work is reasonably good.

Effort: 1/2
This is because I put a lot of effort into my blog and class work this term.

Punctuality:1/2
my punctuality has been excellent this term I have not been late to any of my lessons.

Submission and quality of homework: 1/2
my homework is always on time and I have put a lot of effort into it this term.

Ability to work independently: 1
I think I work very well independently.

Quality of writing: 2/3
I think my writing has improved since last year I think the essay I did on women representation reflects this.

Organisation of Media folder: 3
I got all my notes in the folder but need to put them in order.

Oral contributions in class: 2/3

Standard of Module 5 blog: 1

Standard of Module 6 blog : 2/3

three targets/areas for improvement:
1.Improve quality of writing
2. Organise media folder

2007-01-28T15:59:00.000Z

white board

http://123.writeboard.com/51835bdb67fc8c770

2007-01-11T16:52:00.000Z

Blog Feedback For Anika

What good about her blog is she has primary research like she took notes through watching episodes/documentaries of wonder women. Her first paragraph is good because she talked about the institution, representation, wider context,ideology and other media (print texts).

However; I think she needs more research on the wider context (SHEP)
Another contemporary text she can use is “Elektra” (2005) as the women is that is an active heroine.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0357277/

2006-12-30T18:09:00.000Z

Blog Task 14: My first paragraph

DreamWorks Animation SKG emerged in 2004, along with its most successful film sequel Shrek 2.the "biggest CGI movie ever, grossing £470million"[1], becoming Disney’s biggest competitor. Unlike most animated films, it challenged the normal codes and conventions expected from this genre by using Levi Strauss’ theory through reversing the binary opposition, making an ogre a “hero” and the fairy godmother a “villain” in Propp’s character roles. This could be down to post modernism as they don’t believe traditional values.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007000220_7,00.html

2006-12-29T21:53:00.000Z

my essay tittle will be:

" I told you ogres don't live happily ever after!"
How are heroes/heroines and villains typically represented in contemporary animation films? Paying close attention to Shrek 2 (2004)

or

"I want what any princess wants - to live happily ever after… with the *ogre* I married."
How are heroes/heroines and villains typically represented in contemporary animation films? Paying close attention to Shrek 2 (2004)

2006-12-29T18:24:00.000Z

The Villains

Villains come in all shapes and sizes, but in popular art there are a few sure fire methods to help people identify who the enemy is.
With the wicked Queen from Snow White, again we see the fang shape in the collar of the cloak, and the narrowed, tricky eyes. The mouth too reveals constant displeasure. The heart shape of the face does not relieve the feeling of malevolence.

And when she turns into the witch, a new set of
Characteristics come into play: The eyes this time are large, but the irises and pupils are lost in them, appearing small, and giving the cue that you are not
Liked. Fang shapes appear in the way her hair hangs in tufts, in her nails, and in rounded form in the nose, mouth and chin. Angry brows are often present.
The sideways look also makes her look shifty. The ugly gaps in her dentition and the wart on her nose add little to the appeal, indeed, they constitute another sentic form – the bringer of disgust.

Interesting to compare the eyes
and the downturned mouths in Snow White’s Queen,and the Stepmother in Cinderella. And the appendages to her head designed to give greater height and impressiveness.

In the Sleeping Beauty, the malevolent force here also reveals the fang shape in the horns on her head, and the shapes of her cloak drapery. Her companions too reveal these shapes – the crows in the shapes of the beak and wing feathers. And she turns into a quite magnificent dragon.

And in the magnificent Cruella de Ville – pointy cheekbones, chin, and mouth corners. Often angry brows, and fanged hair and nails.

And then there is the legendary Captain Hook. Not much here in the way of fang shapes – a hint in the eyebrows and moustache, the pointy chin and nose, and of course the hook itself. But here the main message is carried by wilful chin and posture, the clenched fist and angry brow and mouth.

http://www.wavecrest.org.uk/wavecrest/Quest%20tease%2010.htm

2006-12-29T17:03:00.000Z

Essay plan

My independent study focuses on the representation of how heroes and villains are typically represented in animated films. I decide to use shrek 2 as it is a post modern text and it subverts the usual expectations of a typical hero as shrek is an ogre, where in more liberated times he would have been seen as a villain. Furthermore, in shrek 2 they use a transgender bartender, which in the past would have not been allowed in a children’s animated film as it would be seen as unacceptable as the values were more conservative.(R,G,I)

Other texts: (recent)
I will be looking at which challenges/conform to the typical roles of the hero and have similar/different ideologies to shrek (I)

“Hoodwinked” (computer animated film) (G)
Stereotype of grandma being helpless instead she is outrageous thrill seeker who would just as soon be skydiving and snowboarding as sitting in her rocker.”

The wolf being a predator /villain instead he is a more complex and comical character.

The villains are Boingo (the cute and fluffy bunny) and his henchmen (least expected.)

Red riding hood is typically known as endangered little girl without much to say for herself but in hoodwinked she is a teenaged rebel with her own hopes, dreams and tough-as-nails attitude.

Traditonal characters are used to challenge the stoerotypical roles and this is done to creates humour which is done by mixing modern and fantasy culture. (R)

Beauty and the beast as it similar to shrek 2 (Disney animated film) (G)
A handsome and popular, but crude and arrogant, man named Gaston wants to marry Belle similar to prince charming wanting to marry fiona.(N)

Belle loves the Beast enough to see past his outer ugliness similar to shrek 2 as fiona loves shrek and doesn’t care about his looks.(N)

Shrek and beast are ugly in contrast to bella and fiona who are represented as beautiful.-binary oppostition(N)

Mulan – active heroine goes against stereotypes

How they are typically represented:
· Princess Fiona is represented as the typical princess from fairy tales, speaking formally in matters of courtship and presenting high expectations of how she is to be rescued, who is to rescue her.
· The heroine is usually a princess/the hero is usually a prince (Disney films)
· The heroine is passive e.g. Cinderella, sleeping beauty, snow white
· The villain is scary, evil, funny looking. The colours they are frequently dressed in are dark purple/blue, black and green.
· The female heroes are subordinate to men- like in shrek 2, shrek drives the narrative forward.
· The villain is supernatural being or an animal
· Eddie Murphy put in the comedian role “black entertainer”,” racial/black clown” like in "shrek 2" and "shrek" he plays donkey
· Shrek has to conform to being “handsome” in order to be accepted
· Shrek could be seen as “the other” to the people in the kingdom
· The villains are seen as the “the other”
· Stereotypes used e.g women in domestic tasks/housewives
· Narrative roles used (prop)
· Genre expectations are fulfilled

Keywords I need to use:
Ø Hegemony
Ø Marxism
Ø Marxist capitalism-media and culture industries reinforce traditional gender roles and support the status quo by the dominant ideology
Ø Traditional values
Ø “Femme fatale” is a typical role used for a female villain this helps promote misogyny as the young audience and adult audience are encourage to hate women.
Ø Mainstream
Ø Male gaze-Laura Mulvey
Ø Passive audience
Ø Right wing
Ø American dream

How they are not typically represented:
.+.Mulan and princess Fiona are active heroines
.+.The beast and shrek are not seen as villains even thought they are seen as “ugly”
.+.Heroines are usually pretty
.+.Mulan is an ethnic minority which is not usually shown in many animated films.
.+.Bartender could be seen as a villain as he works in “the poison apple” where all the villains hang out, however they are shown in a more comical way rather then scary.
.+.Challenges stereotypes-encourage social change

Keywords I need to use:
Ø Pluralistic
Ø Progressive values
Ø genre expectations are subverted
Ø Myth- Shrek an ogre can be seen as a myth as he in underpinning a set of cultural assumptions.
Ø Going against the norms of society
Ø Post feminism
Ø Post modernism
Ø Left-wing
Ø Deviance-behaviour that turns away from the norm of which is generally accepted in society.

Other keywords I need to use overall:
Ø Binary opposition-(Strauss) audience are positioned in narratives to take sides and rewarded by the success of the side they identified with.
Ø linear narrative structure-(Todorov)
Ø parallel action
Ø parody
Ø pastiche
Ø prejudiced
Ø prequel
Ø protagonist
Ø alienation-emotional separation
Ø antagonist
Ø Anthropomorphism-the attribution to animals/inanimate objects of human feelings, emotions and other characteristics. This is done to help engage the audience with the experiment of animal characters.
Ø Archetype-an often repeated character type or representation which is instantly recognisable to an audience.
Ø Utopia-idealised world where everything’s perfect. Dyer sees these genres as offering fantasy escapism from everyday life problems and routines.
Ø Blockbuster
Ø CGI-computer generated imagery
Ø Cultural imperialism- the dominance of western/us society cultural values across the world.
Ø Disneyfication-removal of controversial sexual, morally ambivalent or violent content so that it is made suitable for family viewing.
Ø Genre theory-explains the appeal to audiences. Key theorist is Richard Dyer.-audiences are offered abundance, energy, excitement, spontaneity and community which are not presented in our daily lives.
Ø Golden age-an ideal period in history which looked back on wit nostalgia. The golden age of Hollywood films was 1930-1948
Ø Institution
Ø Knocking copy-newspaper articles which give negative, unflattering or embarrassing events in order to criticise individuals in the public eye. E.g. the royal family in the tabloid press.

Audience theories I will include:
I think the uses and gratification can be used for my main text which is Shrek 2 as it suggests the reason why the audience watch the film is for entertainment, escapism as it the sub genre is fantasy, moreover it is humorous because its subverts the convention of fairytales. On the other hand, the effects theory can also be applied as it is an American text American ideologies and values are likely to be picked up. I think the reception theory can be applied as well as the children are likely to pick up the hegemonic reading, whereas an adult or a teenage may grasp a negotiated reading or an oppositional reading. (A)

For representation of heroines Mulvey's Theory (R)
Feminism (R) how it is changed as Fiona (heroine) challenges how a typical women should look like. Therefore going against society’s “status quo”. (I)

Freud (A)

Pleasures audience get from watching animated films:
Identification with main protagonists
Nostalgic feeling from shrek, shrek 2 and hoodwinked
Scopophilic- from looking
Appeal of stars/celebrities
Entertainment
Escapism

Why heroes and villains are used?
To help audience identify
They may feel cheated if theses binary oppositions are not used

2006-12-15T22:21:00.000Z

historical texts

Feminism in disney films
At the forefront of their argument is an apparent desire to keep the heroine portrayed as a homemaker, and generally dependent upon males. While it is agreed that the early female characters, such as Snow White and Cinderella, were reliant on males, and generally possessed submissive qualities, there has clearly been a transformation since that time.

Godmothers:
The godmothers have been fairies, witches, and goddesses in the numerous variations of the story. In some Christian religions, a godmother is a "woman who sponsors a child at baptism and assumes responsibility for the child's religious guidance up to confirmation" (Websters 1990). In a more general sense, a godmother takes responsibility for caring for a child physically, emotionally and mentally.
In my texts:
Shrek 2:fairy godmother goes opposite of the norm as she doesn’t care about Fiona emotionally as she is not empathetic and sympathetic because she doesn’t accept Shrek even thought Fiona loves him. Instead she wants her son to marry Fiona, so she puts herself before Fiona which is not very caring.
Cinderella: fairy godmother helps Cinderella get to the ball so does care for her emotionally as that makes her happy.
Sleeping beauty: there are numerous fairies, 3 good ones and one bad one which is the villain of the film.
Peter pan: Tinkerbell is a fairy but not a godmother.
101 Dalmatians: no fairies/godmothers
snow white and seven dwarfs: no fairies/godmother

Representation of heroes/heroines:
Most beautiful person in the world:Physical beauty is always important especially in female characters. The human race has been obsessed with physical beauty most likely since it began. However, this gift is given first which implies that it is not as important as the gifts which follow. Still, we know that this princess will be beautiful and thus physically desirable.
Shrek 2: goes against this as Fiona is an ogre wife
All other historical texts this is applicable to this statement.

How heroes/heroines and villains are represented in disney animated films?
In fact, Disney’s idealized worlds rest largely on the artfulness of animation: good characters (e. g., Simban, the Sultan, Ariel, Pocahontas) display youthful traits such as big eyes and round cheeks (Lawrence 67) and are drawn in curves, smooth, round, soft, bright, and with European features; villains (e.g., Scar, Jafar, the Hun, Ratcliffe, Ursula) are drawn with sharp angles, oversized, and often darkly. Animation has available the same artistic capacity as illustration, where colour, shape, and size evoke certain psychological responses and attitudes towards an object.

Audience: (freud)
When fairy tales came into being "princes and princesses were as rare as they are today, and fairy tales simply abound with them. Every child at some time wishes that he were a prince or a princess--and at times, in his unconscious, the child believes he is one, only temporarily degraded by circumstances. There are so many kings and queens in fairy tales because their rank signifies absolute power, such as the parent seems to hold over his child. So the fairy-tale royalty represent projections of the child's imagination" (Bettelheim 1975).

Animation and audience:
Animated motion attracts our attention, mitigating its graphic fiction. Children, in particular, are attuned to animation because it visually stimulates their emotions (Moellenhoff 105) and Disney has shown itself "capable of understanding the way that children think and feel better than any other filmmaker" of our time (Rosenbaum 69). Observe any pre-schooler or grade schooler watch Disney–their eyes are wide and their bodies quake; laughter is spontaneous and fright discernible (Takahashi, 1991). As Bjoerkqvist and Lagerspetz (1985) found, children respond cognitively and physiologically to the meaning of the animation.

For children, animation pierces the consciousness and physical existence with experiential meaning, creating a realm of understanding unavailable via literacy or non-cinematic physical activity. Adults likely interact with cinema in a similar, though less transparent manner, given their socialization to self-control and public self-consciousness. Of course, viewers, young and old, recognize animation as fictive, not real: it’s just a cartoon! However, reality and fantasy do not compete in Disney, but "unite in a droll way" (Moellenhoff 114) exempting the stories from fidelity to extant or historical conditions.

Values and ideology:
Disney animations are unequalled in their narrative loyalty to dominant ideology and cultural values, consistently leading audiences to "realistically" believable fantasy lands. In the Lion King, for instance, Disney relies on our continuing cultural affection for royalty. Close attention to the narratives and character traits suggests that although Disney animations remain "naive, childlike, even childish" (Moellenhoff 114), they are not the fairy tales of imagination that children need (Bettleheim, 1977), nor are they socially progressive. Rather, Disney animations are self-contained confections mass-produced by adults writing, selling, and promoting themes for product licensing and private profits (Herman & McChesney 54)–with consumerist values and ideologies supportive of capitalist globalization.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)

Representation:
The Queen is a fictional character in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairy tale and the Disney animated film based on it. The Queen was often referred to as "Queen Grimhilde" in Disney publications of the 1930s.The Queen is extremely beautiful but very evil and very proud and vain. She seduced and married a widowed King who had a daughter called Snow White with his first wife.(femme fatale) After the King died, the Queen sent Snow White to work in the castle and forced Snow White to abandon her title as Princess, similar to the situation of Cinderella.Aside from being the first ever classic Disney villain, the Queen holds symbolic status above the rest of the Disney villains and is regularly seen as their leader - although the most powerful is traditionally Maleficent, even she follows the Queen.The Queen ranks #10 in the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Best Movie Villains of All Time.

Wider context:
Snow white can cook all of the dwarfs’ favourite meals, and would clean their house while they are away. A feminist critique of the film or fairy tale quick to point out the creation of a subordinate role for the woman by the protective male hegemony. This would lead feminists to label the film as anti-feminist, with the usual paternal ideology driving the story.

Before Snow White, Grumpy had control over the dwarves, and realized his homo-erotic sexual fantasies by isolating the seven of them from the world of women to conduct their own drunken homosexual orgies. As twisted as this may sound, Disney is merely portraying the societal structure of a world at war, when the male and female spheres are divorced from each other by distance, and homo-erotic bonds grow between the males and separately between the females.

It is obvious the queen hates men- the only one in her court that we see is the huntsman, rudely ordered to do the queen's bidding as a slave. The queen operates as the dominant matriarch in a system excused of any sort of patriarchy. Men seem all but expelled from her kingdom.

Cinderella (1950 film)

Representation:
Therefore, Cinderella's wicked stepmother cunningly chooses her words with care and -- unlike her awkward daughters -- never lets her temper get the best of her. She simply smiles an icy smile and handles matters in her own way ... behind the scenes.

Representation:
Cinderella uses everything short of physical force to persuade her stepmother that she has every right to attend. This makes her one of the more memorable Disney heroines. Actress Helene Stanley performed the live-action reference not only for Cinderella, but also for Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty"

Peter pan (1953)

Until this movie, the role of Peter Pan had always been played by a young woman. Instead, Walt Disney chose to portray him as a 12-year-old boy. Disney explained the age by saying, "He is 12 years old forever simply because he refuses to grow up beyond that comfortable age."

Audience:
There are numerous other differences, including the revision of Tinker Bell's "death" (whereas in the original play she gets knocked out by a poison, in the animated film she gets knocked out by a bomb), which can be attributed to Disney's history of artistic license and reshaping of content to be more suitable for younger audiences.

Representation:
Tinker Bell (who wears a slim, green dress, slippers, and yellow panties) owes her shapely form to the Pin-up girls of the war.

Representation:
The version of Captain Hook who appeared in the Disney animated film adaptation of Peter Pan was a cowardly fool, Though he has his evil moments, Hook is overall a comically inept villain compared to other Disney villains such as Jafar or Maleficent. He apparently loves loopholes — after he promises Tinker Bell that he will not lay a finger (or a hook) on Peter, he then lays a bomb in Peter's hideout, since he didn't say he wouldn't do that. Captain Hook appears briefly in the animated film Shrek 2, where he plays the piano in a tavern, representing the musician Tom Waits who wrote and performed the song in question, Little Drop Of Poison.

Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty(1959 film)

Representation:
Maleficent finds her target and strikes. Savouring her victory over the weeping good fairies, she gloats, "You poor simple fools, thinking you could defeat me, me! The mistress of all evil." But Maleficent had best not underestimate her moral challengers. Maleficent's fearfully unkind persona was voiced by Eleanor Audley, who had previously performed Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother in "Cinderella" (1950).
Princess Aurora's long, thin, willowy body shape was inspired by that of Audrey Hepburn. (Model)
Disney, in their version of Sleeping Beauty, creates the Princess Aurora as the epitome of womanhood and femininity, while Maleficent is her exact inverse. The structure of the Sleeping Beauty tale gives Disney the perfect opportunity for designing Aurora as the ultimate woman. The fairies are each supposed to give the girl a gift at her birth that will make her the picture of perfection. In Disney's Sleeping Beauty, the first fairy grants her beauty, including "lips that shame the red, red rose" and "sunshine in her hair." Maleficent, in contrast, has a sharp, pointed face, sneering lips, and no hair at all. The gift granted by the second fairy is the gift of song. Princess Aurora has a beautiful, melodious voice, while Maleficent's voice is scratchy and low.
Throughout the movie the direct contrast between Aurora and Maleficent is very apparent. Maleficent is drawn surrounded in gloom, dressed all in black, her face a pale and hideous shade of green; Aurora, with her soft pink complexion, wears light blue dresses and is surrounded by sunshine. Maleficent sits, smoldering with rage in a distant, gray castle, encircled in storm clouds, while Aurora waltzes about in the warm, green woods. Aurora converses with cute, furry animals; Maleficent lives among dim-witted, boorish, troll-like henchmen. (Binary opposition) Maleficent is active and clever and unruly. She is toweringly tall and devoid of feminine feature (such as hair) and the complete opposite of the standard of feminine beauty set by Aurora.
She is a lonely woman. The three "good fairies" have each other and are motherly figures who end up raising the princess, but Maleficent is without anyone. As the green fairy, Fauna, explains: "Maleficent doesn't know anything about love or kindness or the joy of helping others." A woman's life should revolve around love and the joy of helping others, but these are qualities in which Maleficent is deficient. By presenting Maleficent as unwomanly, Disney is able to make her a monstrous anomaly and therefore to deny the threat of feminine power. (Feminism)

maleficent is sourround by green flames this connote her jealousy and fury when she is not invited to the birth cermony of princess aurora. she is given horns which connotes that has devil like qualaties. around her neck it looks like bat wings which is animal which not very liked. they use the diegetic sound of thunder when maleficent appeared this was because this would frighten children and make them feel alienate towards her. as she lived in the "forbidden mountain" which was isolated from the kingdom where it was dark,gloomy and thundery potraying malaficent personality.also the music used when malaficent would appear on screen would be loud dramatic music.furthermore, as she lived at the top of the mountain its could connote how she is superior and powerful.

aurora is shown sweeping/cleaning at the age of 16 which in more liberated times she would be seen as an adult in other words a women this was shown to represent the sterotypical role women had back then.

Representation:
The prince must fight his way through the thorns, hacking them to pieces valiantly with his sword. Upon surpassing this obstacle, he must then deal with the evil Fairy. She assumes the form of a horrible dragon (black and green, of course), and they do battle, whereupon the prince kills the dragon. This represents a considerably more significant effort on the part of the prince, as well as creating a sort of test to demonstrate that he is truly worthy of the princess.
Audience:
It also serves to put some action into a tale otherwise devoid of any violence, again appealing to youths who are used to action-packed cartoons.

Audience:
By making Maleficent an inherently evil person, Disney sets up an evil for the audience to hate, and thus an easier conflict to identify. Disney seems to consider this especially necessary in dealing with young children. It makes all the sticky moral questions go away, and the children can simply hate the witch.

Young girls watching the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty see an outlet for their feelings of strength and power in Maleficent at the same time they desire to be like the ideal set for them in Aurora. They come to feel this good woman/bad woman dichotomy within themselves-- and to believe these are two separate selves which are incompatible with one another. Disney makes the "good woman" and the "bad woman" so separate-- such complete, binary opposites-- that it seems impossible that they can co-exist within one person. A girl ends up feeling that in certain situations she is one, and in other situations she is the other; she aspires to be like the ideal woman, presented in Aurora, but she enjoys using power like Maleficent. She will see a division between the kind and loving, and the powerful and strong within herself, rather than seeing the combination and the way they work together within her and combine to create one, complete personality.

theorys:(Freud and Mulvey theory applied)
Spindle in sleeping beauty: A spindle is "the thin rod in a spinning wheel serving to twist and wind the thread" (Websters 1990). The spindle can have a shape tip and usually does in illustrations of the story. In psychological interpretations of this tale, the spindle is considered to be a phallic symbol.

Wider context:
Fairy tales were used by a number of parties in the Weimar Republic as political propaganda, primarily in order to indoctrinate the youth to the party line. The Social Democrats, the Communists, and the National Socialists all used fairy tales extensively. The messages contained in fairy tales such as the Grimms' were particulary useful for conservative groups, because classic tales such as "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" "reinforced the patriarchal order and gender specification in German upbringing." Because they were already well-suited to the message some political parties wanted to convey, "as far as young listeners and readers were concerned, the fairy tale came to be used in a conservative sense that had political overtones."

The Social Democrats and Communists attempted, largely unsuccessfully, to write new tales or rewrite old ones in order to introduce their own morals, social views, and political agenda into children's literature. These were not very successful for a number of reasons, including the fact that audiences of the tales did not appreciate having new endings tacked onto their classic tales, and preferred tales which did not represent a challenge to the status quo.

In addition to indoctrinating young people, fairy tales like "Sleeping Beauty" became a form of political propaganda which bolstered the Nazis' popularity among the general populace. By comparing Hitler to heroes in beloved, univerally known tales, the Nazis shored up support for their political activities and reinforced the image of Hitler as the unerring Führer. An example of this sort of glorification is Adolf Holst's Der Drachentöter ("The Dragonslayer"), in which Hitler is the prince who battles hell to free the princess (Germany) and wake it up -- "and all of the people cried out: 'Heil!'"

the film also helps reinforce the status quo by using the song lyrics of "hail to the king,hail to the queen,hail to the princess aurora." this is a dominant ideolgy of respecting royalty which is reversed in shrek 2. as shrek does not respect royalty but is still seen as a likeable character.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

Representation:
Cruella De Vil: The villain of the film; an eccentric rich woman who has the puppies kidnapped in order to turn them into fur coats. She is a social parasite; she visits her ex-classmates, keeping a pretence of friendship, while taking advantage of their fears.She'll do whatever she has to do to get those beasts and their coveted coats. And once in her evil hands, those puppies must never leave "Hell Hall" alive. Cruella may live for fur -- but the pups, well, she doesn't give much thought to them. Created by Marc Davis, talented animator of both Maleficent and Cinderella, Cruella is considered a masterpiece of animation art and design.

links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella_(1950_film)
http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/tremaine/tremaine.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/maleficent/maleficent.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Disney_Villains
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_(1953_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_movie)
http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm
http://www.gwu.edu/~folktale/GERM232/sleepingb/Disney.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/cruella/cruella.html
http://www.gwu.edu/~folktale/GERM232/sleepingb/Disney_vs_grimm.html
http://www.gwu.edu/~folktale/GERM232/sleepingb/Nicks_base_page.html
http://www.purewestmedia.com/writing/snowwhite.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/trivia
http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~mkuczyns/home.html

2006-12-07T12:48:00.000Z

The Golden Age of American animation

The Golden Age of American animation is a period in American animation history that began with the apperance of sound cartoons in 1928, peaked during the mid 1940s, and continued into the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts slowly began losing to the new medium of television animation. Many of the most memorable characters emerged from this period including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Droopy Dog, Popeye, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, Tom and Jerry, and the Pink Panther and an incredibly popular adaptation of Superman. Feature length animation also began during this period, most notably with Walt Disney's first films: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Bambi.

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

2006-12-07T12:44:00.000Z

SHREK (5/16/01) Dreamworks. 89 mins. D: Andrew Adamson & Victoria Jensen. (computer animation)In a fantasy world that parodies Fairy Tales and Disneyland, an orge helps a tyrant by rescuing an imprisoned princess. Total U.S. Box Office Gross: $267,783,866. Academy Award Winner - Best Animated Feature.

2006-12-01T19:24:00.000Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ifs_news/hi/newsid_4760000/newsid_4766000/nb_wm_4766020.stm
Hollywood animations formulaic?
There is a clip on this site as well as information on how Computer-generated movies have led to a multi-billion dollar boom for US animation with hits such as Finding Nemo and Shrek.

2006-11-26T16:00:00.000Z

How Mulvey's Theory Can Be Applied To My Independant Study

Fairy godmother is the most powerful women in the “Shrek 2” as she has the magic wand that has connotations a phallic object. The phallic object represents “power” and is used to stop the male audience feeling castrated. Moreover, it conveys how patriarchy still exists as to have “power” you need to have a penis/ be un-castrated. Although, the fairy godmother has “power” she is still not a likeable character and therefore seen as a villain which reinforces misogyny.

In the scene where Shrek and his friends are trying to get into the castle. Shrek is shown riding on a white horse which reinforces the stereotypes of a typical hero at this point the audience are position to identify with him as the hero. Therefore the audience experience narcissism as they wish to be like him ideally another scene where the audience experience this is when shrek wakes up and finds out he is a human, the point of view shot helps create a sense of identification with him. furthermore in this scene, three women are all over Shrek, which again reinforce patriarchy.

Classic realism is applied as “Shrek 2” follows a Todorovian narrative structure. It have Starts of with an equilibrium – Shrek and Fiona on their honeymoon, then the dis-equilibrium begins when they receive and invitation from Fiona's parents. Finally, the resolution when Shrek and Fiona are accepted my the people in “far far away”.

2006-11-15T19:23:00.000Z

Summary of Laura Mulvey’s theory

Laura Mulvey (a feminist film theorist) came up with the theory of the “male-gaze”. The paper she wrote based on it was called “visual pleasure and narrative cinema” (1975)

Muvey believed that the spectator (audience) were positioned to see things from a male point of view “male gaze” therefore women were objectified (taking away their human qualities and turning them into an object so that their purely there to be looked at) as a result of this patriarchy would be reinforced. This could be because seeing women represented in that way would give the spectator pleasure( these pleasures may be erotic, voyeuristic, sadistic or scopophilic) but at the same time anxiety would be produced if an phallic object or fetish object (such as leather, whips, boots, stockings..) were not exposed because according to Freud by looking at a women in that way would make the man feel castrated which is a man biggest fear as that would be taking away his power. Furthermore, as men liked to have power could suggest why misogyny was introduced which could be for the reason that when men were younger they were controlled by their mothers and the factor that women have the ability to reproduce by giving birth could make them feel very very jealous.

Narcissism is used in cinema when we identify with the hero as that is how we would want ourselves to be ideally.

She made use of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Freud was a psychoanalysist, who looked at the human mind and tried to interpret human behaviour, he came up with this theory around the 1900.

He used an iceberg to explain his theory. He stated the top of the ice berg which was about 1/10 was how conscious we were and then bottom of the iceberg which was 9/10 was our unconscious so how much we are not aware. For example he said our dreams was when our unconscious came out and when we have blurted out things which we were not meant to say or don’t know why we said. He used the term resistance for those who refused to accept his theory about the unconscious and repression for those who did not want to know.

2006-11-08T19:29:00.000Z

women adverts!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhrcPAbWGE
Advert 1: Beeper service
This is a traditional advert as it conforms to stereotypes of women being dumb. They show both women playing the role of a "blonde bimbo".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbhHOZZXnI
Advert 2: Flake chocolate
The women in this advert is shown at home on her own and she is exposed in very skimpy clothes and they show her eating the flake chocolate which could be interrupted as a phallic object being the male penis as she starts touching her body after taking her first bite of the chocolate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOxm7KrUj9c (longer version)

and

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-oAynhMrzI&mode=related&search= (shorter version slightly diffrent)
Advert 3: Pepsi advert
This definitely challenges the traditional role of women as they show Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez fighting with men while David Beckham is just sitting there watching them. So the advert shows how gender roles have been reversed. This advert is post feminist as Jennifer Lopez and beyonce Knowles are wearing tight cat suits so this would reinforce the "male gaze" but they are shown as independent women as well.

2006-11-06T20:07:00.000Z

Self evaluation

Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:(Grading should be1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

Attainment :2/3
I think my understand of the work is quite good

Effort:1/2
This is because I put more effort into my blog work then class work because I am enjoying the topic I have chosen to do and the blog motivates me as it well presented and the colours and pictures help me remember the information.

Punctuality:1/2
I think I am on time to most of my media lessons but I think I only ever been late once which was today but I had a really good reason and that was because I sorting my UCAS out.

Submission and quality of homework :1 and 3
I always submit the work in on time so that what the 1 is for however I think the quality would be a 3.

Ability to work independently: 1
I think I work very well independently and I think the my blog proves it.

Quality of writing :3
We have not really done any work which has been assessed yet so I am basing this on last year.

Organisation of Media folder :3
I got all my notes in the folder but need to put them in order.

Oral contributions in class:2/3
I contribute to lessons more,more then I did last year.

Standard of Module 5 blog :1/2
This is because I enjoy the work I am doing on the blog because I got choose what I wanted to do.

Standard of Module 6 blog : 3
I think the presentation of my blog is good but the quality of writing needs to be improved.

three targets/areas for improvement:
1.Improve quality of writing
2.Improve module 6 blog
3.Organise media folder

2006-11-02T12:25:00.000Z

'Shrek 2' is children's favourite film
Monday, November 29 2004, 09:56 UTC - by Daniel Saney

Shrek 2 won the award for best film in the children's BAFTAs yesterday.The category was the only one whose result was decided by a poll of fans themselves, in which over 6,000 children participated. In second place came Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was best feature film in the eyes of BAFTA experts. A Special Award for outstanding creative contribution to children's film and televison went to Florella Benjamin, former Playschool presenter. In 2001 she was given an OBE for her work in broadcasting.Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow was recognised with two awards, for best entertainment and best presenters for Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds17309.html

2006-11-02T12:17:00.000Z

'Shrek 2' best-selling DVD of 2004 in US
Tuesday, January 4 2005, 08:40 UTC - by Daniel Saney

Animated sequel Shrek 2 was the biggest-selling VHS/DVD of 2004 in the United States, selling a total of 37 millions units, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Of the 37m copies sold, 21.6m were on DVD format. Combined sales of DVDs and VHS copies have amassed around $458m in total. In the hysteria of buying the sequel, there has also been a great boost for the sales of the original Shrek, bringing the sale of an extra 5.6m units. The film has now sold an estimated 47m copies.Though the statistics are not yet final the movie is expected to be followed in the rankings by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Spiderman 2 in the US chart.Shrek 2 is the biggest-selling home video release ever in the UK.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds18069.html

2006-11-02T12:09:00.000Z

Timberlake disturbed by 'Shrek' role
Friday, January 13 2006, 21:13 UTC - by Fiona Edwards

Justin Timberlake has been disturbed by reports that he will play girlfriend Cameron Diaz's cousin in the third Shrek movie.The pop singer is set to voice the role of Prince Artie, the future King Arthur in Shrek III. However, on finding out that the character will not be a love interest for Princess Fiona, but will actually be her cousin the star was a little weirded out."I believe our characters in the movie are cousins, so that's disgusting," he moans. "I mean, I'm from Tennessee, so I heard it does happen where I'm from. But you know, I don't think it's such a good thing universally."The star also has 'doubts' over the suitability of the movie for children: "It's a kid's movie. I don't think cousins should be doing that kind of thing."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds28107.html

2006-11-02T12:06:00.000Z

'Shrek 3' receives new name
Wednesday, March 22 2006, 09:56 UTC - by Daniel Saney

The third movie in the Shrek series has been given a slightly more imaginative title than Shrek 3 - Shrek The Third, according to Empire.Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy will reprise their roles for the new instalment which will see the green ogre and his princess strive to return to their swamp and leave the task of ruling Far, Far Away, but first they must find their successor.Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake enters the fray as King Arthur.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds30746.html

2006-11-02T12:02:00.000Z

Diaz reveals perks of working on 'Shrek'
Sunday, July 2 2006, 08:22 UTC - by Susanna Regan

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds35438.html

this is a link to an article i found on where cameron diaz think working in animated movies such as shrek are fun.

2006-10-26T16:49:00.000+01:00

Book research!!!

Books that I looked at which are useful:

Makinnon,Kenneth (2003) : Representing Men: Maleness and Masculinity in the Media. London, Arnold.

This helps for the representations of heroes.

Mulvey, Laura (1989) : Visual and other pleasures. Basingstoke, mackmillan.

This helps for how the audience view the text so in my case it would be how children and family view the text.

Brod, Harry (1987) : The making of masculinities: the new men’s studies. Boston and London, Allen and Unwin.

This helps for the representation of heroes.

Neale, Steve (2002) : Genre and contemporary Hollywood. UK,BFI.

This is useful as it talks about the genre of animation and as my main text is a hybrid of adventure, fantasy and comedy

Gauntlett, David (2004) Media, gender and ethnicity. London, Routledge.

This book is useful as the gender bit will be useful as it ties in wit the roles of heroes and heroines.

Lacey, Nick (2002) : Narrative and genre, New York, Palgrave

this helped as it explained propps and levi strauss theory.

Tasker, Yvonne (2004) : Action and adventure cinema, USA, Routledge

this was a bit helpful as it talked about adventure which is one of the sub genres in shrek 2.

Branston, Gill and Stafford, Roy (2003) : The media studies student’s book- third edition. Usa, Routledge
This had a paragraph about shrek which was useful.

Tim o Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (2003) : Studying the media (3rd edition) London, Arnold

this was useful as it talked about repesentation and had stuff about hollywood.

Simpson, Paul (2004) : the rough guide to kids' movies. New York, rough guides.

this has been the most useful book so far it talks about the diffrent genres and its got a lot of texts i could make reference to.

Books I am going to look at:

Gifford, dennis (1988) : the great cartoon stars: a who's who. UK, Bloomsbury Books.

Barrier, Micheal : Hollywood cartoons: American animation in its golden age

Giannalberto, Bendazzi : Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation

Lacey, Nick : Introduction to Film

Maltby, Richard (1995) : Hollywood Cinema

Cook, Pam and Bernink, Meike (1999) : The cinema book. UK, BFI

Ross, Mandy (2002) : Changing Role of Women. Great Britain, Heinemann library.

2006-10-11T12:28:00.000+01:00

The initials "SKG"(in the DreamWorks logo) stand for the company's co-founders:
(Dreamworks' hopeful founders in 1994: From left, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen)
Spielberg (film director and founder of Amblin Entertainment),
Katzenberg (former head of The Walt Disney Company's film studios),
Geffen (founder of Geffen Records)

2006-10-11T11:18:00.000+01:00

DreamWorks Animation SKG is an American animation studio, producing primarily feature animated films. DreamWorks Animation was formed by the merger of the feature animation division of DreamWorks SKG and Pacific Data Images (also known as PDI). Originally formed under the banner of DreamWorks SKG, it was spun-off into a separate public company in 2004.

Its films are currently distributed by Paramount Pictures (in turn owned by Viacom) who acquired the rest of DreamWorks SKG in February of 2006. DreamWorks Animation maintains two studios: the original DreamWorks feature animation studio in Glendale, California and the PDI studio in Redwood City, California in the Silicon Valley region.

In 1997, DreamWorks SKG signed a co-production deal with PDI to form PDI's subsidiary PDI, LLC (PDI owned 60% of PDI, LLC while DreamWorks SKG owned 40%). PDI, LLC would produce computer-generated feature films beginning with Antz (1998). In the same year DreamWorks SKG produced The Prince of Egypt using traditional animation techniques.

In 2000, DreamWorks SKG created a new business division, DreamWorks Animation, that would regularly produce both types of animated feature films.
The traditionally animated feature films were produced by the division's Southern California branch. DreamWorks SKG acquired majority interest (90%) in PDI, reforming it into PDI/DreamWorks, the Northern California branch of its new business division.
The business division separated from its parent in 2004, forming DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. and purchasing the remaining interest in PDI as well as its subsidiary PDI, LLC.
Since 2004, DreamWorks Animation is dedicated solely to producing CG animated films in-house. No more traditional 2D animation is expected.

DreamWorks Animation also has a partnership with Aardman Animations, a stop-motion animation company in Bristol, England. This partnership has DreamWorks participating in the produciton of stop-motion films in Bristol, and also has Aardman participating in some of the CG films made in the US.

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

The only major studios DreamWorks have not co-released movies with are :

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

and

Walt Disney Pictures.

this is not surprising, given Disney's hostile relations with DreamWorks co-founder Katzenberg: when Disney’s then-second in command, Frank Wells, died in a helicopter crash, CEO Michael Eisner refused to promote Katzenberg, firing him after he pushed the issue. Katzenberg then filed a lawsuit against Disney to recover money he felt he was owed and settled out of court for an estimated $100 - $250 million (the actual amount remains secret).

2006-10-11T08:39:00.000+01:00

representation of the big bad wolf:

A mixture of the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs. He is a friendly misunderstood crossdresser (apparently wearing Lil Red's grandmother's clothes) and on good terms with the three little pigs. This depiction, along with a transgendered bartender and Pinocchio's expansive nose in Shrek 2, raised the anger of some conservative groups who objected the film's sexual content. However, these concerns were widely made fun of in the media. In Far Far Away Idol he sings "Hungry Like the Wolf". In Shrek 2 Fairy Godmother calls him a gender confused Wolf. His line when every one looks at him confused is, "What?".

2006-10-08T14:20:00.000+01:00

BLOG BUDDIES

my blog buddies from 13c is anika and kiran

I think my study is sort of similar to anikas as in her one she talks about women superheroes and my study mentions heroines.It also shares the same sub-genre as mine as her main text includes fantasy elements

Furthermore, we looked at similar site on women representation for instance http://mediaknowall.com/gender.html#Femininity

Keywords that overlap with both are studies are:
A- List ,Femme fatale, Stereotype,Marxist feminism,Narrative and Protagonist

In her text it shows women playing and active role similar to shrek 2 Fiona doesn’t play a passive role as she does martial arts in the begin of the film when Shrek is hanging upside down

What I learnt from looking at anika’s blog is a website which talks about women superheroes and how they are very rarely portrayed as superheroes and often played the helpless female who had to depend on the man's strength to resolve the problem. The male superheroes were constantly coming to the aid of a female and even when the female comic book superhero teamed up with her male counterpart she always took orders from him.

and

The drawing of the women in the comic books had an effect on how successful the titles were. Those that were portrayed with curvaceous figures and were very beautiful were more successful than the women who were drawn as ordinary people

This is useful as animation and comic books are similar and it could link in with how in Shrek 2 Fiona’s body as ogre is not slim and neither is fairy godmothers yet the film is still successful.

The keywords that overlap mine and kiran’s studies are:
Binary Opposition, Empathy, Fantasy, Gender, Hero, Propp, Vladimir (1895-1970), Adventure Film, Althusser, Louis (1918-90) and Blockbuster

More similarities are both our primary target audiences are children and both our main texts shares fantasy and Adventure elements. The institution that produces Spiderman Is a big budget Hollywood institution called Columbia pictures which frequently co-financed and co-distributed films with DreamWorks SKG however DreamWorks animation is an independent institution which has not collaborated with any other institutions.

What I learnt from looking at kiran’s blog is a website that could be quite useful
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/realrev.html

This is useful as its a university essay that talks about how children watch the media, and how they intake it. This will be useful to my study as my hypothesis mentions the target audience of my main text which is shrek 2.

from 13d my blog buddie is kavita

Kavita’s study talks about how the different character roles such as hero and villain segregates the black people from the white and so the representation of black people is a major issue in the American serial drama. It’s sort of similar in Shrek 2 as there are prejudice issues and in my study I am going to talk about how heroes and heroines are typical represented in contemporary animation so they overlap as we both will be looking at Propp’s theory on character roles.

Moreover, both texts are set in America

The keywords which I probably going to be using which are the same as hers are:

Stock character

Protagonist

Genre:

Genre Theory: Narrative theory: Propp, Vladamir (1895- 1970):

What I learnt from looking at her blog is about A Russian Formalist theorist, Viktor Shklovsky-Who is like Propp split narrative structure into story and plot.

2006-10-06T13:31:00.000+01:00

10 key words

CELEBRITIES
An individual who has become the focus of media attention and is therefore widely known and recognised by the public.
Celebrities used in Shrek 2:

Cameron Diaz as princess Fiona

Mike Myers as Shrek

Eddie Murphy as donkey

Antonio Banderas as puss in boots

Julie Andrews as the queen

CGI-computer generate imagery
The application of computer software to generate a film image

DEVIANCE
Behaviour that “divates”(turns away) from the norm or that which is generally accepted within a socieity. In shrek 2 shrek disrepects the king and queen when he goes to their castle by burping.

DOMINANT IDEOLOGY
The belief systhem that serves the intreasts of the dominant ruling elite within society, generally accepted as common sense by the majority and reproduced in mainstream media texts.
Dominant ideology establishes a hegemonic postion in society which is reinforced by media representations and is consequently diffcult to challenge.
The term arrives from a marxist theory and is addressed in detail in the work of Gramsci,Althusser and Hall.

HEGEMONIC READING
A response to a text in which the reader shares the value systhem of the text and accepts the perferred reading without question.

ELITE
A small group in a society which claims leadership privilages as a result of expertise in terms of knowledge/skill,in a particular field.
Elites exisits in broadcasting institutions where they are determine programme content and representations .
In terms of audience,elites may be viewed as sought-after niche markets
ELITISM is the practise of seperating from the masses through claims of specialists knowledge/ability.

FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS
Marxist term for the effect of dominant ideology on the awareness of workers with regard to their real economic and local capitalism.

FANTASY
A genre built around an artificially constructed reality which could never exisit in real life,often involving classical mythology/fairytales.

GENRE THEORY
An explanation of the role played by genre in a diffrentiating media texts and aligning audiences. Genre theorists consider the relationship between audiences,media texts and media producers and the ways in which genre,particulary in film,can be used by producers to target specific audience groups,with predictable expectations of audience numbers and responses.
e.g RICHARD DYER (1973) argues that genres are pleasurable because they offer escapist fantasies into fictional worlds which remove the boredom and pressures of reality. He sees these worlds as utopian,offering the audience abundance,energy,excitiment,spontaneity and community-none of which are present in their everyday lives.

GRAMSCI,ANTONIO (1871-1937)
Leader of the italian communist party, imprisoned by Benito Mussolini from 1926 until his death in 1937.
Gramsci used the term hegemony to describe the way in which the dominant elite can maintain its power over the economic,political and cultural direction of society.
The values that sustain elites in power are reproduced every day by the media and made to seem like the common sense views id the majority, so that any challenge to them is marginalised.

2006-10-06T10:28:00.000+01:00

representation of princess Fiona(heroine)

Princess Fiona is initially portrayed as the archetypal (typical) princess from fairy tales, speaking formally in matters of courtship and presenting high expectations of how she is to be rescued, who is to rescue her, and so forth. Later, Princess Fiona's true self emerges, as she's really a very down-to-earth woman who burps, is a loyal friend, and unlike princesses of fairy tales, expertly fights in hand-to-hand combat with martial arts skills.

2006-10-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

'Self-Directed Research'

Representations of women across all media
Representations of men across all media
The budget of hoodwinked and shrek 2
SHEP in the 1950s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_villains#Villains_from_animated_films
villians in animation
http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_Film_of_the_week/0,,1251483,00.html#article_continue
http://www.kamera.co.uk/reviews_extra/shrek_2.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/06/24/shrek_2_2004_review.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3726323.stm
reviews on shrek 2

http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/animation/history.html the history of animation

http://www.brown.edu/Courses/FR0133/Fairytale_Generator/propp.html

representation of princess fiona
institution research
representation of the big bad wolf
http://www.allisonmedia.net/downloads/Year_12/Representation.pdf

this site is useful as it exmplains representation and the diffrent types of sterotypes,mediation and diffrent ways of representation.talks a bit about ideolgy aswell

2006-10-02T12:50:00.000+01:00

Textual analysis for a scene in Shrek 2: When Shrek and his friends are trying to get into the castle.

Breif summary of the scene I am analysing:
As Shrek rides Mongo to the castle to break in, Prince Charming begins dancing with Fiona and forcibly trying to kiss her (to activate the love potion), but she keeps rebuffing him. Shrek makes it into the castle (though Mongo is doused with boiling milk and falls into the moat), and with Puss and Donkey races his way to the courtyard where the ball takes place. The castle knights give chase, and Puss falls back to repay his debt to Shrek by holding them off so that Shrek may continue.Just as Charming is about to kiss Fiona, Shrek arrives and stops them, enraging the Fairy Godmother.

One of the techniques used in this scene is slow motion it is used when Mongo is drowning this is done to help the primary audience who are children understand that something bad is happening and to create empathy for Gingy. The cinematography used in the scene is a big close up of Shrek which is then into a long shot while the parallel off-screen sound of “I need a hero” is sang by the fairy godmother which is parallel to the action we see (Shrek riding on a white horse which reinforces the stereotypes of a typical hero) this is done to help the younger audience identify with Shrek as he is the one playing the role of a hero. It can also be seen as ironic as fairy godmother is singing the song.

The representation of fairy godmother is challenged as they portray her as glamorous, conviving and selfish women. Moreover, in the beginning of this scene she is shown wearing a blue dress that could relate to the fairy godmother in “Cinderella” this is done so the older audience can recognise this and see the binary opposition, as the fairy godmother in “Cinderella” is perceived as good however the fairy godmother in Shrek 2 is represented as bad. Slightly after her dress changes to red which could be interrupted as her being the villain as red could connote evil/bad. On the other hand, it could connote passion and demonstrate that she is trying to be a matchmaker.

The expectations of puss in boots is subverted as at first they show a point of view high angle shot of the audience and the knights looking down on him with parallel music playing in the background to trick us into thinking he is cute and innocent but after a little while he starts fighting with the guards/knights by himself which shows that he is really tough and not weak. By taking on the knights puss in boots demonstrates how he plays the role of the “helper”.

DreamWorks tends to challenge stereotypical roles by mocking Disney for example when the gate is dropped open the three little pigs and the wolf are working together and cheering this also shows it is a parody of “the three little pigs”. Moreover, as DreamWorks is an American institution it reinforces American hegemony. The secondary audience for Shrek 2 are young adults so they use quite a lot of adult humour in the film. Furthermore, as DreamWorks is a big American institution they had spent a lot of money making Shrek and Shrek 2 whereas other CGI films such as “Hoodwinked” had been produced cheaply.

The narrative pleasures the audience have in this scene are suspense as you are wondering whether Shrek will make it in time to rescue Fiona from Prince Charming. Identification with Shrek is another narrative pleasure the audience feel as they use a point view shot when the knights from the castle are throwing the fireballs at Shrek and Mongo.

2006-09-29T14:18:00.000+01:00

Representations of women across all media tend to highlight the following:
· beauty (within narrow conventions)
· size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
· sexuality (as expressed by the above)
· emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
· relationships (as opposed to independence/freedom)

Women are often represented as being part of a context (family, friends, colleagues) and working/thinking as part of a team. In drama, they tend to take the role of helper (Propp) or object, passive rather than active. Often their passivity extends to victimhood (see the discussion of the misogynistic PantyRaider below). Men are still represented as TV drama characters up to 3 times more frequently than women, and tend to be the predominant focus of news stories.

The representations of women that do make it onto screen do tend to be stereotypical, in terms of conforming to societal expectations, and characters who do not fit into the mould tend to be seen as dangerous and deviant.

Discussions of women's representation in the media tend to revolve around the focus on physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other values, the lack of powerful female role models, and the extremely artificial nature of such portrayals, which bear little or no relation to the reality experience by women across the planet.

2006-09-29T14:09:00.000+01:00

'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more rigid stereotypes than femininity. Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:
· Strength - physical and intellectual
· Power
· Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)
· Physique
· Independence (of thought, action)
Male characters are often represented as isolated, as not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they capitulate to being part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial equilibrium. It is interesting to note that the male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity. 'Serious' Hollywood actors in their forties (eg Willem Dafoe, Kevin Spacey) are expected to have a level of 'buffness' that was not aspired to even by young heart-throbs 40 years ago (check out Connery in Thunderball 1965).
Increasingly, men are finding it as difficult to live up to their media representations as women are to theirs. This is partly because of the increased media focus on masculinity - think of the burgeoning market in men's magazines, both lifestyle and health - and the increasing emphasis on even ordinary white collar male workers (who used to sport their beergut with pride) having the muscle definition of a professional swimmer. Anorexia in teenage males has increased alarmingly in recent years, and recent high school shootings have been the result of extreme bodyconsciousness among the same demographic group.
As media representations of masculinity become more specifically targeted at audiences with product promotion in mind (think of the huge profits now made from male fashion, male skin & haircare products, fitness products such as weights, clothing etc), men are encouraged (just as women have been for many years) to aspire to be like (to look/behave in the same way) the role models they see in magazines. This is often an unrealistic target to set, and awareness of this is growing.Whilst some men are concerned about living up to the ideal types represented in magazines, others are worried by what they perceive as an increasing anti-male bias in the media.

2006-09-27T09:51:00.000+01:00

Hoodwinked is an ultra low budget affair compared to the average 3D CGI-animated film (it was shot for a reported 15 million vs 70 to 90 million for films like Finding Nemo or Shrek 2). If you want a fairer comparison in terms of animation quality, you'd have to look at something like Jimmy Neutron (30 million budget).

a review i found on: Hoodwinked
Friday, September 29 2006, 14:30 UTC - by Daniel Saney
Director: Cory EdwardsScreenwriter: Cory Edwards
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, James Belushi, Patrick Warburton
Running time: 81 mins Certificate: U

An interesting twist on the story of Red Riding Hood, Hoodwinked sees amphibious detective Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers) questioning Red (Hathaway), the woodsman (Belushi), the wolf (Warburton), and Red's granny (Close), prompting flashbacks explaining how the four came together on the famous night. Which, if any of them, is responsible for a spree of Goodie recipe thefts? Presented in the style of a detective movie, Hoodwinked opens as Red Riding Hood is shocked to find a wolf in place of her grandmother and a manic woodsman crashing through the window. We then see the story coming from four different perspectives, and this is cleverly done, effectively keeping the interest of the adults whilst also being clear enough so as not to confuse children - even if the talk of APBs and such will fly over their heads.Despite a promising premise, however, there are a couple of hiccups in its execution. Firstly, and most obviously, is the quality of the animation, which looks a good few years behind the times. In a sense it's quirky and not completely without charm, but in the current climate of output from Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, Hoodwinked isn't the visual treat that audiences have come to expect. Since a fair proportion of the enjoyment gleaned from animated films is their aesthetic appeal, this is hardly a trivial grumble. The script isn't all it could have been but it does the job. While it does provoke a fair few chuckles, it's not the laugh-a-minute experience offered by the likes of the thematically-comparable Shrek. Some fun has been had with the characters' makeovers - the wolf is a sardonic reporter, Red's a martial arts champion and granny lives for extreme sports - although it's quite often the minor characters who are blessed with the better lines. One of the more memorable of them is the thankfully sparingly-used Twitchy, a hyperactive squirrel closely related to Over The Hedge's Hammy. Although not the most entertaining of its kind, and certainly not the best-looking, Hoodwinked is consistently interesting and original, and at a manageable 80 minutes it manages to remain enjoyable throughout and avoids stretching the material too far.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds37492.html

2006-09-25T13:37:00.000+01:00

my powerpoint presentation

Propp -
Character Roles

1.The villain (struggles against the hero)

2.The helper (helps the hero in the quest)
3.The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)
4.Her father
5.The hero or victim/ seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess

Todorov –
Narrative
structure

Starts of with and equilibrium – Shrek and Fiona on their honeymoon
The dis-equilibrium begins when they receive and invation from
Fiona's parents
The resolution when Shrek and Fiona are accepted my the people in
“far far away”

Feminism

The historical texts I have chosen to look at are snow white and the seven dwarf,
Cinderella and sleeping beauty and in these texts the villains are all women
although they are playing a active role they are portrayed as evil. Moreover,
Cinderella, snow white and Bella all play the role of damsel in distress who
are waiting for a prince to come and save them which reinforces patriarchy.
Furthermore they take on a role to please men for example in snow white
The evil Queen is extremely beautiful and vain. She seduced and married
a widowed King.

binary oppostions in shrek 2

shrek vs fairygodmother

good vs evil

hero vs villian

male vs female

Economic context:
Shrek 2 is more expensive to produce as the characters in the film are 3D
compared to films like Cinderella where they characters are 2D.

Social context:
fairy godmothers who are usually women, who are typically represented as being motherly and caring. However, these days, women are
not like that as you get women abandoning their babies.

villians in my historical texts

The villain in this sleeping beauty is:
Maleficent -The wicked dark fairy
(Maleficent is a Latin-derived word
meaning harmful or
evil.)

Maleficent was often surrounded by eerie green flames implying that she had phenomenal powers of evil at her disposal
She dresses in black and her pet raven
Is black which reinforces to the audience
She is a villain as black connotes bad/evil.

the villian in cinderella is lady tremine

She also owned a very stubborn,
malicious cat named Lucifer, who
connotes her personality. Lady
Tremaine is represented as a bitter,
cruel, and selfish woman determined to
forward her own interests as well as that
of her daughters.

The villain of snow white and the seven dwarfs is The evil queen also known as
“Queen Grimhilde”

2006-09-22T13:06:00.000+01:00

The 1950s – SHEP

Perhaps one of the things which most characterizes the 1950's was the strong element of conservatim and anticommunist feeling which ran throughout much of society. One of the best indicators of the conservative frame of mind was the addition of the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Religion was seen as an indicator of anti-communism. Fifties clothing was conservative. Men wore gray flannel suits and women wore dresses with pinched in waists and high heels. French fashion designers such as Dior, Channel and Givenchy were popular and copied in America. Families worked together, played together and vacationed together at family themed entertainment areas like national parks and the new Disneyland. Gender roles were strongly held, girls played with Barbie dolls and Dale Evans gear, boys with Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett paraphernalia.Drive-in movies became popular for families and teens. Cars were seen as an indicator of prosperity and cool-ness. Highways were built to take people quickly from one place to another, by-passing small towns and helping to create central marketing areas or shopping malls such as Sharpstown Mall, Gulfgate Mall and Meyerland Plaza in Houston. Fashion successes were Bill Blass and his blue jeans, poodle skirts made of felt and decorated with sequins and poodle appliques, pony tails for girls, and flat tops and crew cuts for guys. Teenagers were defined as a separate generation and were represented by James Dean who wore blue jeans in Rebel Without a Cause and created a fashion and attitude sensation. Activities we liked were flying saucer watching , and watching and dancing to Dick Clark's American Bandstand . Fad hits with kids were toys like hula hoops and Hopalong Cassidy guns and western gear, Davy Crockett coon skin hats and silly putty .

Important Historic and Cultural Events
(1950195119521953195319531954195419551955195619581959)
- President Harry Truman ( 'til 1952) approves production of the hydrogen bomb and Sends air force and navy to Korea in June. - Transcontinental television begins with a speech by Pres. Truman.- The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 is signed, removing racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen.- Dwight D. Eisenhower is President until 1961- Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are electrocuted for their part in W.W.II espionage. - Fighting ends in Korea. - U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy begins televised hearings into alleged Communists in the army. - Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court. - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. - The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge making the new AFL-CIO an organization with 15 million members. - The federal Highway Act is signed, marking the beginning of work on the interstate highway system. Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio - Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, successfully orbits the earth. December 10, 1958 - The first domestic jet-airline passenger service is begun by National Airlines between New York City and Miami. - Alaska and Hawaii become the forty-ninth and fiftieth states.

DATES

1950
India gives votes to women.

1951
The American photographer Eve Arnold is the first woman to work for the celebrated Magnum photographic agency.

1953
American aviator Jacqueline Cochrane (1910 - 1980) is the first woman to break the sound barrier.

1953
Equal pay is introduced for women teachers.

1953
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900- 1990) becomes the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly.

1955
Barbara Mandell is the first woman to read the news on ITN.

1955
Rosa Parkes (born 1913) makes history on 1 December when she refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a bus, in Montgomery, Alabama. This sparks off the black civil rights movement in America.

1955
On 13 July convicted murderer Ruth Ellis is the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

1956
Egypt and Tunisia give votes to women.

2006-09-22T12:54:00.000+01:00

http://marlowmedia.co.uk/

http://www.katpad.co.uk/media%20website%202000/genre.html

http://www.filmeducation.org/primary/animation/index.html

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Sections/film.html

http://us.imdb.com/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

http://www.afi.com/

http://film.guardian.co.uk/patterson/story/0,,1779015,00.html

http://mediaknowall.com/gender.html

http://www.awn.com/mag/issue4.01/4.01pages/bevilacquaceleb.php3

2006-09-21T11:54:00.000+01:00

http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/shrek_2/
http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/dwa/opencms/movies/movie_shrek2.html
trailer to shrek 2

2006-09-20T13:24:00.001+01:00

Adventure film: is one of the sub genres in Shrek 2. It is a film genre where the characters are placed in an exciting and often dangerous location far away from home. For example in Shrek 2 when Shrek goes to “far far away” to meet Fiona’s parents. Characters frequently face physical challenges for instance when Shrek has to break out of jail and rescue Fiona from Prince Charming. Adventure films are usually produced for family entertainment with a range of characters to appeal to all ages, genders and ethnicities.

DreamWorks: digital animation film and television production and distribution company founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenburg and David Geffen in 1994, a rival to Disney and producer of Shrek and Shrek 2 (Andrew Adamson, 2001 and 2004)

Femme fatale: a female character who uses her sexuality often in a devious, disreputable, secretive ways, to achieve the ends she desires. An example of this is in snow white and the seven dwarfs, the evil queen is extremely beautiful and vain and in the film she seduces the widowed king.

Hero: the principal male or female protagonist in any narrative, with whom the audience identifies and who exhibits moral virtues in line with dominant ideology. In shrek 2 Shrek is the hero.

Representation: the process whereby the media construct versions of people, places and events in images, words or sound for transmission through media texts to an audience.
Representations provide models of how we see gender, social groups, individuals and aspects of the world we all inhabit. They are ideological in that they are constructed within a framework of values and beliefs. Representations are therefore mediated and reflect the value system of their sources. No representation is ever real, only a version of the real.
Representations are part of cultural mythology and reflect deep-seated values and beliefs for example of such places the north of England, Scotland and America.Representation is the key to many media debates as is usually described as being positive or negative, depending on the view of the group being represented. Achieving positive representations has been a goal of minority groups who have criticised the perceived negativity of media stereotypes for example gays, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, disability and women.