A beginners’ guide to...Laura Mulvey
Theorists: a beginners’ guide to... Laura Mulvey Lucy Scott-Galloway, MediaMagazine 21, September 2007, Film special, New online September 2008, Representation, Gender, Feminist, Film theory
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Wednesday 1 December 2010
#12 - Article - The rise and rise of UGC
Key points from the article "Is reality becoming more real? The rise and rise of UGC"
Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news.
We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide between institution and audience is being eroded.
Key to this change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites.
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
This was one of the first examples of the news being generated by ‘ordinary people,’ now commonly known as ‘citizen journalists’, ‘grassroots journalists’, or even ‘accidental journalists’.
Most news organisations include formats for participation: message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled.
The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for UGC. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists, or ‘accidental journalists,’ providing on-the-spot witness accounts of events as they unfolded.
A second terrible event, the London bombings on July 5th 2005, provided another opportunity for citizen journalists to influence the mainstream news agenda. No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising.
23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate at Virginia Tech. Between his first attack, when he shot two people, going on to kill a further 30 people. Rather than concentrate on saving his own life, Jamal Albarghouti recorded events from his position lying on the ground near the firing. The footage, available on YouTube and CNN brought events home to a worldwide audience.
Twitter and flickr came to the forefront during the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008.
You can send in as much UGC to the major news organisations as you want, with no guarantee that any of it will ever be aired. The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
The change in the landscape of the news means that groups who had little access to self-representation before, such as youth groups, low income groups, and various minority groups may, through citizen journalism, begin to find that they too have a voice.
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’
Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news.
We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide between institution and audience is being eroded.
Key to this change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites.
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
This was one of the first examples of the news being generated by ‘ordinary people,’ now commonly known as ‘citizen journalists’, ‘grassroots journalists’, or even ‘accidental journalists’.
Most news organisations include formats for participation: message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled.
The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for UGC. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists, or ‘accidental journalists,’ providing on-the-spot witness accounts of events as they unfolded.
A second terrible event, the London bombings on July 5th 2005, provided another opportunity for citizen journalists to influence the mainstream news agenda. No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising.
23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate at Virginia Tech. Between his first attack, when he shot two people, going on to kill a further 30 people. Rather than concentrate on saving his own life, Jamal Albarghouti recorded events from his position lying on the ground near the firing. The footage, available on YouTube and CNN brought events home to a worldwide audience.
Twitter and flickr came to the forefront during the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008.
You can send in as much UGC to the major news organisations as you want, with no guarantee that any of it will ever be aired. The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
The change in the landscape of the news means that groups who had little access to self-representation before, such as youth groups, low income groups, and various minority groups may, through citizen journalism, begin to find that they too have a voice.
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’
#11 Post - UGC
1. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic", "guerrilla"[2] or "street journalism" is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information".
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers who were recorded as racist for brutally beating a black man. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
First hand footage could be perceived in the wrong context and may set off a problem for the public. Professionally shot footage is a lot clearer and can be viewed easily.
5. What is a gatekeeper?
In journalism, gate keeping is the process through which ideas and information are filtered for publication. The internal decision making process of relaying or withholding information from the media to the masses. The theory was first instituted by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1947.
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
It has profound implications for professional content creators of all types.
http://pegmulligan.com/2010/07/26/content-strategy-and-technical-communication-by-sarah-okeefe/
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’ Some believe that the mediators and moderators might eventually disappear too, leaving a world where the media is, finally, unmediated. This does raise concerns however. Without moderation sites could be overrun by bigots or fools, by those who shout loudest, and those who have little else to do but make posts.
Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic", "guerrilla"[2] or "street journalism" is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information".
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers who were recorded as racist for brutally beating a black man. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
First hand footage could be perceived in the wrong context and may set off a problem for the public. Professionally shot footage is a lot clearer and can be viewed easily.
5. What is a gatekeeper?
In journalism, gate keeping is the process through which ideas and information are filtered for publication. The internal decision making process of relaying or withholding information from the media to the masses. The theory was first instituted by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1947.
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
It has profound implications for professional content creators of all types.
http://pegmulligan.com/2010/07/26/content-strategy-and-technical-communication-by-sarah-okeefe/
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’ Some believe that the mediators and moderators might eventually disappear too, leaving a world where the media is, finally, unmediated. This does raise concerns however. Without moderation sites could be overrun by bigots or fools, by those who shout loudest, and those who have little else to do but make posts.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
#10 - Carol Clover - "Final Girl"
The "final girl" is a horror film (particularly slasher film) trope that specifically refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been observed in dozens of films, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Hellraiser, Alien, and Scream. The term was coined by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Clover suggests that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance.
During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through "phallic appropriation" by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer. Conversely, Clover points out that the villain of slasher films is often a male whose masculinity, and sexuality more generally, are in crisis. Examples would include Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Clover points to this gender fluidity as demonstrating the impact of feminism in popular culture. The phenomenon of the male audience having to identify with a young female character in an ostensibly male-oriented genre, usually associated with sadistic voyeurism, raises interesting questions about the nature of slasher films and their relationship with feminism. Clover argues that for a film to be successful, although the Final Girl is masculinized, it is necessary for this surviving character to be female, because she must experience abject terror, and many viewers would reject a film that showed abject terror on the part of a male. The terror has a purpose, in that the female is 'purged' if she survives, of undesirable characteristics, such as relentless pursuit of pleasure in her own right. An interesting feature of the genre is the 'punishment' of beauty and sexual availability.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance.
During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through "phallic appropriation" by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer. Conversely, Clover points out that the villain of slasher films is often a male whose masculinity, and sexuality more generally, are in crisis. Examples would include Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Clover points to this gender fluidity as demonstrating the impact of feminism in popular culture. The phenomenon of the male audience having to identify with a young female character in an ostensibly male-oriented genre, usually associated with sadistic voyeurism, raises interesting questions about the nature of slasher films and their relationship with feminism. Clover argues that for a film to be successful, although the Final Girl is masculinized, it is necessary for this surviving character to be female, because she must experience abject terror, and many viewers would reject a film that showed abject terror on the part of a male. The terror has a purpose, in that the female is 'purged' if she survives, of undesirable characteristics, such as relentless pursuit of pleasure in her own right. An interesting feature of the genre is the 'punishment' of beauty and sexual availability.
Tuesday 2 November 2010
#8 - Media Conference
1. Perfecting your Production work
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Monday 1 November 2010
#7 - Alternative Representations in Hip Hop
Ciara - Like a Boy
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
Thursday 14 October 2010
#6 Post - Feminism and Post-Feminism
2. Read/Highlight Exemplar Essay -
Bianca's essay - What are the different representations of women in adverts and how are they signified?
The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.
Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.
The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.
Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.
Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.
In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.
Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.
A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.
The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.
Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.
In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.
In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.
4. Understanding Post-Feminism -
Clarifying Concepts:
A more positive look at post-feminism:
In raising these questions, I am only at the beginning of figuring out what a more positive kind of post-feminist account of religion and family might look like, and so have no compelling summary to offer, let alone a call to a specific research agenda. In my own work, I do want to take some feminist insights for granted. But I explicitly reject the idea that strong feminist critiques have had their day and must now give way gracefully to approaches that favor a consensual and functional, or even communitarian, interpretation of the good society. I am feeling more combative, or at least constructively critical, about theories that neatly divide society into a “public” and a “private” realm, while systematically devaluing those feminine things (religion, family) assigned to the private (cf., Warner 1999). I am not sure where it will lead, but it feels right to begin pushing back the boundaries of post-feminism by asking a different set of questions.
Post-feminism as backlash to feminism:
What the hell is postfeminism, anyway? I would think it would refer to a time when complete gender equality has been achieved. That hasn’t happened, of course, but we (especially young women) are supposed to think it has. Postfeminism, as a term, suggests that women have made plenty of progress because of feminism, but that feminism is now irrelevant and even undesirable because it has made millions of women unhappy, unfeminine, childless, lonely, and bitter, prompting them to fill their closets with combat boots and really bad India print skirts.
I like this concept because it makes most sense to me. I believe Post Feminists have achieved so much but still have not gained total equality.
Post-feminism as a colloquialism:
It’s about deeply held political convictions, not to mention strategy. If there’s a wad of people out there extolling postfeminism and meaning “I think feminism is flawed and I’d like to see some goal-shifting, fresh tactics, and revisiting of contentious topics,” this isn’t just an issue of what’s going on in a speech group that doesn’t overlap with mine. It’s about defending feminism’s ground. Feminism is already doing the work that these (as I have come to think of them) non-evil postfeminists think comes with their prefix. And it’s beyond obvious that feminism suffers from its terrible reputation and from the vast misunderstandings that stunning numbers of people still have about it (no matter how many times it happens, I will never, ever get used to being asked if I hate men). I can’t help but see even the non-evil usage of “postfeminism” as a rejection of and attack on feminism, and an implication that the movement is finished. And that means I need to challenge it at every turn.
The ambiguity of the prefix “post”:
I’ve come accross the term used in the way Lurker describes, similarly, in academic circles, and for academic reasons I don’t think anyone should use it. The problem lies in the ambiguity of the prefix “post”, because post can mean since something commenced OR since something concluded. So, while technically a “post-feminist society” could mean a society since feminism began to be an influence, there will always be people who think you mean since feminism ended.
5. Post-Feminism Reading/Research
http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/human/women/students/biblio/historiog/McRobbie%20-%20postfeminism.pdf
Bridget Jones’s Diary -
"..she has benefited from those institutions (education) which have loosened the ties of tradition and community for women, making it possible for them to be disembedded and re-located to the city to earn an independent living without shame or danger".
".. gentle denunciations of feminism (as in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary) co-exists however with the shrill championing of young women as a “metaphor for social change” on the pages of the right wing press in the UK, in particular the Daily Mail."
Wonderbra -
"The Wonderbra advert showing the model Eva Herzigova looking down admiringly at her substantial cleavage enhanced by the lacy pyrotechnics of the Wonderbra, was through the mid-1990s positioned in major high street locations in the UK on full size billboards".
Sex and The City -
"...capable of earning their own living, and the degree of suffering or shame they anticipate in the absence of finding a husband is countered by sexual self-confidence. Being without a husband does not mean they will go without men".
"Individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. Girls must have a lifeplan. They must become more reflexive in regard to every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives,and not being dependent on a job for life or on the stable and reliable operations of a large-scale bureaucracy which in the past would have allocated its employees specific,and possibly unchanging, roles".
6. Laura Mulvey -
Mulvey suggested that women in film are represented as ‘objects’, images with visual and erotic impact, which she termed their ‘to-be-looked-at-ness’. According to Mulvey the look could be ‘voyeuristic’ (women are viewed as virtuous and beautiful) or ‘fetishistic’ (women are viewed as excessively sexual beings).
Scratchy - Girls
The main and only woman in this music video is a key example of attracting the "Male Gaze". The popular saying about blondes is that "all blondes are bimbos", this is becoming an increasingly more common stereotyping associated with blonde haired women. The notion of the "blond bimbo" is generally determined by age - to most people they associate them as a young, sexy girl with long blonde hair, large breasts, long legs who is stupid and seemingly fake'. The stereotype has been very heavily built up and shaped by the media today. A key example of this is the women shown in this music video.
The way her body and clothing is fetishized through the use of close ups and long shots. Her gestures and facial expressions bring a sense of blank and inviting implications, showing her as a sexual character that men will fall for.
The way she walks around the house ansd street in nothing but a bra and knickers definatly shows the audience how she self objectifies herself and allows men to gaze at her.
The woman is making breakfast in her underwear. Her expressions and movements seem quite "bimbo" like and allow the audience to watch her with ease, as if she is a passive character. She is very sexualized as the camera close ups along her body from head to toe.
As she follows "Scratchy" down the street, she is seen as a helpless and week female who needs a man to "rescue" her. The "male gaze" enables the audience to watch her as she yelps helplessly down the road, making huge gestures and showing her body off.
She also cleans the house in her red underwear. The broom she holds in her hand could be used as a phallic symbol and could suggest some kind of sexual refrence.
Bianca's essay - What are the different representations of women in adverts and how are they signified?
The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.
Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.
The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.
Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.
Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.
In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.
Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.
A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.
The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.
Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.
In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.
In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.
4. Understanding Post-Feminism -
Clarifying Concepts:
A more positive look at post-feminism:
In raising these questions, I am only at the beginning of figuring out what a more positive kind of post-feminist account of religion and family might look like, and so have no compelling summary to offer, let alone a call to a specific research agenda. In my own work, I do want to take some feminist insights for granted. But I explicitly reject the idea that strong feminist critiques have had their day and must now give way gracefully to approaches that favor a consensual and functional, or even communitarian, interpretation of the good society. I am feeling more combative, or at least constructively critical, about theories that neatly divide society into a “public” and a “private” realm, while systematically devaluing those feminine things (religion, family) assigned to the private (cf., Warner 1999). I am not sure where it will lead, but it feels right to begin pushing back the boundaries of post-feminism by asking a different set of questions.
Post-feminism as backlash to feminism:
What the hell is postfeminism, anyway? I would think it would refer to a time when complete gender equality has been achieved. That hasn’t happened, of course, but we (especially young women) are supposed to think it has. Postfeminism, as a term, suggests that women have made plenty of progress because of feminism, but that feminism is now irrelevant and even undesirable because it has made millions of women unhappy, unfeminine, childless, lonely, and bitter, prompting them to fill their closets with combat boots and really bad India print skirts.
I like this concept because it makes most sense to me. I believe Post Feminists have achieved so much but still have not gained total equality.
Post-feminism as a colloquialism:
It’s about deeply held political convictions, not to mention strategy. If there’s a wad of people out there extolling postfeminism and meaning “I think feminism is flawed and I’d like to see some goal-shifting, fresh tactics, and revisiting of contentious topics,” this isn’t just an issue of what’s going on in a speech group that doesn’t overlap with mine. It’s about defending feminism’s ground. Feminism is already doing the work that these (as I have come to think of them) non-evil postfeminists think comes with their prefix. And it’s beyond obvious that feminism suffers from its terrible reputation and from the vast misunderstandings that stunning numbers of people still have about it (no matter how many times it happens, I will never, ever get used to being asked if I hate men). I can’t help but see even the non-evil usage of “postfeminism” as a rejection of and attack on feminism, and an implication that the movement is finished. And that means I need to challenge it at every turn.
The ambiguity of the prefix “post”:
I’ve come accross the term used in the way Lurker describes, similarly, in academic circles, and for academic reasons I don’t think anyone should use it. The problem lies in the ambiguity of the prefix “post”, because post can mean since something commenced OR since something concluded. So, while technically a “post-feminist society” could mean a society since feminism began to be an influence, there will always be people who think you mean since feminism ended.
5. Post-Feminism Reading/Research
http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/human/women/students/biblio/historiog/McRobbie%20-%20postfeminism.pdf
Bridget Jones’s Diary -
"..she has benefited from those institutions (education) which have loosened the ties of tradition and community for women, making it possible for them to be disembedded and re-located to the city to earn an independent living without shame or danger".
".. gentle denunciations of feminism (as in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary) co-exists however with the shrill championing of young women as a “metaphor for social change” on the pages of the right wing press in the UK, in particular the Daily Mail."
Wonderbra -
"The Wonderbra advert showing the model Eva Herzigova looking down admiringly at her substantial cleavage enhanced by the lacy pyrotechnics of the Wonderbra, was through the mid-1990s positioned in major high street locations in the UK on full size billboards".
Sex and The City -
"...capable of earning their own living, and the degree of suffering or shame they anticipate in the absence of finding a husband is countered by sexual self-confidence. Being without a husband does not mean they will go without men".
"Individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. Girls must have a lifeplan. They must become more reflexive in regard to every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives,and not being dependent on a job for life or on the stable and reliable operations of a large-scale bureaucracy which in the past would have allocated its employees specific,and possibly unchanging, roles".
6. Laura Mulvey -
Mulvey suggested that women in film are represented as ‘objects’, images with visual and erotic impact, which she termed their ‘to-be-looked-at-ness’. According to Mulvey the look could be ‘voyeuristic’ (women are viewed as virtuous and beautiful) or ‘fetishistic’ (women are viewed as excessively sexual beings).
Scratchy - Girls
The main and only woman in this music video is a key example of attracting the "Male Gaze". The popular saying about blondes is that "all blondes are bimbos", this is becoming an increasingly more common stereotyping associated with blonde haired women. The notion of the "blond bimbo" is generally determined by age - to most people they associate them as a young, sexy girl with long blonde hair, large breasts, long legs who is stupid and seemingly fake'. The stereotype has been very heavily built up and shaped by the media today. A key example of this is the women shown in this music video.
The way her body and clothing is fetishized through the use of close ups and long shots. Her gestures and facial expressions bring a sense of blank and inviting implications, showing her as a sexual character that men will fall for.
The way she walks around the house ansd street in nothing but a bra and knickers definatly shows the audience how she self objectifies herself and allows men to gaze at her.
The woman is making breakfast in her underwear. Her expressions and movements seem quite "bimbo" like and allow the audience to watch her with ease, as if she is a passive character. She is very sexualized as the camera close ups along her body from head to toe.
As she follows "Scratchy" down the street, she is seen as a helpless and week female who needs a man to "rescue" her. The "male gaze" enables the audience to watch her as she yelps helplessly down the road, making huge gestures and showing her body off.
She also cleans the house in her red underwear. The broom she holds in her hand could be used as a phallic symbol and could suggest some kind of sexual refrence.
Monday 11 October 2010
#5 Post - Gender and Advertising
1. What sort of images of women and men dominated advertising pre-1970s? Why was this the case?
Pre 1970’s commercials stereotyped women as household figures who stayed at home and looked after the children. Women were mostly shown in commercials for bathroom and kitchen products. Men were shown to be the powerful figure that also controlled the voice over. Also when shown in paid work environment men were shown dominant in suits and top hats whereas women were always seen as subordinate to men. Authority roles were dominated my males.
2. How did the advertising of the 1970’s continue to perpetuate the stereotype of women, despite depicting women in a greater range of roles?
Women were still shown weaker and less important than men as they were only shown in beauty, cleanliness, family adverts.
3. Can Gaye Tuchman’s quote regarding under-representation and the ‘symbolic annihilation of women’ still be applied in 21st Century advertising? If so how?
Yes this can still be applied in the 21st century; women are still being “symbolically annihilated” an example for this day and age is the way women are shown as the “sex object”.
4. Do you agree that adverts, such as those for the 1990’s Boots No. 7, ‘It’s not make-up. It’s ammunition.’ campaign, are post-feminist (thereby representing women as better than men?). Explain your answer
The words “It’s not make-up. Its ammunition” gives as sense of power towards the advert. The word “ammunition” sounds like a manly word denoting guns and bullets. This shows that women have decided to show men they can also become powerful and confident with them and not always be subordinated by the male sex. Women in this advert are shown to be controlling and dominant. On the other hand women could be seen as surrendering themselves to men and trying to be like them when talking about “ammunition”.
5. Is the representation of women by the media accountable for the results of a survey in which ‘women were up to ten times more likely than men to be unhappy with their body image’?
Yes the media is accountable for these results. Now a day’s women in the media are shown as beautiful, toned, glamorous people covered from head to toe in cosmetics. This creates a negative impact on women in society as they look at women on the tv and are drawn in by their good looks. Women become depressed and try so hard to achieve “the perfect” look. Women aspire and feel the need to look like these women and feel ashamed with the looks they have already.
6. Is the contemporary representation of men in advertising perhaps also a negative one where they too are treated as sex objects?
There is a rise in males being depicted as sex objects in advertising commonly in perfume adverts; this is a negative representation because males are supposed to be strong and connote power and dominance.
Pre 1970’s commercials stereotyped women as household figures who stayed at home and looked after the children. Women were mostly shown in commercials for bathroom and kitchen products. Men were shown to be the powerful figure that also controlled the voice over. Also when shown in paid work environment men were shown dominant in suits and top hats whereas women were always seen as subordinate to men. Authority roles were dominated my males.
2. How did the advertising of the 1970’s continue to perpetuate the stereotype of women, despite depicting women in a greater range of roles?
Women were still shown weaker and less important than men as they were only shown in beauty, cleanliness, family adverts.
3. Can Gaye Tuchman’s quote regarding under-representation and the ‘symbolic annihilation of women’ still be applied in 21st Century advertising? If so how?
Yes this can still be applied in the 21st century; women are still being “symbolically annihilated” an example for this day and age is the way women are shown as the “sex object”.
4. Do you agree that adverts, such as those for the 1990’s Boots No. 7, ‘It’s not make-up. It’s ammunition.’ campaign, are post-feminist (thereby representing women as better than men?). Explain your answer
The words “It’s not make-up. Its ammunition” gives as sense of power towards the advert. The word “ammunition” sounds like a manly word denoting guns and bullets. This shows that women have decided to show men they can also become powerful and confident with them and not always be subordinated by the male sex. Women in this advert are shown to be controlling and dominant. On the other hand women could be seen as surrendering themselves to men and trying to be like them when talking about “ammunition”.
5. Is the representation of women by the media accountable for the results of a survey in which ‘women were up to ten times more likely than men to be unhappy with their body image’?
Yes the media is accountable for these results. Now a day’s women in the media are shown as beautiful, toned, glamorous people covered from head to toe in cosmetics. This creates a negative impact on women in society as they look at women on the tv and are drawn in by their good looks. Women become depressed and try so hard to achieve “the perfect” look. Women aspire and feel the need to look like these women and feel ashamed with the looks they have already.
6. Is the contemporary representation of men in advertising perhaps also a negative one where they too are treated as sex objects?
There is a rise in males being depicted as sex objects in advertising commonly in perfume adverts; this is a negative representation because males are supposed to be strong and connote power and dominance.
Monday 4 October 2010
#4 Post - TV Advert Analysis
Lynx -
Negative representation of women -
Firstly as we take a look at the Primary target audience we see it manily targets boys aged 13 to 18. Young men whose life experiences and relationships with girls or women were reasonably narrow. We also assume the Secondary target audience has expanded ranging from 16-24 year old males that are increasingly difficult to influence through traditional advertising channels. Knowing the target audience allows us to understand the reason why women are presented the way they are in this advert.
In this particular advertisement for Lynx, the narrative revolves around a men who apply Lynx and begins to realise they are attracting beautiful air hostesses by their scent. Women in this advertisement are represented as the subordinate sex who are self objectifing themseleves by the use of clothing and gestures.
The use of the voiceover reinforces the role of the dominant man. His tone of voice comes across as mesmorising and hypnotic reinstating the dominace of male power. As well as this, the advertisment signifies naturalisation, as the deodrant is a product which is focused at men, and the use of the airplane and hotesses add a sense of realism.
The soft music of piano and drums is quite slow and seductive in order to signifiy a more subtle mood. Through the use of close ups and long shots connote how the close women can get to the men. Though the use of a close up of the female body parts it seems to offer sexual gratifications to a male audience, as it is fetishised and show women as sex objects.
The uniform for each woman is very sexy and revealing this emphasises the role of women in this advert to be sexual and seductive. And to only fill a role of pleasure. The scene of the two women playing together on the bed seem like the perfect fantasy for a man and allow the men to really be attracted by the women.
Dove - Pro Age Campaign
Positive representation of women -
This particular advertisement for Dove Pro-age, which was said to have shown too much flesh on television, represents women in a new light they aren’t usually shown in. The narrative of the advert revolves around 4 women who have supposedly used Dove products and believe the merchandise actually makes them feel and look younger. The women in this advertisement are represented as the dominant sex who are self objectified but not in a way to appeal or attract men but to inform women about this product.
The use of a woman voiceover emphasises the fact “Dove” is for women and makes skin looking younger which offers women a chance to look attractive and confident, whatever age they are. The use of close up shots on different parts of the body fetishises the women and makes them seem appealing to a womanly audience who may be thinking of using the product. In many ways, the women are encouraged to buy the product as it seems to add a sense of reality towards the advert as the women who are shown are not really the “model” type and seem like ordinary people.
Also the advertisement signifies naturalisation, as the lotion is a beauty product which intends to be focused at the female audience, as it is a moisturiser which focuses mainly on women. Naturalisation is a key effect in this advert as it makes the audience feel relaxed and comfortable with what they are watching.
The use of non digitic music of the guitar is soft, in order to signify a more subtle and mature mood. Though, the use of continual close ups and fades connote how the lotion can be applied to all areas of the body and is a way of rejuvenating the skin.
The women shown in this advert are all of a mature age and don’t really seem to be “model” type. This highlights that women don’t have to be shown as sex objects to attract an audience. This also represents women in a positive light by the way each woman if showing of their bodies but hiding parts they do not want to show with their hands. This may show that they have power over the audience, allowing the women to be in control and not be interpreted as sexual gratifications.
The Dove advert uses encouraging values, as the use of the “beauty has no age limit”. These words make the audience feel happy with themselves no matter what age they are and how they look. The advert brings confidence to women.
Negative representation of women -
Firstly as we take a look at the Primary target audience we see it manily targets boys aged 13 to 18. Young men whose life experiences and relationships with girls or women were reasonably narrow. We also assume the Secondary target audience has expanded ranging from 16-24 year old males that are increasingly difficult to influence through traditional advertising channels. Knowing the target audience allows us to understand the reason why women are presented the way they are in this advert.
In this particular advertisement for Lynx, the narrative revolves around a men who apply Lynx and begins to realise they are attracting beautiful air hostesses by their scent. Women in this advertisement are represented as the subordinate sex who are self objectifing themseleves by the use of clothing and gestures.
The use of the voiceover reinforces the role of the dominant man. His tone of voice comes across as mesmorising and hypnotic reinstating the dominace of male power. As well as this, the advertisment signifies naturalisation, as the deodrant is a product which is focused at men, and the use of the airplane and hotesses add a sense of realism.
The soft music of piano and drums is quite slow and seductive in order to signifiy a more subtle mood. Through the use of close ups and long shots connote how the close women can get to the men. Though the use of a close up of the female body parts it seems to offer sexual gratifications to a male audience, as it is fetishised and show women as sex objects.
The uniform for each woman is very sexy and revealing this emphasises the role of women in this advert to be sexual and seductive. And to only fill a role of pleasure. The scene of the two women playing together on the bed seem like the perfect fantasy for a man and allow the men to really be attracted by the women.
Dove - Pro Age Campaign
Positive representation of women -
This particular advertisement for Dove Pro-age, which was said to have shown too much flesh on television, represents women in a new light they aren’t usually shown in. The narrative of the advert revolves around 4 women who have supposedly used Dove products and believe the merchandise actually makes them feel and look younger. The women in this advertisement are represented as the dominant sex who are self objectified but not in a way to appeal or attract men but to inform women about this product.
The use of a woman voiceover emphasises the fact “Dove” is for women and makes skin looking younger which offers women a chance to look attractive and confident, whatever age they are. The use of close up shots on different parts of the body fetishises the women and makes them seem appealing to a womanly audience who may be thinking of using the product. In many ways, the women are encouraged to buy the product as it seems to add a sense of reality towards the advert as the women who are shown are not really the “model” type and seem like ordinary people.
Also the advertisement signifies naturalisation, as the lotion is a beauty product which intends to be focused at the female audience, as it is a moisturiser which focuses mainly on women. Naturalisation is a key effect in this advert as it makes the audience feel relaxed and comfortable with what they are watching.
The use of non digitic music of the guitar is soft, in order to signify a more subtle and mature mood. Though, the use of continual close ups and fades connote how the lotion can be applied to all areas of the body and is a way of rejuvenating the skin.
The women shown in this advert are all of a mature age and don’t really seem to be “model” type. This highlights that women don’t have to be shown as sex objects to attract an audience. This also represents women in a positive light by the way each woman if showing of their bodies but hiding parts they do not want to show with their hands. This may show that they have power over the audience, allowing the women to be in control and not be interpreted as sexual gratifications.
The Dove advert uses encouraging values, as the use of the “beauty has no age limit”. These words make the audience feel happy with themselves no matter what age they are and how they look. The advert brings confidence to women.
Wednesday 29 September 2010
#3 Media Guardian 100
The MediaGuardian 100 is the annual guide to the most powerful people in the media industry.
A panel of experienced media watchers from the worlds of politics, journalism, advertising and the internet judged entrants using three criteria: cultural influence, economic clout and political power of all candidates.
There are 16 women who are included in the top 100, with most of the list dominated by men. Women take up 16% out of the 100.
Top 3 women -
1. Jay Hunt (No 12 in top 100)
Job: controller, BBC1
Industry: broadcasting
2. Rebekah Brooks (16)
Job: chief executive, News International
Industry: publishing
3. Elisabeth Murdoch (18)
Job: chairman and chief executive, Shine Group
Industry: broadcasting
Because there are only 16 women out of 100 on the list, taking into consideration the jobs they have, it still seems that men are dominanting women. Alongside this women are still being viewed as the subordinate class, making the representation of women both weaker and repressed.
A panel of experienced media watchers from the worlds of politics, journalism, advertising and the internet judged entrants using three criteria: cultural influence, economic clout and political power of all candidates.
There are 16 women who are included in the top 100, with most of the list dominated by men. Women take up 16% out of the 100.
Top 3 women -
1. Jay Hunt (No 12 in top 100)
Job: controller, BBC1
Industry: broadcasting
2. Rebekah Brooks (16)
Job: chief executive, News International
Industry: publishing
3. Elisabeth Murdoch (18)
Job: chairman and chief executive, Shine Group
Industry: broadcasting
Because there are only 16 women out of 100 on the list, taking into consideration the jobs they have, it still seems that men are dominanting women. Alongside this women are still being viewed as the subordinate class, making the representation of women both weaker and repressed.
Sunday 26 September 2010
#2 - Femme Fatale
Murder, My Sweet (1944), Edward Dmytryk
Stella (Linda Darnell) - it was revealed that the manipulative and slutty sexpot was stealing money from the diner's till and stuffing bills in her bra. This classic deceptive femme fatale character has all the stereotypical features such as the blonde hair, sexy movement and a mysterious look her to face. The way her body comes close to the male character but not touching emphasises the seduction she is trying to achieve. Her clothing reveals her body but not in an obvious way creating a sense of purity and disguise to her femme fatale personality.
"She wanted me to kiss her and find the jade necklace".
Claire Trevor (Velma Valento) - The lighting and use of shadow is particularly important. This type of lighting creates heavy shadows and contrast between areas of dark and light. The main "Femme Fatale" character is shown to be more seductive and deceptive. The use of slight shadow on her visible face gives the viewer the impression that she is hiding something but at the same time she appears less than mysterious. She is secretive and sexy, allowing her to trap men into her games. Her appearance seems angelic but as we realise her thoughts and actions turn the otherway round. She smokes creating a phallic symbol which gives her power and authority. Her white dress almost makes the viewer think she is pure and innocent but the lighting emphasises this in fact is not true.
Fallen Angel (1945) , Otto Preminger"I'm not wasting my money. It's yours aswell. I don't care what you do with it. Burn it. Tear it. Do anything you want"
Stella (Linda Darnell) - it was revealed that the manipulative and slutty sexpot was stealing money from the diner's till and stuffing bills in her bra. This classic deceptive femme fatale character has all the stereotypical features such as the blonde hair, sexy movement and a mysterious look her to face. The way her body comes close to the male character but not touching emphasises the seduction she is trying to achieve. Her clothing reveals her body but not in an obvious way creating a sense of purity and disguise to her femme fatale personality.
Monday 21 June 2010
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