Sunday 25 November 2012

Textual Analysis and Connotations

Media
Textual Analysis
Connotations
The Big Bang Theory
TV
http://images.wikia.com/bigbangtheory/images/5/59/Penny-leonard-big-bang-theory.jpg

Leonard is wearing a suit to go to a date with penny. He doesn’t look relaxed and looks nervous. He is also wearing glasses, which is a typical accessory worn by a nerd.

Shows that nerds get overly nervous around girls, wear glasses, wear smart clothing but lack a sense of style. However, it does show that nerds can attract girls, and those of the status of Penny.
Boogie2988
Youtube

He is obese. Wearing glasses, polo shirt, trousers and gaming accessories. He also has groomed facial hair.

The start of the video shows that nerds spend a lot of time gaming, and it is obvious that he doesn’t want to be disturbed. It also shows that nerds can be quite childish, as he got excited when he was allowed to open an early Christmas present. The fact that he got really excited by getting toy lightsabers also shows that he is childish, and has failed to mature. He has no interest in the adult world. This idea is supported by the fact that he can’t wait to play with them, as he does so straight away.
The Big Bang Theory
TV

Sheldon is wearing a superhero T-shirt and trousers. Leonard isn’t wearing typical nerdy clothes, but is wearing glasses and has his hair positioned in an unstylish way.
It shows that nerds still enjoy superheroes and everything that comes with them. They also enjoy childish toys, which is evident by their reaction upon receiving them. The start of the video portrays Sheldon as a very intelligent person, as he is working on some very difficult physics equations. He also expresses how it makes him very happy, when other people may find it incredibly dull and boring.

Sunday 18 November 2012

How and Why is Representation Complicated?

Representation in the media can be complicated in many different ways. The audience is key when it comes to the representation of a certain social group within any type of media. There are a lot of different views around regarding audience and the significance of it. Many people believe that the audience is paramount to the success of certain media, as producers will target a specific type of audience that they feel would take most interest. Many people feel the opposite; that there is no such thing as an "audience" or that the audience is a set of individuals who actively make their own meaning about a text. What ever the belief, the audience is vital as they are the people who take interest in media, allowing it to sell and become popular. They are the best judges of whether something is good or bad.

The audience links strongly to complication of the representation of certain things within certain media. The audiences perception of an opinion or view portrayed in a certain piece of media is crucial. For example, a film could portray a typical view of today's youth; showing them drinking, doing drugs, and just generally causing or getting into trouble. This view is what the majority of people believe through either witnessing it themselves in different ways or just seeing a lot of media texts portraying the same view. As this is the standard hegemony, people will be able to understand and 'read' the media better than they otherwise would if the view being portrayed went against the hegemony. The audience will agree with the standard view and be more receptive to the media if it's something they or the majority believe in. They will also be more comfortable with the view that is being portrayed. Some youths may take slight offence to this view which is being portrayed through all different kinds of media, as they might not do the things that a member of today's youth is perceived to do. The media can also cause confusion if the majority of the audiences view is different to that of the one that is being portrayed, and it goes against the hegemony. The audience will stuggle to connect to the media if what it is portraying is perceived to be wrong by the majority. For example, if a nerd was portrayed to have lots of friends and be good at sports in a film or TV programme, then people wouldn't be able to connect with the piece. It would be perceived as wrong and would be open to criticism.