Monday 27 October 2014
Sunday 26 October 2014
Ethnicity Clip Analysis
At the very start of the clip we are presented with an establishing shot featuring a white male on a lounger and a black male in a suit serving him. This is the stereotypical role of a black male, this not only links to the stereotype but also links in with some historical values as well. This shot is accompanied by the sound of water and gentle music giving the impression that the setting is in a spa or pool area, this helps to set the scene for the viewer.
Then in a long shot panning across the pool area wit the black male we as viewers get to see the pool area for the first time, there are columns and the water is high-up in the pool giving the place a luxurious atmosphere.
The pool's natural blue lighting is then enhanced by the editing this represents a hygienic and clean feel to the atmosphere.
The next part of the scene is crucial as it backs up the black males stereotypical role. He is seen to be walking quite fast, this represents that the guests, who largely see him as inferior to them, expect him to do the tasks really quickly.
Then in a long shot panning across the pool area wit the black male we as viewers get to see the pool area for the first time, there are columns and the water is high-up in the pool giving the place a luxurious atmosphere.
The pool's natural blue lighting is then enhanced by the editing this represents a hygienic and clean feel to the atmosphere.
The next part of the scene is crucial as it backs up the black males stereotypical role. He is seen to be walking quite fast, this represents that the guests, who largely see him as inferior to them, expect him to do the tasks really quickly.
Subsequently an over the shoulder shot follows the now full length conversation of the black assistant and a young guest that is also seen to be of black origin. The younger man is wearing swimming shorts which largely represent the colours of the Jamaican flag, also making ethnicity clear. This guest then proceeds to use stereotypical (for his ethnic group) language including words such as "Bro" and "Ganja". The older male character appears to be hugely uncomfortable in the scenario as his body language is tense and he is giving short if any answers.
This is a perfect case of the male wanting to satisfy both the friend and his employers needs.
We then proceed to see to cleaner type ladies, they appear to be of eastern European origin. This is an example of the drama using a very common stereotype that eastern Europeans will do little jobs that pay little money purely because they cant afford no to.
Once the women have entered the oriental looking male customers room they decide to accept his bribe to perform a strip show, agin this backs up the image that they will do anything for money.
Once the man starts the sexual upbeat music and the two women start to strip we are shown close-ips of his face where we can clearly see his mouth slightly open as to suggest that he is attracted to the women. Furthermore this links to the idea of the male gaze as he is using the women for there sexual (object) appeal alone.
Another aspect to this scene and the representation of ethnicity in this clip is that he is from Japan/China this is using the stereotype that Chinese/Japanese people are intelligent and have a lot of money. This is further backed up by the fact she says he is a regular meaning that he has either a lot of money or a brilliant job, both of which go together. This all goes to represent his superiority over the two women.
The music then picks up pace,one of the two women is very uncomfortable by now in the situation. The music could represent the pace of her thoughts, body and heart.
Once the man starts the sexual upbeat music and the two women start to strip we are shown close-ips of his face where we can clearly see his mouth slightly open as to suggest that he is attracted to the women. Furthermore this links to the idea of the male gaze as he is using the women for there sexual (object) appeal alone.
Another aspect to this scene and the representation of ethnicity in this clip is that he is from Japan/China this is using the stereotype that Chinese/Japanese people are intelligent and have a lot of money. This is further backed up by the fact she says he is a regular meaning that he has either a lot of money or a brilliant job, both of which go together. This all goes to represent his superiority over the two women.
The music then picks up pace,one of the two women is very uncomfortable by now in the situation. The music could represent the pace of her thoughts, body and heart.
Subsequently a mid shot featuring two white males along with people of mixed ethnicities in the background is shown, the people in the background are blurred out, which could have been done to represent the fact that the white people are more :important" than them and have control over the situation.
In one of the last shots we see that an Italian and British chef are arguing, the British chef is seen to be quite chubby, calm and relatively passive. On the other hand the Italian chef is seen to be passionate, thin and agressive, both of these chefs are the stereotypical people from both of their nationalities.
Class and Status Clip Analysis
The first shot we see is a mid shot of the main character, this allows the audience to make a first impression of him. It allows the audience to see his clothes (scruffy, pyjama type clothes) which is stereotypically middle to lower class, the audience then see the character more closely. Here we can see he has oily hair, which suggests that he doesn't wash very often. This is a trait of some lower class people.
The next shot is an over the shoulder shot which enables the audience to see the other characters in the clip, this allows them to build an idea of them (in this case lower class individuals). It also allows the audience to see them through his (the main character) point of view. In this scenario their body language and facial expressions in response to what he is saying, gives the effect that they are disgusted. Another observation for mise-en-scene is that there are lots of empty alcoholic drink bottles and cans and other such items scattered around the windows and part of the house as a whole, this gives us the idea that the character is an alcoholic type person. This is backed up later on when his voice is typical of a stereotypical alcoholic.
On further analysis of this scene the audience can gather that their home is low quality, this view is gathered by the fact that the walls are un-painted and thus you are able to directly see the breeze blocks. This could represent the fact that they have not been able to decorate, this could be due to lack of funds, if so then this would back up the idea that these are lower class people. If you put this together we can see that the producers have used the stereotype that lower class people are heavy drinkers, careless and can't afford comforts in their homes that their more wealthy counterparts may have.
A close up shot is used on the main character as his mood changes; it zooms in and slightly back out various times sharply as if to represent a sudden change in the atmosphere as he becomes aggravated by the other character. This gives off the idea that lower class people are easily wound up, and that they can snap quickly when aggravated.
The sound in the background at this point is very different to the overall atmosphere of the scene; it sounds oriental which could be seen as relaxing and this can be seen by the audience as a contrast to previous parts of the scenes. It could also represent that the main character is intoxicated and thus why there is some calming and relaxing music.
There is a lot of profanities used throughout this first scene by most characters which is stereotypical of lower class people as it is widely regarded that they have a lack of good education and haven't learnt formal and proper ways of speaking.
The editing for the clip is mainly down to the use of a bright filter that gives the scene a wintery cold feel, when they go outside this is carried on. Only we can see that the location is a council house, a place where lower class individuals stereotypically live
At the end of the video we see that the atmosphere between the family has picked up and is now quite a happy effect, there is some more upbeat music which helps to portray this effect. The main character is then embarrassed by the fact that the caravan only sold for very little. This is soon overcome by the family as they laugh it off, this is stereotypical of lower class families as they need to be able to overcome problems more easily as they face them more often.
Near to the end of the clip we see a young girl with a baby, this could be to represent that lower class people can sometimes make bad choices and end up paying the consequences.
Finally we see an establishing shot of the area, this reenforces what I said earlier about the council estate.
Friday 24 October 2014
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Secret Diary of a Call Girl - representation of disability
- The characters featured in this clip are represented in a wide variety of ways. the first of these involves the female character who is known in the video as the "call girl". She is not represented to match a stereotypical image of what people perceive a call girl to look and act like. Instead she is wearing formal clothing and thus doesn't look over glamourized ( a common stereotype for a call girl). She doesn't have much makeup and her hair is fairly normal, both of which contribute to the fact that she just looks like a fairly normal woman of her age bracket. she is represented in the video as caring and tries her best to make the disabled male feel at home. As a viewer we get the impression that she isn't very used to doing this and therefore struggles at times, often stuttering. This could be because she doesn't want to and is in fact scared that she may offend the disabled male. This represents the common stereotype that more able people feel awkward when making conversation with a disabled person due to the fact they might offend them. It is represented in the video that she perceives the disabled male as being non-sexual, this links to one of Paul Hunts 10 stereotype areas (non-sexual).
- In contrast to the female character the disabled boy is represented in a way that the audience are supposed to feel sorry for him, this makes the audience pity him which is also one of Paul Hunts 10 areas of disability stereotypes (pitiable or pathetic), as an audience we are forced y the situation to do this as he is portrayed to be weak as he cant carry out simple everyday tasks. He is also represented as reliant on his dad to take him and help him about his life, it is portrayed that this is not very appealing to him as it denies him a certain level of freedom. Another fact is that in most of the camera shots he is shown as shorter than the other characters which represents his vulnerability and less able state. as far as mise-en-scene goes he is simply wearing a T-shirt, this is typical for boys of his age and is arguabley a way in which he tries to fit in and be the same.
- The dad is represented in the clip as having the best intention for his son and being caring to wards him. Visually he is portrayed as being strong we can see this due to the relative ease with which he lifts his son. as with the other two characters, he is represented as feeling awkward in the situation and to a certain extent he is nervous as well. Overall he is represented as masculine and strong, this is essentially a stereotypical male. To back this up we see the clothes he is wearing link to a decorator or some other type of labour intensive job that stereotypically women cant or don't do.
The sound for this video Is mainly a combination of the noises in the car and the music and talking in the room. The first of which is the talking which is diagenic sound, the second is in the car when the dad keeps playing with the electric window, this sound represents that he is nervous and fidgety due to the fact that he has had to leave his son.
For the mise-en-scene part of the analysis, there are various aspects to look at. These include, the colour of the flat is mainly pink, this represents that the disabled male is less masculine due to his disability. Furthermore the flat includes some luxurious features for example the bed has some elegant and posh looking bed clothes, this could represent the fact that that the woman is an item that can be used and that is desirable to men, this is an aspect of the male gaze. Also an element to mise-en-scene is the fact that the lighting has a warm tone which represents warmth and comfort which is a desirable aspect to the "users" of a "call girl".
The editing aspect to the video includes long scenes when the "call girl" and the disabled boy are in shot, thus representing that they are comfortable together and that some of the awkwardness has gone away. The scenes with the dad in the car however, a jump cuts primarily, emphasizing the fact that he is probably anxious as he doesn't like leaving his son.
In the video there are a variety of different camera shots, the first of which is a long shot which allows the viewer to see the disabled male and the back of the female, this gives an accurate view of what the female is wearing, the camera then pans up and reveals the farther, this portrays the de-similarity between the farther and the son. There is then an establishing shot which gives viewers a sense of space and allows them to accurately guess the future of the situation as the representations via aspects in the room sink in. One of the next shots is of the male in his wheelchair, this is a mid shot and only includes the male and the other character's legs this represents the fact that he can only see one thing and that also he is lower that the other characters, this links well with the class and status is clearly portrayed to have a lower status in society than the other characters due to his disability. When filming the farther (the same is true with the female) the camera generally moves around and pans more, whereas when the disabled male is the centre of the shot they generally only use a few different angles and they are all mid shots, this could represent the fact that due to his disability he can't just get up and walk as the other characters can. This is one way in which the element of pity is instilled into the audience as he cant doe the everyday tasks the other characters take for granted i.e. walk.
Tuesday 7 October 2014
The Inbetweeners - disability in media
Why is the clip funny?
The clip may be interpreted as funny, as according to Paul Hunt the misfortune (disability of others) can provide pleasure to the more able. This means that non-disabled people find pleasure in laughing at disabled people and have done since Greece. Another way in which the clip may be considered funny is that it the situation is awkward meaning that some may not even consider the reaction of the girl funny but the reaction of the more able male as more funny. The disabled girl just plays a part in this, as she justifies his reaction.
How is the dissbled girl being represented?
The disabled girl is being represented in a humorous sense, she is also represented as child like and pathetic.
Are we supposed to laugh at the disabled person?
No, we aren't. We are supposed to laugh at the whole situation and not individual aspects. The woman only plays a part in the whole situation and isn't the entire joke.
Are they the "butt" of the joke?
I personally would not consider them to be the "butt" of the joke and instead just a part of it, the "butt" of the joke would be considered by me and many others to be the able male and the situation he gets into. The disabled female only plays a part in the overall context of the joke.
How do you think disabled people respond to this?
I think that many disabled people will understand that the joke is not targeted against disabled people and will therefore "get it". Some disabled people however, as with any situation won't. These are usually newly disabled people that are not yet comfortable with their condition and thus may find the joke offensive and respond aggressively.
Are we as a society cultivated to think that we should pitty the disabled?
Up until very recently, yes we were but nowadays we are very much told that they are equal and should be treated with the same respect and in the same fashion as you would treat a physically able person. An example of this is how it is no longer classed as acceptable to neal down when talking to a person in a wheelchair as it makes them feel inferior.
Wednesday 1 October 2014
Gender representation wire in the blood
When the video starts we can clearly see that the scene has been edited to appear dark, this may represent that the male is over mining the woman. It may also represent that they are dealing with the dark side of people as they are crime investigators. Throughout this particular scene a hand held camera effect is used, This may represent that their relationship is fractious and that the woman has done something wrong and thus there is anger. Also of interest is the fact that the male is then positioned in a way which makes him appear taller/higher than the female, this suggests that he is watching over her this could represent that she is "inferior" to the male in the argument. This fits with the stereotype of women having no power over men. The sound in this clip is what you would expect as it involves mostly them speaking loudly at each other, noteworthy though is the volume level for the background noise, this further concentrates the viewer in the argument. The cross cutting gradually gets faster thus representing how the argument is getting more tense (particularly for the woman as she is starting to be "put in her place", this is linked to the stereotype that women don't do skilled jobs and in this clip they are talking about a death investigation therefore indicating they are detectives. this is relevant as the woman is clearly struggling whereas the man is doing it with relative ease. The characters are wearing formal dress, however this is most interesting for the woman as she is wearing a turtle neck and a grey cote, this could represent an attempt do de-feminize herself in order to be taken seriously by the males. Noteworthy however is the fact that she maintains her feminism from her face upwards as she is wearing earrings, make up and has clearly made an effort with her hair, this could represent the fact that although she wants to appear more masculine she still feels its her duty as a woman to appeal to the males around her, in essence fitting in with the stereotype of how women should behave, and she would also be conforming to the male gaze theory.
We then see that the male is looking at her whilst she is talking to another woman which may be causing her pressure, the male then turns away which further emphasizes the representation of his disapproval of her tiring to take charge, also interesting in this scene is the fact that whilst she is talking to the other woman he is positioned in the middle, thus representing that he is still in charge of the situation. This agrees with the stereotype that the men are always the ones in charge as women as a gender are inferior and thus should take orders from the men.
The woman then turns as the male is walking of and says "I need you're input" this is diegenic sound and represents the fact that she is undermining herself as she "needs" male input, the male continues to walk off thus turning this into a power play.
There is then a crane shot which emphasizes the difference between the male and female character, as the crane gets higher it represents the fact that she is powerless against the male.
The fact the man finds the job easy is further portrayed when we are in his home and he is looking through the pictures instantly recognizing why they are significant to the case and to an extent concluding the case. We see this via a series off close ups and mid shots these make the man out to be cleaver and successful. The male is also represented as clever and in control when he rolls his sleeves up as this shows that he can just get on with the work. also a emphesis on this is how the clips are edited to be jump-cuts giving the viewer the idea that he is progressing rapidly, something that stereotypicaly women can't do. The colour of the walls in his hose further link to the job he does as red is the colour of death and danger, red is also a dominant colour thus representing how he is superior to other genders. There are two more interesting items in his house, the first of these is a plant which represents that he has a nurturing side as patience and care is needed to grow a plant, this would coincide with the stereotype that men have little weaknesses and can dominate most tasks, the second item is a butterfly, it is not clear wether is is a print or an actual butterfly that has been pinned but either way it represents the fact he is methodical and scientific, also coinciding with the above stereotype. The sound in this scene is non-diagenic, which gives the viewer a sense that they are walking trough his thought path which is sad as is the music.
In the next scene the video cuts to the woman's house herewe can clearly see she is struggling to cope as the house is messy, which portrays her home life as chaotic and uncontrollable, this is portraying that women need men to rely on while they care for the kids. Another interesting element to this scene is the way the house is painted similar colours to the males house, this could represent that she is trying to achieve masculinity, this could be down to the fact that she feels that there needs to be some kind of male influence in the household. A further interesting fact is that her son (Ben) is dressed in red, which cold indicate that he is surrounded by her job, as we already said that the colour red could represent the job, another aspect to Ben is that he is in a corner thus representing that she is neglecting him and that he comes second to her job, this sis then backed up by the fact we hear diagetic sound when she is trying to find a babysitter last minute, this also shows her lack of organisation. This references to an extent the fact that women need men to help them in everyday situations To an extent this is then reversed when she asks the man to care for Ben as she has taken on the stereotypical role of the man.
The roles are switched back when we are presented with a close up of the man and Ben, there is fast music to represent fun, this is further clarified when ben suggests that the man is more fun than his mother and that she has to work long days in order to keep the house maintained.
Furthermore, the stereotype that men are powerful and strong swell as being successful is further presented to us when we see a silver Mercedes S-Class (luxury car) enter the shot. a man gets out thus representing his success in life. He then enters an abandoned house and can control everybody in it.
The sound of the voices of the homeless people echo somewhat, representing the emptiness of their lives, this is strange as they are men and in the video men are generally always represented to be superior. It does however link in to class and status and shows that whatever gender you are, if you don't have the status you will not over power anyone. These men are represented to have equal power to the women in the video. The homeless me are further portrayed as powerless when we get a good look at the set of where they are, this is dirty and generally run down. this is designed to represent how their lives are.
The stereotype that men need to be strong and powerful is further backed up when the man that enters the abandoned house slams someones head against a wall. We get shown this via a closeup which shows that the man has all of the pose in that scene and thus represents gender superiority.
Once the video cuts back into the house with the man and Ben in we hear the fast music which automatically causes the viewer to feel positive, this feeling is backed up by a sort of long shot with the man and Ben in making some popcorn. they are making a mess which generally fits in with the stereotype that men are more careless and "messy" than the equivalent woman.
To conclude, gender in the video is represented in a variety of ways, this includes various stereotypes towards both men and women. Also included is the relation to class and status with the homeless men. The overall stereotype it creates for men is that men have to be strong and powerful as as all as being successful and still being funny and entertaining. The stereotype towards women is there are times where women can have power but they are quickly put back into their place. and struggle to manage with the home and work.
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We then see that the male is looking at her whilst she is talking to another woman which may be causing her pressure, the male then turns away which further emphasizes the representation of his disapproval of her tiring to take charge, also interesting in this scene is the fact that whilst she is talking to the other woman he is positioned in the middle, thus representing that he is still in charge of the situation. This agrees with the stereotype that the men are always the ones in charge as women as a gender are inferior and thus should take orders from the men.
The woman then turns as the male is walking of and says "I need you're input" this is diegenic sound and represents the fact that she is undermining herself as she "needs" male input, the male continues to walk off thus turning this into a power play.
There is then a crane shot which emphasizes the difference between the male and female character, as the crane gets higher it represents the fact that she is powerless against the male.
The fact the man finds the job easy is further portrayed when we are in his home and he is looking through the pictures instantly recognizing why they are significant to the case and to an extent concluding the case. We see this via a series off close ups and mid shots these make the man out to be cleaver and successful. The male is also represented as clever and in control when he rolls his sleeves up as this shows that he can just get on with the work. also a emphesis on this is how the clips are edited to be jump-cuts giving the viewer the idea that he is progressing rapidly, something that stereotypicaly women can't do. The colour of the walls in his hose further link to the job he does as red is the colour of death and danger, red is also a dominant colour thus representing how he is superior to other genders. There are two more interesting items in his house, the first of these is a plant which represents that he has a nurturing side as patience and care is needed to grow a plant, this would coincide with the stereotype that men have little weaknesses and can dominate most tasks, the second item is a butterfly, it is not clear wether is is a print or an actual butterfly that has been pinned but either way it represents the fact he is methodical and scientific, also coinciding with the above stereotype. The sound in this scene is non-diagenic, which gives the viewer a sense that they are walking trough his thought path which is sad as is the music.
In the next scene the video cuts to the woman's house herewe can clearly see she is struggling to cope as the house is messy, which portrays her home life as chaotic and uncontrollable, this is portraying that women need men to rely on while they care for the kids. Another interesting element to this scene is the way the house is painted similar colours to the males house, this could represent that she is trying to achieve masculinity, this could be down to the fact that she feels that there needs to be some kind of male influence in the household. A further interesting fact is that her son (Ben) is dressed in red, which cold indicate that he is surrounded by her job, as we already said that the colour red could represent the job, another aspect to Ben is that he is in a corner thus representing that she is neglecting him and that he comes second to her job, this sis then backed up by the fact we hear diagetic sound when she is trying to find a babysitter last minute, this also shows her lack of organisation. This references to an extent the fact that women need men to help them in everyday situations To an extent this is then reversed when she asks the man to care for Ben as she has taken on the stereotypical role of the man.
The roles are switched back when we are presented with a close up of the man and Ben, there is fast music to represent fun, this is further clarified when ben suggests that the man is more fun than his mother and that she has to work long days in order to keep the house maintained.
Furthermore, the stereotype that men are powerful and strong swell as being successful is further presented to us when we see a silver Mercedes S-Class (luxury car) enter the shot. a man gets out thus representing his success in life. He then enters an abandoned house and can control everybody in it.
The sound of the voices of the homeless people echo somewhat, representing the emptiness of their lives, this is strange as they are men and in the video men are generally always represented to be superior. It does however link in to class and status and shows that whatever gender you are, if you don't have the status you will not over power anyone. These men are represented to have equal power to the women in the video. The homeless me are further portrayed as powerless when we get a good look at the set of where they are, this is dirty and generally run down. this is designed to represent how their lives are.
The stereotype that men need to be strong and powerful is further backed up when the man that enters the abandoned house slams someones head against a wall. We get shown this via a closeup which shows that the man has all of the pose in that scene and thus represents gender superiority.
Once the video cuts back into the house with the man and Ben in we hear the fast music which automatically causes the viewer to feel positive, this feeling is backed up by a sort of long shot with the man and Ben in making some popcorn. they are making a mess which generally fits in with the stereotype that men are more careless and "messy" than the equivalent woman.
To conclude, gender in the video is represented in a variety of ways, this includes various stereotypes towards both men and women. Also included is the relation to class and status with the homeless men. The overall stereotype it creates for men is that men have to be strong and powerful as as all as being successful and still being funny and entertaining. The stereotype towards women is there are times where women can have power but they are quickly put back into their place. and struggle to manage with the home and work.
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