Theorists (Media Representation)

Binary Opposites:
Levi Strauss 1958.
He believed that we understand words not solely based on their meaning they directly contain, but we understand by the meaning opposites and what they reflect. Binary opposites are normally seen a narrative which can be used in any type of media. They are used a lot in films to create good plots and are frequently used in music video's so it links in with the lyrics which might be about someone. Strauss' links with the audiences' ideological views of how we feel we should percieve things.
E.G Hero and a Villain. (Antagonist and Protagonist).
Binary opposites lead into a climax for the narrative and gives a understanding of the text. Although it has recently been challenged as there isnt a clear antagonist and protagonist.
Levi Strauss' theory is represented in my media because the binary opposites is used when there is conflict with in my narrative, and we assume from a female's prespective that it is the males fault for going into a mood. But it also refers to the ideological views of a normal love story.


Feminism:
Laura Mulvey 1975.
She looks at how the audience view people who are presented in the media. She came up with something called the 'Male gaze' this is how men see women who are represented as 'sexy' since they don't have much clothing on. It focus's mainly on the curves of the female body. It also refers to women as objects rather than people. Female views also view this through the male eyes because that is how they are shown because they are shown to an audience from a hetrosexual male. For an example: Miley Cyrus used to precieved as a young innocent girl and her new appreance is seen as a male gaze because of the movements and the video's she has most recently brought out. The camera uses particular movements to percieve women in a idealistic view. Some women would disagree but others may feel liberated.
Summarising the women is displayed for the male gaze to provide pleasure in a sexual way. (Voyeurism)
Mulvey's theory doesn't apply a lot to my music video, apart from when they guy who causes the conflict looks her up and down, this could be seen as the male gaze because he only looks at what he wants to see. This also refers to the camera movements as it will show what he is looking at.


Ways of seeing:
John Berger 1972.
He claims that the representations of men and women in visual culture entice different gazes. He states: "Men act women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves been looked at."
The woman is usually posed in a way to please the viewer, he gaze is meant to entice the viewer. Women are constantly being surveyed, not only by men but by other women and themselves.
I personally think that it is very similar to the previous theorist Laura Mulvey as it refers to a viewing of women. It represents my music video the same way which the previous one did.


Stereotyping:
Tessa Perkins 1979.
Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be challenged. She identified 5 assumptions:
-Stereotypes are not always negative.
-They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful
-They can be held about one's own group.
-They are not rigid or unchanging.
-They are not always false.
Perkins says that stereotyping is not a simple process. Sometimes they are not true but are still assumed upon people. As society changes it's hard for stereotypes to change as they stick in society. Not all stereotypes are bad, not all good and we categorise ourselves.
Stereotypically you expect some aggressive fight when there is conflict in my music video, but i want to challange this and only have the arguement between the people who are in a relationship.


Representation:
Richard Dyer 1983.
He studies the representation in media generalls and looked at how media texts represent themselves to society and an audience. He closely studied the ideological and historical significance of film stars, but also looked at media in general.
Questions which are considered when studying representations in general:
-What sense of the world is it making?
-What does it imply? is it typical of the world or deviant (unusual/different)?
-Who is it speaking to? For whom? To whom?
-What does it represent to us and why? How do we respond to the representation?
Representation enables us to understand a media text. It allows us to be able to categorise the ideology of the text to give us meaning. Without representations, texts would me meaningless and wouldn't have messages.
The representation in my music video is meant to show a common love story, refering to the conflict that happens since it does in every relationship. It gives people chance to relate to this as it might happen in their relationship. Representations help us to understand stereotypes (Perkins) who implied audience is initially directed at (Berger) and gain understanding of narrative by having an existing assumption of what will happen (Strauss).


Ideology:
Tim O'Sullivan et al 1998.
Refers to a set of ideas which produces a partial and selective view of reality. Ideology involves widely held ideas or beliefs which are seeen as 'common sense' and become accepted by society. Ideology helps us to make judgements about the world and the different views people have within it.
It can be argued, one mechanism by which a ruling group tries to deceive and control the ruled. Ideology implies that a powerful group can choose how and what messages are leaked to the media and what the society take in. Because of ideology we have ideas about the world that we live in. Because the media is so powerful it can control what and how ideas are portrayed to an audience/consumer. The more powerful you are in society the more control you have over how messages are given to an audience.
Ideology in my music video is to expect a perfect love story, and when the couple fight then this is the message which is portrayed to the audience because they can relate to something similar that might have happened to them. It is very similar to Dyers theory.


Marxism:
Karl Marx 1818-1883.
"How culture is constructed in a way that enables the groups holding the power to have maximum control with the minimum of conflict. His theory looks at how society is built in 'classes' and argues that lower classes cannot better themselves and that upper class people are the powerful and control ideological views put to society.
He states that power was held by a minority group known as the 'elite' or  'bourgeoisie' he said that these people have access to capital and because of this they could use their money and power to heep within their group to make more wealth. Majority of the population (us) the 'mass' or 'proletariat' had their labour to help them make a living. Marx stated because if this industrialisation the elite were the only ones who has access to means of production. The fact that elite help the money and the power it meant that the mass were dependant on the elite, the elite took advantage of this power and to maximise their own profits and accountability they need to get as much labour for as little money as possible. Basically the rich are the powerful and have lots of money and the rest of us work for the rich to be able to earn a living, we have to accept their role in society. They use us to make money, if we don't do it we have no role/purpose.


Hypodermic Needle Theory:
This theory is based on how the audience take in certain things. It can cause people to have an interpretation on things because of what they heard in the media. The word 'needle' is what is reinforced by. The audience have things injected to them which makes the have stereotypical views on the music industry, and others. A example would be the use of social networking sites such as twitter. Recently Miley Cyrus brought out a music video 'wrecking ball' which caused people to either like or dislike it. And majority of views which was broadcasted on Twitter was negative therefore would cause other people to have negative views on this video too. A second example would also be how artists manage to get more views on YouTube and people buying their albums more, if I friend recommends a song for you to listen too then you are more likely to listen and enjoy it. Which leads you into buying the product.