Theory Drop: Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory
. Mark Dixon believes Gerbner’s Cultivation theory is worth revisiting, despite being criticised by Stuart Hall. The notion that media products can effect widespread change is just as valid today as it was when the theory was made within the 1960’s. This can be evidenced by the Covid-19 crisis, amplifying the media’s ability to cultivate widespread panic, causing consumers to stock up on items such as toilet roll.
. Growing up during the ascent of fascism, Gerbner had seen firsthand how mass media could have a persuasive effect on social attitudes. Gerbner’s concerns regarding the effects of mass media consumption were driven by the belief that as a social institution, media was replacing religion, and the family as a primary socialiser.
. Gerbner’s theory provides a sophisticated model of audience consumption, however his theory neglects to account for how audiences can resist media messages- essentially, ‘we are all just swimming in an ocean of media messaging’.
https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/media/1299/mm74_theorygerber.pdf
Deutschland 83 Trivia
. The German transmission of the show uses the song ‘Blue Monday’ by New Order, whilst the UK and US broadcasts use the song ‘Major Tom (Coming Home)’ by Peter Schilling.
. Margret Lyons praised the title designer, due to the opening credit songs- the use of ‘Major Tom’, a popular German song, “combines the song’s synth vibes with more ominous historical imagery and a little bit of the shows humour”, essentially summarising the show.
. Creator Anna Winger stated all episode titles are drawn from 1983 NATO military exercises.
. Anna Winger said they did extensive research with experts who were from both sides of Germany during production.
. Jonah Nay, who played Martin, stated he received technical assistance from military adviser/ NATO expert Steffen Meyer.
. The series premiered in the US in 2015, making it the first German-language series to air on a US network.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschland_83
Stranger Things ‘Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers’ Trivia
. The first episode was originally titled the ‘Montauk pilot’, and was the first episode from ‘Montauk’, the original title of Stranger Things
. The Duffer brothers chose Montauk as a location, as it had further ties with ‘Jaws’.
. ‘Stranger Things’ as a title came about in relation to the Stephen King novel ‘Needful Things’.
Intertextuality
. Intertextual references throughout the episode increase the perception of realism, alongside adding to the audience’s gratifications.
. The Duffer Brothers tried to capture shots that could be seen as homages to many 1980s films, however their goal wasn’t to fill their work with these references, rather make the series seem like a 1980s film.
- Jaws
. The Demogorgon lurking outside the Byer’s house mimic how the shark first stalked its victims.
. Hopper’s character and appearance are derived from Chief Martin Brody.
- Poltergeist
. In a flashback from 1982, Joyce surprises Will at Castle Byers with tickets to see Poltergeist.
. The Wheeler family mirror the Freeling family.
- ET
. The opening shot of Stranger Things starts with the camera panning down from the sky, like the opening of ET
. The scene where Will Byers goes into the shed is an homage to ET, where the main character goes into the shed and makes first contact with the titular character.
- Firestarter
. The Duffer brothers used King’s ‘Firestarter’ novel to consider the title’s font appearance.
- The Thing (1982)
. Mike has a poster for the film in his basement.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
. Nancy’s name and character arc mimic Nancy Thompson, as they both go from a typical teenager to a strong woman destined on avenging her friends by killing that monster that took them.
- Visual effects
. To create the aged effect for the series, a film grain was added over footage, which was captured by scanning in film stock in the 1980s.
Errors
. Dustin wears a Casio F-91W, a watch introduced in 1991.
. A white Volvo 745 is seen when the boys arrive at school, a model first introduced in 1985.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_Things_season_1
https://strangerthings.fandom.com/wiki/The_Vanishing_of_Will_Byers
‘the philosophy of animal crossing’- Karsten Runquist
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was built as a form of escapism, without a structured point. Within the game, players don’t have a passive experience, however there isn’t a necessary goal for tedious tasks to add up to.
The game acts as a form of romanticisation, making players appreciate routine and a repetitive life cycle, finding comfort in the mundane. By removing player’s physical limitations, tasks done within the game are reassessed, alongside their rewards gained. There is no conflict, and there is no punishment, rather an emphasis on players choice, concluding their enjoyment is a result of what they choose to do.
‘the obsession with female rage in the media’- Final Girl Studios
This video essay explores the idea of ‘female rage’ within the media- why are consumers so engrossed with women in the media exhibiting violent characteristics?
Final Girl Studios suggests this obsession stems from women being programmed to perform for the male gaze. Cinema as a medium has been historically dominated by men, meaning women have been presented through the perspective of the female gaze since the creation of film. Due to this, men have internalised this view of women, whilst women have internalised this view of themselves.
Media consumed has become part of an audience’s subconscious thought, the overwhelming majority of this being produced via the perspective of the vouyeristic male gaze. Laura Mulvey suggests the sexual politics of looking suggests inherent objectification, catering to male scopophila. This sexual pleasure derived from looking has resulted in representations of women adhering to traditional gender stereotypes, suppressing emotions of rage.
According to a review of studies of gender and anger written in 2000, access to anger is seen as masculine- ‘people are more likely to use words like hostile to describe female anger, whilst male anger is more likely to be described as strong’. So when female characters are seen committing acts of uncontrollable rage, many women find solace in this. However, the ‘female rage’ genre has been seen synonymous with phrases such as ‘girl boss’ online, without taking the consideration to recognise the importance of the representation of unsuppressed female emotions.
‘Baby Reindeer Exposes a Bigger Problem’- Perry Byford
Byford’s video explores audience interaction with Baby Reindeer, and its effects on media consumption.
Byford emphasises the show’s message that ‘this is a true story’, rather than a dramatised version of events. Due to this, producers have an ethical duty to protect the real identities of characters representing real people via anonymisation. However, these attempts have failed, as consumers have attempted to identify the perpetrators from the show.
Whilst Baby Reindeer depicts a true story, consumers have failed to realise this doesn’t therefore mean every scene is a carbon-copy of the event happening. All events happened in real-life, but are presented in a way which flow different to reality. Things may have been exaggerated, or toned down to make them more acceptable for television, which is something viewers haven’t taken in to consideration when attempting to ‘expose’ the real identities behind characters within the show. Whilst Gadd has publicly stated events within the show are ‘100% emotionally accurate’, there is still a lack of recognition that all television shows have some aspect of dramatisation in order to be viewable.
This is an example of the lines between real life and fiction being blurred. Real events have become ‘spectacles’ to be tuned in to, the thirst for drama from audiences amplified by technological advancements, allowing media consumers to interact with both media producers, and real people depicted within the show.
'Murder on The Dance Floor'- Kirsty Morrow
Worrow’s article explores ideas of abjection, perverse allegiance and the male gaze within her article surrounding Saltburn.
She suggests the notion of the female gaze challenges Mulvey’s traditional notion of the male gaze- the representation of Oliver within the final scene represents the inversion of the male gaze. There was nothing particularly sexualised about his naked body, yet viewers were invited to look at it closely as he danced around the manor.
Additionally, Worrow investigates ideas of abjection.She argues Fennel’s ability to construct scenes with abject elements challenges audiences. For example, scenes involving vomit, semen and menstrual blood are juxtaposed by the luxurious mise-en-scene, presenting several memorable moments which challenge audiences.
Within her article, Worrow writes about perverse allegiance, a term coined by Smith describing the way spectators identify with characters they feel morally reprehensible. Saltburn offers both formal and structural alignment devices, positioning audiences to feel sympathetic towards Oliver. As film progresses, spectators identify with and reject characters simultaneously, however this repulsion allows audiences to explore the limits of their own morality.
https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/media/6245/saltburn_mm88.pdf
‘Male video game characters speak twice as much as females, largest study of its kind reveals’ - Steph Rennick and Sean Roberts
Rennick and Roberts’ article explores the gender bias of character dialogue within video games.
Research by the Royal Society Open Science found that within 50 video games, a total sample of 13,000 characters, half as much dialogue is given to male characters compared to female characters. Alongside this, 94% of the games analysed had more male dialogue, including games with female protagonists.
Within video games, protagonists are more likely to be male, placing female characters in stereotypical roles (e.g. Princess Peach as ‘damsel in distress’). Female characters are also more likely to have stereotyped patterns of behaviour, including being apologetic, hesitant, or polite. However, more dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean better gender representation. Within a Final Fantasy VII remake, Jessie has x10 more dialogue, however most of this is spent flirting with the main character, once again adhering to gender stereotypes.
These findings aren’t solely within the gaming industry, as research has found that within 88% of films, men have had more dialogue than women. This overall suggests that multiple forms of media are lacking in adequate non-male representation, and often resort to stereotypes as a result.
‘Barbie: A Feminist Movie?’- April McCarthy
McCarthy’s article explores the theme of feminism within the Barbie film. She argues that the film portrays Barbie as a feminist doll, to increase purchases from parents, as the doll would be presented as a ‘progressive option’ for their children, indirectly acting as advertisement for Mattel.
McCarthy identifies that making Barbie a truly feminist film was always going to be challenging, as reading down unrealistic beauty ideals promoted by the doll wouldn’t benefit Mattel as a brand. bell hooks argued you cant challenge an oppressive system and uphold it at the same time- Barbie attempts to do this, but inevitably fails to put a message across as a result.
The film contains fragments of feminist ideas which need more exploring, however Gerwig had the impossible task of choosing between profit and ideology. Mainstream films tend to appeal to the widest audience possible to make profit, however making an overly feminist film would reduce this profit, pushing away viewers with differing beliefs.
BBC Young Reporters
On Wednesdays, I attend ‘BBC Young Reporters’, which discusses pop-culture, news, and current affairs, alongside providing the opportunity to create termly reports.
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