Representations of Ethnicity

Alvarado (1987) identified 4 main types:

1. The humorous, providing comic relief
2. The exotic; other cultures presented as unusual and exotic in their traditions and ways of living.
3. The pitied; objects of pity and vulnerability
4. The dangerous; criminal, gangster and usually coupled with a binary opposition such as the respectable white character.

A few positive representations of ethnicity:

• Michael Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a positive light.
• He gives money to the poor and transforms their life
• Voyeurism is used (the nation of looking)
• He is seen as the star - light up flooring, light up bed, screen

A few negative representations of ethnicity:

• Michael Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a negative light.
• He has been accused of doing something - creating a scandal - why he is being chased by the press
• Being deceitful - telling people to keep quiet
• Disappearing when the reporter tries to catch up with him

How is Ethnicity and Star Image shown through Mise-en-scene? Consider stereotypes...

Setting:
Positioning: He is positioned away from the detective because he is being elusive and not aware that the detective is there and may suggest that they are following him and tracking his every move without his knowledge. Michael Jackson also has more of the screen suggesting that he is more powerful which is also shown when he gets away.
Costume: He is dressed as the basic pop star. The detective/journalist is the stereotypical
.
Exam Question: Analyse how the Billie Jean music video by Michael Jackson uses stereotypes to represent a varying representation of ethnicity. [10 marks]
.
The music video 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson from 1982 highlights a number of positive and negative representations of ethnicity. It draws upon a number of ethnic stereotypes including Michael Jackson as a young black male in both negative and positive lights, as well as the stereotype of the press being a white male with all the characteristics you would expect.
.
'Billie Jean' was released by Michael Jackson in 1982, at the time of release it was very uncommon to see black male artists succeed to the extent in which this video did. The video is an example of a historically significant music video and was aired regularly which was a big change. Linking in to the ethnicity stereotypes Michael Jackson, a young black artist, is the main focus of the music video and he is portrayed in both negative and positive lights throughout the video. He is seen in a positive way because he is seen giving money to the poor to change there life for the better, this is seen when he throws a coin in the homeless mans cup which then makes him transform to a better light. This is subverting to the stereotype in the time of the video because racism was still a problem and it was not normal to see a young black male seen in such a positive light. However Michael Jackson can also be seen to represent this stereotype in another view of the music video because throughout the narrative of the video he is running away from the news reporters and always disappearing as they got close suggesting that he has got something to hide, rather than just confronting the situation confidently by running away suggests that he is guilty. Which people at the time referred to black people as more of criminals and bad people.
.
The media language of the video highlights a number of stereotypes used, for example as Michael Jackson walks down the paving slabs light up. This can have connotations of a pop star of high class and glamour. This is because the light of the pavement makes him seem very glamourous and relevant. The lighting of the pavement could also suggest that anything that Michael touches is a hot topic for the press because they want to know everything about him which is also shown through him being followed in the narrative of the music video. This all shows that Michael Jackson is a well known artist which subverts the average pop star stereotype of the time because he was a young black male which makes the video so significant. His significance is also seen through the camera angles and editing when we as an audience are following him around the video and there are jump cut scenes of him telling this side of the story, in this way he portrays the stereotype of a pop star because it is all about him and he is the centre of attention, showing all his best features in the collage section of the video. Another use of Mise-en-scene is his costume which is very glamourous and out there showing that he wants all eyes on him as do all pop singers, his hair is also very stereotypical as it is up to date with the time showing that he is also very stylish. Another stereotype used is the press of the white male. This character fits the stereotype because he is constantly following Michael Jackson, a black male, to prove that he is in the wrong and trying to catch him out as he doesn't want a black male to succeed as well as Michael Jackson has so he is trying to prove and show Michael Jacksons negative side. We can tell that he is the stereotypical white press male down to his costume looking like a detective which is showing that he is trying to grab more information, even if it is not really there.
.
Therefore ethnicity is shown through stereotypes of male black artists in negative ways but can also be seen as subverting to this stereotype in a positive light through narrative, context and Mise-en-scene.


Contextual, Social and Historical






Media Language

Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

 Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

1. What representations are being shown  here? Are there any stereotypes?                              There are two beautiful females who are stereotypical and look like the damsel. There is a detective in stereotypical detective outfits as well as the police. However Michael Jackson subverts the stereotypical music artist at the time in which it was made as he was young and black.
2. What is the Narrative?                                                                                                               The narrative isn't shown very well in the video but it is that 'Billie Jean' is a fan who is claiming that her son is the son of Michael Jackson
3. How is Michael Jackson seen? Star image?                                                                                 He has the star image as the video makes it seem as though he is always being followed by the paparazzi and that he is very relevant. Also the suit is very glamourous suggesting mass of fame.

Historical Information:

• Billie Jean is an example of a historically significant music video. The video was one of the very first videos on MTV to feature a black artist and be aired on a regular rotation by the channel. The videos immense popularity helped bring MTV into the mainstream and breakthrough racial barriers on TV networks and helped propel the album 'Thriller' to the bestselling album of all time
• The short film for 'Billie Jean' is considered the video that brought MTV, until then a fairly new and unknown music channel, into mainstream attention. It was one of the first videos by a black artist to be aired regularly by the channel, as the networks executives felt black music wasn't 'rock' enough.

How is Jackson as a young black male represented?
Positive because he is giving money to the poor man which then shows it changing his life, maybe suggesting that his music changes peoples lives.
How does it show the hounding/obsession by the groupies as mentioned by Jackson?
It shows that is a constant thing that they centre their lives around and Michael Jackson is trying to run from it. It could also relate to contextual reason that the media are trying to catch black citizens doing anything bad to get them in trouble so maybe a bit of racism.
.
Background Inspiration
- Steven Barren = producer
- Midas Touch thing
- Michael wanted it to be like a peter pan thing.


Social, cultural and historical context

• The reporter could represent Michael Jackson being hounded by the press
• They also represent a repressed community that is monitored and controlled by the press
• The cat turning into the tiger could represent the women in the video or possibly Billie Jean that she is just a woman pretty and small eg cat but in this situation she becomes a tiger and that she holds the only evidence making her big and strong in this case.
• What does the tiger print material represent a symbolism of evidence that the material represents evidence of Michael being the father as it was found in the room and that is exactly what the press want.
• Michael Jackson demonstrates control over the situation as he is always one step ahead.
• Links to modern day society = Things are constantly being documented just like modern day

In this part, Jackson is trying to show how these issues can get so out of hand in the media. He not only has to worry about it personally now but he has to dodge people trying to make the situation even worse.

Then, the video goes into the section where he's thinking about the picture Billie Jean had sent him where the babies eyes were like his own. He uses 'artistic licence' This means that the artist can interpret thoughts, feelings and actions in any way possible even if it goes into a somewhat unreal realm.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Shows a man struggling with a problem. Going back to the lyrics, the problem is obviously whether he had fathered a child with a woman obsessed with him. So the first part is him walking down the street thinking about what he should do.

What may be confusing is the reporter that starts creeping around in the shadows. This issue isn't really addressed in the song itself but itself but it is about deception and what is more deceiving than a hack paparazzi sneaking around writing rumours. If you remember, the reporter drops that newspaper with the headline about Billie Jean. 

Theories

Audiences: Niche, eg fishing and smooth jazz, or Mass, eg Football


Institutions - The five big players used to be:

• Emap - Bauer Media Group/Ascential
• IPC Media - Time Inc.
• National Magazine Company - Hearst Magazines UK
• Code Nast
• Dennis

The Big Issue Magazine

Media Language analysis for a magazine:

• Design and Layout
• Rule of 3rds
• Structured/Unstructured, Negative/Positive space, Mastheads, Cover lines
• Typography: Font types (serif/sans serif), Size, Colour
• Verbal Codes: Choice of words, Emphasis of words, Slogans/Taglines, Emotive Language, Buzz Words
• Non-Verbal Codes: Images, Costumes/Props, Positioning, Make up, Juxtapositions, Camera Angles
• Colours: Colour theory

Simple Media Language Analysis
.

.
- Ghosts/Ghouls are negative and spooky and have the faces of oppositional politicians which gives the illusion of mockery to Boris Johnson
- Boris Johnsons hair on the pumpkin personifies it and suggests he is negative
- Slogan: 'LET THE BIG ISSUE EASE YOUR BREXIT BLUES' shows anti Brexit and that the big issue is their to help you and make your negatives more positive.
- Orange colour shows the main colour for Halloween and autumn
- This would genuinely be represented to an older audience of around 17-18 years or above due to that being the age people are either starting to get interested in it or the legal age of voting
-This would be represented to a British audience as it is to do with Brexit which is a British issue for leaving the EU.
- The magazine front is politically climate at the time of the production
- Mocking him with ghosts and wigs.
.
Media Representation analysis for a magazine:

• Age
• Gender
• Class
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Regional Identity
• Class

Media Contexts; Social, Cultural and Political

• How does the text reflect society or a particular culture?
• How far is a media text influenced by society or a particular culture?
• Does the text play a part in shaping or changing a society or a particular culture?

Context = the wider issues surrounding a media text, its production and those who created it.

• Politics - A brief overview
• There are a large number of political parties active in the UK but the biggest three are Labour, Conservatives (Tories) and Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems)
• Political viewpoints are broadly defined as being left wing (Labour), right wing (Conservatives) or centrist (Liberal Democrats).
• Political Contexts
• Reflection - Does the product give the consumer any information or knowledge about the political climate at the time of its production?
• Messages - Is the product biased? Is it trying to promote any particular political viewpoint? Is it trying to disparage or criticize any other political viewpoint?
• Influence - Has the product been influenced by political viewpoint or ideology?

.
Illustrations like a cartoon = comical and less serious approach
Blue and Red ties could connote different wings of the parliament
Great Britain Flag in the back shows target audience and tries to relate to the socially aware audience, also could be to do with Brexit.

• The magazine is dealing with Brexit in a comical and irreverent way.
• It is showing Brexit to be something which has divided the UK very strongly
• It is poking fun at this fact and portraying it to be something absurd which fits into a fictional comedy world better than it does into reality
• It is using intertextuality very strongly with its references to Alan Partridge and Malcolm Tucker
• The font and style of the main headline, Tucker Vs Partridge resembles an old fashioned boxing promotional poster
• The Union Jack in the background contextualises the wole text regarding the whole of the UK and has associations with patriotism and racism
• The cartoon style images shows that the issue is also somewhat ridiculous
• The use of intertextuality shows the magazines view that the issue is rather absurd and fits well into a fictional satire rather than reality
• The differences between the two figures are apparent even though the two are actually very similar. The only real difference is cosmetic - the colours of the tie
• The smaller cartoon of Armando lannucci himself is comical and perplexed, showing the magazine attitudes to Brexit.
• The black and white Big Issue logo represents the diametric opposition to views.

The United Kingdom:
Divided along very clear lines. Both sides at war with each other.
.
Brexit:
A ridiculous and rather absurd idea which is bringing division and hostility to the UK

.
Background on The Big Issue

• Niche magazine (has smaller, specialised audience) outside the commercial mainstream
• Part of a larger organisation and movement to help homeless people. It is financially independent and therefore not owned by a commercial company
• Allows registered vendors (homeless people) to work selling the magazine and receive half of the cover price for each sold copy.
• It provides a contrasting example of how media language can be used to construct alternative representations that appeal to particular audiences.

The 2 Case Studies

                                   Poster 1                                                   Poster 2
.
.
Poster 1 Final Analysis:                                       

• The ghosts behind him are mocking Boris as they have facial expressions of laughing and being happy which contrasts Boris'. The ghosts are in three separate colours of yellow for UKIP, red for Labour and blue for Conservatives. They have the faces of the opposing Politicians to Boris.
• The Black and White 'THE BIG ISSUE' logo in both poster 1 and 2 suggests diametric oppositions to views.
• Slogan: 'LET THE BIG ISSUE EASE YOUR BREXIT BLUES' shows anti Brexit and that the big issue is their to help you and make your negatives more positive. Suggests readership is primarily against Brexit so The Big Issue are going to help them
• The wig on the pumpkin is a clear signifier that the pumpkin is supposed to replicate Boris Johnson due to the distinct looking hair.
• The font is a very cliché and predictable horror font making it easily recognisable for the audience
• 'Trick or Treaty' shows that there is a sense of Halloween and Treaty means an agreement just like Brexit
• The fact that it is compared to the nightmare before Christmas shows intertextuality as the jack o lantern also suggesting that Brexit is a nightmare
• The background is like apocalyptic due to the fire look
• The ghosts resemble vultures as they're swarming around him waiting for defeat as vultures do on the dead
• The red ghost is left as labour is left wing and the blue ghost is right as conservatives are right wing
• Oldwives tale of turning into the pumpkin at midnight exposing who you really are. The background suggests night time so is this an exposure on who Boris truly is?

Poster 2 Final Analysis

• This poster is also informal but there is a far less important topic and it is about celebrities which shows the magazine has a variety of topics.
• The fonts and typography resembles a theatrical poster due to the bold title and the gold shimmery look to it
• Lin-Manuel has direct address to us as an audience suggesting that him himself wants us to read on.
• His finger up suggests that he is linking this to the title of all rise
• He comes under the BAME community which shows that they are being represented in this magazine. It is a positive representation for a Latino audience as they are very prone to racist abuse in America
• He is subverting the Hetro male stereotype as he is not very macho and muscly, he is shown in the Broadway of Hamilton which is primarily associated with homosexual men. This has a positive and advanced look on the stereotype of a male.
• 'From the heights of Hamilton...' suggests his journey as an actor and author so he can be shown in different ways from the high classical approach of Hamilton to a more deeper side to him
• The Indigo background suggests mystery and magic which contrasts with the sparkle and gold which shows the dazzling and magical part of Broadway and fame.
• He is wearing a beige shirt which suggests that he is represented as an ordinary guy showing the audience that he is just like them and this could happen to them.

The Big Issue - History and Achievements

• Launched in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and A. John Bird (used to be homeless)
• Was a response to the growing number of homeless sleepers in the streets of London
• They believed that the key to solving the problem of homelessness lay in helping people to themselves
• The people buy their magazines with their own money and sell them at their own profit or loss
• The Big Issue foundation was established in 1995 to link vendors with the vital support
• Since creation the foundation has provided services and referrals to address issues around housing, health finances, education, employment and personal aspiration, to help big issue vendors regain their independence and turn to a livelihood into a life.
• Last decade they have achieved over 40,000 positive outcomes
• Cost effective work included: teaching transferrable sales and customer service skills, enabling decent accommodation, access to mainstream healthcare and employment/education
• 10% Women, 90% Men

Their objectives are:
- 'Vendor-centric' - charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of The Big Issue vendors
- 'Inclusive' - social and financial inclusion at the heart of their philosophy
- 'Non-judgemental' - they work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self help

 

Ad 1:

• The advert is in black and white because it gives it a more serious vibe.
• The audience appeal is for the fact that the actor on the cover is well known for game of thrones so they will be able to recognise who he is which makes it more appealing
• The TV show 'Game of Thrones' has a primarily male target audience so for this magazine cover it will appeal to more of a male audience.
• The typography is also very masculine and has an adventure/fantasy genre to it. This is because there is fire outlining it which is often seen in action type movies.
• This can also be seen as male due to the image because it is not an image of his body or in a flattering way he looks more serious.
• He is giving direct eye contact to the reader.

Ad 2

• WILL.I.AM is on the front cover which opens a large target audience of  a BAME community and also people who enjoy hip hop and pop genres of music. He is also on many family TV shows in the US and UK, eg. the voice, so he is well known. He is also family friendly and has been a coach on the voice so people may respect his commitment to the industry and can link to one of his quotes on the poster about helping the children
• Philanthropy work links to the ideology of the magazine 
• Again he is giving direct eye contact so it will make people feel as though he directing it as us as an audience.
• The pixel look to his face has intertextuality as it relates to one of his music videos album covers that he has worked on and it shows that he is modern and relevant like technology
• The orange glow around him shows that he is the centre of the ad

Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to Brexit on its front cover (15)
In your answer you must: Analyse the use of intertextuality to create meaning in the source. Make judgements and reach a conclusion about the advantages of this use of intertextuality to The Big Issue Magazine