Sexual Attractiveness Representation of Men in the Media

This magazine represents the man on the front with sexual attractiveness. This is because he has a muscular physique and is emerging from the water with it dripping down his body.

This would appeal to men because men who read "Men's Health" would be people who are interested in getting fit and becoming muscular, maybe like the man in the main image. Men may aspire to be like him and also think that women will find them more attractive if they looked like he does and had the same sort of physique, however the man on the main image himself represents independence. 

He is portraying himself as a confident individual who is contented to be by himself, so this magazine and this image also appeals to those men who want to get fit and healthy for themselves rather than someone else. 

In terms of sexual attractiveness, the man in the main image emerging from the water the way he is has sexual connotations, because he's half-naked and the water would emphasise his body and the producer of this magazine has captured that in the lighting, making him look more chiselled and strong. This would appeal to men because it may make them believe that if they have the same sort of body and become to be fit/healthy, they'll be seen as more sexually attractive, too.

Sexual Representation of Women in the Media

This NME cover is of Lady Gaga portrayed in a sexual way. I know this because of how she is dressed and her stance. The stereotype of a picture like is that women are sexualised and women are sex objects. A picture like this doesn't help the portray of women.

A magazine cover like this wouldn't apply to women but more to mean because it looks like she is an easy target by what she wearing and where her hands are placed. People who are Lady Gaga fans who are women would buy this but if there didn't know who she was they would think something different as like i have said what she is wearing. 

The language that is used is colloquial language. The headline ' I am not full of sh*t are you?' This just shows what type of women she is. A sexual figure and not a good role model for the younger generation. 

Even though this photo is portrayed as a sexual women it does not show she is fragile in anyway and her beauty is distorted with what the outfit she is dressed in. Also the make up that she is wearing is bold and not natural which hides her beauty. This shows that she does not want to be known as herself but something she is made to be. Her facial expression is blank which portrays her more as a sex object than an actual women. 

The outfit she is wearing reflects the headline because of how bold the headline is the outfit matches. This shows what type of person she is but yet again her stance could of been different to make her look so much as a stereotypical sexualised women.

The picture itself could of been shot different to be portrayed in a different light.

Representation of Women in the Media

Prima magazine is aimed at an older audience and we can tell this because there's the subtitles 'food', 'home' and 'money'/'savings', which show that it's aimed towards an older target audience as they would be the age group that dealt with things like that.

The representation of the woman on the front of the magazine is a normal representation, however there's also an element of the domestic stereotype that's attached to females. The audience can tell this because the magazine boasts about how to "feed your family for £5" and also how to "grow your own veg". Stereotypically, it would be the woman who stayed at home, cooked for the family and cleaned the house, so in this being involved in the magazine it shows that they're transferring that stereotype across as these cover-lines wouldn't appear on a men's magazine.

It appeals to women because although there is this stereotypical element to the magazine cover, it would appeal to women because of how it provides tips and tricks for "cheap & chic fashion" and "budget beauty tips" and a woman who is of older age would maybe be enticed to buy the magazine so that they could continue to look good. The main image of the woman on the front cover is that she just looks like an average, domestic housewife, with natural makeup and normal clothes.

The cover-lines on the magazine are centralised around emotional rather than intellectual dealings which is a typical stereotype of a woman's magazine and the gender itself. This is because women are seen to be more emotional and emotionally insecure than men which is why magazines such as Prima emphasises how to look good and keep the reader's body in shape.

One thing about the magazine is that it doesn't hold the stereotype of women being fragile and dependent on a man or a partner, as there's no cover-lines or anything on the magazine that suggests this - it all points more towards independence and the woman looking good for herself rather than for a man. It shows that the woman has freedom and is handling the home and her money by herself, which conventionally goes against this specific stereotype.

CD Cover Pre-Production: Roses

CD Cover Draft: Roses

The idea for this album cover was to give it an indie/alternative vibe to represent the genre of music I was going for. I used dark colours and low key lighting to show the depth of the album and also used a double exposure technique to add in the element of nature. I left the background simple as to not distract from the main image and kept both the font and the album title simplistic to demonstrate the genre of the album. I added a grainy effect on top of the image just so it all blended in better together and looked more complex rather than a smooth finish to the photograph.






I used a darker picture for the background as a connotation of the peaceful yet chilling ambience of the music. I used the double exposure technique again to tie in with the original image on the front cover and bring the two images together. I included spaces in between each letter of the song titles to show that the album is about space, nature and time. This is also represented in the song titles themselves as they all interlink with the elements, darkness and ambience. I wanted to give the album a surreal yet euphoric vibe and wanted to portray that that's how the audience would feel listening to the album.

CD Cover Draft: Fox Track

This is an example of one of my CD cover drafts. The genre for this CD cover is primarily indie with a folk vibe. I looked at various different indie/folk CD covers before putting this piece together and found that the majority of them have simplistic fonts and nonchalant images - this represents the type of music because it's relaxed with a chilled ambience backing. The image I used relates to the album name because it's of a boy hugging a fox and the title is 'Fox Track'. I named the CD 'The Boy With Blood in His Lungs' because as it's an indie cover, the majority come up with a bizarre and original name for their CD's and this gives it more of an indie feel. I decided to use a simple typeface to tie in with the simple song choices and simple colour scheme.

For the CD back cover, I decided to use another simple image of a fox so that both the front and back linked together. I used simple track names that don't particularly have any relevance in conjunction with each other and was inspired by this idea from Foster the People's album, Torches. The beginning letter of every song spells out 'Fox Track' so that the album name is both on the front and back so the audience knows who's album it is from either cover. I used this specific background colour because it linked in with the colour of the image of the fox and overall, goes with the colour scheme of the album. I used the same typeface as the album name because it all ties in together with the whole album, the song titles and the colours.

This is the original image I used for the album cover. I cropped it to fit and colour picked the background colour to fill the rest of the background with the same colour. It wasn't exact so I had to blur around the edges of it. I used the eraser tool and set the opacity to 23% at 0% hardness and blurred it until the edges were no longer visible and it fit nicely in the corner of the album. For the text, I colour picked from the colours on the fox and darkened it a little bit to make it less vibrant. The text layers were two different layers and I scrolled through various texts before settling for the ones I finally did, and I moved the composition around a lot. Originally, I was planning on having the album title The Boy With Blood in His Lungs more towards the left and the album title Fox Track beside it but in bold so the audience could differentiate between the title and the artist, however when I put them side-by-side, I didn't particularly like it. I messed around with moving the text up and down and settled for it centred, with Fox Track above the album name. I finally decided to keep it like this because I thought it made the album cover and looked a lot neater and tidier than with the album name and artist name next to each other.

This is the original image I used for the back cover as it showed the fox in more detail and linked nicely in with the idea I was going for with the covers. I liked how there was a wooden effect and the fact that the fox was framed as it accentuated the image. To get this blurred like on the image on the back cover, I used the eraser tool again, set at the same opacity and hardness as I was using previously and removed all of the background around the oval ensuring I didn't erase the feather. I then centred it in the middle of the back cover and set the opacity to 67% so that it was blurred and moved the text over the image. I added a shadow to the text to make sure it was visible and made the first initial of every song title italic, so that whoever was viewing the album could see that it spelt Fox Track down the side. I used the colour picker tool to select the colour of the background again so that it blended in nicely with the image once I'd added various effects to it. I tried to make both the back and the front as simple as possible because upon researching indie/folk covers, I found that most were and I tried to reciprocate this with my covers.

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CD Cover: Inspiration

This picture by Jon Deunas inspires me for my CD cover because I like the double exposure effect. I think it adds more depth to the picture and rather than just being one image, there's two so there's a sense of storytelling within it. With a double exposure photograph, I like how there's two lots of detail and there's more than just one thing that captures the audience's attention.

  I'd use this style and this effect for my album cover to create depth within it and allow the audience to be captured by it which would represent the music genre I was trying to portray.

One idea I have using the double exposure effect is of a girl in a pure white dress stood in the middle of a field with a forest behind her holding two lanterns with candles burning brightly in them. The double exposure would come afterwards where I'd take a picture of a forest and blend it over the top of the image of the girl and blur it slightly, adding a fog effect similar to the one on the photograph above.

This picture also gives me an idea of doing a close-up shot of the girl's (who is modelling for me) face, then a long shot with her holding the lanterns and so you can see her white dress portraying a sense of innocence, and then the forest and the trees in the background. The song names I decide to put on the album will relate to the nature of the photographs, purity and isolation.

CD Cover Analysis: Indie/Alternative

Rubik are an indie pop/rock band from Finland. Their CD cover shows this because it has an authentic vintage effect and the clothing the models are wearing within it are also relating to the vintage era.

The lighting used is quite lowkey lighting so the audience gets the impression that it's set around dawn - the sun hasn't risen yet, however you can tell it's still warm as they're both wearing shorts and this relates to the album name 'Solar'. Solar means "of, relating to, or determined by the sun"; this image used relates to the sun because not only is it nature, but it gives the impression that they're waiting for the sun to rise. The elements within the image (e.g. the trees in the background, the lake, the cloud covering the woman's face) they pertain to nature and the word 'Solar'. This shows how the type of sound they might be trying to get across to the audience: chilled out and relaxed.

The camera angle used is an extreme long shot and this is used to establish the location and let the audience get an idea of what sort of sound the album has.
The cloud covering their faces gives a sense of anonymity and one song on their album is called "storm in a glass of water", therefore the cloud could be representative of that specific song. The majority of the songs on the album also affiliate with the image used, for example 'World Around You' and 'Sun's Eyes'. The song 'Sun's Eyes' combined with the album title 'Solar' overall gives the album a naturistic and tranquil vibe.

Foster the People are an American indie-pop band. The album artwork was designed by Japayork who's style is represented through the cover and indicates to the audience that it's an indie album. The audience gets this impression because many album covers that are more-so indie than pop, alternative, etc. have some sort of hand drawn artwork on them (for example 'Antidotes' by 'Foals') and this differentiates from the usual photographic image typically displayed.

The figures that have been drawn are smiling and cheerful and this gives the audience the idea that that's the vibe of the album and that the songs produced within it are happy and upbeat.

The colouring of the title 'Torches' is significant to the colour used on the torches held by the figures as everything else is in black and white. This would make the colour pop and as soon as the audience saw it they'd be able to recognise it because all of the torches are coloured and that's also the name of the album.
  The typeface of the title used is very modern and bold so it captures the audience's attention and they know exactly who's album it is.
  It's a very bright and simplistic album cover which shows the sort of music they produce, which is upbeat and bright itself. There isn't a direct link between the song titles on the album and the artwork itself which shows that there's no real structure to the production as there was with Rubik's 'Solar' album, which shows a more laidback approach and fun attitude towards the music.

Snakadaktal, like both Foster the People and Rubik is an indie pop band, originating from Australia. Their album cover has the same feel as Rubik's in the sense that the effect used on it gives it a vintage aura.

The lighting used on this one is highkey lighting because the audience can tell it was shot whilst the sun was shining due to the illumination of the clouds and the added effect of the sun's glare across the sky. The blue effect would've been added afterwards.
Like Rubik's album 'Solar', there's a lake and the image of nature as the main focus.
  This is a representation of the songs included on the album, for example 'Deep'; 'Air'; 'Isolate'; 'The Sun I'; 'Feel the Ocean Hold Me Under', etc. They're all to do with the elements and the photograph used on the cover demonstrates this - for example, there's the lake used and two songs pertaining to water.

The camera angle used is an extreme long shot so it establishes the setting and maybe sets the whole tone for the album. The leaves floating above the hill like kites is something original and unique on the album, therefore reinforcing the indie genre because the majority of them tend to typically include something that the audience wouldn't naturally see.
The title typeface used is very simple however is spread out across the top section of the album which takes up the majority of the space. This makes it wide and big enough for the audience to see however doesn't detract from the main image.

Magazine Analysis: ELLE

'ELLE' magazine's target audience is females, generally 18-35. We can tell this because Megan Fox is around that age and she's focused on the front cover as the main image and it's also evident from the cover lines. For example, the cover line "we've tried everything; surgery, injections, lasers, creams, what really works, what doesn't" targets an older audience because those who are younger would be more youthful and wouldn't be worrying about things such as those at their age. "The secret to looking 15 years younger" also emphasizes this point. Another point is that the magazine cover isn't incredibly busy, this is another way we can tell it's aimed at an older audience because they're only advertising the key things involved within the magazine and aren't overloading it as a children's or teenage magazine might.

'ELLE' is a well-known magazine and the audience can tell this because there's a lot covering the masthead and it's the "25th anniversary edition" therefore as it's been around for 25 years, it shows it must be a popular magazine.

Megan Fox has been selected as the main image and this is because she's an idolised woman within the film industry and many women see her as a role model and aspire to be like her. From the way that Megan's been clothed, we can see that 'ELLE' is a fashion magazine. She's dressed in quite a high quality dress and the audience receives the impression that a high-end designer may have designed the dress and Megan Fox looks glamorous, furthering the idea that it's a fashion magazine - the cover lines add to this as there's "Fall fashion!"; "The top 5 hair & makeup styles ever" and a cover line about the latest items of clothing and accessories available.

As it's a "special issue" this might entice the audience further into buying the magazine because it involves people such as Elle Macpherson, Amanda Seyfried and Lauren Conrad. These are all people that women look up to and may aspire to be like. This meets Katz and Blumler's use of the need for personal identity. The audience may not identify with Megan Fox yet as she looks glamorous but with the new "chic coats, killer boats, must-own bags", it's enforcing this idea that if they're fashionable, they'll be glamorous too and this meets that specific need. It also meets the information use because the audience are being informed about the latest fashion and how to keep up-to-date with specific styles.

  There's also a cover line referring to "love, sex, money, power" which are all things women would be interested in and that's another way the magazine and the magazine producers pull the audience in. The cover lines typically tend to cover the main image, however on this cover in particular, they've included the puffs right at the side so the audience can see the whole of Megan Fox and the dress she's wearing. This is a way for them to advertise the dress fully.

The dateline is "October 2010" and the thematic structure of the magazine coincides with this. This is because there's a lot of red and black used and at the end of October we have Halloween, which is a tradition that's known to be scary and a time of horror. A connotation of red is typically danger and a connotation of black is darkness, so with them choosing this colour scheme specifically, it ties in with the October month and the Halloween holiday. Another reason is ties in is because the cover line "Fall fashion!" shows that autumn is coming and the leaves are falling off the trees within this month in preparation for winter, and the colour of the dress Megan Fox is wearing ties in with the autumn season.

The magazine is priced at $3.99, this is £2.48 in GBP; this means that the magazine is aimed at middle-class women (such as teachers, nurses, etc.) as it's not priced too high so that they can afford it. The magazine producer has included "elle.com" underneath the date and the cost and has enlarged the font. This allows the audience to become involved socially and look at their website which would include more fashion buys and style/beauty tips for those who were interested in it.

Magazine Analysis: Men's Health

The magazine "Men's Health" target audience is primarily men. We can tell this because there's always men centred on the front cover and the magazine is all about a man developing his self-image and gaining confidence by eating the right foods, joining the gym, working out, etc.

The masthead is iconic and the audience know it's Men's Health because it's always in the same typeface and the same colour and this makes the magazine recognisable. It's also a bold text and uses a bright red which makes it eye-catching to those who aren't regular readers and this may coerce them into reading the magazine.

The colour of the masthead ties in with the colours used throughout the issue - there's a lot of red used alongside the masthead and also greys and blues. This also shows the target audience because they're quite masculine colours as opposed to pinks and yellows for a more feminine woman's magazine.

The main image on the front cover is of a man and a half-naked woman and this compliments "The Vice Issue" because the nature of the main image could suggest that it's a sexual vice. The cover line "one month to a body she can't resist" is aiming at those men who care about their appearance and also care about how women perceive their appearance and they want to look attractive for them. That cover line in particular may entice them into buying or reading the magazine because in addition to the main image, they may think that getting fit and healthy will make them attractive and irresistible to maybe the woman they're with or the woman they like.

This is one of Katz and Blumer's use and gratifications, because it meets their need for personal identity. They may not personally identify with the man on the cover just yet but they may aspire to be like him and this is another way they'd pull the reader in, by giving the impression that if they buy the magazine and begin to become healthy and fit, that they can look like him. Another cover line that coincides with "The Vice Issue" is "Beat colds, cancer and old age... with sex!" because it's showing that a portion of the magazine is sexually orientated and further enforces the idea of a sexual vice.

  One of the gratifications of this is that the audience may read the magazine and it may make them feel pleasure from reading it at the thought of wanting to be like that and being given information on how to become healthy. It may inspire them and this may make them motivated and determined.

The dateline on this magazine is underneath the masthead and is in a smaller font compared to the masthead and the cover lines (puffs). It's priced at £3.95 which shows the magazine is aimed mostly at a middle-class audience (i.e. teachers, business men). A reason why the dateline is so small could be that everything else on the magazine has enticed the reader firstly, and that although the magazine is £3.95 and they might not be willing to pay that, they would because everything on the magazine has gained intrigue and makes them want to buy it and read it.

Wolfblood Series 2: Analysis

Wolfblood is a fantasy/drama television programme that centers around a young girl moving to a new school. She and her family are the only werewolves in the town, however when a new boy starts at her school, things begin to change.

There are a lot of visual codes used in Wolfblood to present to the audience the setting and make the series seem more true-to-life. The setting of Wolfblood is quite dark and this is a representation of the programme itself and the genre it belongs to. A connotation of a werewolf is evil and typically, werewolves come out at midnight, so the lowkey lighting in the beginning reflects this connotation; the programme involves a shot of a full moon at the beginning, too. The programme is set in a school and their uniform projects this because when they're in P.E. they're wearing their school's uniform.

The facial and body language throughout shows the drama they're experiencing as there's a lot of sighs and a lot of raised eyebrows; there's also a lot of fear in the main character's eyes which further represents the genre of drama. The pace between the shots is quite quick, this would heighten the intensity because it makes the panic the character feels more prominent.

  In one scene, the new boy who started at Maddy's (main character) school are sat in the changing rooms together and she rests her hand on his heart and this could demonstrate the relationship between the two.

In addition to this, technical codes are also used. There's a wide range of shots used. There are close up shots used to show the panic and the fear on the character's faces; there's an extreme long shot in the beginning which pans around a forest. This would reference nature and shows the connection between wolves and the forest. There's mid-shots used which shows teenagers laughing - this juxtaposes the lowkey lighting and the anxiety the character's feel because it shows that although this is going on with Maddy and her family, there are "normal" teenagers who are oblivious to what's happening around them and that they're just enjoying themselves.

  There was a high angle shot used during the previous scene I mentioned between Maddy and the new boy. Prior to this scene, Maddy's father had already tried to kill him and had asked Maddy to bring the new boy to him. The high angle could represent the power Maddy's father has not only over her as she's obeying his commands but also over the new boy. It could also be a representation of the distaste he has for their friendship.

Along with visual and technical codes, the audio codes Wolfblood uses are also important. There's both diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound used. The diegetic sound is the sound that actually occurs in the shot and this is leaves crunching, birds singing, etc. The non-diegetic sound is the sound that's added in afterwards, and this is sniffing and the tense music that's added in the background.

  Wolfblood uses chilling ambient music and this could foreshadow what's the come in the episode (with Maddy's dad wanting to murder the new boy). The use of this ambient music would make the audience more tense and anxious - they would wait in anticipation for what might be to come and it would keep them on their toes.

David Attenborough: The Open Ocean

David Attenborough narrates many different episodes about the planet earth. This one in particular is about the open ocean. I think the target audience for this is quite broad - it targets both males and females around 18 upwards. This is because both genders may have an interest in the planet and the ocean and are interested specifically in the species found underwater, however it targets those more consciously who do.

There are two uses and gratifications this episode meets - information and entertainment. It meets the information use and gratification because those who watch it are being educated about certain species, their habitat and their certain characteristics. However, they are also being entertained because watching this programme may allow them to escape from reality and be engrossed in the nature that allows that escapism.

This episode has been specifically constructed because there would have been a lot of footage taken and they've most likely chosen the most beautiful, or the footage that allows the best view of what David Attenborough is explaining. It has been mediated so that the impression the audience gets is of the wonders of the ocean and an intrigue into what else there is. For those who have an avid interest in the subject, it may want them to visit under the ocean and see for themselves what's there rather than through a television screen. Another reason why the programme has been mediated like this is because I think there's an intention there for those who maybe aren't as interested in the subject, to develop an appreciation for it.

I think the values of the media producer are good - from the way David Attenborough narrates the episode and the way the footage has been shot, it shows he has an interest in the open ocean himself and I think he's just trying to educate others and show an insight into what's under there. I think his admiration of the ocean is clearly projected in this media piece.

TV Commercial: Herbal Essences

I think the intended audience for this television commercial is females aged 18-30. The reason for this is because the commercial is centred around a woman and as it's about shampoo, typically females are considered to care more about their appearance than males. Therefore, they would be more inclined to buy a product that was being advertised on television as they care more about it.

The use and gratification this commercial meets is personal identity. A female watching this commercial can identify with the woman advertising the product because those who are interested in it would identify with also wanting to take care of themselves and their hair. Women 18-30 would identify with the woman in the commercial, too, because she looks to be of the same age as them.

The advert has been specifically constructed, showing particular clips of the woman in the shower and also in a bath of roses which gives the audience the impression that she's naked; this shows it's shot with sexual intention. Towards the end of the advert after the woman has had her shower and used Herbal Essences, they then shoot her in bed with her partner/husband who shows a lot of adoration for her now, whereas in the beginning he wasn't shot. The advert has been mediated this way because it makes the target audience think that if they buy this certain hair product, they'll appear suddenly sexier with more confidence and their hair will be as silky and shiny as the woman's in the commercial. Another reason it has been mediated like this is because it would make females who watch it think that if they buy the product, then it'll suddenly make men more interested in them.

I think the values of the media producer are that they see women as a sexual object rather than a person, because to include a male at the end who is only shot when the woman looks her best, it's giving off the impression that a male will only adore or admire a woman when she's at her prettiest. This gives off the assumption that a woman has to look beautiful all the time for a man to love her.

I think the media producer has portrayed his values in a way that shows he doesn't necessarily have respect for women intellectually, but rather has respect for their bodies and their appearance. I think the media piece as a whole shows women in a negative way, because it's insinuating that women can only be projected in a sexual way for a product to sell.

Uses and Gratifications: Social Integration

 

One of the main reasons I started watching Skins is because my brother and friends at school used to talk about it and I couldn't join in the discussion because I'd never seen it. This is called social integration and I began watching it just so I could talk to those around me who watched it about it, allowing me to join in and feel a sense of companionship that we had something in common. In the end, Skins became one of my favourite television programmes, and my brother and I used to watch it together every week and we'd always talk to each other about it after the programme had finished. I even bought the boxset!

Uses and Gratifications: Entertainment

One of the main reasons I watch the television programme The O.C., is because it helps me escape from my own reality, and this is one of Katz and Blumler's theories - that we watch or enjoy a certain type of media for entertainment purposes' that allow us to escape from our own reality.

The O.C. helps me do this because the character's live such different lives to me. They live in Orange County, California, and they all have large houses, fancy cars and seem to lead the perfect life. My aspiration when I'm older is to live in California, so watching The O.C. just reinforces how I want to move away from England when I'm older.

The characters all seem to have a lot of problems in their lives and one way this helps me escape is by showing me how grateful I am for my life and that a lot of people all over the world are a lot worse off than I am. Although they're all rich and seem to lead the perfect lives, it shows that money truly doesn't buy you happiness and that just become someone seems to have a perfect life, that isn't always the case.

Uses and Gratifications: Information

Many people use different sources to gather information about various subjects, whether it be what's currently happening in the world, what the latest review is on a particular film or album or even celebrity news; there's sources to provide this information as and when the audience need/want it.

I use IMDb to see what new films are out at the cinema, what's coming soon, and it's also a database for every film and gives you recommendations based on the film you search. Most of all, I use IMDb for the movie reviews and the ratings of a movie. If a film has a poor rating and poor reviews, I'm less inclined to buy the DVD or watch the film, however if a film has good reviews then I'll usually watch it, so the reviews people write influence me - this is linked with two-step flow. Two-step flow is the theory that people are more swayed towards something if influenced by an opinion leader. I'd be more inclined to watch a film where the opinion leaders had written a good review and rated the film highly and therefore I'm being swayed by that individuals personal opinion.

Uses and Gratifications: Personal Identity

One of the reasons an audience watches a television programme may be for how they can personally identify with the characters either on-screen or in text. For example, the reason I watch Pretty Little Liars is because I can identify with the actresses lives, such as their break-ups and how closely they hold their friendships and family to them. The way the programme is based is that they're just normal teenage girls, in high school who overcome the obstacles of what it's like being a teenager and their struggles throughout. This makes the audience feel like they're a part of the show because they can identify so closes with the characters and it enables them to feel like they know the characters off-screen. Another way the audience may personally identify is by looking up to the actresses as people and getting inspiration from the way they dress or how their make-up is done in a particular scene. These are all examples of personally identifying with an on-screen character.

Sexuality Representation in the Media

Sexuality is represented in the media in various different ways. In today's society, it's more acceptable than it was decades ago. This is because more people are confident speaking out about their sexuality and therefore producers of television shows are becoming more open and accepting of it. Alan Carr is just one example, he has his own television show and he's also written books and won awards. He is one of the people on television who is homosexual but the audience accept and embrace who he is regardless of his sexuality. Although this is the case with homosexual men, lesbian women seem to be more widely accepted. I think this is because some people still hold the traditional view that men are meant to portray themselves as masculine and dominating, so to some one man with another man is considered emasculating and unnatural. However, as it's a lot more accepted now, these views tend to be held by a minority.
   I think what Alan Carr is trying to achieve with his television show "Alan Carr: Chatty Man", is just to show that his sexuality doesn't define who he is as a person. I think he's trying to show that he's a funny and intellectual individual and that just because he's homosexual, he shouldn't be held with any less respect than anybody else.

Race Representation in the Media

In the television show Eastenders, the majority of the cast is made up of white caucasian actors and actresses. This shows race in a discriminating way because they haven't cast people of different races, therefore they're only broadcasting white people to a vast audience. This is the same for television shows such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale - they very rarely use individuals of a different race.

I think this shows that the producers of the show are trying to satisfy the audience by showing them what they want or prefer to see; this being a lack of cultural diversity. I think it's also incriminating on people who watch the programme who are of a different race because these programmes aren't focusing on their lives and may also make them feel less important.

Age Representation in the Media

One way age is represented in the media is through the film 13 Going on 30. The actress in this film, Jennifer Garner, is a 13-year-old girl who for her birthday wishes she was older. She then wakes up as a 30-year-old woman where everything around her has changed - she has a job, a boyfriend and all the people she knew had grown up alongside her as she's teleported into "adult" world.
   I think this represents age in the sense that younger people are aspiring to grow up too quickly in today's society, and they're wishing to be older whilst failing to appreciate the present. I believe the producer of the show to be portraying to the audience how they should value their younger years and stop wishing themselves older.

Gender Representation in the Media

 Gender representation in the media differs. There are a lot of reports within newspapers where males are the focus of it (e.g. the football sections are always full of praise for footballers); however, there are a lot of derogatory articles on women. An example of this is how there's always articles focusing on the drama centralised around women celebrities in newspapers, talking about their weight gain or any personal information that's going on in the celebrities life at that time. There's also the page 3 models who are exposed as they're topless.

   This shows that the producer of the newspaper is showing women in a derogatory way, because there's rarely articles expressing how strong and independent a woman is or what they've achieved; in tabloids especially, they focus heavily on the negative aspects rather the positive.

Class Representation in the Media

 Class is represented in the media in various different ways. One way in particular is in the use of television programmes and films. One film in particular, is Kidulthood.

  This film exposes drug scenes, gangs and violence which would be a key representation of underclass citizens. I think the film is a negative representation of this specific class because the audience who watch the film would be imposed with a view that all underclass citizens do recreational drugs and are aggressive individuals; whereas in reality, that isn't true.

  I think the producer of Kidulthood is trying to portray to the audience how life is for some underclass citizens and their day-to-day ordeals but doesn't really show them in a positive light or show that whilst people may be in this class, that they can get a job and work themselves up.