“Media representations are complex, not simple and
straightforward”. How far do you agree with this statement
in relation to the collective
group that you have studied?
There have been many examples of the way the media
tends to represent different groups in society. For example, young people may
be presented as ‘wild and out of control’ in the news. The media is a vast and
endless passage of communication for the world and may come across as complex in
terms of representation. In this essay i will be discussing the ways in which
collective identity relates to this theory.
When gender is presented in the media, it isn’t
always straightforward or positive .For example shows like desperate housewives
indicate that women typically spend the majority of time thinking about kids
and gossiping about other women. Feminists would argue that the media deliberately
represent women like this in order to keep the old stereotype in place. They
also dispute that women are not like that in reality and T.V shows often
neglect the ‘modern woman’ image. Women are continuously represented in an
unfair and unequal ways in the media, this shows that the media isn’t simple
enough to just look into.
Another version of this paragraph :
Gender has been represented in a number of ways one example the T.V show called 'girls;.This series has sparked many reviews both good and bad .Moreover, it is seen to represent women as strong and independent and more sexually liberal.However the down side of this is the way that the women are seen to be having to much 'liberation'.
Feminist however, tend to ignore the more important facts like 'not all of the media is masogynic'
Moreover, identity is very complex and could be
viewed in many ways. One show that represents a range of different
personalities is Waterloo Road. This British T.V series focuses on a range of different
children, all breaking out of the stereotypes set for them by society. The fact
that show addressed issues like teen homosexuality and religion is very
important in today’s media because it relates a lot with collective identity as
a whole. If more T.V shows focuses on these different aspects of real-life
problems then it quickly educates the audience not believe in the stereotypes
that we have come to know.
In the music world, there are plenty of examples of
the way gender is symbolized. For example girls aloud and there music videos
show women as either in ‘skimpy’ outfits singing about a need for a male’s attention.
This is typical of the music industry and the media, this also promoted that women
are expected to be sex objects in order to be ‘loved’.
