Lecture 5: Reality, Virtuality & Hyperreality

Jean Baudrillard and Hyperreality

Haddon Sundblom  Santa Illustrations 1930’s - Depiction of Santa is taken for granted as real - Idea of how coke is advertised makes it taste better as we are blinded by the branding.

Jean Baudrillard-French philosopher - Theorist in semiotics, political economy, postmodernism, popular culture, media theory

Post-Structuralists: Gile Deleuze, Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard, Jacques Derrida, Helene Cixous, Michel Foucault.

Structuralism

Claude Levi-Strauss, Roland Barthes, Julia Kristeve

Guy Debord: Author of The society of the spectacle 1967

Maxist: Debords idea that ‘Immense accumulation of spectacles

Karl Marx: Palitical/economic theorist – Aeveloped the ‘critique of political economy’ - Argued Capitalist society functions on basis of the ‘labour theory of value’ exchange of commodeties

Ferdinand de Saussure - Pioneer of semiotics - Idea that language functions on theory of value & exchange of signs

Marcel mauss - Anthropologist & ethnographer - Known for for pattens in society

Explored idea: gifts are given in exchange that it is reciprocated in some form

Georges Bataille - Philosopher, novelist, poet - Wrote on braking moral laws, death, general economy

Marshall McLuhan - Media therist - ‘Medium is the message’

Jean Baudrillard: Simulacra & Simulation – Theory: Copies either of the thing they are intended to represent in recent history – copies of other copies

Symbolic Exchange death (1976): 3 Orders -The Counterfeit – Production - Simulation

According to Marx ‘Dialectic of Capitalism is between Labour & Capital (I.e. Money, Commodities)

Baudrillard describes kinds of codes as examples of simulacra ic- DNA Computer code.

Illusion of September 11^th - Only know it through media - Reality of war is signs

Task 4 - Essay Proposal

Does the way in which women are portrayed by men negatively influence young people?

·      - Some women think the way they are portrayed by men makes them look glamorous

·      - They are conforming to the way men want them to look – This could be through naivety

·      - However, to some they are perceived as being exploited

·      - Some people think they are being exploited some people accept it

·      - The effect on innocent young people – how they are influenced and how this is shown in their own behaviour

Useful texts for the essay	Explanation
Berger, J. (1972) ways of seeing. London, Penguin Books.	I will use this book in my essay because it explores the idea that men survey women before treating them and how this leads women to scrutinise themselves.
Bach, A. (1997) Women, seduction, and betrayal in biblical narrative.  Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.	It maybe interesting to use aspects from this book within the essay because it references to the bible and many people in the media are Christian. It would enable me to find out the contradiction of the bible in the media.
Watkins, S. Rueda, M. Rodriguez, M. (1992) Feminism for beginners. Cambridge, Icon Books.	This book looks at the basic of feminism and talks about the appearance of women and how they sell themselves to men.
Nicholson, L,J. (1990) Feminism/Postmodernism. New York, Routledge.	This book maybe useful because it also looks and feminist theories and would allow me to explain
Roberts, R. (1996) Ladies First: women in music videos. University of Mississippi.	This would be an excellent book to use because it looks at a major problem in how women are portrayed as sexual music videos which young people like to imitate

The image below is of Christina Aguilera performance on the x-factor in front of millions of viewers. I may discus this image in my essay because it is an excellent example of the type of images in the media, which are on view to young people. Christina is a popular music artist who is a role model for the younger generation. By dressing in her underwear onstage and flaunting herself Aguilera is glamorising sex and dressing in a way that men wild like her to look in bed. Many young girls would like to imitate this image by wearing similar clothes

Lecture 4: Communication Theory

Various theories Shape Communication studies

Divided into seven

-       Cybernetic Theory

-       Semiotics

-       Phenomenological Tradition

-       Rhetorical

-       Socio-Psychological

-       Socio-Cultural

-       Critical Theory

2 Models – Transmission

Constitutive

Possible communication issues

3 Levels –Technical

Semantic

Effectiveness

Systems theory  - advantage switch between math, bio, psy, soc frames of ref.

RARB – Broadcasters Audience Research Board

Audience categories – Individuals, men, women, children, Housewives- Sub vided age/class

Sub-categories – AB – Higher\C1-Supervisory/C2 Skilled/DE Semi skilled –Age divisions

Semiotics

3 Concept – Shows what a sign means – Tell what a sign means (Dictionary)

Syntanctics – Relationships among signs

Pragmatics – Use/ Effects of signs

Semiotics uses- How we make meaning in a situation

Shows that reality is read in signs

Phenomenological Tradition – Process of learning by experience

Embodied mind Communication = Extension of nervous system – face reconviction

Rhetoric – Thinking how to create effects on the audience

Sociopsychological Tradition

-       Individual Social study of being

-       Areas = Behavioral

-       = Cognitive

-       = Biological

Identifying self i.e. – Christian, Mother – Part of a group. The Social cultural tradition identify's how the roles are worked out in communication.

Social constructionism – How human knowledge is built through human interaction.

Lecture 3: Film Theory - 'The Gaze' and Phychoanalysis

Video game example

1^st person or 2^nd person perspectives

1^st = Intense feeling that you are the game

3^rd= interactive movie, you are controlling the person

Lecture looks at decisions, power and the way we look at the world

Key Points

Theory’s/Ideas – Power of looking

Terms- Scopophilia, suture, intra, extra-diegetic, narcissist

Film theory _ Feminist phycoanalysis

Authors: Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, Laura Mulver, Kaja Silverman

Misconceptions of institutional ‘gaze’

Mixture of behavior/mental illness

Way of thinking applied to parts of society

It’s about sex

How we treat and examine objects

Laura Mulvey

Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema 1975

Hollywood film – Sexist as it represents the gaze as powerful and male

Hero (normally male) guides the plot.

Women are looked at as sexual objects

Freudian Theories

Scopophilia – Looking at others as objects

Narcissistic Identification – Mulvey – Identify with hero in film

Jacques Lacan

Mirror stage – Child less perfect than reflection

-       Ideal ego reflected

Extension of Mulvey’s theory

-       Viewers see through eyes of actors

-       Follow their gaze without guilt

-       If actor speaks to audience gaze is broken

Gaze point – Structure

Gaze draws viewers to see through eyes of actor

When broken viewers become aware of their gaze

Types of Gaze

Spectators (View looking at image -Most common)

Intra-diegetic gaze (Someone looking at another)

Extra-diegetic – Gaze of person looking back at us

Contradiction

Attach negative suggestions

Contradiction support how Cinema works

Contradiction is challenged to create confutation

Conclusion

-       Type of gaze encourage power

-       Objectify & Identify identification (Scop/Narc)

-       I.e. Cinema thrive on Contradiction

-       Visual culture

Task 3 - Semiotic Analysis

Semiotics is a theory/study used to work out signs and symbols; in particular parts of language, Systems of communication.

The Sun tabloid Newspaper Front page Article ‘Gotcha’

‘The Sun’- white text on red background - is a masthead written in both upper and lower case. The lowercase letters are less formal for a tabloid newspaper aimed at the masses, replicating the style of the Daily Mirror italic on another tabloid newspaper of the day.

The stereotypical audience of this newspaper looks for sensational news

The banner headline using the word ‘Gotcha’ supports this. It misses out unimportant words and captures the reader’s attention by using slang in what some might have seen as a tasteless, coldblooded statement. The thin bold typeface takes up at least one quarter of the space allocated for the article standing out centrally in the top third of the page , to be read first before anything else is seen by the reader. The term ‘GOTCHA’, occupying a quarter of the page’s whitespace, captures the nation’s mood at that time when war with Argentina was about to erupt. It implies that there has been some challenge and someone has been caught. It lures the reader into wanting to read on although their eye is then drawn to two photographs rather than written text. The term could be seen as tasteless when it becomes clear some people may have died.

The word ‘our’ which appears throughout the article, is the only word subconsciously read as the reader’s eye is drawn to the two photographs on the left of the page below the headline. They also aim to evoke patriotic feelings showing these are of a boat like the one that was sunk and the Belgrano that was crippled and put the article in context. They are positioned

Initial words in the captions below each picture are in capitals with italic serif typeface using the words ‘SUNK’ and ‘CRIPPLED’. These have immediate connotations of conflict to underpin the connotations of the headline. The space covered by both photographs, and their captions, is broadly similar to that given to the strapline, which is bold and underlined to the right of the photographs to emphasize the significance of the work of ‘our lads’. By using the term ‘our’ the editor is confident of a positive response from the public. ‘Our’ captures the reader’s attention immediately, so the event is very personal as if we are all in this together. It also celebrates and glorifies the sinking of a gunboat and holing of a cruiser creating a myth that the action is just.

The article uses the word WALLOP twice implies that this has been a ‘jokingly’ easy task at the Argentinians’ expense. However, using the slang word ‘Argies’ evokes prejudice and racism, playing on the editor’s understanding of the mood of the country. THE NAVY is written in capitals emphasizing its significance in what has taken place. The subheading: ‘MAJOR’, Major shares an ideology about the Navy being in total command.

Despite the positive stance for the action taken a sub-article is ‘tucked’ in the bottom left hand corner of the page: UNION BOYCOTTS WAR and written in italics to separate it from the rest of the text. This is a mainly factual article but the layout seems interesting with the word ‘believes’ spread in the final column to work subconsciously again leaving the reader asking the question: Does everyone else believe it is right to withhold support for crews of merchant ships to be unsupported by unions? Even crews themselves have been non-commital at this stage.

Task 2 - 'On Popular Music'

Adorno article ‘On Popular music’ describes Popular music as a drastic difference to serious music. The link between serious music to popular music can be through the characteristic of standardization with the idea that the whole culture of popular music is accepted. According to Adorno all popular music is pregiven and ‘pre-excepted’. Adorno believed that each pop song has a central structure with the same parts and to conceal this they are given pseudo-individualization. On the contrary to this Adorno believed that every detail of classical music belongs to it totally and logically. Adorno believed that popular music brainwashes people into liking it through society and it prevents people from being individuals.

‘Barbie girl’ Aqua is a great example of Popular music that is standardized. The listeners know what to expect from the song before it has started. The listener does not have to think about the lyrics to gain an idea of what it is about. Adorno would consider the song to be ‘Cheap entertainment’. The lyrics are easy to unnderstand. The song uses techniques of pseudo individualization. Lene nystrom flaunts herself posing to the camera and pouting her lips. She is giving herself giving the man I the video “You can look you can play you can say I’m always yours”. The lyrics imply sexual puns and links with the standardized image: that women are to be looked at by men who are the ones with power. Ken has a car. When a song comes out a customer believes they like it because the same underlying beat is recurring in popular music. It is familiar to the listener making them feel comfortable.

Lecture 2: Critical Positions on the Media and Popular Culture

Key Points:

- Ideas of Popular/Mass Culture - Introduction of critical theory to PC&MM - Identify Ideology - Interrogate function of mass media and how it affects us

What is Culture?

Raymond Williams- Cultural philosopher (Keywords)

- Process of intellectual/Spiritual/aesthetic developments in a particular society - A way of life – Daily routine/Hobbies -  Works of intellectual and artistic significance – Our role/Occupation

Marx’s Concept of Base/Superstructure

- All societies originate from the same structure - Developed structure originates from the base structure - Culture appears when people are oppressed - Leaving culture to appear from class interests and leads to protect them - Marx states that a persons culture is determined by the culture of the society they were born into not that that culture is developed an individuals.

According to Marx Culture is Ideological

- System of ideas that is created by the ruling class which aims to benefit society

Raymond Williams Key words - Well liked by many - Inferior kinds of work - Set out to win favor of people - Culture is created by people themselves

Inferior or Ridicule Culture – Popular V Art - Graffiti V Bansky

Defining Culture

Matthew Arnold – Culture and Anarchy

“Diseased spirit of our time” (inferiors desire to have rights) - Popular culture = Absent form of political authority - Arnold believed a person was either culture and civilized or uncultured and barbaric - The uncultured should seek to have the same culture as the upper class and not create their own.

Leavisism – F.R & QD

Extended version of Arnold’s theory

Based on 21^st Century society

Frankfurt school critical theory

- Adorno & Horkheimer Reinterpreted Marx’s theory - Idea that “all mass culture is identical” - “As soon as a film begins it is clear how it will end, and who will be rewarded, punished or forgotten - Popular V affirmative culture

Conclusion

-Popular culture is ideology

Lecture 1: Panopticism - Surveillance & Society

Lecture 1 - 04/11/10 Panopticism - Surveillance & Society

Panopticon: a circular prison with cells displayed around a central surveillance (conscious state that he is always being watched) Aims to make a prisoner more productive.

Theorist: Michel Foucault – Studies how institutions effect us (Madness & civilization)

Key Points:

-       Panopticism - As Punishment

-       Techniques of the Body

-       Ductile Bodies

-       Recognition tat institutions work on us in various ways

House of Correction & Asylums

-       Madness was excepted in society

-       In the 17^th Century new ideas were brought about to combat idleness.

-       The aim was to change peoples attitudes towards work

-       People who were conceded unacceptable were imprisoned (i.e. Criminals, Unmarried mothers, Drunks)

-       The idea of the norm was created on views of the ruling class

-       Inmates were forced to work

-       Society was made to be perfect with no deviants

-       Leading to deviants within the houses to corrupt each other

-       Therefore groups of criminals were separated by the creation of asylums

-       Inmates were treated, rewarded or punished

-       Michel Foucault emphasized that modern society rules us with in a similar way

-       Today humans are responsible as individuals to conform to the rules

The Pillory

-       `Form of public humiliation – judgment of deviants

-       E.g., hanging, disembowelment gives power to the ruling class keeping deviants under control

Contemporary Panopticon

- I.e. Schools, CCTV, paparazzi

- People are constantly being observed/Scrutinized

- Encourages a difference in behavior with the idea of being watched

­­­­­

Relationship between Power/Knowledge/Body

-     Effecting what we do and our experience

-       Panopticism creates a docile body – one that is obedient, Self correcting, Self monitoring