Key assessment 1
Short answer questions
Name three of Barthes's semiotic codes [1]
Hermetic.
Proairetic.
Symbolic.
Briefly define 'modes of address' [1]
The way the text communicates with an audience.
Briefly define 'lexis' [1]
text of media product
Which two theoretical perspectives have we studied that can be 'credited' to Stuart Hall? [2]
Oppositional reading.
Dominant reading.
Media language
How can media language communicate multiple meanings? Make reference to at least two of the following; the Tide print advertisement (1950's), the WaterAid audiovisual advertisement (2016) and the Kiss of the Vampire (1963) film poster.
In this essay, I am going to explore the way media language communicates multiple meanings, using multiple adverts to make my point. I also going to consider how genre conventions create meaning as well as how the audience respond to media language and consider how media language incorporates different viewpoints and ideologies.
Some media texts can create multiple meanings about things like gender and race equaity. This is shown in the "tide" advert from the 1950's. This advert presents a negative ideology that woman love to clean. This is shown in the focal image, the close up shot of the woman hugging the wash product. This makes it seem as if the product is something that is very dear to her, as if its her child or husband. The woman is the focal image of the advert, therefore meaning that she is used to represent ALL women. The audience will look at this poster and think that because one woman loves cleaning, it means all women do.
The mise-en-scene also shows that this woman loves to clean. This is because of the lead protagonist's hair and make up. She seems to be wearing a lot of make up and has styled her hair properly as if she is going on a date. Normally, people wouldn't bother looking attractive just to clean their house. This could show that the woman loves the wash product so much that its like her lover and she's willing to look nice for the product, as if the product has replaced her husband/ lover. However, wearing a lot of make up could also represent women as insecure because they feel the need to look attractive all the time even when cleaning. It could also show that women are desperate for men's approval because the use of make up could attract a male which is something this woman clearly doesn't have hence why she is hugging a wash product instead of a man. The poster could also preset an ideology that if women use this wash product, then they will look attractive enough for men to want them (because of 1950's standards, most men wanted a woman in their life to cook and clean as well as for sex).
The "tide" advert may present some negative ideologies on race. This is because there are only white woman in the pictures and the words "white" and "whitest" are repeated too often in big, bold, sans serif font. The words "white" and"whitest" have connotations of innocence and purity but in the 1950's (a time where racism was very frequent in America), these words can also have connotations of power and dominance of white people. This could show that the primary target audience of the wash product are white women.
Some adverts use codes to represent different meanings. This is shown in the "water aid" advert where the hermetic code is the girl, Claudia, walking across a dry area all alone. This causes suspension because it makes the audience wonder what will happen to her next. The proairetic code is shown in the empty bucket on her head, which signifies that she is about to get water. And the most important code is the symbolic code, which is the clean water. This creates meaning for the audience because something that we take for granted has a great importance for the villagers in the advert. This could make the audience feel guilty and sympathetic or even grateful for everything they have.
Preferred reading is also something which creates different meaning in a media product. In "water aid", there can be different ways the audience looks at the text to show meaning. Dominant reading would mean that the audience looks at the advert in the same way the producer wants them to, so they will feel guilt towards Claudia and the other villagers and feel obliged to donate. Some people in the audience will look at the text different than how the producer wants them to. This could mean that they might not feel sorry for Claudia's situation because she and the villagers already have clean water, they might not want to donate their money because they don't trust that it will actually go towards the cause, they might look at the video and think everything is staged and a lie or they may have racist feelings towards africans and decide to dismiss the idea of donating. These are examples of oppositional reading.
In some adverts, binary opposition is used to create different meanings. This is shown in the "kiss of the vampire" movie poster. In this advertisement, there is binary opposition between the words "kiss" and "vampire" because one is associated with love and romance but the other has connotations of death. There is also a binary opposing between dominance and weakness this is because the women appear to be weak but the men appear dominant and strong. There is a binary opposition between lightness and darkness. The lightness is a symbol of purity (shown in the women's nightdresses) and darkness shown in the mise-en-scene (the background and the vampire).
The mise-en-scene also suggests that the genre of this movie is horror/thriller with some romance. The horror/ thriller is shown in the mise-en-scene (the bats, the vampire outfits and the castle in the background). The romantic side is shown in the women's nightdresses and the word "kiss".
Representation
In the "save the children" advert, the audience are placed as an abuser or someone who lets the abuser abuse children and does nothing. This is because in the shot, there is a child trapped in a lass box. The child is looking directly into the camera, as if thy are looking right at the audience. A dominant reader may feel sympathetic to the child and feel the need to help them. However, some people in the audience will think the photograph is staged and has been directed that way to make the audience feel guilty.
In the image, the camera is at an angle that makes it look as if the audience are standing right next to the soldiers, as if the audience are soldiers (or just as bad as the soldiers), this is done by the producer to express to the audience that they are bad people if they don't donate anything.
In the "water aid" advert, the audience are positioned to be the "good guys" this is because, the children in the video seem happy and have clean water, all thanks to the audience who donated to help provide the villagers clean water. This could give the audience a rewarding, happy feeling rather than a feeling of guilt and sympathy (like what the "save the children" advert does).
Both adverts have a primary target audience of working class people living in the U.K. This is because they are both charity adverts and working class people tend to donate more than upper/ middle class people. Adverts like these are usually shown during the day, a time where a large percentage of the working class will be at home watching TV to see the adverts.
They both have a secondary target audience of middle class people living in the U.K. Both adverts are targeted towards the British (or people who live in England) because in the "water aid" advert, the first shot is of rainy England (the audience knows it is in England because of the woman on the radio speaking in a British accent).
Both of these charity adverts place British people in a position that makes them feel powerful because they both use language to make the target audience believe that it is their responsibility to change the issues happening in Africa. This is shown in the "save the children" poster where it says "we must make this a thing of the past" in big bold letters. The use of the word "we" makes it seem like they are talking to us, the audience as one big group. It is implying that the damage is too big for just one individual to help, so they need as many people as possible, working in unison to help provide a better future for the children. The "past" is also mentioned in the text. This could make British people feel guilty as the word can make them think of the country's past with Africa and seeing the child locked in a glass box can have strong connotations with slavery and make the audience feel as if they are to blame for slavery.
In the "water aid" advert, the use of language also allows the audience to feel like they are in control. This is shown in the text at the end of the video, "text sunny... help reach more people like Claudia" This is implying that the audience have the choice, to help people get clean water or to just dismiss the idea of donating (which will make the audience seem like bad people). They also use the name "Claudia" to make the whole thing seem more personal and real, therefore guilt tripping some people in the audience to donate.
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