Representation Theory
Levi Strauss- 1958 Binary oposites
Levi Strauss came up with the ideas if binary opposites he said that he beleived that we understand words not solely based on their meaning they directly contain, but of our understanding of opposites they reflect hence, 'binary opposites.' The ideas of these terms are culturally constructed. For example I say hero you say..Villian. In the media word binary opposites are used very frequent they're usually the basis of our undertsanding of a story as it is a conventional narrative and enables an equilibrium.
Binary opposites are used in films to help plots, they're also used in music videos as part of a narrative to reinforce song lyrics. Levi Strauss' theory links heavily with our ideological values of how we feel we should 'perceive' the world.
Why use binary oposites?
The theory enables us to have an understanding of a narrative before it has even began. Representations re-present them self to an audience to assure understanding, meaning and recognition from a text is understood. Having opposites within a text enables climax and interest, however more recently this can be challenged for e.g in lady Gaga's music video Judas, or films that have a narrative with no clear protagonist/ antagonist.
This music video I have chosen to look at which is Taylor Swift- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. This gives a good example of the use of binary opposites. For example the boy and the girl when you think of a music videos about relationships/love you you would think of girl aswell as thinking of the boy straight away. This shows how the use of Levi strauss' thoery is used and how it is understood. It is used across a range of music videos and this is just an example of what i have found. I can apply this theory to my own work and my own music video for example looking at my chosen initial idea it included a girl and a boy which is about relationships and the connection between two people so I am using Levit Strauss thoery in my own work. This theory helped enable me to choose and adapt my inital idea because it links in and gave me the abilty to undertsand what binary opposites was a apply it to my own work. It gives a clear example of how they're used in the media world and all the different theorys I am looking at will have a huge impact on my own music video.
Laura Mulvey 1975- Feminism
Lauren Mulveys theory emphasises the curves of the female body, referring to women as objects rather than people. The display of women is how men think they should be perceived and female viewers, view the content through the eyes of a man. The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a hetrosexual man i.e linger over the curves of a womens body. The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film fantasy. The women is passive to the active gaze from the man. Think of all the music videos you see on TV and how the camera objectifies them by focusing on the areas of the body in which you would expect to see 'male gazing' at...Breasts, bottom etc. Mulvey also states that the female gaze is the same as the male gaze because women look at themselves through the eyes of men. The male gaze describes how the audience or viewer is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male. The concept of 'the gaze' is one that deals with how an audience views the people/person presented. for example Miley Cyrus, mulvey states that in film women are typically the objects, rather than the possessors this is displayed by the control of the camera. The camera uses particular movement to perceive women in an idealistic view. Some women may disagree with this use of the camera yet others may feel liberated. A feminist may see the male gaze as either a expression of unequal power between gazer and gazed, or as a conscious or subconscious attempt to develop that inequality, men are more powerful there for is ok to objectify. Summarising the women is displayed for the male gaze to provide pleasure in a sexual way (voyeurism). However women may want to be objectified and find this empowering and this objectification is running theme in music videos and within all media elements.
Applying this to my own music video
This theory I have explained can have an impact on my own music video, the way that Mulvey talks about the way that women as shown and how men view them. In my video I will look at existing music videos which can show this. Mulvey expresses the theory as not being good for women and I think this will be the way it applies to my work. By not expressing women in a bad way. The way that camera movement expresses this in the way the positions of the women are captured. This will be something I look at when filming mine and thinking about every camera angle which is shot.
John Berger
John Berger analyses the manner in which men and women are culturally represented. In the "Ways of Seeing" Berger claims that the representations of men and women in visual culture entice different "gazes", different ways in which they looked at. He states that 'men act women appear. Men look at women. Women watch them selves been looked at.' The women is usually posed in a way to please the viewer, her gaze is meant to entice the viewer, and this notion is the same in modern day advertisements and photographs. Berger comments that a women unconsciously acts in the way knowing she is being viewed. Women are constantly being surveyed, not only by men but by other women, and by themselves. John Bergers "Ways of Seeing" is an in depth look on art, the way people view it and the influences that traditional oil paintings have had on society and modern day publicity. John Berger looked at art and how historic paintings have adapted to modern day imagery and ideologies. Images are most powerful communicator we have. There are things we cannot describe in words but that images can illustrate. The power images have also mystifies viewers. Berger states that women were 'depicted in a different way to men- because the "ideal" spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the women is designed to flatter him' Jim Fowles states 'in advertising male gaze and females are gazed at' (Fowles 1996) This shows that both Mulvey and Berger feel that women are the objects for to men to look at, desire and seek pleasure from.
Paul messaris (1997)
Says that female models in ads addressed to women 'treat the lens as a substitute for the eye of an imaginary male onlooker' , adding that it could be argued that when these women look at there ads, they are actually seeing themselves as a man might see them.' This argument by Messaris is saying that women know what they are portraying and that they are able to view themselves as how men want to perceive them to be in control of there desirability.
Women and sex are used profusely in advertisement since it appeals to both women and men. Men want the women and the sex and the women want to be the women. This study looks at and compares how women in the media industry are used for the exact purpose that female nudity was used in traditional oil paintings. To be looked at, desired, envied and to be seen as desirable women, not only by men but also by women.
'Such ads appear to apple to imply a male point of view, even though the intended viewer is often a women. So the women who look at these ads are being invited to identify both with the person being viewed and with an implicit, opposite sex viewer.' ( Messaris 1997) This demonstrates that women are aware of the choices they make and are making these statements for a reason.
Tessa Perkins
Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be challenged. Tess Perkins (1979) identifies 5 such assumptions; stereotypes are not always negative (e.g 'The French are good cooks'). They are not always about minority groups or less powerful (e.ge. 'upper class twits'). They can be held about one's own group, they are not rigid or unchanging and they are not always false. Perkins says that stereotyping is not a simply process. She identified that some of the many ways that stereotypes are assumed to operate aren't true. As society changes its hard for stereotypes to change as they stick in society. Not all stereotypes are bad, not all good and we categorise our selves. Stereotypes are always erroneous in content (usually wrong). They are (negative) concepts, they are about groups whom we have little or no social contact; by implication therefore they are not held about ones own group- thats stereotype of a stereotype. They are about minority or repressed groups, they are simple. People either 'hold' stereotype of a group (believe them to be true) or do not. Because someone holds a stereotype of a group, his or her behaviour towards a member of that group can be predicted. Stereotypes are in invaluable aid to understanding the world and all stereotypes must have a bit of truth or they would not have such an influence.
