bajanbeauti

As I wrap up my last week and last semester as an undergrad, I’ve learned a lot from MCOM 352 Media Criticism. My last blog assignment required me to give feedback to my peers’ blogs. In this assignment, I am able to read three of my peers’ blogs and give constructive feedback on them. This is a great way to see what my peers applied to certain theories by using different texts. This assignment is a great way to appreciate what my peers are writing and to see what they learned in this course.

I enjoyed writing the blogs in Media Criticism class. This was a great way to apply my knowledge and share it with others. There are many people in this world who are not aware of how media has such an impact on society. Applying the concepts such as media, narrative, and ideological criticisms, and theories explains why this is the case. It is one thing to sit in a class, listen to the professor and take notes. However, writing blogs on class discussions really challenge me to apply the concepts to texts we use every day. I would have to say my favorite blog to write was applying ideological criticism to Disney films. I highly enjoyed watching Mickey Mouse Monopoly. I had no idea the hidden messages behind Disney and the dominant elites behind Disney who has total control of what messages they want to convey to children. I said it in my blog and I’ll say it again, I highly recommend anyone who grew up with Disney to watch this documentary.  

So, here are three of my peers’ blogs who I found were very interesting. 🙂

Sarah Kline’s blog:

Sarah, your blog on Ideological Criticism is very informative and an easy read. I like how you introduce your blog by telling readers how media saturates our environment. Also I like how you say media tends to trick viewers into buy their products, a perfect example being children. You introduce the concept of ideology before further explaining ideology criticism in an orderly manner. You have successfully explained Age Compression and Gender Representation in media, particularly in Disney movies. In the Mickey Monopoly documentary, those topics are important because it makes the audience aware of the manipulation that media gives to children on how they should be. Little girls are made to be prim and proper, and in most cases being subjective and submissive to their male counterparts. These ideas are apart of the concept of ideology. I also like how you plugged in the video of a commercial about a Disney perfume for girls.

Disney perfume

Growing up, I was in love with Disney. So, whenever a toy commercial came on about a Disney princesses, makeup, or jewelry, I would beg my mother to get it. I remember saying how I wanted to be a princess when I grow up, and be like a Disney princess. Unfortunately, as an adult, this commercial is aimed towards little girls to make them believe they have to be a certain way to attract boys. Your blog is visual and links are included. You have minor grammatical errors, but aside from that, you explained the concept of ideology criticism very well.

Sekou Bah’s blog:

Sekou, I like how apply your real life experiences in media to give a formal introduction on Media Criticism. I am the same way when it comes to always having my iPhone with me to play music, or carrying my laptop with me while on campus so I will not be bored in between class. I have become dependent on media so I will not feel left out in society. You focused on the show Law and Order: SVU which I do not watch, so I like how you give a brief synopsis of the show. This prepares the reader for your discussion on media criticism. You raise a valid point when mentioning how media manipulates society. When a viewer watches this show, he or she will eventually think this is the typical violence that occurs in America. It is up to viewers to believe it or construct their own reality. I was pleased at how you provided links to visit to prove the major violence that occurs in America.

You should have mentioned the Cultural Diamond, and how it applies to Media Criticism. Also, it describing and applying the critical process of media criticism to your text will help the reader fully understand how to study a text such as Law and Order: SVU. A few grammatical errors, but overall easy read with visuals.

Holly Morrison’s blog:

Holly, your blog on Semiotic Analysis was great to read. I automatically was drawn to this post because of the title. I have a loved one and a friend who have HIV and I thought it was important to read. I love the advertisement you use. I agree with you that Wonder Woman is a comic book icon that I am sure a lot of women, if not people  look up to. You introduce the ad’s history and why you decide to use it. You mention the dominant reading of the ad which is an important element of semiotics.

HIV awareness ribbon

Adding negotiated and oppositional readings to your discussion would have been great, just to see other views people might have on the ad. For instance, the negotiated reading can be a viewer who understands the dominant reading, but has their own interpretation of the ad. Or the oppositional reading which has a reader going against the dominant and oppositional reading. Polyvalence is a great term you could have used to let the reader know there are different ways in interpreting a text based off different value systems. You describe the signs in the hospital room in a detailed manner. The reader can read your description while looking at the ad and are able to follow along. The ribbon is a symbol of AIDS awareness, which definitely is a sign of semiotics. Your final encoding of the ad is dead on. That is exactly what I read. AIDS is a dangerous disease that even the strongest hero can not fight. Therefore, we must take the necessary actions to prevent it from us getting it. I like that you have links to AIDS and visuals to help the reader follow your main points.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in this class. I look forward to applying Media Criticism wherever I go as well as share it with others.

Ever since I was a little girl, I was in love with Disney and the whole idea of me wanting to be a princess. I watched all the movies, dressed like Belle for Halloween, and begged my mother to order the Disney Channel on cable so that I would be able to watch it nonstop. So basically, I lived and breathed Disney.

But what you must know, is that I was in LOVE with Mickey Mouse. I have a Mickey Mouse doll my dad gave to me when I was four that I still have to this day; a little beaten and worn, but I love it just the same. Trips to the Disney Store would always excite me. When I was a senior in high school, my mother surprised me with a graduation gift to Disney World. Excited wasn’t even the word to describe how I felt. I remember going to Magic Kingdom and literally crying because I always saw it on television, and just could not believe I was there to see it in person.

Exactly how I saw it 🙂

Disney is a great example of Ideology Criticism. Ideology Criticism examines how society’s ideas on the way the world is are therefore embedded in texts. These ideas are seemed as being natural, obvious, and common sensical, but most importantly, how they go unnoticed and unchallenged. We as a society accept these partial and selective ideas and do not care to question it. Ideology Criticism takes a further step by not only identifying the text, but by how the text is produced and structured, how it reacts to our way of living, and how it helps society understand dominant ideas. This field of study is different from Narrative Criticism I talked about in my last blog, in which it studies a text’s sequence of events in order to find meaning behind it.

Ideology Criticism follows the production segment of the Cultural Diamond in which I mentioned in my other blogs. By it dealing with production, we can say that Disney who is the dominant elite, uses the “other” who are children as their consumers. Children are easy targets because they do not know any better. This idea goes to show how the “others”, who are children, reflect and serve the interests of the dominant elites.

When I was a freshman in high school, my biology teacher told my classmates and I about hidden messages in Disney. So, I already knew prior to watching Mickey Mouse Monopoly about the hidden messages behind Disney. However, by watching this documentary, along with studying the ideology behind Disney, I am able to get a better understanding of how Disney uses different tactics to perpetuate values. What better way than to do it from a form of fantasy. Kids are drawn into an imaginary world. When they are playing, they pretend they are characters from television or books. This is a great documentary to watch if you want to fully understand how Disney controls the less powerful.

A theory that ties into Ideology Criticism is Political Economy Theory. This theory is based off of Marx consumption of socioeconomic power. It explains how the elites, such as Disney, maintain control through hegemonic consensus. Just to take a trip back down memory lane, hegemonic consensus means how the ideas and values are constructed as natural, normal, and inevitable, therefore unchangeable. Disney has the power of what messages they put in their movies. Because of that, they have to be responsible on what message they are trying to portray. So far, it has not been working.

Now that I have explained Ideology Criticism, I would like to use Mickey Mouse Monopoly that can be applied to the field. I mentioned Disney as an example and would to talk a little more about how Disney as a dominant elite shapes values in society. After watching the documentary film “Mickey Mouse Monopoly”, I definitely am more opened and aware of how societal values are reinforced through Disney movies. This film shows a political side of Disney. Never in a million years have I ever viewed Disney as being political. I just thought it was pure entertainment. But behind everything, there is a hidden message.

Let’s start with Aladdin. A child might view this movie or any Disney movie as whimsical or imaginative. However, the true underlining message this movie gives off is gender representation that it is okay for women to use their bodies to manipulate men to get what they want. An example in the movie would be when Jasmine flirts with Jafar in order for him to divert his attention from killing Aladdin. You can see her switching her hips and batting her eyelashes, all the while wearing a provocative outfit.This gender representation gives off a constructive notion of what femininity is and sells it to children. When little girls watch this, besides viewing it as entertainment, they are also thinking that when they grow up, they have to dress in scantily-clad clothing and sell sex in order to get what they want. Not just in Aladdin, but in majority Disney films are the women characters skinny, with big breasts, piercing eyes, and long, fluttery eyelashes. Female children are viewing this as a way they need to look when they get older, thus creating eating disorders.

Innocence or seductress?

In The Little Mermaid, the woman has a voice. Apparently, the male figure does not accept that and therefore, as a punishment he takes away her voice. This message being delivered to female children is that men should do all the talking. The movie is suggesting women should not have a voice in the world, but instead should use their bodies as their voice. The documentary also notes that Disney’s golden message is that no matter how strong willed a woman might be, she still needs to be rescued by a man. This gives off the impression that women have to rely on men in order to feel safe and secure. Examples would be Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Tarzan.

Disney movies also stereotypes certain ethnic cultures. In The Lion King, the hyenas talk in a street slang, usually associated with people of color. They look grungy and sneaky. When little kids are watching this, they are given the impression that people of color are bad and are living in this society to do harm unto others.

In Lady and the Tramp, the Siamese cats are portrayed as being Asian. The features of the cats depict them as having buck teeth, and slanted eyes. They also come off as being cunning, sneaky, and manipulative.

Cute cats are stereotypical?

In Tarzan, we all know the setting takes place in Africa, right? The original Tarzan (1932) depicted white supremacy; the white man came to the jungle and controlled the natives and animals and knows the jungle better than the natives. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? In the recent Tarzan (1999), there is no sign of Black people. Now common sense would tell you if a movie was filmed in a particular country, isn’t it only right it incorporates the natives? So is Disney suggesting Black people are not good enough to be represented in their home continent? The answer is obviously no, because Disney uses the ideology that Black people are represented as apes. African children who views this movie are thinking that they are less than human and are subjected to being animals of the jungle in their own country, and that the White man still is superior.

Where are the natives??

It is important to examine media through the lens of a political economist because they are increasingly concerned about commercialization and childhood. We as a society have to use counter-hegemony in order to make Disney aware of the negative messages they are giving children. The ideology of women being objectified and inferior to men and the whole notion of them using their bodies to get what they want is degrading and needs to be recognized. The underlying stereotypical message behind ethnic groups are wrong and should be adjusted so that future generations who watch Disney will be able to embrace cultures instead of racial profiling.

"Black" crows from Dumbo

There are so many other Disney movie examples I wish to share with you, but I highly recommend you dedicate an hour out of your busy schedules to watch this documentary. It will change your outlook on Disney movies.

Stay Blessed ❤

Welcome back to my blog! 🙂

Here is an ad I found online that shocked me!

When I saw this ad, my eyes shot out from my head. Since you visually cannot see me doing it, I will give you an idea of what I looked like: 

Before I explain the semiotic approach of this ad, let me begin by describing it. First off, this Dolce & Gabbana controversial ad was printed in 2007, then was pulled out of publications due to its content. It consists of four half naked men surrounding a scantily-clad woman while one of them is pinning her arms down. The ad appears to attract men from ages 18-40. Designer Stefano Gabbana defended the ad by saying he regreted the way the ad was perceived and insists that he and his partner Domenico Dolce were not intending to demean women. He adds that the image is artistic and was meant to “recall an erotic dream, a sexual game.” I know for a fact feminists had a field day on this ad.

The ad takes on an ideological genre approach, meaning that the men are the dominant force in the ad. The young woman is being objectified because she is submitting to the men surrounding her. The ad is giving off power and control, which in turn gives off dominant ideology. What is also important is the use of hegemonic power. This means that the values, ideas, norms, routines, ideology of the elite seems natural. No one wants to argue about the contents of ad. They just accept it for what it is, and do not feel a need to change anything. In today’s society, people accept male dominance. However, the ad can also stir up polyvalence. This means that the signs in this ad can be interpreted in different ways and different value systems. From one perspective, there are people who are okay with the ad’s dominant ideology of the men taking advantage of the woman. On the other hand, there are feminists who oppose the ad’s message and use counter-hegemony to support their oppositions. They are speaking out against the elites (men).

I will be talking about the semiotic approach for this ad. Semiotics are a system of signs that are embedded in texts. This article goes into full detail of what semiotics is.They are a way of better understanding a text by picking it apart. To start off, I’ll discuss some assumptions.

In the study of semiotics, there are different ways to read a text. First, there is the dominant reading. That is, what is the ad’s intended meaning? The D&G ad’s intended meaning is four men surrounding a woman while one of the men is pinning her arms down. Next, we have the negotiated meaning. That is, it questions the ad’s reading. The reader compromises between the dominant and oppositional readings, but has their own interpretation of it. In other words, it is like someone saying, “I see what the photographer was trying to portray, but here’s my take on it.” Lastly, is the oppositional reading. It goes against the dominant and negotiated meaning. For example, a feminist might view the ad as a woman intended on being raped.

When looking at this ad, one might think it’s art, or lack of a better word. In other words, they are thinking “Sex sells.” No matter how provocative or objectifying the ad is, people are still going to buy the product. If we happen to stumble upon a D&G store, more than likely we will buy something from it because the ad is stuck in our minds. It is sad to say we buy certain brands based off of their explicit ads.

When applying semiotics to an ad, we have to look at the signs, signifiers, and the meaning behind them. The signs that support my assumption are the men staring down at the woman while one of them is pinning her arms down. He is half naked, only wearing Dolce & Gabbana jeans. The woman who is wearing a black D&G one-piece bathing suit, is wearing dark red lipstick, her mouth closed, and has brunette hair, appearing to give off a film noir type look. The men appear to be emotionless, giving off the impression they do not care what they are going to do to the vulnerable, helpless looking woman. Other signs are one of the men standing behind the woman looking down at her with his hands on his hips like he is waiting his turn. Everyone in the ad looks sweaty, which implies sex. The man who is pinning the woman’s arms down is wearing sunglasses, while the other men are showing their faces. This is a sign that they, like rapists care or do not care to be recognized. The other two fully clothed men appear to have just walked in on the action, anxiously waiting their turn. All these signs produce signifiers, or meanings. The meaning behind this ad is the woman is being held against her will while four strong men are taking advantage of her. The look on her face suggests she is accepting whatever they are going to do to her.

Along with semiotic assumptions, there are two types of texts. The first one is closed texts. It gives little room for meaning. For example, when viewing this graph, we can clearly see it is representing a decrease. We see it, we interpret it, and we accept its meaning.

The second type of texts is open texts. It allows for readers to have their own meaning. For example, the D&G ad will produce different meanings from people because of the signs embedded in the ad. Thus, we would have to apply the  multiperspectival method, a remedy applied to another semiotic assumption that meanings vary according to a person, time, place, and context.

It is important to critically examine media texts because media surrounds us everyday, therefore we have to be able to understand it. It opens the question “What does a show say about the society we live in?” As a society, media is represented and influenced by how people live. Even though D&G uses a distasteful ad as a desperate attempt to sell their brand, they still have not lost their fans. Controversial ads usually increase brand sales. For instance, sometimes when walking into a store, we forget the name of the product we want to buy. Sure enough, we will reflect back on the ads we saw for that product and remember the name. Sometimes by singing the jingle of a food product, or remembering the black bathing suit the objectified woman wore in the D&G ad. Get it? 🙂

Stay Blessed ❤

What’s goody? 🙂 I’m Ashley and I’m a senior currently taking Media Criticism at Towson University. I’m finishing up my last semester, anxiously waiting to get my Bachelors in Electronic Media and Film with a track in Film and Media Studies. I’m highly influenced by media and am aware at how media is deeply saturated in our everyday lives.

The objective of this course to get people to see how people are surrounded by media daily. It also focuses on how media shape our everyday lives and culture. The role of media criticism is to examine different media “texts” and how they affect people on a day to day basis. Society depends on mass media as a way of “survival”. When we watch commercial ads, we look to find the next hot gadget to buy.

When we watch entertainment news, we look at what celebrities are wearing, then go on hunt to find the exact same outfit or something similar.

Television is one of the main mediums society use as a way to entertain, educate, socialize, inform, and interpret information. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t quote a line from a movie or television show. When I wake up, I turn my television on. When I’m doing homework or studying, my television is on.

When we watch television “texts”, such as Sex and the City, we tend to be put ourselves in a fantasy world. We imagine what life would be like if we lived like the Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. For example, if I was not familiar with New York City I would think the ladies of Sex and the City represented every successful woman who lived in that city. Every scene I watch, it is like a fashion shoot come to life. If you’re not familiar with this show, it focuses on four young successful business women who are all best friends living in New York City. They each go through finding love, tackling on their careers, all while living in the Big Apple. We ask ourselves, “I wonder what it would be like if I lived like that?” or “It must be nice”.

Media Criticism involves a systematic process using six steps in order to decipher a particular text. I’m going to use Sex and the City as an example. Now, let’s put on our detective gear and grab our magnifying glass to pick apart this show.

First, we have to select the text: Sex and the City….simple enough 🙂

Second, we have to describe the text. Hmm, let’s see. It focuses on four middle-aged successful, let’s not forget beautiful, business women living in upper Manhattan tackling on love, sex, and everyday struggles in the Big Apple.

Third, we have to analyze the text. In other words, find out what type of patterns the show is focusing on. Every episode involves sex (hence, the name of the show), lunch dates, relationship/family issues, and fashion.

Fourth, we have to interpret the meaning. The show is saying that having beauty, brains, and money allow you to live life carelessly, sex included.

Fifth, we have to evaluate the text. This is suggesting what type of impact does this show have on its audiences. I would suggest the way the women in the show dress could set a stepping stone on how American women would want to dress. There could also be a downside to this. This show could  give teenage girls and women the impression that sex is a carefree experience.

Finally, we have to write about the text, i.e. essays. This is where people can come up with their evaluation of the texts to share with the world.

So you see, it’s good to use this systematic process to get readers to dive deep into a text and become critics 🙂 A lot of times when people watch a text, they are not really picking apart and analyzing it; they are simply watching it for pleasure and entertainment. But, as a media critic you have to play detective and pick apart the text in order to get a clearer understanding of what media is doing to us and for us.

Media texts also tend to shape our appearance. For instance, when we look at fashion advertisements, we want to look like the model featured. It is sending out a fragmented message that wearing makeup is accepted and needed, and that makeup enhances beauty.

All around us, media tends to hypnotize us. Whether it be through television, advertisements, radio, etc. What’s funny, is that we’re not aware we depend on media everyday.

When I am out in a social atmosphere such as clubs, or bars, I see how media is influencing people. For instance, when Rihanna started to rock her infamous red hair, I started to see women wearing the same hair style. Let’s just say, I wanted to hold a mirror up to their faces and shake my head in shame. Like Jay-Z says “It ain’t for everybody”.

I’m looking forward to learning more on how media shapes and influence people in this course. I’ve actually taken this course in a previous semester but the professor only focused on CNN and how he loathed Fox News. However, this particular section tends to talk about all kinds of media which I’m more interested in learning about.

By that being said, I hope my blog reaches out, inform, as well as bring out some chuckles 🙂 Don’t hesitate to comment.

Stay blessed. ❤