Paper 1 Section A
Analyse the Close Study Product Score hair cream advert using narrative theory including Todorov. [9 marks]
The Close Study Product, 'Score hair cream' uses narrative to promote and sell their product. This advert offers a new equilibrium to their male consumers. This is used as a marketing technique to make consumers believe that the product shown will increase attractiveness and therefore advance women's allurement to them. The centre image, used in the advert, suggests this.
Focussing more on the central image, the man featured is positioned higher than the women surrounding him. The man is presented as a hero. The gun in this hand along with the tropical background connotes adventure and courageousness which adds on to the idea of the man being the main protagonist. The binary opposition between the dominant male and the submissive women is prominent within the advert. This representation of men works as a persuasion for males to purchase this product as they will believe that the product will make them acquire a godlike persona which will make women submissive for them.
The slogan "Get what you've always wanted" is an action code which refers to the women shown or put on display, almost. This slogan suggests that purchasing the core hair cream will allow you to obtain the dominance portrayed in the advertisement. The objectification of women within this slogan and advert as a whole, contextually, relates to the treatment of women in the 1960s. The gender roles placed on both men and women are prominent in his advert and would resonate and be easily accepted by audiences in 1967.
Paper 2
Liesbet van Zoonen suggests that gender is constructed through media language and that these constructions reflect social contexts.
How far does an analysis of Men’s Health and Oh Comely support this argument? [25 marks]
Gender is undoubtedly constructed through media language, these constructions are broadly reflected from social contexts.
The Men's Health cover uses the sexualisation of the male body to sell and promote the product. The man featured on the front cover (Vin Diesel) is presented as hyper-masculine and dominant. The Photo-shop and the clothing used to accentuate his muscles is used to fortify the stereotypical dominant representation of a man. This relates to Liesbet van Zoonen's belief that the media reinforces sex-role stereotypes. However, this Men's Health cover does not necessarily relate to social contexts as society has mostly drifted away from traditional gender roles. Which supports Gauntlett's belief that identity and gender are becoming more fluid as times progress. The photograph of Vin Diesel was taken to showcase his muscles, to put them on display, almost. This theoretically links to Butler's View that gender is a performance.
The cover lines featured on the front cover reinforces the traditional masculinity that is already portrayed through the central image. "Slay Winter blues'', "Demolish junk food cravings" "Blast body fat"; the aggressive adjectives used creates direct address between for the reader, it acts as action codes to motivate the reader to purchase the product and engage with the fitness regime that is in the contents. The focus on weight loss and muscle mass reflects the place at which society values physical attributes. This constructs the thoughts of a perfect body or the ideal man as a whole which could potentially create insecurities. This correlates to Bell Hooks thoughts of the effects of toxic masculinity of both men and women.
The Oh Comely constructs gender in a way that reflects the social contexts. The woman featured is seen wearing little to no make up with short cut hair. Her androgynous features along with the feminine accessories relates to Gauntlett's view that gender and identity are fluid. The camera shot is a close shot which only displays her head and shoulders. Her pose and the direct eye contact portrays her as prominent and strong. The focus on her face and strong posture rather than her body oppose the sexualisation of women that is commonly seen in other magazines and other types of media a few years ago. This links to Lisbet van Zoonen's view that genders constructions reflect social context.
Oh Comely features a segment called 'Speaking Out' This feature focuses on women and what they stand for, it also highlights their achievements. The minimalist design and the plain background allows all attention to be on the women and their stories. The title 'Speak Out' connotes themes of empowerment and strength, this subverts the common stereotype placed on women. This challenges Van Zoonen's belief that media reinforces sex-role stereotypes as Oh Comely tend to counteract said stereotypes.
In Conclusion, the representation of gender shown in media often reflects the state of society. This representation that is showcased through media allows for people to construct their identity and their belief on what gender truly is.
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