Week 11: Mobilisation

In a world full of advancements, the mobile phone has contributed to societies reliance on being constantly updated by our contacts. Kate Crawford's journal article 'Noise, now: listening to networks,' makes the reader evident that our lives have changed rapidly with the constant bombardment with mobile devices allowing society to mix work life with family life. She argues that perhaps we do need spaces where the use of these devices is banned as accessibility has become a bit of an addiction. These devices allow society to check their Facebook, Twitter and Hotmail accounts anywhere and everywhere, in fact checking these devices and social networking sites can replace the 'smoko' break. 


Kate agrees with Agamben that infers that a desire for happiness is carried out on mobiles and alike devices (Crawford 2010, p 68) suggesting that we as a society are turning to these devices for happiness, which is easily accessible and not necessarily the right approach of a society.


Bibliography
Crawford, K., 2010, ‘Noise, Now: Listening to Networks’ in Meanjin Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 64-9.

Week 10: Networks

Fans have are able to willingly and eagerly participate in the creation of myspace pages for characters of their favourite television show or movie. Booth's article, 'MySpace Character Personas and Narrative Identification' reinstates how fans voluntarily have the opportunity to connect with one another and write out works of fan fiction based on the personalities that the television show or film has outlined. This expands fandom in a major way from conversation to online forums, to dedication websites to social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. This notion is referred to as transmediation and demonstrate that the lives of these characters extend beyond the screen. 


A connection with other fans is also made reminding them of the next episode airing date and storylines as well as the opportunity to influence those casual viewers as they browse past the page online or shared via a friend. More free publicity is made using these online tools and free of charge too! The establishment of the virtual online world has many positive aspects and enables life on screen to be virtually role played online.


Bibliography
Booth, P., 2008, ‘Rereading Fandom: MySpace Character Personas and Narrative Identification’ in Critical Studies in Media Communication, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp 514-536.

Week 09: Othering

The article titled, 'Whiteness Epistemology and Indigenous Representation,' puts forward the idea that knowledge is white. According to this article, western society is responsible for the creation of knowledge. This article draws on the white dominance in the world as a majority whom do not see ourselves as different to one another and that our beliefs are taken for granted over others not of a pale skin complexion. This idea therefore positions those beliefs of the minority such as Aborigines to be irrelevant to our world and not a necessity or requirement for western society to consider adapting. Despite the culture established by the Aboriginal communities, it is not influential for western culture to put into practice. The statement, 'whites are not a certain race, they are a human race' suggests that the superior race of the world is of caucasian appearance and if you are of caucasian appearance classifying the outliers as objects 'as the known' (Moreton-Robinson 2004, p.75)

Bibliography

Moreton-Robinson, A., 2004, ‘Whiteness, Epistemology and Indigenous Representation’ in Whitening Race: Essays in Social and Cultural Criticism, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, pp. 75-88.

Week 08: Gazing

Advertising has become drastically sexualised and Merskin presents an examination of advertisements in fashion magazines and how the power of women is reduced. Also mentioning that advertising of this extent presents women as objects of the desires and sexual fantasy of men. Therefore indicative of the ideology of males as having power and desire over women. In this context, pornography is described as, 'material that depicts men and women as sexual beings with a purpose of arousing mostly male desire in a way that reflects and helps to maintain the subordination of women.'  (Merskin 2006, p 202.) Pornographic advertising aiming to sell the lifestyle attached to the product itself, uses the technique of gazing to include those viewing and persuade them and entice them over. The male gaze is used to describe this notion of responding to media texts of this style implicating the variety of gazes that take place. 

The article also demonstrates that pornographic or sexualised images to sell products are a norm in the media and these images are rather high art and a part of pop culture.  The author also states that these sorts of images affect us in mysterious ways normalising women as sexual, girls as sexually stimulating and the act of violence as exciting. (Merskin 2006, p 215) 

Bibliography:

Merskin, D., 2006, ‘Where Are the Clothes? The Pornographic Gaze in Mainstream American Fashion Advertising’ in Sex in Consumer Culture: The Erotic Content of Media and Marketing, ed. Reichert, T. & Lambiase, J., Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, Mahwah, pp. 199-217. 

Week 7: Watching

This article written by Foucault entitled, 'Panopticism' discusses his social theory about a ruling and monitoring of power. This theory is described to position a tower in the centre that watches and acts as a tool to refrain those around the tower for behaving inappropriately as those watching from the tower have the ruling power of discipline and punishment. Foucault also mentions that even though there is said to be someone watching from the tower the glass is one way where those outside the tower, of which could be criminals, are not certain if they are being watched at every moment, forcing them to behave in a particular manner. The effect of the Panopticon is 'to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power (Foucault 1977, p 201)

This theory was used to manage society during the seventeenth century at the time of the plague to minimise the spread and human interaction on the streets. (Foucault 1977, p 195). He also mentions that this design is suitable for experimenting on men, defining power relations in society, to supervise workers, to make beggars work, in the classroom. A note also can be taken that not only can this theory cement power however it also guides production to ensure that workers are in fact working and not loitering around.  

Bibliography

Foucault, M., 1977, ‘Panopticism’ in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, translated by Alan Sheridan, Penguin, London, pp 195-228. 

Week 6: Speaking & Listening

The article 'The Virtual Sphere', discusses the internet as a domain for public opinion and a part of the public sphere. Written in 2002, this article refers to the idea that the internet could potentially be home to open public discussion and disregard hierarchy or positions in a society behind the responder.  As we are aware 9 years later the internet is having much more of a drastic input into our lives through sharing opinions online, which are constantly expressed on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, online petitions and an expression of our political opinions are even made clear in blogs. The article debates whether the internet is a part of the public sphere or the virtual sphere and it appears to reside mutual to both.

Bibliography
Papacharissi, z., 2002, The virtual sphere:The internet as a public sphere, New Media and Society, Vol 4, No.1, pp.9-27

Week 5: Mediating

The article ”Just Like a Movie”?: 9/11 and Hollywood Spectacle,’ suggests that the 9/11 attacks could be described as “Something from a movie” He uses the techniques of comparison of similarities as a persuasive tool in his article and refers to how our perspective of movies such as Godzilla, Independence Day and alike films which demonstrate the destruction of New York are viewed differently post September 11. King also discusses the  similarities, differences and ‘real and fiction’. This is achieved through the use of  the coverage of September 11 attacks on the twin towers.

The article also proposes that it has become more difficult to distinguish real with fiction, despite mentioning the difference between raw footage played as ‘breaking news’ in contrast to the unfolding of the events- of which a loose narrative can be created. King uses the example of the villain being introduced. Through the mediation of creating a character as the villain and presenting a bias the lines may be blurred between the factual event and a movie. A relation can also be with the impact of the raw footage in contrast to a movie, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Also mentioned is the influence of September 11 and the perspective of the viewers when they view movies of destruction. 

I tend to agree with some of the points presented in the article and can clearly see the relation between film and fact, the differences through shaky camera work (for the raw footage) and dolly shots as well as how the perception of movies can be altered due to a sensitivity developed between the audience once aware of the tragic events of September 11. 

Bibliography

King, G., 2005, ‘”Just Like a Movie”?: 9/11 and Hollywood Spectacle’ in The Spectacle of the Real: from Hollywood to Reality TV and Beyond, ed. Geoff King, Intellect Books, Bristol, pp. 47-57.

Week 04: Writing

The reading text for this week entitled, 'Writing' discusses the concept of writing regardless of whether you physically are grasping a pen and jotting down words or not. The suggestion mentions that you could be writing whilst performing daily tasks like swimming or walking to the shops and in this time you could be mentally concluding a paragraph of your last chapter.  Also mentioned in the article is the notion that sometimes the pen takes over and you do not necessarily have to think. 

The text also suggests that by introducing daily practice into your writing (such as riding a bike, cooking, event such as war), you can advance your writing skills and make a piece of text sound more interesting. This can be achieved through the use of metaphors and by adapting the rhythm of your everyday life to the writing piece. 


In the following statement I related the determination and violence of war to a debating situation. 

'It was my turn to take control and steer the ship. This was a challenge that I could not cease unless I provoked the opposition through mentally disabling him. I wanted to leave him defenceless in this war of words. As I stood at the podium, I maintained eye contact with my allies.' 

By comparing the challenge of responding and rebutting in a debate to battling a war, I have attempted to figuratively evoke more of an emotional attachment from the reader. 

I believe the chapter adequately opened up a writing technique that I could implement in my works as it attempted to explain that the writer should always be thinking and that sometimes ideas just flow off the tip of the pen without much thought.


Bibliography:
Game, A. & Metcalfe, A., 1996, 'Writing' in Passionate Sociology, Sage, London, pp 95-105.

Week 03: Reading

The article, ‘Screen Narratives: Traditions and Trends,’ identifies the various ways in which a narrative is presented in film, television and game texts through structure. As mentioned in the reading, films do not necessarily have to be linear and are known as fragmented narrative. Demonstrated in films such as, "Love Actually" whereby the protagonist is omitted from being a single character and the lives of multiple characters are presented. It takes a while for the audience to realise the interlocking of the characters, keeping them questioning the relationship of the individuals. Non sequential timeframes are also used in the film genre for example in Ryan M. Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense." In this film, flashbacks and montages are evident in some of the final scenes to, 'tie all the loose ends' to the first time viewer. This formalist approach of flashbacks act as a tool to creating a meaning in all of Malcolm Crow's actions, conclusively making him a ghost. 


The format of screen media also may signify what style  for example a television soapie like "Neighbours" has multiple storylines and always leave the viewer on a cliffhanger, or asking questions as to what will happen next. This is how viewers are drawn in to watching the next episode. In contrast to a film, a soapie will neglect to portray a clear hero and conclude with a satisfying moment. Furthermore not all narratives are told the same way as they are moulded to structures suitable for the audience, type of format such as a film, series or game of this contemporary age. 


Bibliography
Stadler, J. & McWilliam, K., 2009, ‘Screen Narratives: Traditions and Trends’ in Screen Media: Analysing Film and Television, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, pp. 155-182

Week 02: Looking

This weeks reading was Chapter 1, 'Introduction to Textual Analysis"

which discusses how we interpret media text dependent on a variety of factors. By considering these codes and conventions meaning and an understanding can be non verbally  communicated.

The following is an interpretation of a text using some of the encoding tools found in this weeks reading text. "Lacey, N., 2009, ‘Introduction to Textual Analysis’ (extract) in Image and Representation: key concepts in media studies, 2nd Edition, MacMillan, London, pp 6-33."

I have chosen to use the image in the Daily Telegraph titled, ‘UPSET...Ruth and Bob Pye’ as an example to interpret. This image depicts an elderly couple that are maintaining a fixed stare. Their faces are painted with negativity through the omission of a smile and by lowering the brow. Complementing their facial expression, the subjects have their arms resting on the table whilst leaning forward. Through this non verbal communication, instantly the text can signify to the reader the 'fed-up' response the subjects have on the issue that is shared.  The mise-en-scene captures the couple taking up most of the space with the background of their house. A telephone is placed in the lower third of the frame. A variety of assumptions can be made about this text without reading a headline or the following articles. The context and meaning represented through the text suggests to me that the couple are ‘waiting for answers’ perhaps not satisfied with a phone service. A critical assumption can be made in regards to a mistreatment from a company, disconnection or even a loss of connection with a family member. This can be instigated by looking further into the background, taking note of the picture frame on the wall. This example of text can 'tell a story' about a variety of issues and needs supportive text to communicate specifically what the issue actually is about. Key themes of anger and communication can however be generated by this image yet the full extent and detail is left to the article to convey.

The Daily Telegraph, (2009), UPSET..Ruth and Bob Pye [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/familys-phone-number-nightmare/story-e6frezt9-1111118522742 [Accessed 10 March 11].