news metro

Shannon and Madeline

Find examples of language used in each of the pieces to describe the parents of both children.

It is clear that Madeline's family are very financially stable from the beginning of the article. They 'had been staying in a holiday apartment.' Not only are they on holiday but it is obviously a luxurious one as they were staying in an 'apartment.' This signifies that they have a surplus of money as they have decided to stay in an expensive abode; which is the apartment. They also are authoritative and wealthy as they 'reportedly threatened legal action.' The use of the word 'threatened' mean they are capable of having some sort of power over the Portuguese police. Also 'legal action' requires a lawyer which is expensive to provide so many people rely on the government but the McCann's do not need to and can be able to afford a lawyer on their own. They also had easy links to major authorities ie; the government as it is written that there were 'private conversations between the McCann's and Gordon Brown.' The term private emphasises that they have great power. The fact that they were able to pressure the government into having conversations reiterates their high upper middle class status. Alternatively, Miss Matthews is of a lower and working class. There is emphasis on her character that of being she has 'seven children to five fathers.' This can imply irresponsibility and also can connote that she is perhaps in and out of work as she has had several babies. Also the fact that she had children to 'five fathers' implies she is careless and indecisive hence the reason why Shannon went missing. It is clear that Miss Matthews is still careless as 'she had admitted that she had wanted to leaver her boyfriend which promotes that she is immoral and debauched. She already has had  five baby fathers and she is still not ashamed by it. This stereotypes the working class as unethical and never complacent.

In the Madeline case a two shot of Madeline being assisted down a ladder with her mum is shown. This presents her mother as  nurturing as she is holding her hand. This presents Madeline as a daughter who really adores her mum and really trusts her as she is using her for confidence to go down a ladder. This two shot implies that the two have a strong bond as Mrs McCann is holding Madeline's (her daughter) hand whilst Madeline smiles. This also shows that Mrs McCann is a consistent mother as she uses some of her spare time to play with her kids and make them happy. This signifies that Mrs McCann was an amazing mother who fell victim to something so vile and unexpected. Alternatively Shannon and her mum are pictured on their own in individual mid shots. This presents Miss Matthews (Shannon's mun) as a mother who doesn't really care about her daughter and perhaps isn't as involved in her daughters life. She is shying away from the camera which implies she is someone with low self esteem and confidence. This can therefore implement thoughts amongst the audience that she is a weaker mother.  However, Miss Matthew's does look miserable without her daughter in the picture which suggests she loves her daughter but is just unable to care for her well hence why she isn't with hr in the picture. This can be interpreted as a microcosm of the working classes stereotypical family- they are unable to take care of their children. This idea is also influenced by the fact that Shannon is smiling in the picture where she is alone which acts as a rebuke to the mother's sorrow. It implies that Shannon is better of without her mother. The two very contrasting facial expressions act as binary opposites.

Hall argues that representation is contested , in particular the representation of those with less power in society, in this case Shannon Matthews and her mother against Madeline McCann and her mother. In the McCann case the torment of the family is highlighted throughout the story. It is what is centralised. The circumstances as to how she went missing aren't the main focus. This implies to some audiences that Madeline's disappearance was unavoidable so is in no way the fault of the parents. If the reasons as to why she went missing or how she went missing were the main focus then this can appear as if the family are to blame and insight opinions of irresponsibility amongst the audiences.  To other audiences this can suggest that the family's distress is used to distract us from the fact that Madeline's parents were neglectful the night she went missing. There is a lot of use of pathos within the article with words such as 'terrifying,' 'traumatised' and 'deepest, darkest, chasm' Alternatively, in the Matthews case the article focuses entirely on the mother of the child which initiates that she is responsible for her childs disappearance. The story marginalises Shannon and centralises her mother's family life. It states that she 'has seven children to five fathers' which some may argue is irrelevant but says a lot about her class emphasizing that she cannot make commitments and doesn't know what she wants in life. The representation of the lower class is one that is irresponsible and reckless and of the higher class is one that is nurturing and considerate.

The dominant intended meaning of The Daily Telegraph is to show that there is stark contrast between the upper middle class and the working class in society.It implies that Madeline's disappearance was inevitable,unexpected and extremely inconvenient. This is why the articles is purely based on the family's turmoil and emotions. It expresses how the McCann's are struggling to cope with Madeline's abduction so that we can sympathise with them. They are ethical and reasonable and just fell victims to something completely unfair. However, in the Mathew's case the intended meaning is for readers to view the working class as careless and unserious in their day to day life. The fact that she has had five partners with kids and is moving on to the next shows that she is promiscuous and is intended to be interpreted as a microcosm for the wider working class community. She is also accused of having an affair with her boyfriends uncle which is perceived as disgusting. This is the view intended on all readers not just those of the higher classes. Miss Matthew's emotions are not mentioned which implies that she is delinquent and we shouldn't pity her as she is accused of 'perverting the course of justice.' Shannon's kidnapping was completely unavoidable. As the article contains intertextual links to the Madeline McCann case it influences the audience to think Shannon's disappearance was inspired by another case. This suggests that Shannon's abduction was set up and planned.

LINK TO NEWS VALUE ANALYSIS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hwfj_wYPJpdtmfjZyj4r3h8Pc2sWFjNUKtCIFNtC3fc/edit?usp=sharing

Presentation

Task 4

This is abuse advert

This advert is a campaign made by the company 'This is abuse.'

• Who are the audience? Who has made it and what is the purpose? What techniques are used and do these make us feel bound to agree?

This advert's primary audience is teenage boys and girls. We know this because they are the protagonists and the only characters in the advert. They use colloquial language like the words 'frigid' and 'mates.' This is because it makes the advert relatable and therefore realistic.

This advert is aimed at teenage girls so that they know when they are being abused and it is okay to say no. The video indicates that when we are in the situation we do not realise we are abused, hence why at 47 seconds we see an over the shoulder shot of the protagonist looking into the room through a window. We see on the screen the caption 'if you could see yourself, would you see abuse?' The uses of the pronouns 'you', and 'yourself' is a form of direct address not only so that we can picture ourselves in that situation and reflect on how we would react but how we would see the situation if we were watching someone else go through it. We get this from the word 'see.' We cannot see ourselves obviously but we can see others and very often if someone was going through what we were going through, we would be quick to spot the abuse. This therefore makes teenage girls think twice.

This advert is also aimed at teenage boys so that they know when they are abusing a girl. The fact that his girlfriend says 'no' multiple of times and he still insists is a form of harassment and we know this because of the repetition of the words 'no.' There is verbal abuse as well as physical abuse. He threatens to tell his friends that his girlfriend is 'frigid,' which is also relatable due to the colloquial language but can also be familiar to all audiences as a good reputation is something everyone likes to uphold.

This adverts secondary audience is any older catergory like parents or grandparents. This is as the girl refers to 'not knowing when her mum gets back.' This tells parents what may go on when they are not around at home and alerts them that when they are not home they should always call their kids to check on them.

The advert was made by the company 'ThisIsAbuse' to raise awareness that abuse can be verbal and physical through the conversation that is taking place. It is to alert teenagers in what abuse is and when one is being abused or abusing somebody.

Techniques

Colloquial language

Cliches- 'if you could see yourself'

Direct address

Be Food Smart- Change4Life Advert

. Can the government help to cultivate a change in lifestyle and eating habits?  What techniques are used and do these make us feel bound to agree.?

The main techniques used and which in turn can influence change are logistics or statistics. There are a lot of facts and children's everyday breakfast meals are converted into sugar cubes which is a wake up call for children mainly but also for parents. This is because children take in shocking information much more frequently and when they do take it in they share it with those around them quite quickly. It is said children eat 85 sugar cubes in a month for breakfast alone which shocks parents and kids as the sugar intake isn't something they are always looking out for. There is also form of punishment which scares kids for instance it says their diet can lead to harmful damage such as heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. This is what scares younger kids as it wasn't seen as a reality before. It is said so they can start eating healthy before its too late. There are also scenes kids can relate to and are then educated about as it says many kids have their teeth taken out in hospital. This reassures them that sugar is already currently doing damage now. This is so that the children watching do not think the threats about long term illnesses in the future are over exaggerated as they can't see the effects of sugar into the future but they can see it's present effect on them.

Evaluation of cross platform advertising

Evaluation of cross platform advertising

Viral advertising

Strengths- everyone can relate to it, uses pathos, wide audience range

Potential problems- long, audiences may lose focus, views restricted to only people who have internet, expensive

Examples- Pepsi Max, Thai Life Insurance

Native advertising

Strengths-grasps audience as there is a storyline

Potential problems-people may not know how the product and storyline correlate

Examples-  MTS India

Targeted advertising

Strengths- aimed at people's interests so the viewer is more likely to buy the product

Potential problems- invasion of privacy

Examples- Ads on snap; eg; music.

Shhoppables and Influencers

Strengths- a lot of people copy those who are recognised in media, gives the company a face

Potential problems-It is very expensive for advertising companies and when the celebrity isn't no longer as popular , less people buy the product

Examples- Pharell Williams and Adidas Superstars, Stormzy and Adidas, Rhianna and Puma

LINK TO PERSIL ADVERT ANALYSIS

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1K-QKu4i8yrstgi6knBaQAsK7oLpkJQsG12U2u5oAH1Q/edit?usp=sharing

Compare how media language is used in the construction of gender in two print advertisements for fragrances. 500-800 words

Talk about patriarchy and objectification. Define keywords eg; gender.
Describe advert in one sentence. Think about anchorage, colours, font, mis en scene. Is anyone objectified? Is it upholding or challenging patriarchy? Are gender stereotypes still prevalent in advertising? What do you think about moves to challenge gender stereotypes in the industry (ASA, UN). What have you learnt from looking at the two adverts.


Gender is the social construction of how a male or female should behave.Patriarchy is the ideology that we live in a society dominated by men. Objectification is when a person's status is diminished to a mere object.

This advert is advertising Old Spice Body Wash. We can see a black man in white, tight trousers with his hand held on his hip on a beach, his shirt is wrapped around his chest and he is holding the body wash flat on the palm of his hand.

Connotations and Denotations

The man has his hands on his hip and his head is tilted towards the camera. The hand on one of his hip draws attention to his pelvis and exposes his bicep.  This is a reverse on the patriarchal society as his pelvis being centralised shows he is sexually open and active. Poses that indicate sexual readiness are usually those of women but here it is the male body which is being objectified. The hand on the hip can also be seen to uphold patriarchy as he has a firm grip on his hip showing he has confidence in his posture. His firm grip can be approved by the exposure of the muscles in his bicep. Alternatively, the hand on his waist can be a way of him to consume his nerves. Typically, when one is nervous they take a firm hold onto something to settle shaking. Therefore, patriarchy can also be challenged by this gesture. However, he still has some stereotypical male attributes which is of his facial expression and his head positioning. His eyes are sternly focused on the camera showing he is confident and focused on his audiences. He is practically staring at the viewers indirectly through the camera which may come across as intimidating. His head is tilted upwards whereas the woman would usually be titling her head downwards. This is so that she is reassured that her body looks attractive. However, because the protagonist is facing straight-wards he knows his body looks fine so he is not worried about himself and instead is more interested in captivating the audience with his bold stare.
Part of the anchorage is in a bold font saying 'SMELL LIKE A MAN, MAN.' It is also in capital letters. The boldness of the font connotes the boldness and strength of a man. A man is powerful and also wise. Boldness also connotes the prominence of a man within a patriarchal society. Men are the most recognised and appreciated in a patriarchal society. The capital letters connote the superiority of a man. That a man is more important and dominant in society. This therefore upholds patriarchy. Underneath in italic font it says the product name 'Old Spice.' This statement is not directed at manhood like the previous one. There is no reference to a man whatsoever however there is to a women.Spices are stereo typically associated with women which signifies that women are to smell nice and look after themselves. The wording which can be associated with women is in fancy writing and is written in lower cases. This suggests that women are inferior and are there to just look good and smell good, which supports the male gaze ideology. It is not a males priority to smell good but it is his priority to uphold his manhood, hence why 'Old spice' is written in lower case letters and 'SMELL LIKE A MAN' is written in capitals. This is the view in a patriarchal society.
There is the use of white in the horse and in the man's jeans and on the sand. White symbolises purity and wisdom. This connotes that the fragrance brings about purity and cleanliness. The advert is taken using high key lighting on the setting of a beach. High key lighting signifies that the product brings about happiness and satisfaction. The high key lighting is mainly on his leg which draws our attention to his leg, again emphasising he is sexually open. The island setting denotes isolation, the land alone makes it isolated from the world but its the sea that connects it to the rest of the world.  This in turn connotes that the genitalia alone makes you a man but the fragrance adds to your manhood.

This advert is advertising Rihanna's new male perfume Rogue. The advert is in black and white. Both male and female are naked but the man is also covered in tattoos. 

Connotations and Denotations

Firstly, the advert is in black and white. This is so the viewers focus is not on colour but on the emotions of the protagonist. It also creates sexual and romantic aura in the picture. The black and white effect allows shadows of the lighting to be created so we are subtly drawn to those areas of which the shadows are most concentrated. One of the places is Rihanna's arm. Her arm is leaning against the male protagonist which uphold patriarchy. It emphasises that women are dependent on men in a patriarchal society. The lighting is also shadowed around the product. This is so that the product is not marginalised and viewers know what product is being advertised. The anchorage is in white to show purity and cleanliness the male fragrance brings about. This colour challenges the patriarchal society as men aren't stereotyped to be clean and caring of the way they smell but are usually associated with being dirty and care free when it comes to cleanliness.This is because the dirty smell of sweat can be known to indicate hard work and determination. The presentation of the male upholds patriarchy. He is covered in tattoos which is a sign of manhood and strength , as tattoos require a great tolerance of pain. Strength is what is associated with the art of being a man. He is looking sternly at the camera and therefore towards the audience. His stern look promotes confidence and boldness within his character. He is showing no emotion which is expected of men. Rihanna however, is looking down at the male protagonist- she is shying away from the camera. It is as if she is just in the background which promotes inferiority of women and reinforces patriarchy. The fact that it is her product (as it is stated 'the new fragrance bu Rihanna') and she is still diminished shows women are so devalued that they do not even get most credit for their work in a patriarchal society. There is shadowed lighting on Rihanna's face so that her beauty is centralised. In a patriarchal society women are known for looking good so that men have some thing pleasing to look at, this again reiterates the ideology of the male gaze.

Tackling gender stereotypes

ASA is trying to make moves in the way gender is commercialised in adverts eg; a woman cleaning up after a man's mess. They are trying to stop adverts from promoting that certain activities are for a certain gender. This is a good idea as it revolutionises people's views on the roles each gender has in society. It tones down stereotypical views which takes pressure off of each gender as they do not have a role they need to fulfil in order to be the ordinary and respected member of society.

The Adverts

From these two adverts I have learnt that society is becoming less traditional (patriarchal) and slowly disregarding the fact that certain attributes are for a certain gender. This is happening slowly but surely as there is still a lot of advertising that devalues women. 

BOVRIL ADVERT ANALYSIS LINK

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tNgmmaUgvfvLGUN-AduBOOjH-wer2a1O6W670Ji-EoI/edit?usp=sharing

WINDOWS ADVERT ANALYSIS LINK

WINDOWS ADVERT

My advert