X Factor- Mediation Process

X Factor

Jake Quickenden;

With this contestant we don't hear his back story until we have already heard him sing once. It is clear he appeals to women as Judge Mel B shows that she is attracted to him. When we hear his back story is that he lost his younger brother the year previous we see close up shots of him to show his emotion and cause the audience to feel empathy for him. This is also shown as one of the other contestants waiting to go on says "I feel dead nervous for him, i just want him to do good", they show this to also show the audience that that is how they should be feeling towards Jake at this point. Even when he has finished singing the diagetic music they play enforces the feeling of hope and empathy that the audience are feeling.

Major;
These two contestants known as 'Major' are shown in a complete contrast to Jake Quickenden. These contestants are shown as a joke, something for the audience to laugh at and to entertain them. They are only shown for less than a minute, we don't get their back story, see who is supporting or them or anything that would emotionally involve the audience. The only close up shots we get of the judges is to see their reaction of laughter towards the pair. They are seen to run onto the stage with a lot of confidence acting quite silly, could be viewed as being strange. This is purposefully made like this to make the audience laugh at the contestants, they are there purely for entertainment.

Representation in Media

Representation of CRASH in the media

Class- Newspaper; Middle Class

This article has a very negative representation on the high income middle class. The article states that the children of middle class parents will struggle to 'get on with life'. The media producer believes that all high income middle class families hand everything to their children, never challenging them to do better. It is believed that the lower and working class achieve more in education due to their 'not so wealthy' upbringing. Causing people for these social classes to work harder in life.

Gender- TV Show; Modern Family

The hit comedy series 'Modern Family' shows very stereotypical gender roles. In the three families in the series the women are shown as societies idea of the 'perfect housewife'. The men work and provide for the family and the women are shown to stay at home looking after the house and the children. The wife's are often seen to be in the kitchen as the picture shows. This is a very negative stereotype of women as it shows them to be inferior to the man. It portrays that the man has power over the household as the woman is unable to provide income for the family. 

Age- Film; Harry Brown

In the film Harry Brown the representation of different ages is very different. The younger generation is shown to be very violent. They are involved in drugs, violence and illegal weapons. The youths are often seen hanging round in a tunnel causing disturbance and threatening anyone who approaches them. The youths are shown in a very negative way. In contrast to the view of the older generation. They are shown to to have better morals and values, as the lead character who is of the older generation, goes out of his way to stop the hoodlums and get justice.

Race- TV Show; 2 Broke Girls

In the TV series two broke girls the owner of the diner 'Han Lee' is shown in a very stereotypical way. As he is Asian he is shown to be a nerdy workaholic. In one of the episodes the character Ket say "You can't tell an Asian he made a mistake, He'll go back and throw himself on a sword'. 

Sexuality- Film; Transformers

In the first Transformers film actress Megan Fox is shown in the film purely for the purpose of pleasing the male audience. Throughout the film the character 'Mikalea' is shown to be extremely underdressed and in sexual positions as shown in the picture above. This can be seen as an exploitation of a woman's sexuality. If we took out Megan Fox from this film it would not change the narrative at all.

Introduction task- Scottish Referendum

Scottish Referendum

The Scottish referendum is an issue that has been widely discussed in the media for over a year. But as the vote for independence draws closer, the topic has been making more of an appearance in everyday media.  Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond has been at the heart of the campaign, he is largely represented as he pushes for the people of Scotland to vote yes to independence. The leader of the opposing party Alistair Darling has been said to be viewed as very negative in the campaign. He has resorted to trying to scare the Scottish public into voting no. There had been two televised debates between the two leaders to try and sway the public’s vote. Interviews with the Scottish public have also been televised to find out what their opinions are on the matter.  Throughout Scotland propaganda posters and billboards saying “We love our kids we’re saying no thanks” and “Not Nationalism, Normalism. Vote yes”.  Due to this being such a public issue the minority are being represented as the majority, as it is all down to the Scottish public which way the vote goes. Since it is so close to the vote it is becoming more and more about Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond and other politicians closely involved in the campaign.

Certain celebrities such as Alex Cummings and Frankie Boyle have been featured in the media recently as they show their support for an independent Scotland. The media and the people involved in the Yes campaign have used this to try and sway people opinions. By using these stars it can attract a wider audience to the Yes campaign. Newspapers such as The Daily Record have been covering the Referendum from day one. The difference with this newspaper is that they have not just focused on politicians and celebrities, they have interviewed members of the Scottish public to find out the view of the everyday person. Making the minority, the majority. Personally I hope that Scotland do vote yes and gain their independence. Scotland’s independence is something that had been fought over for hundreds of years. I believe that it would be beneficial to Scotland and its people. I think that the media focuses too much on Alistair Darling and the opinions of people voting no. I asked my some of my family members who are an older generation on their opinions of the Referendum, as they all currently live in Scotland. They agreed that the Media’s coverage on the vote has been more focused on Alistair Darling and his no campaign. They all agreed that they vote yes to independence.  Throughout Scotland the main issue in the media is the Referendum and will certainly focus more and more on it as the vote date draws closer.

Sources;

·         Sky News

·         http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-26275521, 05/09/14

·         http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29109006, 08/09/14

·         http://news.stv.tv/scotland-decides/news/284650-how-to-watch-stvs-alex-salmond-vs-alistair-darling-referendum-debate/, 08/09/14

·         http://news.stv.tv/scotland-decides/291274-leading-economist-warns-scots-to-be-very-afraid-of-independence/, 08/09/14