Mock exam question - How is representation addressed in my media product?

How is representation addressed in my media product?
The media product that I have created for use in this essay is my music video for singer/songwriter/rock act Abandoning Sunday's song "Real Talk". In the music video, I not only conform to and challenge conventional representations to do with gender, but also those ideas about representation proposed by various theorists, which I will go on to detail.

Firstly, due to the absence of the actual performer in the video, it should be stated that the band are still represented through the media product- the product is associated with them and hence aims to represent certain ideologies through the lyrics of the song, with the actors creating a "star motif" which I will highlight later. The topic of the lyrics, focusing mainly on themes of  "la douleur exquise" , hopelessness in relationships and depression contrasted with uplifting themes of hope, perseverance and friendship. My product takes a perhaps descriptive, pluralist approach regarding theories behind representation, in that most gender stereotypes proposed by the media through perhaps Marxist ideologies are challenged to give an ulterior viewpoint.

Regarding gender, my product is a narrative video that focuses on the lives of two young male characters and have put them "in the shoes", by some means, of the artist, in that the lyrics could becoming direct from their lives in the video. A media stereotype of young males is that they are reckless, dangerous and inconsiderate, one that has come about through media categorization of many years; the media are quick to blame certain things on young people in moral panics, which could perhaps be a relevant example of one of Barthes' Myths. In my product, I challenge this notion, by representing my characters as sensitive individuals, that most young people will be able to relate to. The first is one who experiences self-depreciation and is in a relationship where he thinks he is the problem, and begins to question his faith. The second is an isolated character that is often alone, and when he is with his friends he doesn't feel as though they want him there. However, the end of the video sees these issues resolved, pertinent to Todorov's Narrative theory of equilibrium - disruption - equilibrium. This representation challenges the prescribed views by presenting the male characters as vulnerable, challenging the stereotypical view. I also did this with my piece at AS level, where I portrayed the main protagonist in a manner that challenged conventional forms regarding gender.

Another way of looking at my product is in fact through voyeurism and the way in which my product utilises "looking" to construct representation. Freud's theory of scopophilia is applicable here as in my video we look at and follow the two main protagonists throughout the course of the video, and enjoy doing so. Dyer (1979), proposed the idea of a "star motif", and although the "star" (artist) is not in the video, the motif is still created - the characters lives are exaggerated through their role to create an image that is relevant to my audience as it symbolises the type of person they may be/share interests with (audience research). This has been done through intertextuality, i.e. the usage of band posters that my audience may be familiar with, CDs in the room, all down to what the characters are wearing, it aids to depict an aspect of the lifestyle of my audience. Close up shots of the main characters are relevant to the notion of looking as stated by Goodwin, and aid representation in my video in a subtle manner- the artist is not present and focuses on two characters that nobody actually knows, portraying them as the "star", meaning that everyday people's stories and lives are significant, and important, reinforcing the image of a sensitive youth- the "looking" creates a sense of identity.

One thing that is not in my video much is the gender representation of women that sexualises them, as stated in Mulvey's Male Gaze, as the video focuses on the lives of the males and portrays them using conventional forms to represent women. However there are some shots in my video that do focus directly on the female character,  Mulvey states that the Male Gaze is directed at physcially desirable, sexually sumbmissive characters. Although close up shots are indicative that she is desirable to the character, she is not portrayed as submissive, as in modern society gender equality is a prominent issue. I portrayed the girl as vulnerable in both my product last year and this, but not sexually submissive. Instead, I feel Winship's idea about how women see themselves in the way culture has defined them more relevant, as the video briefly touches on how she is also sad and conscious of herself, both as a person and in the relationship.

To conclude, I feel that my product challenges many conventional representations put forward by both the media and theories, but also conforms to some where I feel it is relevant to utilise a form that my audience can relate to and identify themselves with.