My artist Shona is a
generic type of popstar. She is also stereotypical in her representation as she
is blonde and wearing fake tan with feminine makeup. Her clothing isn’t
particularly covering therefore again is generic and stereotypical in the pop
genre. However, Shona could also be considered a countertype as she is in a gym
and fighting which is considered or sport typically for males. In addition to
this she wears sporty outfits including boxer shorts and boxing gloves in order
to emphasise the boxing elements of the video.
What is being represented?
The artist represents a very aspirational image that the
viewers (target market age 16-24) will want to imitate. Although, her makeup is
glamourous is achievable by audiences. The artist’s appearance in conjunction with
her attitude and presence on the screen portrays an empowered and strong woman.
This is a positive representation as it breaks stereotypes and promotes a progressive
message to the target market.
How is it represented? Using what codes? Within what genre?
This confident and powerful representation is presented through
close ups to show facial expressions and mid shots to show body movement and
gestures e.g. punching. Also, the artist lip syncs to the lyrics in order to
show her passion in the lyrics. The pop genre conventionally has fast editing,
therefore I used this in my video which reinforced the confidence and power in
the video as it is very fast and has good momentum. This also emulates the idea
of a fight in a ring as its quite a fast sport.
How is the representation made to seem 'true', 'commonsense'
or 'natural'?
The representation looks ‘natural’ as the artist confidently
portrays women empowerment, again this is helped by the variety of shots to
convince the audience that the situation is ‘true’. Also, the mise en scene of
the artists style looks strong as the clothing show her fitness and ‘natural’
comfort in sports and gym clothing.
Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect?
How do you know?
When considering whose representation this is, it is clear
that in the pop genre the industry itself creates the representation of the
artist. However, it needs to be distinguished whether the artist is empowering
or objectified. The overall message of the video is supposed to be empowering
and positive is its representation of a female artist. However, the styling and
stereotypes within the genre could be interpreted as objectification.
At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know?
The representation is targeted at females between ages
16-24. Although the male gaze theory can be interpreted when analysing this
video. The artist’s representation is something girls/women would aspire to
achieve therefore is it primarily targeted at females. The artist is 19 years
old therefore her empowerment and confidence inspires younger girls but also would
be appealing to women in their twenties.
What does the representation mean to you? What does the
representation mean to others? How do you account for the differences?
The representation is effective as it mirrors the existing representations
within the pop genre but it also contradicts messages of women objectification
as it instead sends out a more positive message.
How do people make sense of it? According to what codes?
There are symbolic codes used in order to encourage the
empowering representation. This includes the use of boxing gloves as they are symbolic
to fighting and boxing.
With what alternative representations could it be compared?
How does it differ?
Alternative representations would be the presentation of objectification
due to the importance of appearance in order to ensure success for the artist.
A reflexive consideration - Why is the concept of representation
problematic?
The representation of this artist could be problematic as
she is considered the ideal, along with many popstars, therefore audiences
struggles to determine what is reality. Her representation isn’t as easily
achievable as the audience may wish.
