AUSTRALIA REPRESENTATIONS IN AN AMERICAN MOVIEWatch the short clip (below) from Anchorman 2.
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The above website has a collection of Australian advertisements.
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TOURISM AUSTRALIATourism Australia has been creating advertisements for an overseas audience for over 50 years.
They choose to represent Australia in a particular way. The intention of the advertisements is to encourage the audience to book a holiday to Australia. Below are the video examples discussed in class. 2017 Super Bowl Commerical
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2017 Chris Hemsworth
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2007 Where The Bloody Hell Are You?
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1983 Paul Hogan Shrimp On The BBQ
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And so we begin with one of the most exciting types of representations, wouldn't you agree?
Of course teenagers have always been represented in the media, but it is interesting to see how very differently they have been represented. The representation of any individual, social group, institution, idea, event or issue is dependent upon a number of factors; time, place, context, language, perception, reception, the political environment, recent events, public opinion and dissatisfaction, (just a few to mention among others). The representation of teenagers in 1960s television series is vastly different to those that play out on our TVs today. Why? Well 50 years later, in 2013, the world has experienced incredible change in all aspects of life (technology, war, gender roles, communication, transport, education, politics ... the list goes on). So it is no wonder that as a result, representations of the world around us, and in this case the representation of a group such as teenagers MUST have changed. Watch the video Sort Of Dunno Nothin' which offers a nice link between two types of representations (Australian and Teenagers). We can't look at Australian teenagers and forget Kylie Mole; a character from the TV series, The Comedy Company (1989).
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Aussie teensChris Lilley has come under scrutiny for his representation of perhaps all too stereotypical characters in his home-grown creations including We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High. We have recently seen the development of the individual TV series featuring the characters Ja'mie and Jonah. Has Lilley offered the most accurate representation of Aussie Teens we've seen of late?
Click on the link below to read a discussion on Lilley's most recent representation of Aussie teens. |
Representations of teenagers today can often be quite negative, but this video sheds a different light on the way we view today's youth.
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GEEK CHICThe word 'Geek' has a history ingrained in pop culture, and references to teenagers, but as of 2013, the same word has come to mean something different. Read the article (link below) which explains why 'Geek' has been named 2013's word of the year!
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TEENS OVER TIMELet's take a look at the representation of teenagers over time.
Watch the short clips for: The Brady Bunch, The Breakfast Club, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Glee.
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After watching these trailers / short clips form the selected teen films and TV shows, you might be interested to find out what The Guardian has voted as the Top 10 teen films of all time.
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representation of genderMen and women are obviously represented very differently in the media, but the link below offers an interesting look at how clothing can be sold to the two genders.
Apparently, it would seem, that "men need clothes", while "women need to look sexy".
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Watch this promotional video for the 2009 film He's Just Not That Into You, and look at the way the target audience has been identified.
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Gender marking for childrenThe way that we perceive gender is constructed from a very early age. Through the media we consume, the way we are treated, the clothes the wear, the toys we play with and the ways we are taught to behave we are creating our own belief system about gender representations.
Take a look at the two advertisements in the clip to the right. Think about the messages that each advertisement is sending regarding gender. How have they tried to target each gender differently? |
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Consider representations of Gender today.
Man of now - KIA Advertisement |
If you watched the Australian Open over the 2012-2013 summer holidays you may have seen these ads; the Man / Woman of Now advertisements for KIA Motors Australia.
Woman of now - KIA advertisement |
SAMSUNG ad causes controversySamsung's new ad has caused some controversy, and a lot of interest, going viral shortly after its release.
A vocal group of men are calling it “sexist”. What do you think?
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Bechdel TestThe Bechdel Test is named after the American cartoonist Alison Bechdel form her characters created in 1985 comic strips.
The Bechdel Test questions whether a work of fiction features;
The Test is most often applied to films, and many fail this test of gender bias. Now Swedish Cinemas are using the test when rating films. Click on the link to read the article. |
Watch the TED talk by Colin Stokes - in which he refers to the Bechdel test, as well as the way in which films cater for male and female audience. He has something very interesting to say about the representations of Gender in classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars.
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THE HUNGER GAMES & GENDERJennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss in The Hunger Games franchise has brought attention to the world of Panem, and particularly of the representation of the female protagonist Katniss, and the way she represents a fresh take on the ideal modern woman.
In a series of articles, media critics have discussed Katniss' powerful role in comparison to the role of men in the film. Read the article below which discusses Peeta's role as Katniss' 'movie girlfriend' (the idea that he is in fact also challenging gender roles). Ever wondered how effective your favourite Disney films might have been if the main character wasn't a girl, but a boy ... or vice-versa? Well, the Canadian digital artist Sakami Chan, decided to change it up a little, and put a gender-bending spin on some of the most familiar Disney faces. See the link below.
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RE-PRESENTING RED HEADSHave you ever thought about why there is a lack of red-headed lead characters in film? So has photographer Thomas Knights, who is working on a photography collection titled "Red Hot" which aims to re-present male red heads in order to change the stereotypes, and make ginger men desirable. Read the interesting article below.
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