Comm 101

Hello Professor Ho,

Below are the two advertisements I referenced and analyzed in my final paper.

Thank you.

Anne

American Advertisement:

Starbuck’s- American Advertisement

(click above link to view advertisement)

Asian Advertisement:

“In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at—or something to pity—or even something to fear. These were fleeting images, but they were unforgettable, and they left a lasting legacy. Hollywood, the great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people…and gay people what to think about themselves.” –The Celluloid Closet (1995)

Media representations shape how we as viewers perceive specific groups of people, as well as determine how we act towards them. In particular, the film, “The Celluloid Closet”, analyzes the different representations of sexuality and gay characters in Hollywood movies from the 1890s to 1980s. The film focuses on specific major stereotypes used to portray homosexuality throughout the years. These “myths” created by the film industry come as a result of various societal forces that shaped how the images were produced.

Homosexuality during the early years in film began as entertainment through ridicule and humor by depicting flamboyant “sissy” characters. This ridiculous feminine mockery made viewers feel comfortable about seeing homosexuals on screen because they did not have to take them seriously. When films became raunchier in the 1930s, censorship of films caused the visibility of gay characters to become almost non-existent. In the 1940s, homosexuality was used as a cautionary tale, with the majority of gay characters being portrayed as cold-blooded villains who meet a tragic end. Many times these characters suffered a punishment or death worse than any other crime. The 1960s brought about heightened sensitivity about masculinity and extra attention directed towards how men presented themselves. In the years following, depictions of homosexuality became more prominent and widespread across different genres.

Homosexuality presented as an object of humor in "Wanderer of the West" (1927)

A common theme seen in these stereotypical depictions is that viewers were not in charge of the representation of their own sexual identity in the media. Instead the power was held by the Hollywood film industry, which determined what the audience was shown and in what manner.

A more recent example of a very visible and bold representation of homosexuality in film is the story of Brokeback Mountain. This movie depicts the love story of two young cowboys who are forced to keep their relationship a secret because of societal prejudice against homosexuality. The protagonists are considered to be very masculine and rugged, both in their physical appearance and behavior, which completely differs from the characteristics of a stereotypical gay man. The film portrays not just a physical relationship between the men, but showcases their love and emotional connection with each other. The characters face the pressure to conform to cultural norms and have internal struggles about their sexuality.

Sexuality portrayed in "Brokeback Mountain" (2005)

Although the visibility of homosexuality in film has become more prevalent, it has not necessarily led to greater acceptance. The film, “Brokeback Mountain”, has been banned in various places worldwide, including the Bahamas and China. The main argument behind this censorship is that the movie is considered to show “extreme homosexuality” and nudity. Why is it that the same degree of film nudity in heterosexual contexts is allowed with only an age restriction? This demonstrates how after even after years of fighting to achieve representation in film, gay characters are still struggling to gain acceptance in both the film industry and with audiences.

How do you think Hollywood’s representations of different forms of sexuality will change in the future? Will homosexuality ever be completely accepted and integrated into the media and mainstream culture? These will be interesting questions to think about as the film industry continues to progress in new ways.

Sources:

The Celluloid Closet. Dir. Rob Epstein.” Sony Pictures Classics: 1995, Film.

Brokeback Mountain Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xuugq7fito

News Article-Banned in Bahamas: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8GM5K30C&show_article=1

News Article-Banned in China: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4657052.stm

With the arrival of the eighth and final Harry Potter movie looming ahead, many Harry Potter fans, including myself, were saddened that this journey was coming to a close. For many of us, Harry Potter novels were a large part of our childhood. However, on July 31st, 2011, thirteen years after the first book was published, Harry Potter fans’ dreams came true.  J.K. Rowling announced to readers that the adventure was not over. Rowling wanted to give a thank you gift to fans called Pottermore: an [interactive] “online reading experience unlike any other” (Rowling Video, Pottermore.com).

Transmedia narratives are defined by Jenkins as stories that “unfold across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins 95-96). Jenkins used The Matrix as a prime example of this. Each new aspect – the movies, the video games, the comics, etc. – added new information to the baseline story. This sent active readers on a never-ending hunt for information, hoping to piece together clues from different media to find answers.

However, before Pottermore, I would argue that Harry Potter was not a transmedia narrative, but rather, transmedia branding. Yes, Harry Potter evolved in a multiplatform way, but it was branding rather than changing or playing with the narrative. The books, movies, action figures, clothing, board games, video games, the Universal Studios theme park, and even the jelly beans all recounted the same story over and over. Readers couldn’t find new clues or pieces of information to add to the Harry Potter world in these extra products. They all coincided with what readers had learned in the novels. The Harry Potter Wiki page created was more of a database of collected information. For the most part, fans didn’t create User Generated Content and none of these products were user-interactive, because everything that was produced was backed up by evidence written by J.K. Rowling herself. Even the Harry Potter Bertie Botts Flavour Beans sold were the same exact flavors that Ron Weasley would try in the stories and spit out time and time again!

However, the addition of Pottermore is predicted by transmedia expert Jeff Gomez to be a “historical shift in entertainment” (Forbes). Gomez himself transformed stories including “Avatar,” “Halo,” and “Tron Legacy” into transmedia interactive universes, and sees similar potential in Harry Potter as well (Humphrey). Gomez explains that transmedia storytelling “allows for the development of robust “story worlds” that play out across multiple media platforms” (Humphrey). This is what we would call synergistic storytelling. Before, Harry Potter wasn’t adding to the story across multiple media platforms, I would argue that it was re-telling the story in different media. Now, however, Pottermore users will expand upon the Potter world with Rowling and interactively contribute to the narrative in a new way. Each book, movie, or product will still be able to stand alone and remain enjoyable to the casual reader, but now more active readers can delve deeper into the storylines and strengthen their parasocial relationships with the characters because Pottermore is interactive.

Gomez  explains that the key to transmedia storytelling is interactivity: “the audience feeling not only an intense relationship with the storyteller (they already have this with J.K. Rowling), but a feeling that their input will have some kind of impact on the story world itself” (Humphrey). Pottermore is supposed to be a way for readers to reminisce and connect with the world of Harry Potter, and now help design Harry Potter’s world too. Gomez predicts that “it will promote participation by validating and celebrating community, dialog and user-generated content. It exists not just to sell ebooks, but to nurture and ultimately expand the canon of Harry Potter itself. That’s historic in many ways” (Humphrey). Additionally, it is rumored that Rowling will release additional information that never made it into the books!

Rowling invites readers into the world of Pottermore on her website with a video. She explains that “It’s the same story, with a few crucial additions. The most important one is you. Just as the experience of reading requires that the imaginations of the author and reader work together to create a story, so Pottermore will be built, in part, by you, the reader.” The narrative formula is now up to you! Enter the world of Pottermore in October. Your journey awaits at Platform 9-3/4! www.pottermore.com

Go to Pottermore.com to watch Rowling's video invitation.

Citations:

Humphrey, Michael. “Pottermore: Expert Explains How Harry Potter’s Website will Transform Storytelling.” Forbes.com. Forbes, 29 July 2011. Web. 12 Aug. 2011. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2011/07/29/pottermore-expert-explains-how-harry-potters-website-will-transform-storytelling/>.

Jenkins, Henry. “Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling.” In Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press, 2006.

As we have discussed in class and have seen in our readings, reality television is very prominent in our society and culture today. Reality TV appeals to a wide range of audiences due to its variety of diverse shows. There are many different “genres” from drama, to “freak” TV, to shows that reinvent people or homes. All of these have proved to be very popular and entertaining amongst audiences in America.

How do these shows, and the fact that they are so popular, portray American’s to the rest of the world? This is something that people often don’t think about when sitting and watching their favorite reality series. As Palmer explains in his article “The New You,” many of the reality TV shows aired center upon displaying “real” human emotions, the appeal of a disorder, or reinventing identities of individuals. “Real” people with “real” emotions, like those shown in The Real World series, often just end up being many people creating drama and making questionable decisions. Portraying individuals with disorders who need help, signifies “freak” TV and sends the message that these people have a problem that they are not strong enough to overcome. The numerous programs that display huge transformations of someone’s looks, lifestyle, or home, leads audiences to believe that there is something wrong with those people that needs to be fixed in order for them to gain happiness or status. Overall, most of these programs don’t give off a positive portrayal of America’s society as a whole.

Even though many reality programs display American’s in a negative way, there are some programs that perpetuate the myth of “the American dream,” and how it is achieved. Reality TV shows such as Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, portray American’s who make a living by working their way to the top. This idea of “rags to riches” means that with hard work and perseverance, you can succeed in America, even if it means being a sewer inspector. In the show, the host, Mike Rowe, “introduces you to a hardworking group of men and women who overcome fear, danger and sometimes stench and overall ickiness to accomplish their daily tasks.” The audience gets a “glimpse into unfamiliar occupational duties – serving slop to pigs, collecting sperm from stallions and removing bones from fish”(Discovery Channel). These people do the jobs that most people never think about, the “behind the scene” work that makes it so people can have cleaner, safer and more pleasant experiences in places or with products. How do you think audiences in both America and around the world perceive these individuals compared to those in other reality television shows?

This reality TV series, as apposed to many other shows, is more focused on the individual’s profession and their successes, rather than on how they need to change themselves or their lifestyles. However, do you think that the entertainment or suspense factors heavily seen in other reality TV shows are diminished when discussing the “dirty jobs” that some American’s do for a living?

The various jobs that are depicted in this program, as well as the people employed in these jobs, strongly perpetuates the idea of “the American dream.” This is done so by taking a inside look into how much work and effort they put into their professions. Even though it might not be a job that everyone dreams of doing, these people are satisfied and are making at the very least, a descent living. How do you think that audiences view these people in society? As hardworking Americans achieving the “American dream”, or as low-wage workers who have to get “down and dirty” just to make a living?

References:

Discovery Communications, LLC. Get Down and Dirty. 2011. August 9, 2011. http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/about/about.html