AS Media, Theory, Representation of stereotypes and countertypes, Male gaze, MS1

1. Representation
Stereotypes & Countertypes

2. StereotypES: Dyer (1979)
• The word 'stereotype' is today almost always a term of abuse.
Stereotypes involve a number of processes:
• The complexity and variety of a group is reduced to few characteristics.
• An exaggerated version of these characteristics is applied to everyone
in the group as if they are an essential element of all members of the
social group
• These characteristics are represented in the media through media
language.

3. Other than gender: what stereotypes
can you think of?

4. Why do we believe
representations?
• One of the reasons why we accept representations is that they are
presented to us within texts that seem realistic
• Some texts are more believable, we are likely to take them more
seriously, and take on their messages willingly.
• Which type of media texts are more realistic?

5. How do we judge what is more
realistic?
• Believable or credible: what we see is something which could
have happened, it resembles the world as we know it
• Plausible: is what we view possible? Could someone have acted
in the way they did on film?
• Verisimilitude: this word suggests that something is true to life.
Is the people's behaviour authentic, it is like real life?

6. When watching any text ask
yourself:
• How believable is the behaviour of people?
• How realistic is the story line?
• How true are the messages made by the text?
• How has your experience made the representations more or less
believable?

7. Believable? Realistic? True? Your experience?

8. Stereotypes in the media
•We have explored a range of texts i.e.
adverts, magazines, etc and their often
inappropriate representation of some
demographics
•With continual changes in society’s attitudes
and beliefs, the stereotypes have had to
change… and they continue to do so.

9. The Countertype
•A positive stereotype.
•Focuses on positive elements of a group traditionally
represented as bad.
•Still an oversimplification of the enormous diversity
featured with the group.

12. Task: Analysing a text
 Analyse the clip in terms of mise-en-scene, sound and camera work. How have the
representations been depicted.
 Write at least 2 paragraphs contrasting the representation.
 Consider:
 The stereotypes
 How are these characters represented?
 how realistic is the representation?
 Try and use as many key words as possible, such as:
› Stereotype
› Countertype
› Objectified
› Patriarchal society
›Mulvey’s Male Gaze
›Believable or credible
›Plausible
›Verisimilitude