Stereotypes And Inequality In Atitude
The misrepresentation of the LGBT community in the mainstream media:
Narrow and stereotypical
Gay men are often represented as camp, effeminate, theatrical, or flamboyant, functioning as visible markers of difference in relation to heterosexuality and masculinity.
While this may represent some gay men, it does not reflect the diversity of gay male identities.
These representations can be said to be promoting hegemonic understandings of masculinity by constructing the gay man as 'other'.
Masculinity is often equated to heterosexuality.
This construction of dominant ideologies can be related to Hall's Theory.
How are Hall's ideas valid for Attitude?
It could be argued that Attitude magazine, founded in 1994, constructs a media product that purposefully deconstructs traditional stereotypes - by self-setereotyping. Funded via premium advertising, the magazine is commercially viable as a result of the growing economic power of the gay community and the power of the 'pink pound' as an advertising draw.
The magazine, too, mirrors the social enfranchisement of gay groups. As such, Attitude offers its audiences a steady diet of gay celebrity icons who defy negative stereotypes - often exhibiting physical strength or emotional resilience in the face of adversity. The narratives of its online stories explore family challenges and adoption issues as well as exposing homophobic viewpoints.
Attitude constructs strong and positive representations of gay icons:
Mardi Gras festival - showing diversity. The theme was 'fearless'. Masculinity isn't really represented as much as everything is, although it could be seen that everyone is flamboyant (though it is a festival)
The magazine represents contemporary issues that affect the gay community, for example adoption and homophobia:
Jussie Smollett article -
Malaysia Homosexuality article -
That the magazine self-stereotypes, appropriating and re-purposing typical representations:
Hellraiser Article -
Representing LGBT:
Media representations of sexuality in Britain are overwhelmingly heterosexual
How could it be argued that sexuality is one of the most difficult areas of representation to explore in terms of its 'visibility'
"The role of stereotypes is to make the visible the invisible, so there is no danger of it creeping up on us unaware; and to make fast, firm, and separate what is in reality fluid and much closer to the norm than the dominant value system cares to admit." Richard Dyer
Sexuality is quite unique in that it is an invisible part of our identity.
Heterosexuality is not generally 'encoded' with signs and signifiers to make it apparent.
Homosexuality, however, is often made visible through media language codes e.g. dress code, body language, colour etc.
Gerbner argues that the media participate in the symbolic annihilation of LGBT by negatively stereotyping them, by rarely portraying them realistically, or by not portraying them at all.
Craig suggests that they are often stereotyped as having amusing or negative psychological and social characteristics.
Campness - The camp persona reinforced negative views of gay sexuality by being somewhere in between male and female.
Macho - A look that exaggerates masculinity and which is regarded by heterosexual men as threatening because it subverts traditional ideas of masculinity.
Deviant
Paul Gilroy - Postcolonialism
Postcolonialism is the study of the impact that being under direct rule has had on former colonies. Tor example, despite being a tiny island, Britain colonised and declared ownership of many countries, including India and Australia. These ideas and attitudes continue to shape contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity in the postcolonial era. These postcolonial attitudes have constructed racial hierarchies in our society, where, for example, white people are by and large given more positive and important roles than BME people. Media producers are also guilty of using binary oppositions to reinforce BME people and characters as 'others'
Narrow and stereotypical
Gay men are often represented as camp, effeminate, theatrical, or flamboyant, functioning as visible markers of difference in relation to heterosexuality and masculinity.
While this may represent some gay men, it does not reflect the diversity of gay male identities.
These representations can be said to be promoting hegemonic understandings of masculinity by constructing the gay man as 'other'.
Masculinity is often equated to heterosexuality.
This construction of dominant ideologies can be related to Hall's Theory.
How are Hall's ideas valid for Attitude?
It could be argued that Attitude magazine, founded in 1994, constructs a media product that purposefully deconstructs traditional stereotypes - by self-setereotyping. Funded via premium advertising, the magazine is commercially viable as a result of the growing economic power of the gay community and the power of the 'pink pound' as an advertising draw.
The magazine, too, mirrors the social enfranchisement of gay groups. As such, Attitude offers its audiences a steady diet of gay celebrity icons who defy negative stereotypes - often exhibiting physical strength or emotional resilience in the face of adversity. The narratives of its online stories explore family challenges and adoption issues as well as exposing homophobic viewpoints.
Attitude constructs strong and positive representations of gay icons:
Mardi Gras festival - showing diversity. The theme was 'fearless'. Masculinity isn't really represented as much as everything is, although it could be seen that everyone is flamboyant (though it is a festival)
The magazine represents contemporary issues that affect the gay community, for example adoption and homophobia:
Jussie Smollett article -
Malaysia Homosexuality article -
That the magazine self-stereotypes, appropriating and re-purposing typical representations:
Hellraiser Article -
Representing LGBT:
Media representations of sexuality in Britain are overwhelmingly heterosexual
How could it be argued that sexuality is one of the most difficult areas of representation to explore in terms of its 'visibility'
"The role of stereotypes is to make the visible the invisible, so there is no danger of it creeping up on us unaware; and to make fast, firm, and separate what is in reality fluid and much closer to the norm than the dominant value system cares to admit." Richard Dyer
Sexuality is quite unique in that it is an invisible part of our identity.
Heterosexuality is not generally 'encoded' with signs and signifiers to make it apparent.
Homosexuality, however, is often made visible through media language codes e.g. dress code, body language, colour etc.
Gerbner argues that the media participate in the symbolic annihilation of LGBT by negatively stereotyping them, by rarely portraying them realistically, or by not portraying them at all.
Craig suggests that they are often stereotyped as having amusing or negative psychological and social characteristics.
Campness - The camp persona reinforced negative views of gay sexuality by being somewhere in between male and female.
Macho - A look that exaggerates masculinity and which is regarded by heterosexual men as threatening because it subverts traditional ideas of masculinity.
Deviant
Paul Gilroy - Postcolonialism
Postcolonialism is the study of the impact that being under direct rule has had on former colonies. Tor example, despite being a tiny island, Britain colonised and declared ownership of many countries, including India and Australia. These ideas and attitudes continue to shape contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity in the postcolonial era. These postcolonial attitudes have constructed racial hierarchies in our society, where, for example, white people are by and large given more positive and important roles than BME people. Media producers are also guilty of using binary oppositions to reinforce BME people and characters as 'others'
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