Online Media Component 2 Section C

Will be based on media language, audience, representation, or industry. A few or all of them could come up.

How far are the representations constructed in the set texts of Zoella and Attitude stereotypical? [30]

Stereotypes:

An often negative view on a certain group of people, they come from constant representations over time in media. It works almost as if a labelling method, as it allows producers to encode stereotypes and help audiences decode these and create representations again. These are created when knowledge is lacking or unattainable and the substitution of thoughts and opinions are implemented. This often leads to misjudgement of unfair discrimination toward certain groups (Stuart Hall). In media products, they are the potential to impact the mindset of audiences, which only serves to perpetuate the stereotypes. Media products portray the unspoken norms of an ideology. These products appeal the the widest possible audience, both intellectually and globally.

Attitude:

Understanding the stereotypes of the gay community: Flamboyant, sexualised, fetishised, different groups such as macho, camp, deviant, different kinds of slang, slightly feminine.

It could be said that the representation of the LGBT community is narrow and stereotypical in mainstream media representations. They are often represented as visible markers of difference, when contrasted to heterosexuality and masculinity. This obviously does not represent the true diversity of gay identities. Stuart Hall - These representations can be said to be promoting hegemonic understandings of masculinity by constructing the gay man as an 'other'. This could also link to Paul Gilroy, and how his theory combats the idea of 'Post-colonialism'. While a loose link, it matches is different racial identities are substituted with gay male identities. Masculinity is often related to heterosexuality, this is construction of dominant ideologies - related to Hall's theory.

Representing LGBT: 

Britain is mostly heterosexual - The under-representation could be considered an issue, as it only leads to greater stereotypes.

Gerbmer argues that the media participate in symbolic annihilation by negatively stereotyping the LGBT community, or not portraying them at all. 

Craig suggests that they are often stereotypes as having amusing or negative social and psychological characteristics.

One of the main areas of Gauntlett's theory is that media today offers a more diverse range of representations in the past when messages relating the gender identity were more singular and straightforward. 

Gauntlett: "Masculine ideals of toughness, stubborn self reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice and the problems of masculinity."

Stereotypes reduce people to a few simple characteristics or traits. It tends to occur where there are inequalities of power, as subordinate or excluded groups are constructed as different or 'other'.

Gauntlett also argues that we have become the producers of meaning thanks to the internet, and this allows us to construct our own identities with further ease. As a direct result of this, gender identity has become less constricted and constrained to traditional norms - we can now explore it in a more diverse and challenging way thanks to online technologies. 

"Identity is complicated. Everyone thinks they've got one." 

Gauntlett also argues (In 2017) that identity relates to people having a route to self-expression, and therefore creating a stronger sense of self and participation in the world, through making and exchanging online. This allows us to have more fluid and complex representations.

Zoella:

Zoella's self representation is seen is 'authentic' but has also been carefully manipulated and constructed. She has chosen what to disclose, and what to omit, essentially constructing her own hyperreal identity. 

Gatekeeper - A person or organisation that is involved in filtering content in some way, similar to the process by which news stories are chosen by news editors. This also relates to people or a group of people who are elitist about a certain topic, and filter people out by disallowing them. 

Stereotypical representations of gender - Directly related to teenage girl magazines, it is essentially the online variant. Zoella however, does not sexualise her own body in her videos, in an attempt to remain innocent and childlike. Gender reinforcement can be seen through the promotion of particular products and brands - Zoella's channel is financed by the beauty industry through sponsorship and deals.

Zoella's youtube thumbnails - Makeup, travelling, beauty. Script font, innocent nature and quite boring and conventional look. Infantile. Hegemonic ideals of beauty, cultivated and constructed girl next door ideology, conventional feminine mode of address, domesticity, passive, lack of sexualisation and objectification, contrasted with Alfie's conventional masculinity.

Evidence, "Getting Organised and favourite Christmas tree"  shows all of the above. 

Attitude uses stereotypical constructions as a response to othering / self stereotyping to construct their own identities. 

Zoella shows very stereotypical construction, ultimately to met the needs of the target audience. To retain profit and marketability. 

This could be argued that both are stereotypical constructions - but they just use different methods.