Key Theory - Stuart Hall - Theories of Representation

Key Theory - Stuart Hall - Theories of Representation

Representation - The way in which a media product (eg. the producer of the media product) constructs the world and aspects in it, including social groups, individuals, issues and events.

Lindt Lindor - 'Do you dream in chocolate?' 

• Sound - Women's Voice - Well spoken middle class women, connotations of luxurious and classy, so makes us think that the chocolate is high end and classy and will taste like luxury as this middle class women is talking about it in a very calmly way. The chocolate is represented as a luxury. 

•  Shot Types - close up of melted chocolate, the connotations of this is that it makes the audience want it and emphasises the smooth texture which makes us think its pure, clean and luxurious. 

• Shot Types - close up of women's face represents the sexualised nature of the video, and she is also in bed, which makes it more sexualised so then the representation of this is that its a luxurious item and replacing this man figure with chocolate, as chocolate can fill their needs. 

• Shot Types - Transitions in editing, rather than a hard cut, there is some kind of movement, this represents the chocolate as soft flowing and reflects the smoothness of the chocolate compared to the editing, it also adds to the sexual nature aswell and also adds to the calming vibes of the chocolate. 

• We've got a representation of chocolate, as its saying if we have this chocolate then we can lounge around on these cream chairs and lay in bed and be in this luxurious state that everyone else is in. 

Superbowl Commercial Break 2015 

• Disabled people are being represented, they are being represented in a positive way saying how you cannot stop them and that they are trying their best to do what they could normally do. 

• In the first advert we had a very clear representation of America, through the hard and empowering music and the big american truck, portraying america as empowering and hard. 

• The american revolution was portrayed and its a cultural code so us as British people do not understand it, the assumption in this is that you should know the American history, and the American viewers would be expected to know so it shows that they know their history.

• A women reckless driver is funny as it goes against a stereotype of women being caring mothers and worrying about their children with strangers, while this women is telling a little boy to get in her car. 

Stereotypes

Definition - A commonly held belief about a certain group of people. 

Richard Dyer - The Role of Stereotypes

• An ordering process
• A short cut (for producers)
• A reference point (for audiences)
• An expression of dominant societal values.