Introduction; A Brief description of celebrity advertising , the texts that I’m going to be using, "Dior perfume advert" as my main text and " ”Gucci guilty commercial".
My critical investigation is going to be focussed on celebrity culture in advertising, and how these ideologies affect the audience.
First Paragraph; the point I want to make in this paragraph is how in fact is celebrity culture is constantly being, with reference to using my textual analysis, I will see how celebrity culture is present. Also I will include hegemonic values into this paragraph.
Second Paragraph; the second point I wish to make is what effects do celebrity culture and ideologies have on the audience. I will consider both negative and positive effects of this, using the hypodermic needle theory and the cultivation theory.
Third Paragraph; in this paragraph I will explain how the celebrity advertising endorsement genre became so popular and why it is now richly endowed with celebrities as well as ordinary people.
Fourth Paragraph; I will question whether it is actually products that sell or the celebrity, using Marxism and Hegemony
There are hegemonic values – in way the mise en scene is used to represent higher class people eg. In the Gucci guilty advert the clothing is smart and has animation and items look expensive shown. As a result creating emphasis on how the upper class people have control and power.
Task 4
Media Magazine
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/4sets.html
“The technological forces are then harnessed, or exploited, by economic forces, the companies in the business of making profits”
“technologies that make it possible to manufacture a certain media product at a certain time. For example, highly miniaturised digital circuitry and broadband telecommunications for the so-called 3G (third generation) mobile phones, which are starting to hit markets this year”
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm22_what_is_news.html
"Elite nations are often focused upon, reinforcing their perceived importance, whilst many smaller and poorer countries and communities are ignored altogether. News is inherently ideological."
Google Scholar
http://www.jstor.org/pss/2118455
Simple theory of advertising as good or bad
“most economists and or intellectuals have not liked advertisements that provide little information”
“we agree that many ads create wants without producing information, we do not agree that they change our tastes”
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=162717
Repetitive Advertising and the Consumer
“Advertising is in an odd position. Its extreme protagonists claim it has extraordinary powers and its severest critics believe them. Advertising is often effective. But it is not as powerful as is sometimes thought, nor is there any evidence that it actually works by any strong form of persuasion or manipulation.”
http://abs.sagepub.com/content/38/4/593.short
Social Comparison, Advertising, and Consumer Discontent
“Consumers encounter countless advertising images during the course of everyday life. Many of these images are idealized, representing life more as it is imagined than as it actually exists.”
http://www.jstor.org/pss/2352485
economics consequences of advertising
“advertising operates predominantly by changing consumer tastes”
Article Links
http://www.jstor.org/pss/2352485
economics consequences of advertising
“advertising operates predominantly by changing consumer tastes”
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Jpm4x1bNw7kC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=how+advertising+influences+male+tastes&ots=J4iQbn0CPo&sig=pKPrcxyVguWuSLsmMymylPK8aUw#v=onepage&q&f=false
“media images of celebrities teach kids to hate their bodies”
“entertainment specials focus on eating disorders, and celebrity plastic surgery... pressures mates to look like models”
http://www.jstor.org/pss/4189010
“reason is that consumers grow up in particular cultures and become accustomed to that cultures values, belief in their advertising”
Task 2
MacKinnon, K. (2003). Representing men maleness and masculinity in the media. London: Arnold.
Arthur Brittan - "biology and soicety are never seperate - they maturally consituate eachother, hence the 'true facts' of biology & pristine and uninterpreted. The are always mediated, The 'facts' of sexual differences are 'facts' by the virtue of ... generalized beliefs... "
"social rewards fir being 'real' men or 'real' women.... In society actual women and men present themselves demand to be precieved as real"
"male sexuality involves alienatiomn under the gender system, a great deal of literature on sexuality takes no account of such aspects of construction of gendered identity"
"'hypermasculinty'( the exaggerated display of what are culturally taken to be macho thaits) overcompensates"
masculinity in advertising
"male charecters in an advertisment has the required authority & suggests the appropriate power is through visual apperance"
"strength suggested not only in terms of physic. But also in the suggestion of his influence and business sucess."
Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, gender and identity: an introduction. (2. ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Men's magazines
In the second edition, I discussed some of the most prominent themes in today’s men’s lifestyle magazines, rather than going through particular magazine titles one by one. But, for those who want it - although it is now necessarily dated - the more detailed discussion of particular men’s magazines from the first edition appears here.
http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/MGI2008-extra1.pdf
Coad, D. (2008). The metrosexual: gender, sexuality, and sport. Albany: SUNY Press.
“It is through patriarchy that power is attributed to males and withheld from females”
“the gender categories of masculine and feminine are fundamental to the structure of patriarchal power” (52)
Heteroeroticism is defined as an “erotic interest in gender different from one’s own” (64)
“It is commonly believed that sports helps produce men, there is a close connection between athletic proficiency and masculine gender status”
(Reference to be used linked to this: Casey,B. Casey,N. Calvert,B. French,L. Lewis,J. "Televisiom studies:Key concepts" (London :Routeledge,2002)
"While stereotypes may be partial , they are not false:they generally contain a grain of truth")
Task 1
Charlize theron - Dior Perfume advert
In this advert charlize theron is in a slightly-suggestive, upscale striptease. This text shows the representation of women being compared as the “hourglass figure”. The Sex framework which was displayed in the advert connotes this sort of behaviour is what attracts audiences into the advert. The not-so-subliminal message is, that J’Adore makes beautiful women ‘take their clothes off’.
The advert about the celebrity Charlize Theron being stalked through this beautiful house in her heels and gold beaded evening gown and jewellery, flinging it all off with what looks like relief, saying things like, “Gold is cold, diamonds are dead… Don’t pretend, feel what’s real.”
Charlize Theron represented as a sexual object being compared to a naked perfume bottle, the constant comparison between the two can be perceived as a stereotypical representation of a woman. The combination of high and low key lighting in various shots of her face and straight to her feet gives the impression of an elongated figure.
Issues and debates
Media affects - how an advert for a perfume makes it seem that the user can have such a glamorous life, this would target more to aspirers as they wish to live this lifestyle and therefore may purchase the product.
Regulation – from sue of shots we can see how some things have been regulated such as when we see the women and her legs – this is sign of sexual gratification, however the audience only sees a small section on her legs as it’s a medium shot rather than having a long shot – as we would see in more lower demographic targeted adverts.
Media technology and the digital revolution – this shows how emerging technology has affect advertising has they are trying to keep up with it. This allows them to meet audience needs and wants as they have higher expectations because of technology.
Theories
Hegemony – this advert shows how elite are in power, this is made apparent form the use of mise en scene with props such as money, and cars. Also form the protagonist himself and his clothing (dressed in smart suit) which represents his wealth.
Marxism- to some it may show aspects of Marxism and how it could make it seem that by purchasing this perfume – you would have that status and style of living, this could be misleading to psychographics such as aspirers; as it may give false hope.
Hypodermic needle – this advert uses aspects of this theory as it is injecting messages into the minds of the viewers, it is trying to draw attention to the power the producer has. As it is making it seems that having this perfume will make you get women or men.
Laura Mulvey is an important theorist of the male gaze which enforces the ideologies in the advert for the “male gaze” as although it is sexual because the women is taking her clothes off , she is also an attractive women who has a substantial reputation. Also as Charlize seems to be in control of herself also “out of control” within the situation she holds the questionable theory of Post Feminism as she is represented as rich and dominant.
