Television industry

 Compared with the past, David Gauntlett argues that in the media today ‘we no longer get singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female

identities.’

Evaluate the validity of this claim with reference to the set episodes of Humans and The Returned  and the historical contexts in which they were produced. [30]

David Gauntlett: Theories of identify - Audiences can pick and mix which ideologies suit them and completely ignore ideologies they don't agree with.

Knee Jerk Reaction:

Both Humans and the returned demonstrate complex and challenging representations of gender, as these shows both reflect the issues of our time, and suggest that representations of gender have become significantly more complex.

Plan:

Stereotypes

Gender performativity

Stuart Hall representation theory

Paul Gilroy - Postcolonialism

Hyperreality - more real than the real thing

Feminist theory - Van 

Zooned

Mise en scene

Binary Opposition

Intersectionality - Bell hooks

Polysemy

Introduction: DEFINITION, ARGUEMENT AND CONTEXT

Representation refers to the way in which a group, individual, or issue is re-presented by the producer in order to demonstrate their ideologies. David Gauntlet's theory of identity states that audiences can pick and mix which ideologies suit them, and completely ignore ideologies they don't agree with in order to form their own diverse identities. In this essay, I shall argue that the producer of Humans and Les Revenants demonstrate complex and challenging representations on gender, as these shows both reflect the issues of out time and suggest that representations of gender have become significantly more complex over time.  I shall refer to Humans, a science fiction TV programme aired in 2015 on Channel 4 within the UK and Les Revenant's is a French horror show broadcast on Canal + in 2012.

Examples:

Les Revenants: 

- The Lake Pub is lively, exciting and inviting and positions the target audience in an exciting mode of address. This mode of address is constructed. The MES of pool tables function as a proairetic code for social interaction and fun. The low key orange lighting presents a warm and inviting colour palette, that suggests the potential of a welcoming atmosphere.  The MES of bottles of alcohol form a proairetic code, for drinking, fun and excitement. Finally, the clientele of the pub are young and hegemonically attractive people, which constructs a symbolic atmosphere of sexual potential. Lena makes constant eye contact with Simon, which connotes her desire to seduce him. Her body language indicates her interest in him, by moving in close towards him. She asks Simón to 'buy me a drink', which indicates her interest in him.

-Subversive stereotypical gender representation of Lena trying to pick up a man at the the pub demonstrating her sexual interest, the producer of Les Revenants is actively contradicting Liesbet Van Zoonen's feminist theory. By reinforcing the atypical representation of women being sexually active, Les Revants challenges hegemonic norms and values that exist around women 

- Simon acts in a grumpy, impatient and even desperate manner. He clearly has no sexual interest in Lena, which is encoded through his complete lack of dialogue, and the short terse delivery of his questions. Simon almost seems surprised and even uncomfortable with Lena’s assertiveness.

Simon’s uninterested approach here presents an extremely atypical representation of men, and challenges the stereotypical expectation that men are motivated by sex. In short, this scene constructs a highly complex representation of gender norms for men.

Humans:

- The MES of Niska's costume has significant sexual connotations, dressed in red lingerie makes Niska appear both vulnerable and impressionable, whilst objectifying and sexualising her, which is further reinforced by the MES of her seductive hand movements, blowing a kiss to Leo, this mid-shot directly addresses Leo and also directly addresses the audience, positioning them in an uncomfortable, yet confusing mode of address. 

- The low-key LED lighting coloured with reds and purples, functions as an intertextual relay to the audience, making reference to other TV shows and films featuring brothels. This allows audiences who have no experience with the sex industry to instantly identify and understand this scene. The extensive use of the colour red is highly polysemic, which connotates sex and danger this reinforces to the target audience the dangers of working in the sex industry and the danger that the main characters are in. 

Paragraph one: 

Simon subverts gender expectations through his narrative arc that sees him desperately trying to find his true love and avoiding casual sex with a pretty young woman. His performance is anchored through the a CU shot of him looking away, which symbolically encodes his lack of sexual desire to Lena, and deliberately subverts a stereotypical romance narrative. This complex representation of gender suggests that men do not have to be defined by their sexuality, an ideology that may be appealing to the target audience.  

The setting of the Lake Pub is a stereotypical location where teenagers may hang out, which anchors Lena as a stereotypical teenage girl. The MES of groups of young people construct an ideology of community, friendship and togetherness, and allows audiences to identify with a comfortable, relatable, and non-threatening social space.This sense of community is only emphasis through the binary opposition formed through the scene before than depicts Julie isolated in a mid shot on a bleak sdeserted bus.

That Lena assertively and confidently is situated in the lake pub presents a complex and subversive representation. Lena assertively says to Simon “buy me a drink and I’ll tell you”, which proairetically encodes her own desires and the fact that she is confident and sexually active. This representation challenges the  stereotypical  hegemonic gender construct that it is a man’s role to romantically pursue women, and challenges Van Zoonen’s notion of the patriarchal male gaze through Lena’s proactive gender performativity. Female audience members may find Lena’s performance inspirational and influential, and may take pleasure in her he sex positive representation.

In the brothel scene, female synths are represented as being submissive, highly sexualised and othered through a lingering montage tracking sequence that presents them in a highly sexualised way. However, Niska forms a binary opposition to this stereotypical and hurtful representation. Much like Lena, Niska is assertive, but is also aggressive towards er so called male captor

Niska’s eyes are green, and their vibrant colour anchors her status as a non-human other. This positions the target audience in a deliberately challenging mode of address as they negotiate the ethnics of sexual activity with a robot 

Niska’s severe fringe is blocky and unstyles, and presents a fetishistic mode of address to the target audience by representing her as childlike and naive. This is further anchored through her tiny body. Niska seems initially timid, which suggests to the audience that she is vulnerable. However, after Leo enters the room, Niska violently assaults him, and, in a lingering and uncomfortable cloose up, announces to Leo “im making it look like you just fucked me”. inBy trying to mold her personality to the situation, Niska presents a range of different aspects of gender perfromativity that explicitly interact with and changes the world around her. Audience members may be  deeply uncomfortable through Niska’s gender performance, reject her timid persona, yet delight in her later expression of rage. 

TV industry: audience and industry questions 2

Explore how Humans meets the needs of specialised audiences [15]

Humans meets the needs of its specialised audience through a variety of interesting and highly considered ways

Entertainment 

Escapism 

Fandom

Social interaction

Information 

Sexual gratification 

Intertextual reference to other sci-fi films 

Blade Runner (ECU eye)

Pre-sold audience

Ethics of AI

Hegemonically attractive synths

Anita’s sexual fetishisation 

Postcolonialism - some audiences needs are NOT met! Highly stereotypical representations may polarise BME audiences 

Gauntlet pick and mix audience identity - white middle class audiences can identify with nuclear family!

Multi stand narrative - wide range of potential audiences and characters!

Bandura and the effects model direct effect on audience? 

Clay shirky end of audience - online forums like reddit 

Reception theory - the ideology of the producer encodes the needs of the audience 

Cultivation theory - Humans cultivates ideological perspectives related to the scifi/AI narrative “what is humanity” 

The introduction presents sci fi conventions (MES, synth soundtrack, distorted visuals) 

Final montage - 

Cliffhanger ending! Social interaction!

Watercooler television 

Explore how economic factors influenced the production of The Returned [15]

Much of the funding came from the European Arts association - indie productions rely on diverse funding 

Alps tourist board funded hoping for tourism

Atypical of it’s genre.

Targeting a specialising 

Not a guaranteed financial success 

Average of 1million viewers per episode - successful for an independent show 

Canal + - huge French/multinational media conglomerate

Premium cable channel 

A specialised show for a specialised audience 

Representations of middle class white french people clearly target the target audience 

Remade for US audiences and did terribly 

French values and ideologies - the setting, representations and MES are all quintessentially idle class french  

Inclusion of Mogwai for soundtrack demonstrates high production values 

Use of Mogwai = international audience 

Hesmondahagh - cultural industries. Minimise risk maximise profit 

Narrative fixated on romance 

Straightforward (if confusing) narrative 

Canal + has brand identity 

Lots of attractive characters 

Regulation - the sex scene may be provocotive to international audience s

Channel 4, moved to More 4 to target a niche audience 

Late night time slot 

2050 timeslot for Canal +

$14million for series 1

Series 2 less successful, emphaising niche audience and audience appeal

1.79million$$$$$/episode 

Factors which could limit economic success 

French language 

Lack of diversity

Explicit sex scenes