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Which two concepts did you find most important in this week’s readings? Why? How do they help us understand the representation of gender in media culture?
Harvey's writing spends a lot of time discussing concepts related to Feminist media studies. Harvey writes "[women] tend to be framed and portrayed in limited repetitive ways, in stereotypical or otherwise oversimplified types of characterization"(Harvey, pg 59), Harvey continues to write that this is not only the case for women but many minority groups in media, such as non-white ethnicity, the elderly, LGBTQ+ and refugees. Harvey delves into representations in media and his analysis often depends on feminist media studies. Harvey discusses the role of women in media, and media production, as well as the inequality of representation, and continues on to discuss female portrayal in numerous media platforms, such as television and video games. Feminist media studies often have the role of dissecting media in order to understand why groups are not represented equally using an intersectional perspective.

Personally, I found that hegemony was an interesting concept to consider for Harvey's reading. Very few people will even bat an eye when they see men in media, to many, its just the way it is, they are portraying their character. However, upon looking closer, there are much fewer women in media, which as Harvey states "Explanations for the limited representation of women and girls across the media include the fact that the majority of industries producing mediated content are themselves male-dominated"(Harvey, Pg 62) which relates back to Storeys concept of Hegemony; "a dominant leading social group to present its own interests to gain consensus" (Storey, as cited in Keller Week 2 Lecture 2).

Given a political economy approach, it could be interpretative that the system of production favours male audiences, less so in recent years and feminism and other inclusive movements have arisen, but historically media has been male-dominated, and as such are those with power, and are able to determine media portrayal. Moreover, given that media production is male-dominated, the male gaze should be considered, that women are often cast so as to give male audiences something to look at.

Photo By Mika Baumeister (https://unsplash.com/@mbaumi)

Unsplash. “Mika Baumeister (@Mbaumi): Unsplash Photo Community.”

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What is hooks’ main argument in this chapter? What does it mean  to “eat the Other?” Choose one quote from the chapter that you think is the most powerful – why did it stand out to you?
Hook's main argument is well summed in the conclusion paragraph of the chapter, wherein she describes the "acknowledgement and exploration of racial difference can be pleasurable" (Hooks, 40). Moreover, Hook's describes how the exploration is often used as an out, a way to "assuage the guilt of the past" (Hooks, 25), referring to the fetishism of the other in order to "[deny] accountability and historical connection"(Hooks, 25).

I think the most powerful quote in this reading was "The point of this photographic attempt at defamiliarization is to distance us from whiteness, so that we will return to it more intently" (Hooks, page 29). It stood it to me because it contextualizes cultural appropriation without attempting to justify it. Hook's speaks on the fascination with the other as variety, to step away from the landscape of whiteness that many are familiar with in order to experience what is new and unfamiliar. Hook's describes the intent of experiencing other cultures as an attraction in order to enforce the normality of ones owns culture, or in this case "whiteness".

Hooks, Bell. “Black Looks: Race and Representation: Bell Hooks.” Taylor & Francis. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315743226/black-looks-bell-hooks.

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What do you want to learn in this course? Why is this course interesting to you? What topic(s) are you most excited about?

After taking Communication Technology 201 I was pretty interested in the content, generally I just enjoy learning about the influence of media. Being an Urban Studies major, I look to things that can effect large amounts of people, media being no exception. I'm most excited to look into advertising, as it is an often overlooked part of media that is hugely impactful and of wide variety. I look forward to seeing how media can impact an urban setting, such as a billboard you might pass on the highway.

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What is Engstrom’s main argument? Why is political economy an important approach for her research? What was your main “take-away” from this article?

Engstrom describes brides as being pushed into a predetermined role (AKA the super-bride) and as such are expected to maintain a mainstream hegemonic behavior. When it comes to wedding culture, there is an illusion of variety, especially in media, however, that is not the case. Many marriage media outlets (such as the Knot) lack diversity, not so much in representation, but in process. Take for example the typical wedding, you've got family, friends, and extras, and you follow up the ceremony with a huge and expensive celebration. This kind of ritual has been slowly reinforced to ensure gain for organizations like the Knot. Conversely, it's pretty rare to see smaller 'unconventional' weddings come from mainstream media.

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Reflect on the Ross piece in relation to what you’ve learned about the Frankfurt School: What is the main argument that Ross makes in this article? Ross writes, “Of the clouds and shadows that hung over Clinton in the press, the darkest, perhaps, was the prospect of boredom.” What does he mean by this? How does it relate to the argument made by the Frankfurt School?
Had this piece been read by the great minds in the Frankfurt school, its likely they would agree with many of the points Ross had made. Ross alludes the the election being a product of mass media (American, false, mass produced etc.), and as such is in the pursuit of monetary gain. In this modern media ecosystem, economy fuels what is produced. Ross touches on this by discussing the "boredom" that might be faced if Clinton had been elected.

Clinton was not media material, at least not the way Trump was. Trump, and his controversial nature, had a huge presence, that extended beyond the election alone. Trump was above all else, captivating, and as such was pushed through mass media, hugely benefiting media that published him. This too comes back to Frankfurt, in that they emphasize the power of economy shaping social, cultural and political life. The main argument Ross touches on is that Trump made the media money, people watch what is interesting, creating this self fulfilling prophecy of controversial media.

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Pay attention to the media you consume this week and choose one media image that operates semiotically. Include this image in your journal and do a mini semiotic analysis – what is the signifier? Signified? Sign?
I didn't see this ad recently, however, I really liked it.   https://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/34517829/i-can-see-perfectly-now/georgetown-optician

The signifier is a literal interpretation of an image. In this case, the image shows a young man wearing glasses. The ad contains the writing "O My god I can see perfectly now". The image also shows the young man playing tables tennis with what looks to be an eyeball. The concepts of this image that contribute to the signified are vision, competition, delight, and intensity.

Together, the signifier and signified create the sign. The sign is the reader's interpretation of the image, what could it be saying? I understand this image as communicating the importance of vision. The use of the Jaeger chart to include text in the image is also very clever, as it is a very well-known optical test, it shows the audience how the brand's glasses allow the character to be able to see clearly. Altogether, this advertisement creates an image that successfully promotes the use of their glasses, and shows the reader a fun and interesting interpretation of their use.

Army, Design. “Georgetown Optician - ‘I Can See Perfectly Now.’” AdForum. https://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/34517829/i-can-see-perfectly-now/georgetown-optician.

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Disclosure | Official Trailer | Netflix | Week 9

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Reflect on the documentary Disclosure: What did you learn from this documentary? What was most compelling? Which course concepts were raised in the film?
Disclosure shows the audience the media environment that transgenders face, and have faced in the past. From watching this documentary, I learnt the extent of power in media representations affecting the development of individuals. Before watching this, over even taking any COMS class, it was apparent that media could shape personal development, after all, if it were for a generation of movies around 21st youths, the media environment, and common interests and knowledge would not be present. However, Disclosure shows the audience the negative effect of representation and the strength behind them. It covers the objectification, misrepresentation, stereotyping and more that transgender people face in media.

The most compelling topic in Disclosure to me was that of gender expectations and representations. I found myself very interested in the gender expectations that transgender people were faced with, especially considering that in younger life, they are faced with expectations that contradict how they felt. I was especially surprised by the lack of representation of transgenders in media, and how it created a lapse in many transgender youth developments. Representations that were true in nature were even rarer, and have created a negative and humourous image in media.

The topic of the "other" I think relates well to this movie. In the course material, we primarily covered the other in the sense of race and ethnicity, however, the "other" should be considered any group that is outside the range of "us", as in a group that is different than the local majority. Although I can't find the exact timestamp, Jen Richards speaks on how men find transgender women different, so much so that upon finding their gender identity they be disgusted. Relating back to the "other", transgender people to many are a discrepancy in gender expectations.

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How does the political activism of fans, as you read about in the article by Kelly, demonstrate one key component of cultural studies? Can you think of another example of fan political activism?
An obvious example that I'd like to briefly touch on (Prof. Keller already covers it) is that of media audiences in the culture industry. Adorno and Horkheimer describe media audiences as passive. They write about audiences as though they are sponges that simply retain information, and are unable (or incapable) of actively participating in the media that they consume. However, Kelly's article on "K-Pop stans" shows the opposite, wherein fans are actively participating and are politically involved, so much so in fact that their media producers (band) have been influenced and openly encourage their movement.

Another example of political fan/audience involvement is drag queens and their communities. Drag queens are often involved in LGBTQ+ media representation and equality. They encourage their fans to get involved in order to make changes. A more specific example is RuPual (You might recognize their name from the popular show "RuPaul's Drag Race"), which was asked about the #metoo movement, to which they responded with support. Similarly, drag conventions are often used both fan meetups and political discussion grounds, covering a wide variety of topics.

Here is an interesting article by VOX I found to help me speak on the Drag Queen community: https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/11/5/18056558/drag-queens-politics-activism-lgbtq-rupaul

Villarreal, Daniel. “Drag Queens Are More Political than Ever. Can They Lead a Movement?” Vox. Vox, November 5, 2018. https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/11/5/18056558/drag-queens-politics-activism-lgbtq-rupaul.

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In this final journal entry, I’d like you to meaningfully reflect on the course: Read through your journal entries from this semester -- what was the most
compelling thing you learned? Why did you find it compelling? Did any of the content challenge what you thought you knew about media culture? Which reading stands out to you as the most important of the course? Finally, give one specific example as to how you will approach media differently – this might be in your personal life, your job, or your studies -- after taking this course.
The most compelling thing I learned was the concept of discourse and semiotics. I was really engaged when it came to dissecting a work, whether photography, writing or film, and being able to pinpoint the message and intent of it. Having written a media analysis assignment on the concept also likely helped with my interest, being more familiar with a concept makes it more enjoyable I find, similar to enjoying a sport more when you are winning.

The concept of discourse challenged my image of media culture, but also cemented it. Prior to the concept, identifying the intent of media just boiled down to who wrote and what the underlying theme is, however after understanding discourse, your able to dissect the media source, what knowledge does it produce, and what truths does it create? I especially enjoyed how discourse covers the relationship between different perceptions, which I had never considered before. Social hierarchy, other people and things, are all connected through the lens of discourse, and without experience in the topic I would not have been able to understand that relationship.

In the future when approaching media, I'd like to think I'll take an even more critical approach. When consuming new media, I already find myself identifying course concepts. What I'd like to take with me in the future the most from this class however is what we learned during our final weeks, queer and feminist media studies. I'd like to ensure that I'm able to understand the queer and feminist media environment, as having sisters who are LGBTQA+ means its very important to me to feel engaged, and I'd like to be able to ensure that they always feel as though I am understanding and involved.