Media Magazine User Generated Content

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/MM30_UGC.html

"Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news."

"The audience have become ‘users’ and the users have become publishers. Audiences now create their own content. We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide

"This change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites.between institution and audience is being eroded."

E.G "We first felt the effects of the new technologies way back in 1991." The film footage can be still be viewed. Try looking on YouTube under ‘What started the LA riots.’

"This was one of the first examples of the news being generated by ‘ordinary people,’ now commonly known as ‘citizen journalists’, ‘grassroots journalists’, or even ‘accidental journalists’."

"Millions of people have constant access to filming capability through their mobiles, and footage can be uploaded and rapidly distributed on the internet."

E.g "The power to make and break news has moved beyond the traditional news institutions."
Twitter and flickr came to the forefront during the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008. As bombs exploded across the city, the world’s media got up-to date with events through reports on Twitter and Flickr. There were questions raised, however, that by broadcasting their tweets, people may have been putting their own and others’ lives at risk.

E.G "It was on Twitter again that the story of the Hudson River plane crash on January 15th 2009 was broken to the world. With a dramatic picture of a plane half sinking in the river, and passengers crowded on the wing awaiting rescue Janis Krun tweeted: "There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.""

Question 5

1930's - teens - no sejse of seperate culture
E.g - they listen to the same music as their parents
- dress the same way as 'adults' would - strictly smart and formal
- had segregated roles
- women were not even mentioned on news (patriarchal ideologies)

1940's - teens - segregated roles continued
E.g - Girls knitting/cooking - Boys physical education
- no freedom - obeying to rules and regulations of society

1950's - women trying to get into work
E.g - this lead teens in becoming more independant
- teens were given a little more space as a result

1960's - completely broke away from societies expectations and gender division
E.g - No longer a formal dress sense - distuingishment from teens and adults
- represented as clever and upcoming bright future for teens
- no longer patriarchy ideologies - not as tough on women

1970's - teens were presented as getting out of hand - having too much fun
- doing what they want
- growing deviant
- this was portrayed in the 70's film Grease - 'teens living the crazy life'

1980's - teens were being represented as more glamourised in the news.
E.g - acknowledgement for starirng in films etc.

1900 - 200 - growing extremely violent on news,
E.g - broadcast and print - giving out stories of teenange related crime.

2010 - present - teenagnge crime and teenagange success.

Research - How are teens represented in the news

Teens as violent criminals

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7777963.stm - short clip on teen crime

Teens are represented as “violent murders” according o the online BBC news reports since the year 2008. They report over 70 teens had been “violently murdered” in 2008 between the age groups of 10-19. This portrays teens as having a brutally corrupted mind. “The capital saw a significant rise in 2007 when 26 youngsters were killed, up from a stable average of 17 a year since 2000”. “This year, the figure stands at 29, most of whom were stabbed”.

Teens portrayed as successful

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/teenawards/2010/awards/

The fact they have nominations for a specific age group. (Teens 12-17) portrays them to be more than just people with violent natures. This is the complete opposite of the above as it shows teens as successful and credible for whatever it is that they may have done. This is also aimed at the public and not just those who are famous etc. Therefore gives out a positive image of teens in the news – as part of the BBC Teen awards.

Teens as victims of crime

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4355695.stm

20 and 21 year olds are due in for court regarding a murder case of 19yr old Mr.Wheaton.

Violent murders

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6672359.stm

Alternative Representations.

Mary J Blige – Be Without you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNaPX6MKlU&ob=av2e

This music video is an alternative representation of other music videos shown in the RnB Hip Hop music industry such as Nicki Minaj who sexually objectifies herself through her lyrics – sense of dressing – expressions and narrative of her videos. Whereas Mary J Blige sticks to the traditional and stereotypical roles of a women. In this music video she is dressed appropriately with no cleavage suggesting she is not sexually objectified. In fact she is shown as the opposite where she is wearing casual trackers with a white vest stop. This would allow the audience to personally identify with her as it reflects on the ideologies of constructing realism. She is shown doing the opposite to what most videos show today, at 1.53 in the video she is shown serving food to guests and being a welcoming face, embracing her family members.These are traditional ideologies for example according to Functionalists such as Parsons, therefore she is portrayed with a positive and aspiring image to her audience. The lyrics also compliment the traditional housewife roles and emotional affection for her husband unlike most other songs which are all about sexual fantasies i.e Lady Gaga. The lyrics in this song connote non sexual behaviour and realism within relationships. For example “And I’ll be waiting u p until you get home cause I cant sleep without you baby” this is an example of behaviour a traditional housewife would do, who would wait for the arrival of her husband and then go to sleep. The use low key lighting and a black and white effect in the video may connote her emotions as she feels heartbroken therefore she is set in a dull surrounding. However a stronger interpretation of this is that the black and white could connote her subordinate character as the scene where the man is in, is mostly in colour whereas most of Mary J Blige's shots are in black and white. This also reinforces the ideologies of a patriarchal society.This video is a clear example of hegemony as the artists video has clearly been influenced by the state or society through its patriarchal ideologies. This represents women as powerless and subordinate not only in the video but also reflects on society as it could be considered some values of patriarchy still does exist. Another example that portrays the subordination of female representations regarding the image on the left is the use of high top key lighting which connotes superiority and dominance in comparison to what we witness when Mary J Blige is on screen. With this you can clearly see the comparisons of the binnary oppositions of both men and women relating to dominance, superiority and alternative representations within the HipHop music industry. Mary J Blige is considered the alternative representation of women through the rejection of todays codes and conventions of Hip Hop and RnB videos. Women sexually objectify themselves and attract the male gaze give them an erotic and pleasurable experience when watching their video such as Beyonce – Baby Boy. However Mary J Blige challenges this typical representation of women and portray them in a positive light rather than in a sexually way. Another example to back this is the scene where both couple look intimate however yet she does not reveal any cleavage whereas most artists would do so. The fact that she is covered up and asleep gives her angel like connotations and that one of a vulnerable characteristics This shows the rejection of objectification or fetishization in the music video

Pete Faiser (Media Conf.)

Pete Fraiser:

Pete gave us tips on how to get our coursework in the top bands.

He gave us tips on how to organise our coursework and keep track of all our work. Some of the things he had mentioned were;

- Blogging is the easiest way to track your work and use evidence as a production log

- On the blogs, you should include a lot of examples of your chosen topic area or anything relating to your coursework. Such as links to videos on youtube or publish comparisons you draw from different texts.

- He also mentioned it would help to post up things you have created such as posters, storyboards or brainstorms etc, even if it is just a picture with 2 or 3 sentences below explaining what it is.

He also spoke about how to ensure all your work is referenced. This is by posting it on your blog with links to where you extracted information in order to avoid playjarism.

He also stressed the importance of getting feedback form peers or members of staff as this is the main way in which you can continuously improve your work.

David Buckingham (Media Conf.)

Professor David Buckingham

Here David Buckingham spoke of how Media is looked at as a not so academic subject or “soft subject” as he said. He went on to say how the government and other members of society frown upon media and claim it is straightforward and more for those who are academically not so great. Therefore not many universities had media studies as a course until recent years where media studies had becoming one of the most popular chosen subjects (in state schools mostly)

He also spoke of how Media Studies gave the wrong impression of students who went away thinking they’ll become a part of the media industry straight away by taking media studies. This collaspsed the hoped of many people as they naively thought they would be guaranteed a job and theyl become famous.

How is the male gaze constructed in Rush Hour 2 - Laura Mulvey's Essay

How has the male gaze been constructed in Rush hour 2?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrAIA4c_Mtk

Above is a link to a scene in Rush Hour 2 which has clearly been constructed in order to attract the male gaze. This specific scene comes across as very erotic and pleasurable to men. This is because women are sexually objectified and serve the message of giving men a good time. There are many stereotypical ways in which they are sexually objectified such as; wearing low cut tops tight fitted tops, this gives sexual connotations to its audiences implying they are there for eye candy and to appeal to the male gaze. Their very straight back posture and smiling/welcoming facial expressions clearly indicates they are self objectifying themselves as they seem happy in doing what they are doing. In addition, the use of medium close ups on specific girls from the group shows emphasis on the sexual objectification as 1.06 in the trailer is a clear example of self objectification as she fiddles with her bra implying she wants to be the one Chris Tucker chooses. This shows the dominant and subordinate roles within this scene as the protagonist Chris Tucker stands their picking and choosing who he’d like to have, this portrays women as powerless and in some respect as means to serve the pleasures of men as the women are given no dialogue apart from to sit there and look good which is seen as the typical ideologies of a patriarchal society.

Furthermore, another way in which the male gaze is constructed is through men wanting to be in the place of Chris Tucker as he is portrayed as the ideal man they would inspire to be. This is shown by him having a selection of women to pick and choose for his needs. This would make men want to aspire to be like him and be in his place. Therefore is also another way in which the male gaze is constructed. The sense of superiority and dominance is also shown in this scene as he has the upper hand on what he wants, whereas the women just obey. This sense of dominance is another reason for why men would want to be like him. The male gaze is also constructed with the help of fetishization. This is where the women are showing off their skin, the upper half of their body as well as their lower half. This evokes men’s fetishes and as a result of this are attracted to the text and what they see on screen. However the

Lads Mag

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-481677/Women-blame-lads-mags-sexual-exploitation--just-guilty.html

"If we turn attention to some of the participatory dynamics in leisure and everyday
life which see young women endorse (or else refuse to condemn) the ironic normalisation of pornography, where they indicate their approval of and desire to be pin up girls for the centrefolds of the soft porn “lad mags"

“The "girly" photographs changed; from women who seemed to say "I'm your equal and I'm beautiful" to something much more sinister.”

Sex and the City 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDzGgaugb2s&feature=player_embedded

“Individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. Girls must have a lifeplan. They must become more reflexive in regard to every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives,and not being dependent on a job for life or on the stable and reliable operations of a large-scale bureaucracy which in the past would have allocated its employees specific,and possibly unchanging, roles".

"The new young women are confident enough to declare theiranxieties about possible failure in regard to finding a husband, they avoid any aggressive or overtly traditional men, and they brazenly enjoy their sexuality, without fear of the sexual double standard. In addition, they are more than capable of earning their own living, and the degree of suffering or shame they anticipate in the absence of finding a husband is countered by sexual self-confidence. Being without a husband does not mean they will go without men."

Bridget Jones Diary

“It might be more accurate to remark on the keen interest across the equality and popular media (themselves wishing to increase their female readers and audiences), in ideas of female success.”

"she confides in her friends, she keeps a diary, she endlessly reflects on her fluctuating weight, noting her calorie intake, she plans, plots and has projects. She is also deeply uncertain as to what the future holds for her. Despite the choices she has, there are also any number of risks of which she is regularly reminded"

This fits in with Bridget Jones Diary as the protagonist is a female - reinforcing the changes made from back in the days, where women today are seen as equal and worthy of the central character. Also this is true, that it helps increase female readers and audiences as it could be personal identification or a feeling of dominance and equality.

Four Concepts of Post Feminism

1. A more positive look at post-feminism

I have ranked this in first place as it shows that equality has come a long way and that equality has more or less been achieved between the two genders however not 100%.

2. Post-feminism as backlash to feminism

Women have in some aspect gained control in terms of doing things their way however by feminisim being completely achieved would lead women to be unhappy “because it has made millions of women unhappy, unfeminine, childless, lonely, and bitter”.

3. The ambiguity of the prefix
this is ranked in third place as a majority of society members argue that equality has been fully achieved which isn’t quite right in my opinion, though it has come a very long way.

4. Post-feminism as a colloquialism

this is ranked as last – as they associate men with hatred. This article gives the wrong impression of females and portrays them as man haters.

Bianca's Exampler Essay.

The representation of women can be positive: challenging the roles and expectations of women or negative: reinforcing a patriarchal society. This essay questions how and why these representations are constructed in an advert for Gucci Guilty Perfume and Stella Artois beer.

Firstly the Gucci advert is in widescreen which connotes a dramatic cinematic experience to engage its audience. More attention is gained by the female character first seen in the text and her protagonist is signified through this. The protagonist has female dominance which is signified through the use of colour- everything is in black and white while her hair is gold/blonde. This colour connotes gold, power and divinity signifying her importance in the text.

The use of intertextuality in this text will appeal to a particular audience. The film references a great deal to the neo film noir Sin City, with the use of colour and the female dominant femme fatale character. Sin City appeals to a male audience due to the action genre, this trailer could also appeal to the same audience due to the intertextuality. In terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory, a female audience might realise and accept the protagonist in the text is a form of escapism and also a male gaze, by theorist Mulvey, and therefore might aspire, from Young and Rubicam's 4Cs, to be the object of male gaze too.

Though the protagonist is an object of male gaze, it could be suggested that she sexually objectifies herself to tease the audience. The protagonist puts her leg into the frame of the shot. As she puts into the frame, it signifies self objectification, allowing the audience to fetishise her body. Another shot, a high angle, of their sexual activities signifies CCTV and spying which is voyeuristic. The fact she is on top signifies her control of the situation for both the male character and the audience.

Not only does the protagonist exert her feminity through self objectification she also presents herself as an anarchic character signified by adopting male stereotypes. The advert begins with a long shot of an unknown character speeding down the motorway, which stereotypically would be expected to be a male character. However, the audience's expectations are challenged when a medium shot of the driver shows to be a female.

In contrast, women are negatively represented in the Stella Artois text. The most obvious editing technique used in the advert is the split screen: one side shows the female getting dressed and the other side is of the beer getting "prepared". This use of split screen signifies that neither the beer nor the woman know they have been placed side by side. This puts the audience in position of control as they can voyeur the woman, in a socially acceptable way. Audiences may identify this control as patriarchy, and also identify with the unknown male character whose presence is felt within the text. This text then reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society and that women are subordinated by men.

Not only does the female share the screen with the beer, but the screen is split equally between the two "objects" which connotes the woman is equally objectified to the status of beer. It is suggested the audience is male due to the female and beer subject. Though the advert is targeted at men, it also negatively stereotypes men as people who have little respect for women which however is a dominant representation.

A range of close up shots of the female are used to fetishise her body. There is a close up shot of the female's leg slowly and elegantly rising from the bath tub. On one hand this could signify femininity and her control over it which is the oppositional reading. However, the more dominant reading is that her legs are an important part of the female body and connotes a male audience who can voyeur her body.

The text near the beginning of the trailer says "the preparation" which is an enigma code as the audience question "what event is the preparation for?". It is signified through the shots that the woman and beer preparation is for the male through the use of action codes. Action codes of both the preparation of the woman and the glass of beer are the same.

Women are represented as people who prioritise their looks and appearance, and this ad reinforces this ideology. Action codes including close ups of her: brushing her hair, doing her make up and putting on heels strongly represent women as image conscious. It could be said that the advert reinforces this representation, which is always seen in the media. Funnily enough, it could also be said that the media itself is the cause of this representation as this ideal, perfect woman is always represented in the media, and women feel they have to aspire to it.

In conclusion, both texts females are the protagonists and are sexually objectified for male audiences to fetishise and vouyer their bodies. However, while Gucci’s advert’s protagonist controls her sexuality through self objectification, the Stella Artois’ protagonist is objectified by an unknown but present male character.

In the Gucci’s ad, there are many examples in the text that signify the protagonist’s female dominance, but it is arguable whether this could be seen as a positive representation. The dominant reading is that the protagonist exerts her female dominance over the male challenging the historical patriarchal society and even subordinating males as easily manipulated and easily tempted by women and sex and this would favour feminism. However the oppositional reading which would favour the ideologies of the Stella Artois advert, might be that females can control their sexuality, but it is still for the male gaze and male dominant society.

Female Representions on 2 Ads.

First Ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SrqSc-GHS0&NR=1&feature=fvwp

In Parisienne YSL: Kate Moss Commercial, women are clearly sexually objectified. This is shown through its sexual narrative as the woman behaves as if she is being pleasured. This can be considered self objectification as it is evident she is willingly taking on this role and choosing the way in which she behaves. The way in which she is dressed connotes the sexual narrative however gives a negative representation of women as it may suggest using this perfume u can smell sexy and pull someone in for the night. However the use of non diegetic sound of the woman breathing also gives off negative representations as it portrays women as sexual and frustrated. However the clip where she puts money in her dress, also gives off a negative representation. Not only does the colour black of her dress connote an evening night in, as black is considered a colour worn at night to a party, but could also suggest she is a prostitute, as she slips money down her skimpy black outfit. This again portrays women in a negative role. Functionalists such as Parsons would reject this ad and argue it shows inappropriate behaviour and goes against the typical codes and conventions of the ‘ideal’ woman, who is naturally the housewife or the caring mother rather than a hooker. The use of low key lighting also helps suggest a night of pleasure as it emphasises her sexual expressions. It can also be considered she is portrayed as dominant, as she is only allowing you to see what she wants you to see, for example a pink silk cloth covering her gives her the power of not revealing the whole of her body, therefore can be seen as a sign of dominance. Her expressions may also connote a femme fatale characterization as she looks evil by squinting her eyes which is a stereotypical convention of an evil character. Yet she also comes across as very manipulative through her expressions and the direct eye contact she makes with the audience. Which may represent her powerful nature or in a sense her sexual dominance. It could be argued the ad gives us a sense of voyeurism, as sexual behaviour is not publicised however as the audience, we are over looking at what she is doing therefore could argue the ad uses a voyeuristic technique. This ad would appeal and attract the male audience as its primary audience by the ‘male gaze’. This is shown through the sexual fantasy’s it may evoke within men as they stereotypically enjoy to watch such things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP8GWz1ZMGk&feature=related

Unlike the first ad, this febreeze ad portrays women as very positive and as the ‘ideal’ woman. She is represented as the caring mother who wants her house to smell nice and stay clean while people visit. These are the stereotypical conventions of a traditional housewife. She wears light colours for example baby pink and white, which could connote purity as she purifies her house with frebreeze. She is also presented as a typical housewife/ mother and a person with self respect. This is shown by wearing clothes which hides body parts that may give out wrong or negative representations. All buttons of her shirt are done which connotes she is very homely and dresses appropriately. There is a positive representation of self objectification, as she objectifies herself as the ‘perfect’ mother and wife. This could be inspiring for young mothers or young women as they would want to aspire to be the ‘perfect’ mother and wife. Functionalists would be in favour of this ad, as this ad fully represents their ideologies of the traditional caring, loving housewife fulfilling the roles of a good mother and wife. The use of high key lighting sets a positive atmosphere in the ad as it brightens up the household which connotes positivity. Whereas the use of non-diegetic sound of a piano in the background compliments the friendly mise en scene of the traditional nuclear family setting a and happy tone to the ad. In this ad, women are also presented as the dominant and the men ad subordinate within the household. This is shown through the woman having complete control over her house, where she takes on the roles within the house whereas her husband is only shown answering the door to a visitor. Therefore this could connote the woman’s superiority within the home. It could also be seen that, the woman’s control over her house could be a reflection of her powerful nature and again follows the conventions of the traditional or ‘ideal’ woman of the household.

Homework on Ads.

Colgate Ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFydzXFcA-Y&feature=related

This is an example of a 1960’s advert on Colgate. Unlike other adverts from the 60’s misogyny is not presented in this advert as portrays positive representations of both men and women. This is shown especially at the end of the advert where both genders are posing together. This could suggest equality between the two as they stand together smiling, giving out joyful connotations. Another reason for why this advert may not be seen as negative is because the woman is not sexually objectified or presented as a femme fatale. Instead, she is presented as an angel with her delicate smile and sensible sense of dressing where there is no exposure of any sort showing there is no self objectification. Another example of the advert not being bias or presenting any negative connotations is through the equality shown on screen where they are both given an entry and with a matching sing along. For example; “When Judy Katy makes here scene” for the females entrance and “when handsome Harry joins the session” for the male’s entrance. This is another clear example of equality between the two genders and how the advert goes against the stereotypical femme fatale representations of women giving the audience a sense of naturalism. This may also attract the male gaze as she is presented as the perfect or ‘ideal’ woman, with her “cleaner breath, cleaner taste, cleaner teeth”. This is shown through her angel like behaviour. Functionalists such as Parsons and Durkheim would agree with ideologies being represented along with feminists such as Sue Sharpe as they would see equality being achieved between genders

Vintage Folgers Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kovsZZw0LwU&feature=related

Gender inequality and patriarchy is portrayed through this advertisement. The way in which the woman is criticised regarding her cup of coffee shows the patriarchal ideologies as he is presented as the dominant figure. This is shown by his posture as he looks down on his wife and dominates her by raising his voice, criticising her and compares her with other females. The way in which he slams his cup of coffee also stands as a male dominant representation as he is able to do whatever, wherever and however. The basic narrative of a wife not being able to fulfil the needs of her husband is a stereotypical representation of women always having to please their men. An example of this is where she makes the effort to trying to please him, fulfilling the typical ideologies of a housewife. Another example of her being the perfect housewife is when she is in the kitchen with her friend cooking and doing the household chores.

Flintstones Selling Cigarettes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWj9JBVOdbk&feature=related

This is an advert feminists would rather hate. It is a prime example of a patriarchal society where women are expected to do all house chores as well as take on the work of men such as D.i.Y and gardening as shown in the advert where Wilma is cutting the grass. This puts in place the typical ideologies of patriarchy, bias genders and men being dominant and women subordinate as they work hard and the men “chill”.

Gay Advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAKYpUo18wU

This is a video representing gay people as the children call a man their “mum”. He is presented as the ideal “wife” as he is seen fulfilling the essential and most typical roles of a perfect housewife. The scene of where the two men kiss also sets the ideologies of promoting gay men. It shows that there is equality within society and Functionalists such as Talcott Pasons and Durkheim would reject this idea of homosexuality as they believe in the typical nuclear family.

Guardian 100 Homework

The guardian 100 is a list guiding you to the most dominating figures within the media today. The panellists are Andrew Zein, Christian Payne, Farah Ramzan Golant, Luke Jhonson, Oona King, Jane Martinson, Jhon Plunett, Steve Busfield, Veronica Wadley.The list above is of those who are the panellists. They’re job is to assess the candidates following a criteria of Political, Economical and Social influences.

There are 16 women in the top 100 equivalent to 16%. This clearly shows that the stereotype of male dominance still exists today as men are portrayed as most dominant according to the list. Looking at the list it seems as if society has concluded that men were most dominant and are still most dominant today, suggesting that some aspects of patriarchy still exists, regardless women having more rights. It also portrays women as being at the bottom of ranks. This is shown through the list having a niche percentage of women. Feminists would argue that women have not yet gained complete equality as patriarchy is evident through the top 100 listings. Yet in complete contradiction, according to Marxists, women have come a long way than back in the 40’s therefore equality has been achieved and just as there will always be inequality within a capitalist society, there will always be inequality between genders and representations, as men are represented as more of the “business’MEN’ type. .

The women mostly work for the BBC as Chief Executives, Directors, Controllers and Chairmen’s of the companies.

Femme Fatales

Femme Fatales.

French for “Deadly Women”

What is it?

Femme Fatales are known as being very seductive, manipulative and dangerous towards men. They are famously and most typically known for manipulating one’s mind for their own selfish and misleading intentions.

(Gilda 1946) - Rita Hayworth

Director: Charles Vidor

Writers: E.A. Ellington

Release Date: 15^th March 1946

Synopsis: The sinister boss of a South American casino finds that his right-hand man Johnny and his sensuous new wife Gilda already know each other.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000028/

What makes her a film fatale?

Her posture shown in the trailer is very upright which may connote her dangerous and deceptive nature as she takes a puff of a cigarette. The fact that she smokes also gives away her rebellious nature as she rejects the stereotypical norms and values of society during the 40’s as women did not smoke or be so confident and proud in front of men as they should typically feel timid and inferior to them during this era. Gilda is also shown slapping a man which clearly reflects on her aggressive and outrageous anger which is being projected through her character. Once again this is not something you would find a woman in the 40’s doing therefore she can clearly be referred to as a femme fatale. She also used her attractiveness to lure these vulnerable men into her trap and is also sexually objectified as she is seen dancing in the trailer and also wearing very sparkly and low necked tops to place emphasis on cleavage and tempt the other men. The mise en scene of one scene where Gilda is pushed onto the bed may also connote that she is sexually objectified as the bedroom can emphasis the superiority of the men who are able to do whatever however and whenever.

Below is the link to show Gilda’s character.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi111346457/

Kiss me Deadly (1955) – Velda

Director: Robert Aldrich

Writers: Mickey Spillaine

Release Date: 18^th May 1955

Synopsis: A doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious “great whitsitt”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048261/

What makes her a Femme Fatale?

From the poster you are clearly able to acknowledge her superiority through her abrupt posture as she is seen as looking down at the man. This may connote her dominance and role reversal of the man’s inferiority. Similarly to Gilda, this can also be seen as going against the traditional norms and values of the 50’s as it was not common for women to be the superior one. However in complete contrast the, the man is holding her from her lower hips as her top is slowly lifted up, this connotes the fact she is seen in a sexual perspective by him as they both seduce one another for complete different reasons. The mise en scene is very dull as the backdrop is black; however the top high key lighting allows the audience to clearly see the characters faces and expressions. Velda’s face seems to have less light on it therefore could show her “dark side” or “deceptive” nature in comparison to the mans face which is very brightly lit connoting is innocence and vulnerability.