Media Essay

Media Essay

“Media representation is complex, not simple and straightforward” How far do you agree with this statement in relation to a collective group that you have studied?

“Identity is complicated” – David Gauntlett. As technology continues to evolve over the years we have begun to see that many music videos have changed allowing audiences to use this form of medium to construct their identity. Thus the media representation is and has always been complex and will continue to be so.  However by taking into account Gauntlett theory and others we can see how youths have been able to develop their identity and form a collective identity through media’s representation.

Identity is complex. The relationship between collective identity and media representation is not and never will be straightforward. Stuart hall mentioned “the media appear to reflect reality whilst in fact they construct it”. This is true as there are many ways in which the media actually help youths to construct/develop a collective identity. An example of this is music videos and how the star is actually portrayed/ constructed in which in turns allows the media to reflect identity whilst in fact they are constructing the identity for youths.  “A star is an image constructed from a range of materials” (Richard Dyer, 1979). Thus music videos construct an image by creating an associated iconography: costumes, jewellery etc.

An example of stars that create a complex media representation rather than a straightforward or simple one through their music videos is Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim.

Both Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim have been able to mediate to the public their identity effectively by amplifying their hegemonic view of women today. Therefore the public have come to mediate their pre-conceived ideas on women originally. Therefore we comply with the post modernism view that the media shapes our reality on human identities through music videos, as these videos depict both Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim as a living Barbie, but are independent who do not rely on others (males) as a dependence on things.

Therefore through their videos they are able to amplify their identity through their persona, dress and grooming etc hence constructing to their audiences a pre-given structure which has thus been used effectively through music videos to impose their ideology on the audience. Thus creates a star vehicle within the music video industry as the primary purpose beside making profit but rather to enhance a person’s career by establishing their identity for people to copy or either fom a collective identity based on the star.

 If you think about it, we're bombarded by messages from the media, messages that make certain assumptions about us (taste, place in society etc), and as soon as we engage with the message we are positioned as a 'subject' rather than an individual. The idea is that we are controlled by these messages and go some way to defining our identity. Hence we find ourselves confused on what is actually being represented to us.

Print media is also another form of way in which presents a complex representation for/on youths as we have broadsheets and tabloids that continually amplify their set ideology onto the public everyday thus making it impossible their set reality from reality itself.

In conclusion media representation is complex. The relation between a collective identity and media will never be straightforward. The reason because the media through its different methods such as web 2.0, Television and print media has constructed a representation in which has become our reality today.