Representation: Blog task

Representation: Blog task

1) List the different people/groups represented in the trailer (men/women/Americans etc.)

Albanians 

Men 

Women 

Sex Traffickers  

2) For each group you identify, decide whether the representation is a dominant or alternative portrayal. Explain why you think this.

Albanians at the beginning of the trailer are represented as dominant however as the story unfolds, the Albanians are shown to be fragile. weak and lethargic therefore, are represented as alternative. The Men in the trailer are represented dominant throughout the movie especially the main character Liam Neeson. the  main character reinforces male stereotypes as he is portrayed as a hero and is very robust and authoritative. The women as represented as dominant as well since they are portrayed to be weak, fragile and vulnerable. The victim in the trailer which is a woman reinforces woman stereotypes as she calls help to a robust make actor. 


3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer? 

Male stereotypes are reinforced since the main character is shown to be a hero towards the audience. The male character is seen as dominant as he gives commands which is foreshadowed in the movie. 

Woman stereotypes are reinforced since they act vulnerable and seek help immediately when they are in grave danger.  


4) Why might the Taken trailer offend or alienate certain groups?

The Taken trailer may offend a lot of female audience since it reinforces woman stereotypes. The trailer is very subjective and implies that woman are innocent and vulnerable. Many female audience would disagree with this point and therefore be offended.


5) Why do mainstream film and television texts such as Taken so often use stereotypes?

They use stereotypes in a very effective way to market and sell their movie and also text. the stereotypes associate with the genre of the movie which is action thriller which communicates the narrative plot much more easily,

#Dyer: stereotyping and power
Medhurst: value judgements
Perkins: some stereotypes can be positive or true
Mulvey: the male gaze
Levi-Strauss: representation and ideology

Dyer: Dyer's theory is adopted in this trailer since white middle class people are seen to have big houses and luxurious cars. The trailer supports woman stereotypes as they are shown to be less powerful than others due to the victim( woman ) demonstrating a very vulnerable and fragile behaviour towards the sex traffickers. 

Medhurst: The stereotypes convey a negative representation of minority groups. For example, in this trailer it again reinforces that woman are weak and defenceless as they are easily kidnapped and used wrongly. Meanwhile, only relying on the protagonist to come help them. 

Perkins: Some stereotypes may be argued to be positive. For example male stereotypes are seen has heroic, robust and will fight according to what they think is right. Also in some aspects woman stereotypes in this trailer is seen as positive since they see conflict in a more rational approach. 

Mulvey: The male gaze is reinforced. The sex traffickers are attracted to the vulnerable women in Paris and use them as objects. I believe Mulvey's theory of woman being used by men will be supported throughout the movie. In the film, the girls are used horrendously when kidnapped and drugged. This allows the girls in the movie to be attracted towards the male gaze and feel good about it. 

Levi-Strauss: Claude Levi-Strauss suggests that representations in the media are informed by ideology: the set of beliefs and values held by the producer of the text. Some things are included and some things are left out to create a dominant and alternative representation. The different representations are formed corresponding to the genre which is Thriller.