1. Collective Identity
Collective identity is the sense of belonging to a particular group within society. Individuals
within a group can have their own sense of belonging, but also have to abide by rules set.
For example a teacher is part of a group, however they still have their own identification.
Henry Giroux argues that youth is not rightfully represented within the media area as youth
is represented by adults. As it is represented by adults means that the adults may focus
upon the fears and anxieties they have towards teenagers and therefore the representation
may be negative due to the adults portrayal of youth.
Acland argues that media representations of delinquent youths are used to contrast against
normally youth behaviour to show what unacceptable behaviour is perceived to be. He also
argues that by representing youth in a negative light allows the state to have further control
upon teenagers as they suggest young people need constant monitoring.
Hebidge studied British youth subcultures in the late 1970s. His work focuses upon reality
of the youth culture rather than representations like Giroux or Acland. Hebride argues that
by teenagers being in subcultures allows them to express their opposition to social norms
expected of them. Hebride also argues that representations of young people are limited,
portraying them as run or trouble.
2. David Buckingham
• David Buckingham is a media theorist who studied young peoples interaction with media and
came up with the belief that children and younger peoples identities are always changing.
The media reveals the bad aspects of the world, therefore parents keep their children inside.
By doing this children watch more TV and listen to more Radio and therefore are always
developing new opinions.
• Nerds are stereotypically known to spend lots of time on the internet and various other
electronic devices therefore developing negative opinions upon the world as supplied by the
medias. It is also stereotypically known that nerds are usually victimised on by bullies which
further would make them more inclined to use the internet and video games as they view
the real world in such a negative light. By doing this is means that stereotypical nerds would
have a identity that is shaped by the media and its perceptions upon the world.
• David Buckingham conducted studies into children consumption and imitation of behaviour
within the media, and concluded that children are active consumers. He concluded that
children understand and interpret what they see on TV for themselves, however, Donnerstein
and Linz claim their finmdings suggest passive consumption, and they suggest that audiences
are negatively affected by what they see on TV directly.
• David Buckingham argues that ‘genre is not… simply “given” by the culture: rather, it is in a
constant process of negotiation and change’. For example, the genre of sci-fi used to just
revolve around a film set in space, but due to computer developments, a sci-fi film is now
defined by whether or not computer special effects are used instead.
3. David Gauntlett
• David Gauntlett is a British media theorist, studying media audiences, the making
and sharing of digital media and how media takes part in shaping identities.
• Gauntlett states that audiences can become their own produces due to sites such
as YouTube. Through using YouTube and being our own producer we can shape our
own identity and influence others.
• He argues that through sites like YouTube, gender identity becomes less
constricted. It does this as the web allows us to create our own identity that
doesn’t follow stereotypical understandings of gender. As the web has allowed us
to have more freedom, it means its now more acceptable to be individual as the
web represents unique identities.
• Through this video David Gauntlett explains how audiences are more active than
passive towards media as they create different videos as creation causes
happiness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPuV1PvDlqE
• Its hard to tell how an audience will react to a particular media product, therefore
products are often developed so that they are similar to a previous media product
that received a good reaction. They do this in order to make sure their new media
product will also receive the same positive reaction.
• Due to this, advertising is used extortionately to attract their target audience that
would be interested in their media product.
4. Fargo Case Study
• http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fargo/4od#3711357
• The chief of the police station gets told that one of his police officers has returned.
• When getting told that the police officer has returned, one of the officers inquires whether the chief is
busy. The chief replies that he just ate an omelet and continues to talk about it with his feet resting on his
desk. This shows a negative representation of the chief police officer as he is unconcerned about the case
and is instead sitting at his desk doing nothing.
• When the chief is informed that one of his police officers (Molly) has returned, he exclaims that he
thought he had “another day” till she came back suggesting that he was going to do nothing until she got
back also saying “lets see what we’re going to do today” when he gets up to go and see Molly which
further represents the chief as useless as he only does work when Molly is around as she’s the one who
plans what they will do.
• When the chief walks in to see Molly, he sees that she has created a mind map to try and determine who
the killer is to show to the chief. However, when the chief sees the mind map, he states sarcastically “nice
collage did you take up basket weaving too in your downtime” this downgrades the police officer and
portrays the chief as unprofessional as he treats her hard work as a joke and doesn’t even bother to look
at what she’s done.
• The chief also continually cuts Molly of when she tries to explain what she’s, showing lack of teamwork
and a bad leader within the police force, portraying a negative representation of chief police men.
• Molly contrasts to this representation as Molly is a hardworking police officer who has spent her free time
researching into the case to try and identify the killer. This shows that not all police officers are useless like
the chief, and some are hardworking. However, with the lack of teamwork, you see the structure of the
police force as weak.
• Notably the authority figure is usually seen to have respect and status but instead Molly is represented in
this way. There is no sexual conflict between these characters however as Molly isn’t downgraded in any
way for being a woman.
6. Chief
• Represented as useless through his dialogue as he suggests that he
hasn’t been doing anything for the past few days while Molly has
been off duty.
• When you see the Chief at 6:50 minutes in, his mannerisms give the
audience the idea that he’d a lazy character as he has his feet on
the desk and is reading a newspaper instead of doing his job.
• The chiefs office differs drastically to Molly’s office. In the chiefs
office you can see a dead fish on the wall and also one on top of his
filing cabinets, there is also a boat behind him too. Having items like
these within his office makes him likable to the audience, including
his humour. This therefore doesn’t portray him as a villain of sorts
but instead represents him as a funny character which subtly mocks
police men.
• However, when representing a bad authority figure within a well
known profession, producers have to be aware that they cant
portray the profession in a way which will make audience lose trust
in the legal system.
7. Molly
• When you see Molly and the chief in the room
together, both are standing up which can symbolise
them being of the same level as each other.
• Molly is also introduced as a ‘gun fighter’ which
automatically makes you imagine a strong female
character.
• Molly is also dressed in a body warmer which shows
she’s ready to go outside on duty whereas the chief
isn’t which shows how he didn’t plan on completing
any work that day.
• Molly is also armed with a gun portraying her as the
dominant figure in this scene.
8. Masculinity representation
• Within this series ‘Fargo’ the Male Gaze theory doesn’t apply as the woman isn’t
represented in a sexual way, but is instead is represented as a hard worker who is
undermined by the authority figure which is the chief.
• Therefore stereotypes are neglected within Fargo as the man authority figure is
traditionally represented as masculine.
• Stereotypes are considered important within the media as the produce ideologies,
that are then transmitted to the public.
• Therefore Fargo chooses to use a contemporary stereotype of man as being
represented as in touch with his emotions. This is then transmitted to the public as
what defines “masculinity”.
• The change of how men are represented in the media has changed as women
have started becoming involved in the business. The hegemony was due to how
men used to represent their gender as dominance. However, contemporary media
has changed due to women having a say within media representations.
• Many theorists still state we are living within a patriarchy (male dominated
society) however I believe this episode of Fargo contradicts this as it men wouldn’t
represent their gender in the way Fargo has if we were living in a patriarchy.
