2. What is representation?
• Representation can be defined as the way something or
someone is portrayed in a particular way to mean something,
or as being of a certain nature.
• All media texts are representations of reality. This means that
all media texts are intentionally put together, and targeted by
their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of
the reality we perceive around us.
• Every media form is a representation of someone's concept of
existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which
can be read by an audience
• Representation within media texts such as films most
commonly represents particular social groups, such as
gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexuality and culture.
3. Representation Theorists
An important and famous representation theorist would be Laura Mulvey.
• Gaze and feminist theory Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male Gaze’ in 1975. She
believes that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a
heterosexual male.
• “Looking at film through the eyes of a man.”
• Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the
narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.
Laura Mulvey’s theory is very applicable to the horror genre, as in many horror texts, the
woman is portrayed as beautiful and weak.
There are many horror films that heavily use Laura Mulvey’s theory. This is because
young males are typically the main demographic target audience for most horror
media texts.
Horror films being of sub-genre “Exploitation Horror” heavily use Laura Mulvey’s theory,
in which females are massively portrayed as sex objects. Films like this include,
Piranha 3D, Jennifer’s Body and Strippers Vs Werewolves, which I have included
their posters below. These clearly show this representation of women through the use
of beautiful women wearing little clothing, with main focus on their bodies.
