This document discusses representation in media and the work of several representation theorists. It explains that media represents people, places, and situations using codes and conventions to construct meanings about the world. It then summarizes the work of Richard Dyer, who analyzed media representations by asking questions about what sense of the world is portrayed and for whom. Finally, it discusses Laura Mulvey's theory of "the male gaze," which explores the objectification of women from a male perspective in media and the splitting of viewing pleasure into active/male and passive/female roles.
2. Representation is the way people, ideas and events are presented
to us. Media represents people, places and situations using codes
and conventions that the audience of the media text will be able to
understand and know what it represents. Media constructs
meanings about the world, they change and mediate what is really
there.
Representation 2
3. Richard Dyer
Richard Dyer posted questions when analysing media representations such as:
•What sense of the world is it making?
•What does it imply? Is it typical of the world or deviant
•Who is it speaking to? For whom? To whom?
•What does it represent to us and why?
•How do we respond to the representation?
Laura Mulvey
Laura Mulvey’s ‘The Male Gaze’ is the representation of women, the good wife
and sexual fantasy from the males point of view. Mulvey is a feminist theorist
she explores the idea of the gaze which involves looking at other peoples bodies,
especially erotic objects. The viewer is said to be the voyeuristic process of
objectification of female characters. The pleasure of looking has been split up
into active/male and passive/female. Males are traditionally known to treat
women as passive objects of desire where as females are there to be looked at.
Representation Theorists 3
