The Music Press: Representation

Representation

Representation is the way the media reflects the ‘real world’ back to us.

The media’s presentation is never ‘transparent.’ Every representation is biased, even by what is

included (or represented) and what is left out. All representations reflect the ideas, biases and

assumptions of the producers. The audience can also read the representations in a

biased way, or from a particular point of view. It can be a problem if we see a biased representation

so often that we start to believe it is real or true.

Watch…

Clip 7 Representations (all, 0.00- 6.10)

Representation of musicians

The Music Press helps to create and maintain the representation of bands and performers.

The representation sells an image and a lifestyle as well as the music.

Genres of music tend to be represented differently. To be successful in a genre, the performer often has to fit this expected representation.

Can you tell what kind of music someone likes by the way they look and act?

Discuss if there is a typical representation (look, image, set of behaviours and beliefs) associated with the kinds of music shown below.

Goth or emo music Heavy metal musicRap music Classical musicDance music Pop music

Genre and representation Look at the three the images below and fill in the table to compare how the performer / group

is represented. ONE DIRECTION (group shot) http://www.welovepopmag.co.uk/gallery/show/6 BLACK SABBATH

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/features/black-sabbath-respond-to-bill-wards-statement/ AUTECHRE http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/9229/

Performer Text and genre

Costume (clothes)

Props and location

Colour codes

Technical codes

Non-verbal codes

Text, Graphics,etc

Effect: What impression do we get of the performer?

One direction

We Love Pop - Pop

Clean, smart, casual

Studio

Race, gender and stereotypes

The Music Press helps to sell music by using typical representations and stereotypes.

The audience finds stereotypes (e.g. the aggressive black rapper, the wistful young white girl singer / guitarist) easy to recognise and easy to understand.

Using stereotypes makes it easier to market (sell) a musician / band.

But it also means that people who don’t fit the stereotype may be ignored or left out by the music industry (eg the young white female rapper? The old black male emos?)

It might also mean that people who are not considered physically appealing (the right age, shape, size, colour etc) are left out.

Do you think this is true? And if it is true, is it OK?

Gender

Compare images of women on an issue of Q, Kerrang! and mixmag

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/feb/24/how-lily-allen-q-cover-was-shot#zoomed-picture

http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/151/d08659159ace474082b4db4fc6ff6964/l.jpg&imgrefurl=http:/

http://www.dltmagazines.co.uk/shop/create-magazine-pack/mixmag-magazine.aspx In terms of denotation, the images denote the same thing – a

young woman. But in terms of connotations – the images suggest very different sets of ideas.

Compare the images, referring to colour codes, technical codes and non-verbal codes, especially: posture, gesture, facial expression, cropping of shot, props, background. You could construct a table, like in slide 5.

Watch…

Do women buy music magazines? in Clip 10 The Word (4.18 – 6.01)

Women in the Music Press

Many Music Press texts are aimed largely at a male readership (Kerrang! Metal Hammer, Q, Mojo, The Word, Classic Rock etc). Does this affect how women are represented? Are women represented to suit the men who read the magazines?

Is there more pressure on women performers to be attractive and sexy? Does the Music Press judge women performers on how they look, not on their music?

Do we need women-focussed music press texts? Look at these examples. Do they represent women differently to texts aimed at men? Wears the Trousers http://wearsthetrousers.com/ The Girls Are http://www.thegirlsare.com/

Race

Look at the front covers from Echoes ‘The UK’s essential black music monthly.’

http://www.newsstand.co.uk/192-Other-Magazines/929-Subscribe-to-ECHOES-MONTHLY-Magazine-Subscription.aspx

Does Echoes use a stereotyped representation of black performers?

How far do you think the following statements are true? There is a focus on male performers. They are usually tall and muscular and the

men tend to be darker- skinned, while the women are often lighter-skinned. Women are often shown as ‘props’ added in to show the man’s success or

wealth. Emphasis is placed on either rebelliousness or on visible material wealth. Many of the images portray subtle or overt anger / aggression through posture.

If you think any of these statements are true, how does it help to sell black music? Who is it selling music to?

Discussion: representation and ideology

Representation contributes to the ideology (the values and attitudes) of the Music Press. Consider the following questions. Try to give specific examples from texts to support your views.

Does the Music Press and the music industry use stereotypes to package and sell performers?Does the Music Press rely on old-fashioned ideas of feminine and masculine, or black and white to sell music?Does the Music Press present an impossible body image (‘thin is beautiful’) to girls, and increasingly to boys (the six-pack)? Do only good looking, able-bodied, young, usually heterosexual people feature in the Music Press? Does this limit what kind of performers can become successful?Does this give readers a false impression of what is ‘normal’?Does the Music Press just give the audience what it wants (pretty girls and buff men)? Is it the audience’s fault?

Beyond stereotypes

Has music moved beyond old-fashioned stereotypes?

Do ‘God Forbid’ fit with stereotypes of black performers, and of metal bands?http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/god-forbid-equilibrium-video/

Does ‘Kreayshawn’ fit with stereotypes of rap music? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/arts/music/white-female-rappers-challenging-hip-hops-masculine-ideal.html?pagewanted=all

Does Adele fit with the ‘thin = beautiful’ stereotype?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2098419/Adele-hits-Karl-Lagerfelds-fat-comment.html

What stereotypes does Beth Ditto challenge?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2145948/Cannes-2012-Beth-Ditto-wife-Kristen-Ogata-share-kiss-Rust-Bone-premiere.html

Summary

Explain these terms:

Representation Stereotypes Bias