Media representation refer to the ways in which the media portray a particular group, community, experience, idea, or topic from a particular ideological or value perspective.

Media representation may present itself as representing reality, but oftentimes the media“re-present” reality. The media recreates a new type of reality for the audience to consume.

There are a variety of reasons for this. For example...

Advertisers may present a reality that situates their product as fulfilling a need or desire. For example, the Axe ad above presents a reality about sexual desire and fantasy.

You are then expected to link their product to achieving what they’ve presented as a desirable reality.

These beer ads presents beer as a primary component to an exciting party. (A party with young people = drinking beer)

SUV ads present their cars as a component of rugged and adventurous living.

You can dominante the natural landscape with a SUV!

In television and movies, the media “re-presents” reality in order to deliver meaning quickly and to connect with the audience.

For example: think about the media’s use of high school stereotypes.

What purpose do they serve?

Or think about how the high school experience in television and movies are depicted.

In Easy A, Emma Stone plays Olive Penderghast, a teenager in high school who told a lie about how she lost her virginity.

Watch the trailer and observe how the high school experience is depicted.

Another example of how the media “re-presents” reality can be found in romance films.

Watch the movie trailer for The Ugly Truth and think about the following:

• What is a woman’s priority?• What is a man’s priority?• How does love look like? • How should a relationship be

like?

The problem with media representation is that it often creates idealized realities that do not work or co-exist well with alternate realities.

Think back to the documentary Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry.

Think about not just how the media functions in China, but also about our perception of China in the Western world.

We often negotiate meanings within our lives. The media may present one reality and we negotiate the meaning behind that with what we know.

That’s easier for things we have or will experience.

But what happens when we encounter an experience or topic that we have NO frame of reference for?

WHY ARE STEREOTYPES PROBLEMATIC?

1. Reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations.

2. Transforms assumptions about particular groups of people into “realities”.

3. Be used to justify the position of those in power.

4. Perpetuate social prejudice and inequality.

Your task is as follows:

Select a topic or an experience that is often represented in the media. Pick something that you wouldn’t typically explore.

Example:

• People with disabilities• A country (England, Afghanistan, Cuba, etc)• Native Americans in the media• Seniors• Crime scene investigators

OBSERVATION: Make three observations regarding how your particular group/topic/experience is represented in films. Use 3 specific examples (one of them must be a film) to support your ideas.

ANALYSIS: For each observation, explain how that reality is either misrepresented, simplistic, etc.

CONSEQUENCE: Explain what the consequences of media representation on your topic using the four reasons why stereotypes are problematic as your guide.