Response

How do you, as a Comms student, react to this text? What key concepts are relevant here?  Write a detailed blog post analysing the video.

Some areas / starting points for your analysis:
What does the location of the clip suggest to you?
What is he wearing? What does this suggest about his identity?
What is the importance of cookery shows as a cultural practice?  How has he exploited this?
What are his political views? How might they conflict with the content of this clip?
What does this clip say about the importance of food and group/personal identity?
Who are the audience for this clip?  What message might Nick Griffin want them to receive?

Use these questions as the basis for your response, but feel free to explore other areas also.


The genre of this text is a YouTube video, with an informal register, an audience of older males, a spoken mode, and a purpose to inform and persuade the audience to form a view. The subject being cooking.

The location of the text suggests that Nick is homely, and features within the room seem to give off masculine energy. As there isn't many things within the room that resemble women. It also seems very dark.

He seems to be wearing a rugby top, this suggests that he is proud, and patriotic. And see's being part of a group (supporters) part of his identity. It also suggests he thinks of himself as very masculine, as sports such as rugby have male connotations to it dominantly.

Cookery shows are very much part of British Culture. As people are always seeking to learn new skills such as cooking, and its very much both genders within Britain, as there isn't such a dominant ideology on just female cooks. As in Britain most know chefs are males. This is important as Nick makes a comment about how many women cannot cook, and put food on the table for their family.

This clip puts a huge amount of importance on food, and seems to link it to family ( a group) and being able to keep the family unit close. 

The audience will be predominantly males, with an androcentric view. Around the age of 40/50. And Nick (the sender) wants the audience of males (receiver) to receive the message that males can provide their family, more than financially as women are incapable. [process approach].

Barbie

The image shown in terms of the process approach- the sender being facebook (Cancer and alopechia page), with the message being that all people are beautiful including cancer patients, and the reciever being all who come into contact with it- facebook users.

This image of a bold barbie is the signifier, it signifies beauty amongst all people, and it communicates with us as an audience, the importance of self-esteem, confidence and support in which these ill patients should have. The index of the bow/cancer sign, has meaning to us. It represents unity, and support and ties it all into one, this is now used by many to show their support by displaying it visibly. It also adds to their identity, and makes them feel part of a group.

The acronym used 'Bald And Really Beautiful Is Extraordinary' sentisises us as an audience, and makes us want to see more support for these types of illnesses.

The icon of barbie has many connotations to it such as skinny, beautiful, blonde, perfect. This is the myth and dominant ideology that is accepted. But this text is aimed to shock the reader and show cancer patients can be just as beautiful as a 'normal' barbie.

Popular Culture.

Popular culture activities.

• Football- positive effects on society- brings people together. Negative- fights, outbreaks e.g. Hillsborough
• shopping- positive- builds self esteem.
• Soaps- gratification, 
• Karaoke- builds self esteem

A) One of the great things about popular culture is that it allows people to express their individulality.

B) Popular cultural activities often encourage controversial, potentially damaging behaviour.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7992845.stm

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/exposing-negative-effects-technology-kids-14909.html

C) Popular cultural activities are worthy of study because they give insights into the beliefs and values associated with our culture.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9685205/Is-the-traditional-Sunday-roast-a-thing-of-the-past.html

http://uk-foods.co.uk/history-of-the-english-sunday-roast/

Reading an image

This is the British actress Tilda Swinton, she is in Russia supporting gay rights, many celebrities have done this recently, especially due to the upcoming Olympics.  This is because it seems to be very few countries still that discriminate against the gay community, whereas many countries have came to accept it, and have hate crime laws to stop any further discrimination that may arise. This act by Tilda was named "Gay propoganda" by the president of Russia. 


This text is a picture of a woman holding the gay flag in Russia with police following closely behind.
This is so significant as in Russia it is against the law to publicly display same sex relationships.
This is part of their culture, it is not widely accepted to be gay, and there are rules to when and if you can show your affection to the same sex. In this relationship the police and higher authority hold the power, but this woman is not only representing the gay community in Russia, she is supporting all gay rights across the globe.

Being gay is part of your identity, it makes you who you are, it can influence the way you express yourself among other things. By this woman holding the gay flag it communicates to us the pride she holds to be gay or the support that she wants to share with others. It is so significant as it shows a clear set of codes- you aren't supposed to show support especially in front of the palace and the police.

Task 1- question 2 exam paper

Self concept can be defined as the idea we have of ourselves as individuals. Explore one of the following statements about self-concept, using examples from your studies and experiences.

• Our self concept relies heavily on the feedback we receive from others.

Feedback can often affect someone's way of thinking about their-self, it can boost self esteem, or knock it. If someone speaks badly of you, you would assume it could have an affect on the way you think about yourself and your confidence- especially if you already thought bad of yourself and someone confirmed it. Rogers spoke about our ideal-self (the person we would like to be) and our self-image (how we see ourselves) if someone confirms our self image is far from our ideal self it may mean our gap between self image and ideal self is very big, making our self esteem very low. For example if you would like to think that you are smart, and you get a result back which in reality is not so good, it confirms the reality, therefore lowering that persons self esteem.

If my friends give me good feedback and confirm my self concept or give me complements, it boosts my self esteem, and allows me to higher my expectations and feel better about myself, but if they dismiss me or give me negative feedback my self esteem would lower, I would feel less confident in myself and overall not feel myself. Because of this I would usually keep quiet and let people not see my 'Hidden self' and try to downplay my 'Open self' (Johari Window) because generally I have a very loud, bubbly personality and it does not always work in my favour. This would also happen if someone was to say a face threatening act to me (Ervin Goffman). Ervin Goffman speaks about how we have 2 faces, a positive and negative face and when people are intentionally trying to offend they may say something more bluntly- 'I don't like you'. This will knock your self esteem and may then change your self concept.

Jewelry- My watch

My watch is a Michael Kors, silver and gold watch.

To me my watch represents me working hard, I had to work to get the money to pay for it, and it was the first expensive thing I brought myself out of my wages.


Representation: My watch represents money and work.



Piercings
I get a new piercing every year or so whenever i'm on holiday, it's almost like a tradition and my culture. Holiday's are when you are care free and I suppose a piercing to me shows fun and happiness. Also my mum doesn't like them, so it seems like I do it to spit her or rebel against her because of how much she hates me having them, and when she gives in and says I can have another one- I find it funny. It is part of my identity, because it modifies my body, it allows me to communicate messages about myself non verbally, and it sends messages about my personality.

My response

"Perhaps I'm getting too old to understand but it seems to me that most young people today go out of their way to look ridiculous. Perhaps they just don't like themselves. How else can you explain the tattoos and body piercings? Why else would they dress in the style of convicts, hardened criminals or extras from a horror film? As for music, the most popular types seem to celebrate negative or anti-social behaviour: violence, drug abuse, suicide, selfharm and anti-materialism. Is it all the fault of the older generation for bringing up youths who just reject society's values"


This person is clearly cannot except subcultures, and changes in society. I can assume the writer fully supports the society's ideology mainly held by the older generation.

Just because you are a youth and have tattoos does not mean that you will then display anti-social behaviour, and support violence and drugs. I have a few piercings but I don't take drugs, i'm not anti social, nor do I self harm, or condon suicide. Nor do I display violent behaviour.