a ttitude website A Level Media Studies - PowerPoint Presentation

attitude website A Level Media Studies

What’s it all about? Attitude magazine’s website is a case study for Component 2 question 3: Online. It is studied alongside Zoella . You may be asked to compare to Zoella , you may be asked to talk about Attitude alongside Zoella (but not directly compare), you may be asked separate questions about Attitude and Zoella (one question in Component 2 will be split). You need to study all areas of the media framework: media language, representation, audience, industry and contexts. You will need to be able to apply media theorists and the questions may ask for one specific named theorist.

What is Attitude? A gay men’s lifestyle magazine launched in 1994. Britain’s leading gay magazine. Also has international versions = successful.

First, a bit of context Homosexuality in the 1990s 1990: The first gay pride event is held in Manchester. In July 1990, 4 gay men (Christopher Schliach , Henry Bright, William Dalziel and Michael Boothe) were murdered. Hundreds of lesbians and gay men marched from the park where Boothe had been killed to Ealing town hall and held a candlelight memorial. Justin Fashanu became the first professional footballer to come out in the press, but later subsequently committed suicide.1991: Queen singer Freddie Mercury announced that he had AIDS; he dies the following day. 1992: The first Pride Festival was held in Brighton. 1994 : An amendment was introduced to lower the age of consent for homosexual acts, from 21 to 16 in line with that for heterosexual acts. Instead it was lowered to 18 . 1997 : Angela Eagle, Labour MP for Wallasey, becomes the first MP to come out voluntarily as a lesbian. Gay partners were given equal immigration rights. 1999 : In May, a gay pub called The Admiral Duncan in Soho, was bombed by former British National Party member David Copeland, killing three people and wounding at least 70. The equal age of consent proposed by the Labour Government was blocked again, after a campaign by Conservative MP Baroness Young was held against it.

Section 28 The amendment stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality“ in schools. Background : One of the reasons behind this section being created was because of how media presented AIDS/HIV in the 1980s. The media created this negative stigma against gay/bisexual men and this correlated with the higher number of homophobic/ biphobic incidents afterwards.During the 1987 election campaign, the Conservative Party (under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher) issued attack posters claiming that the Labour Party wanted the book Young, Gay and Proud to be read in schoolsLegalisation This section became law on 24 May 1988. several protests were staged the night before by lesbian women, which included abseiling into Parliament, and one woman managed to chain herself to Sue Lawley’s desk, and was sat on by newsreader Nicholas Witchell . Repeal On 7 February 2000, the first attempted legislation to repeal Section 28 was introduced by the Labour Government, but was defeated by a House of Lords campaign led by Baroness Young. On Thursday 18 September 2003 the Local Government Bill received Royal Assent and Section 28 was finally taken off the statute books. However, Kent County Council decided to create their own version of Section 28 to keep the effect of the now repealed law in their schools. This was eventually quashed by the Equality Act 2010.

How have things changed? Homosexuality is more socially acceptable In 2014, gay marriage was made legal in the UK A lot more allies compared to the 1990s Less of a negative stigma (especially in the UK) Less of a stereotype that all gay men are ‘flamboyant’ and all lesbians are ‘butch’ or ‘manly ’.More representations of homosexuality in the media = normalised.

History of homosexuality in the media There is more representation in the media, instead of being the token ‘gay person’ in a show: TV shows like Queer Eye introduce the modern idea of Metrosexual (A straight man who is interested in personal hygiene, fashion and shopping which is traditionally associated with gay men) through the use of five gay men of all races, and only one of them fits the stereotype of being flamboyant. My Beautiful Laundrette is a 1985 British comedy-drama film, set in London during the Thatcher years and presents relationships between members of the Pakistani and English communities. The film focuses on Omar, a young Pakistani man living in London, and his old friend street punk named Johnny, they then both become business managers for a laundrette.The first gay kiss on UK television was between Colin Russell and Barry Clark on EastEnders in 1987, during the AIDS crisis, so it caused a lot of controversy in the press. The first lesbian kiss on UK television was between Margaret Clemence and Beth Jordache on Brookside in 1994. Queer as Folk 1999 British television series that follows the lives of three gay men living in Manchester's gay village around Canal Street. The show focuses on three gay men (Stuart Allen Jones, Vince Tyler and Nathan Maloney). Though the TV show is agood depiction of the lives of gay men, all the actors playing these characters are straight men.

Media Language Masthead – sans serif, no capitals (modern, informal) Colour Palette – bright colours, but lots of white space (crisp, clean layout). Topic colours (underneath stories) are all rainbow banner colours Website layout & design – newest stories at the top (immediacy), stories categorised by topic. All shaped the same = consistent, clean layout (similar to other sites such as YouTube). Easy to navigate. Professional, but not flashy. Website features – navigation bar, search box, picture slideshow, hyperlinks, videos, social media links (convergence) Mode of address – informal on the whole, however more serious topics have more formal language to connote serious nature of story. Mediation & Ideology – most stories specifically linked to homosexuality, gay culture, things that affect gay people (e.g. homophobia, specific diseases). Ideology = left wing (although apolitical) and liberal. Multimodality & Hypermodality – uses a variety of mediums (text, video, images) & hyperlinks = both.

Barthes’ mythologies The pride flag is a powerful symbol in the media. On a denotative level, it’s some colours on a flag. On a connotative level it’s a symbolic sign for LGBTQ+. The banner to the right also includes BAME (to increase inclusivity in the gay community) On a mythic level it connotes tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality in the modern Western World. It also connotes the struggle against oppression homosexuals have had to overcome to get to this point. The rainbow reflects variety (and now each stripe represents a different facet of LGBTQ+). It was first adopted in 1978 and has undergone various changes (interesting article if you’re into learning the meanings and origins of signs).

Structuralism (Binary opposites – Levi Strauss) What binary opposites are created in Attitude’s website? The obvious one is gay vs straight – how is this presented? Is it as simple as two opposing points of view? How are straight people constructed/ represented? How are countries which are intolerant towards homosexuality constructed?

Representations Being the website for a gay magazine (aimed at men), Attitude is great for analysing representations of homosexuality. Whilst none of the theorists we have studied specifically analyse homosexuality, Hall’s stereotypes vs Gauntlett’s Identity (pick’n’mix ) theory is a good staring point. Butler’s Gender Performativity is also useful as it has been termed ‘queer theory’ by some (not meaning queer as gay, but as different/against stereotypical perceptions of ‘normal’). Gilroy and to some extent hooks can be used when analysing representations of race/ethnicity. You could also argue it goes against Van Zoonen as men are being objectified/sexualised.

Traditional representations of homosexuality in the media In the past, homosexuals have been represented as ‘other’ (similarly to ethnic minorities) and ‘dangerous’. This is partially linked to traditional ideologies created/reinforced by religion, and was built upon during the 1980s AIDS crisis as gay men were though to be the only victims at first. Homosexuality is still considered dangerous by some, and until recently gay men were not allowed to give blood within three months of having sex. According to Wikipedia: “Historically , the portrayal of the LGBT community in media has been negative, reflecting the intolerance for the LGBT community seen in cultures; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the depictions of LGBT individuals, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America .  The LGBT community has taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining its own culture with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media.

Traditional representations of homosexuality in the media This positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBT community in media has served to increase acceptance and support for the LGBT community, establish the LGBT community as a norm, and provide information on the topic. Gwendolyn Audrey Foster admits, "We may still live in a world of white dominance and  heterocentrism , but I think we can agree that we are in the midst of postmodern destabilizing forces when it comes to sexuality and race." ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_portrayal_of_LGBT_peoplehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2011.546729 http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/media-issues/diversity-media/queer-representation/queer-representation-film-television https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=pjcr

Common stereotypes Campness / effeminacy (acting like a woman) Obsessed with fashion Obsessed with physique Promiscuous Kinky sex / unsafe Psychopaths (e.g. Psycho (1960): Normal Bates is heavily coded as gay; Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs (1989) is a serial killing transsexual)DISCO! http://www.thebrunettediaries.com/5-gay-men-stereotypes-that-exist-and-should-be-avoided

So how does Attitude represent gay men? Attitude is better than the mainstream media as it shows a variety of representations of homosexuality. It covers serious gay issues including politics, identity, haw to deal with foreign cultures which may be homophobic on holiday etc. Many of its columnists and opinion articles represent gay men as normal people from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of opinions, body shapes etc. (e.g. Owen Jones, Ben Hunte ). The entertainment section showcases a variety of film, TV and music genres, again showing a broad variety of representations. There’s even an article on the ‘queer’ reading of horror film Hellraiser.

But… It can be argued on the whole it represents a narrow view of gay masculinity . It arguably reinforces stereotypes of physical masculinity (e.g. gym toned, shaven chested men) in their ‘boys’ page and some entertainment stories, which obsess over handsome (often straight) celebrities. To some degree it reinforces stereotypes through the choice of topics and stories (e.g. a ‘theatre’ tab, lots of emphasis on ‘camp’ music and Eurovision). Opinion columnist Anthony Gilét represents himself in a stereotypical way – obsessed with youth, appearance, penis size and promiscuity. This may be intentionally ironic however. It doesn’t offer many representations of ethnic minorities (although this is a criticism it is attempting to change).

Race/ethnicity As previously argued, Attitude has been accused of being ethnocentric (revolving around one ethnicity, in this case Caucasian). Attitude have recently started to try to improve representation of ethnic minorities. Recent articles have covered Manchester Pride’s changing of the iconic rainbow flag to include black and brown stripes (ethnic minority groups oaten find it harder to come out and receive less support in the gay community). Attitude not only covered the initial story, but also followed up on reaction (some people were against it) and continued to cover it when their editor Cliff Joannou discussed it in their Pride, not Prejudice panel (an event co-founded by Attitude aimed at discussing issues around race & ethnicity in the gay community). This video was also livestreamed on YouTube ( convergence ). By giving stories such as these increased coverage, Attitude aims to normalise ethnic minority representations of homosexuality through repetition ( Gerbner’s cultivation theory ).

Age Like race/ethnicity, it is hard to find representations of older gay men in Attitude. Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart feature in articles about entertainment and politics, but that’s about it. Anthony Gilét’s column deals with his struggles over deciding whether or not to date older men (because other people perceive him to be a gold digger). He seems to conclude older men are good because they’re mature, but then ends up sleeping with a younger man because he’s attractive (and then regretting it because he’s dumb and shallow). This could simply reflect the demographic of the magazine, however it could also be argued it reinforces stereotypes of homosexual men being obsessed with youth & appearance.

Applying theory How far does Attitude follow Hall’s representation theory? How far does it follow Gauntlett’s identity theory? What may Gilroy argue about representations of ethnicity in Attitude? What would Butler argue about the way gender is ‘performed’ in Attitude?

Industry Attitude was originally published in 1994 by Richard Desmond’s (former pornographer and owner of The Express) Northern & Shell group. It was sold in 2004 and went through a variety of owners until purchased by Stream Publishing in 2014. It can be argued it is a response to the rise of heterosexual male lifestyle magazines in the mid-90s (nicknamed ‘lad’s mags) such as Loaded and FHM (the masthead is even in a similar font to Loaded, and the mode of address is similar in tone, language and sexualisation). In 2014 Attitude was purchased by Stream Publishing, an independent publishing company: “By bringing Attitude into the Stream family, it can enjoy the support of a larger publisher with greater resources, but - given our entrepreneurial nature - continue to enjoy the freedom and independence a title with maverick tendencies sometimes needs.”

Stream Publishing LTD Stream are an independent publishing company with a fairly small staff who are mostly known for making magazines for corporations (e.g. the ones you get on airplanes). The MD, Darren Styles started the company on his own. As well as publishing for corporations, they also own the English language version of Dutch luxury gay lifestyle magazine Winq . Styles is gay (and Attitude’s first gay owner) and was awarded an OBE in 2018. Looking at Stream’s website, you can see they pride themselves on being different. Whilst they are professional, they have a sense of fun and take risks. I tried to find accounting details from Companies House, but can only tell you they have assets of around £400,000. I have no idea about revenue & profit (sorry).

Industry Curran & Seaton – whilst Attitude used to be owned by a media conglomerate, it is now owned by an independent publisher. This allows more creative freedom and less commercial (economic) pressure to push for profit & power. Whilst Stream still want to make a profit, they are free to make decisions which more mainstream publishers may not do. Challenges C&S to some extent. The website it easy to navigate and use – multimodal/ hypermodal = would appeal to neophiles Hesmondhalgh – by using a website as a marketing tool (and social media), Stream are attempting to maximise audiences and take less risk. Stream are a LTD, but have one shareholder, Darren Styles – he is free to take as many risks as he wants because he answers only to himself. It could also be argued Stream has reduced risk by diversifying their products (not just high end corporate magazines, but also moving into lifestyle/wider audience) Livingstone & Lunt – Attitude magazine’s website is regulated by Ofcom. YouTube self-regulates. There is an ongoing argument into how far/whether the internet should be regulated. Is there any content on the Attitude website which you would argue should be edited/censored? Interesting (long) article on regulation/control of the internet

Audience According to Attitude’s media kit, their target audience is The key questions to consider are: How does Attitude appeal to audiences? How does Attitude construct/position audiences? How may different audiences respond in different ways to Attitude?

YouGov Profile YouGov does audience profiling. Their profile of Attitude is:

How does Attitude appeal to audiences? How does Attitude’s website appeal to its target audience? What uses & gratifications does it fulfil?

How does Attitude construct & position audiences? Remember all texts have been constructed in a certain way for a reason. Everything has been selected, composed, edited before it gets to the audience. Within this construction the producers are already thinking about their target audience. Attitude constructs its audience through choice of stories, how stories are mediated (e.g. ideology), mode of address (a mixture of formal (e.g. news & politics stories) and informal (e.g. boys, entertainment, opinion; direct to create relationships between audience & producers). Whilst this constructed audience may not agree with all of the points of view shown, they can negotiate their readings (Hall) and pick’n’mix the representations they wish to ( Gauntlett ).

How may different audiences respond in different ways to Attitude? Stuart Hall argues producers encode meanings into their texts and audiences then decode the texts. Each audience member is different, with different experiences and ideas, so not all audiences will respond in the same way. The preferred reading of Attitude’s website (probably by a gay man) would be it is informative, entertaining and fun, and makes them want to buy the magazine. They would be interested in many of the topics and probably agree with the ideologies expressed within. They would probably share or like on social media. It would give them a sense of personal identity and make them feel less marginalised.

How may different audiences respond in different ways to Attitude? A negotiated reading (possibly as an older gay man, or ethnic minority gay man) may include agreeing with the overall ideology and finding some articles interesting, but finding Attitude offers a narrow range of experiences and representations of homosexuality and therefore being frustrated as it doesn’t offer a sense of personal identity. An oppositional reading (e.g. a homophobic straight man) would reject the ideas as they find the images of semi-naked men offensive and the idea of promoting a homosexual lifestyle as normal wrong. They may find political articles such as the article criticising a woman on TV who called homosexuality ‘a choice’ offensive as they may hold that view as well. Overall, due to their own personal ideologies they would not be able to accept the messages contained in Attitude’s website.

New Technology & Interactivity Clay Shirky argues audiences are no longer passive and since the advent of Web 2.0 audiences have the power to ‘talk back’ and be producers. Most websites for newspapers and magazines (e.g. The Mirror) allow audiences to leave comments and interact with both the producers and each other. Attitude is a little different. There is no ability to comment on articles (although social media links allow sharing). There is a ‘get in touch’ link, but that’s about it. In this way Attitude’s website is much more like a traditional magazine. This may be to encourage subscription. Attitude’s YouTube page however allows comments (although few people do) Like most magazines nowadays, Attitude also has a Facebook page (over 780,000 followers); Twitter (170,000 followers) & Instagram (180,000 followers)

Comparisons to Zoella When comparing to Zoella , consider the following: Zoella targets a mainstream audience, whereas Attitude targets a niche/specialised audience. Zoella constructs mainstream representations of heterosexual femininity whereas Attitude attempts to construct a realistic and varied representation of homosexual masculinity (although at the same time reinforces stereotypical representations of hypermasculinity and homosexuality to some extent).Zoella started as independent and amateur, but now has high production values and is managed by a management company. Zoella became popular because of her approachability and relatability, but has become less popular as she has become more ‘corporate/polished’. Attitude on the other hand is a website used to promote a magazine, so (even though it is published independently) will always have a polished style. Both construct and position audiences to agree with preferred readings through use of mediation, media language and mode of address. Both may be rejected by audiences (e.g. people who think Zoella is ‘fake/superficial’; homophobes). Both are examples of how changes to technology have changed our relationship with the media and have allowed more variety of representations (supporting Gauntlett’s identity theory). However it can be argued both still stick to tried and tested representations to target audiences.

Possible questions Explain how social and cultural contexts influence responses to online media products. Refer to Attitude to support your response . Explore how the representations on Attitude’s website position audiencesHow far can aspects of identity be seen to affect the way in which audiences use online media? Discuss, with reference to Attitude.  what does this question even mean?