Sunday, 3 April 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Task 6 - Theory Into Practice
I'm going to use Garry's post on Surveillance and Foucault and apply that to my Image module work about Facebook, using type as image.
Garry quote to support evaluation
'If you look at how graphic design helps in the formation of social and cultural identities, it is reasonable to suggest that class, racial/ethnic age and gender groups etc. are often represented by stereotypes within the graphic design industry.'
This piece was a way of communicating Facebook using type and applying that to an image to represent the social website. Just as Garry discussed in his post I was trying to use an image to portray the subject but as a result it seemed to get stereotyped. Being that the subject is Facebook and it is all about communicating, socialising online, there is a common stereotype that it is mainly used by young people who prefer to do their main communicating through the internet rather than in the 'real world'. This image that I have used does suggest I am stereotyping this group of people but for such a specific subject it is hard not to fall into the trap of using the easiest and most suitable method of graphics or imagery to communicate it.
Task 5 - Sustainability and Capitalism
Read the text- Balser, E (2008) 'Capital Accumulation, Sustainability & Hamilton Ontario'.
Write a 500 word critical summary of the text which explicitly addresses the following questions
Write a 500 word critical summary of the text which explicitly addresses the following questions
- How is sustainability defined in the text?
- What are the main characteristics or tendencies of Capitalism
- Define a 'crisis of Capitalism'. Offer an example.
- What solutions have been offered to the sustainability question? Are these successful or realistic? - If not why are they flawed?
- Is the concept of sustainability compatible with Capitalism?
In the text, Bulser defines sustainability as inter- and intra-generational equity in the social, environmental, economic, moral and political spheres of society.' Sustainability has become a new “buzzword” which everyone wants to be a part of and involved in. It is saying that it wants to make people change their lifestyles and approaches to the environment. But it has the potential to 'become about individual decisions and technological innovations to delay and reinvent the ecological limitations imposed on our current lifestyles.'
The main characteristic of capitalism is that it relies on and requires a lot of money to sustain it. It is always looking for something new to profit from and it is growing by ‘trapping things’ in its ‘diverse web’. It is a system that thrives on either ‘subsuming non-capital markets or by intensifying internal markets.'
Task 4 - Communication Theory
For this Toy Story 3 billboard, the information source is the designer. They are the ones responsible for transmitting the message by making it visual for the audience to see. The imagery and the text work together as transmitters to help visualise the message and those two make up the channel, the billboard. The receiver is the way in which the billboard is viewed. The destination for this message is the viewer as they are the ones who receive the message.
There is a lot of potential noise with this model. Firstly, there is only one use of imagery related to the film so this could be seen as being quote entropic. Certain receivers might not know who the character is so that can cause confusion and a wrong way of advertising a film. Secondly, there is no mention of the actual film, only the number 3. Again, this could cause confusion for the certain receivers. Another thing is what it is advertising. They could be advertising merchandise for the film instead of clearing identifying they are promoting the film’s release. The addition of ‘in cinemas’ could correct that unintended noise. One last thing was there is no mention of the year the film is being released. Many films advertise way in advance and this could be a problem for the film if it gives the wrong, or even no information about the full details of the release of the film. Having inappropriate design layout and information can cause unnecessary noise for the receiver.
Final Year 2 Essay
Changes made to Essay
- Developed introduction of the theory of the Gaze and more in depth analysis of Coward's theory.
- Extended sources and bibliography
- More quotes included in introduction and critical analysis of examples
The Gaze within the Rap Music Industry
The gaze is a relationship, in which power is unequal. There is one person who is gazing and another who is the subject of the gaze. There are 4 different types of the gaze (spectator’s gaze, intra-diagetic gaze, extra-diagetic gaze and suture), each of which evokes a different power structure. The spectator’s gaze accounts for the way in which the image, and the people within it, is viewed (e.g. looking at a painting). An intra-diagetic gaze is when the subjects within an image are looking at each other. This does not prompt an emotional response from the spectator, as they are not involved in it. On the other hand, an extra-diagetic gaze directly involves the spectator, as it is directly addressed to the viewer. This type of gaze is much more affecting as it feels very personal as you are being directly involved. This enhances any feelings of guilt. Suture also makes the viewer feel more involved as it allows them to look through the eyes of the actor or photographer and follow ‘their’ gaze. While suture does not make them feel the same guilt, as we are aware that it is not really us gazing, when it is broken we are aware of our own gaze. This has the ability to make us feel guilty as we feel voyeuristic.
These different gazes can be caused by the likes of Freud’s idea of scopophilia – ‘the subject takes other people as objects of (sexual) pleasure by subjecting them to a controlling and curious gaze’ (Freud, 1908, p169) Or, the gaze could result in narcissistic identification, where the spectator identifies with the male hero in the image or film. Visual culture employs different forms of the gaze to evoke structures of patriarchy – particularly in industries that are largely controlled by men.
Coward’s theory of the gaze focuses on a male gaze and that ‘looking is not a neutral activity.’ (Coward, 1984, p33) She suggests that men look at women from a distance. This gaze dominates real human relations as men begin to prefer ‘sex-at-a-distance.’ (Coward, p34) If it is not at a distance then the men can be gazed at too. This is because they are concerned that the reality will not live to the ideological fantasy of being dominant and the women being submissive. This leads to Peeping Toms as this allows him to stay in control – ‘distanced he may be, but secure he remains.’ (Coward, p35)
Women know that their appearance is being constantly scrutinized, and this is the main basis on which they form relationships with men. For this reason they want to make every aspect of their body perfect to satisfy men. This is further driven by the fact that men control the visual media, which produce the images of other women in magazines, that women identify with. This puts men in full control of the way in which women look. The idea of women being an object of desire and being judged from an instant look from a man tells us that this theory can be found everywhere in society - in advertising, cinema, the media and music.
Rap music and its associated artwork is a good example of the way in which the gaze is employed within visual culture. Before looking at the artwork, however, it is necessary to first look at the way in which women are talked about and objectified within the lyrics, as this is what sets the tone for the artwork. The subject of the gaze theory and music creates a perfect example of how an industry and genre controls and influences their audiences to a point where they formulate imitators and new artists to continue this theory from the origins of the genre to the present day. The treatment of women within rap lyrics is the cause of a long dispute. Many artists attempt to use as many offensive and derogatory words about women as possible. Coward’s claims that ‘the look is largely controlled by men’ (1984, p33) and ‘men also control the visual media’ (1984, p33) seem correct when talking about the rap industry. Although, numerous examples of albums could be found, one that stands out in particular is Dr Dre’s ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ (1992).
There is no escaping the explicit content of this song. [Fig.1] There are 51 explicit words in total – all aimed at women, with the opening line beginning with ‘Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks.’ The theme of this song is about their poor treatment of women - having sex with them and taking their money and making a ‘dash’ for it. The chorus says ‘Lick on these nuts and suck the dick, get the fuck out after you’re done and hop in my ride to make a quick run.’ Immediately, the rappers are expressing their views of these women, and acknowledging that they do not care about them; all they want is sex and get out as soon as they can. This continues throughout the song, as does expressing their main goal of having sex and leaving with the money. The language and tone used gives a quick sense of how these men feel towards women, or ‘hoes’ as they are referred to. This shows that the men within the rap industry view women as objects there simply for their own pleasure, rather than as fellow human beings. There is no mention of anything positive or respectful towards the women. However, ‘words are acts, essentially the practices they constitute rather than the expressions of the ideas they embody.’ (Armstrong, 1987, p2) This reveals that the rappers are only speaking about women in this way to appear tough and uphold their reputation, and they would not actually take these actions themselves. Nevertheless, there is something wrong with an industry that requires such a degrading male view on women to sustain it and form the main basis of its views.
Listening to this song makes you feel any woman would have a lot to say to these rappers. However, something that could confuse the listener is the inclusion of the female rapper, Jewell. Not only does she agree with what the male rappers have said, but she seems to be glorifying the idea of being associated as a hoe. She raps ‘...But when I’m on a dick, hell yeah, I get real mean/Like a washing machine.’ That is not something you would expect to hear from a female after listening to the males views to women. This is supported by Coward’s idea that women try and identify themselves with the male views of what women should be like and that women constantly regulate themselves accordingly.
‘Looking has become a crucial aspect of sexual relations.’ (Coward, 1984, p34) This idea is perfectly illustrated by the album artwork of Ice T’s ‘Ganger Rap’. [Fig.7] This image instantly evokes numerous questions, but it is obvious that Ice T wants to get a reaction from viewers. As the man who invented gangster rap in the mid 1980’s, he wants to flaunt his status and the fact that he is still maintaining his reputation in 2006. The most predominant feature of this album cover is the way in which Ice T and his wife Coco are positioned. This pose is undeniably of a sexual nature; the setting of the image, and the nudity of both individuals add to this idea. The subjects seem unembarrassed to be seen in this state – perhaps they are unaware that they are being viewed, or maybe it is something they are comfortable with. However, one could also suggest that the subjects are just averting their gazes so as not to look at the viewer – perhaps out of shame or embarrassment for being caught in a sexual act. Or, it could also be said that Ice T was aware of being watched as he wants to flaunt his conquests, but his wife following orders. This concurs with the idea of the man being dominant, and the woman being submissive; ‘A man's presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. By contrast, a woman's presence . . . defines what can and cannot be done to her’ (Berger, 1977, p62)
The angle from which this image has been taken seems to suggest that the viewer is a peeping tom and intruding on the subjects’ private time. This instantly makes the viewer feel voyeuristic, especially once they are aware of their own gaze in to the bedroom. Coward sides with the peeping toms by saying ‘Peeping Toms can always stay in control’ (1984, p34) This feeling of guilt is furthered by the fact that the subjects may not even be aware of the fact that you have just been watching them.
This image is framed beautifully in a very traditional and formal picture frame. This leads one to believe that this image is to be viewed as wall art, like a painting. This reveals Ice T’s confidence, and the fact that he is willing to exploit his own marriage for his profession as a rapper. Mulvey (1975, p13) says ‘In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness’
Another prime example of The Gaze theory within rap music is a piece of album cover artwork by rapper Snoop Dogg off his 1992 debut album ‘Doggystyle’. This cover art turns into a fold out mini comic. The subject matter of the comic suggests that it is something that is taking place in his head, almost like a dream, or a fantasy that he wishes he could live out. One thing that you cannot miss is the fact that his rap name is Snoop Doggy Dogg and the illustration depicts him and the female as dogs. This is suggesting that he can get away with calling the female a bitch because that is the correct term for a female dog. Therefore, he sees no problem in referring them as ‘beeeitchs’ instead of their real names. This immediately gives a sense of his views on women and the way in which he believes they should be treated – like a dog.
The front cover gives you an indication of what Snoop wants his main objective to be known as - getting ‘bitches’. [Fig 2] The pose that you see Snoop in is with him sitting on his dog kennel, reaching down to touch the female dog. He has his tail wagging which seems to show that he knows he is going to get what he wants and finds excitement from this, as it is widely known that this is how a dog behaves when it is excited. This again reiterates Coward’s theory of the man being dominant.
The theme of the artwork within the booklet is immediately apparent. An image of the female sitting with her back towards us becomes a familiar occurrence throughout the comic [Fig 3]. The dialogue within this initial scene demonstrates the female’s obedience to the male. The following page implies that she is only welcome and wanted when she comes supplying what the males need. The reference to the gun is Snoop showing his authority and that he means business, and is not happy until she returns with everything to fulfil his needs. This shows that the females may be forced in to being submissive, but they remain submissive to the males.
The comic continues to an image of Snoop preparing to have sex with the female, however, he still carries on with his phone conversation at the same time. This suggests that he does not want to give her his full attention or perhaps he believes that women do not warrant his full attention. This gives an indication of his lack of respect for women and his approach to sex. In that same image the female’s top half has been cut off and is only baring her behind, showing that she is seen as nothing more than an ‘object of (sexual) pleasure.’ (Freud, p169)
At the end of the comic you find the female dog being booted out of Snoop’s ‘Dogg Pound’. This shows that he believes women to be disposable or even like possessions, which he can simply discard when he is done with them or is unsatisfied. Throughout this comic the female dog has been spoken down to and no mention of any praise. This can be seen as the males taking advantage of the female and as though serving him is her moral duty and obligation. She has also had her features enhanced with a large chest, thin waist and large buttocks. ‘In herself the woman has not the slightest importance.’ (Mulvey, 1975, p11) This shows that women’s looks are more important to men then to themselves, and this is what provides them with any sense of worth. Perhaps this image that Snoop has created is how he views black women as looking, or maybe it is his idea of an ideal woman. This is most definitely something that shows the way in which both men, and the rap industry sexualise women in general. [Fig 6]
To summarize on the relationship with the Gaze theory and rap music, it comes down to the male rappers wanting to be in complete control over women and showing no respect or any remorse for their actions towards them. ‘Misogyny creates a conflict between gangsta rappers and women in which these men struggle to empower themselves. Gangsta rap is their means of this empowerment. The medium of rap music allows them, once empowered, the personal freedom to define themselves, their environments, their lifestyles, and their perceptions of the world.’ (The University of Georgia, n.d.) The main theme and subject matter of rap records, especially during the early 1990’s and further glorified with gangster rap, is the exploitation of women and the desire to talk about getting women to do what they were told and perform sexual favours on them without giving them (women in general) any praise or recognition for their individual achievements. ‘In other words, the gaze is an indigenously visual way of thinking about visual art, one that responds to the fundamental acts of seeing that constitute every work and is attentive to the political and social dimensions of visuality’ (Elkins, 2009, p1)
Bibliography
Berger, J., 1977. Ways of Seeing. London. British Broadcasting Corporation.
Coward, R., 1984. A source of information. In Thomas, J, ed. 2001. Reading Images. Hampshire & New York: Palgrave. Ch 4
Freud, S., 1908. Character and Anal Eroticism. In The Standard Edition of The Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London. Hogarth Press
Lacan, J., 1990. A Feminist Introduction. London. Routledge
Mulvey, L., 1975. Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. London: Society for Education in Film and Television
Snow, E., 1989. Theorizing the Male Gaze: Some Problems. Winter 25:30-41
Terri M. Adams and Douglas B. Fuller., (2006) The Words Have Changed But the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music
Armstrong, E., 1987. Gangsta Misogyny: A content Analysis of The Portrayals of Violence Against Women In Rap Music. [Online] Available at: <http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol8is2/armstrong.html> [Accessed on 22 March 2011]
Elkins, J., 2009. The Visual: The End of The Theory of The Gaze. Unpublished Essay. [Online] Available at: <http://www.jameselkins.com/#page25> [Accessed on 22 March 2011]
Hindrew, R., n.d. Violence Against Women In Music. [online] Available at: <http://www.aug.edu/fenglish/choice_voice/essays/violence.html> [Accessed on 22 March 2011]
The Rap Up. 2009. 11 Rap Songs to Disrespect Woman To. [online] Available at: <http://therapup.net/2009/04/11-rap-songs-to-disrespect-women-to/> [Accessed on 22 March 2011]
The University of Georgia, ‘Here’s for the Bitches": An Analysis of Gangsta Rap and Misogyny’ (2000) Available at <http://www.uga.edu/womanist/rhym2.1.html> [Accessed on 01 February 2011]
Figure 7
Additional Image for essay
Ice T - Gangter Rap album 2006
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Year 2 Essay first draft
The Gaze and Rap Music
This essay will look at the Gaze theory within the genre of rap music in the early 1990’s. Before looking at two examples, it is necessary to give a brief explanation of the Gaze. J.H. Lartigue once said ‘I adore women and my eyes are in love with them’. That is a quote that every male who believes in the Gaze theory would admit to have said it at one point. Women are seen as visual images, objects to which men would stop to a standstill and gaze upon. Rosalind Coward said ‘For looking is not a neutral activity’. Men do the majority of the looking and they have been given the unofficial title of controlling the way men look through mainstream entertainment. The idea of women being an object of desire and being judged from an instant look from a man tells us this theory can be found everywhere in society, in advertising, cinema, the media and music.
The subject of the gaze theory and music creates a perfect example of how an industry and genre controls and influences their audiences to a point where they formulate imitators and new artists to continue this theory from the origins of the genre to the present day. This genre is rap music. A lot has been said about this music and has been the topic of many mainstream disputes and the cause of some fatal consequences. The topic in which the gaze theory comes together with rap music is the ever long dispute about the treatment of women in rap lyrics. Many artists find it their mission to say as many offensive words and phrases about women in their songs as possible. There could be a never ending list of examples that could be included here evidencing this statement but one that stands out in particular is Dr Dre’s ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ from 1992.
There is no escaping the explicit content of this 4.47 song. [Fig.1]There are 51 explicit words in total with the opening line beginning with ‘Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks...’ The song features Snoop Doog, Dat Nigga Daz, Kurupt and Jewell. The theme of this song seems to be about their treatment towards women, having sex with them and taking their money and making a ‘dash’ for it. There are many lines which involve the act of having sexual intercourse with these women and ending up with them not saying anything positive or respectful towards them. The chorus at the start of the song goes ‘Lick on these nuts and suck the dick, get the fuck out after you’re done and hop in my ride to make a quick run...’ They want to make their point straightaway by expressing their views on these women and acknowledging they don’t care about them, all they want is sex and get out as soon as they can. This continues through the rest of the song and as being their main goal to get sex and leave with money. The way in which everything is said really gives you a quick sense of how these men feel towards women, or ‘hoes’ as they like to call them. That suggests they have different views towards these hoes, the women who wants all this attention and want to give whatever the men need and the women who stay away from all of that and have their own views on the subject.
In this genre the ‘hoes’ are generally only associated with being black women and the normal women are referred to as white women. The song doesn’t really get much better for women. Dat Nigga Daz raps ‘This is what you look for in a ho who go cash flow/You run up in them hoes and grab the cash/And get your dash on’. That line, along with the chorus from Snoop Dogg really sums up their views on women and how they are treated. The majority of rap songs and the lyrics are often fictional and consist of fantasy’s that the rappers play upto to create a tough image for themselves but being a listener, you can’t really tell the fact from the fiction. Knowing a little more about the rap genre and the lives these rappers have lived, give you the impression that these lyrics have a really personal attachment towards them and lets you inside their minds and their emotions. Listening to this song makes you feel any woman would have a lot to say to these individuals about the things said but something that could confuse the listener is the inclusion of the female rapper, Jewell. Not only does she agree with what the male rappers have said, but she seems to be glorifying the idea of being associated as a hoe. She raps ‘...But when I’m on a dick, hell yeah, I get real mean/Like a washing machine.’ That is not something you would expect to hear from a female after listening to the males views to women.
Another prime example of The Gaze theory within rap music is a piece of album cover artwork by rapper Snoop Dogg (referred to as Snoop Doggy Dogg in the 1990’s) off his 1992 debut album ‘Doggystyle’. This cover art turns into a fold out mini comic telling the story of Snoop Dogg trying to get some weed and papers from his ‘Beeeitch’ and his homie ‘C-Style’. One thing that you cannot miss is the fact that his rap name is Snoop Doggy Dogg and the illustration depicts him and the female as dogs. This is suggesting that he can get away with calling the female a bitch because that is the correct term for a female dog. Therefore, he sees no problem in referring them as ‘beeeitchs’ instead of their real names.
The front cover gives you an indication of what Snoop wants the audience and listeners to know is his main objective - getting ‘bitches’. [Fig 2] The pose that you see Snoop in is with him sitting on his dog kennel (something he calls his Dogg Pound) reaching down to touch the female dog. He has his tail wagging which seems to show that he knows he is going to get what he wants and finds excitement from this, as it is widely known that this is how a dog behaves when it is excited.
Opening the booklet up straightway you get a sense of the artwork and subject matter ahead. You are greeted with an image of the female sitting with her back towards us - something that becomes a familiar occurrence throughout the comic [Fig 3]. There is an instant slur from Snoop Dogg ‘Beeitch, If you ain’t got no kinda chronic, yo punk ass gots to go! Ho!’ The females response is ‘I got you right here big baby!’ This can be seen as a more polite way of saying ‘Don’t worry, I will go and get you some chronic right away,’ which demonstrates the female’s obedience to the male. The headline on the next page sums it up by saying ‘Baby finally comes correct.’ This implies that she is only welcome and in wanted when she comes supplying what the males need. This isn’t enough for Snoop, who goes on to tell her that he needs some papers for his weed and he pulls out a gun. This is him showing his authority and he means business and is not happy until she returns with everything to fulfil his needs.
Whilst this is going on, there is an illustration of a TV with a pornographic image of a woman performing a sexual act on a lollipop in the background. This demonstrates another way in which Snoop tries to show his power over the women by choosing to watch certain programmes, particularly in the company of a female. This is simply another way in which he can be seen to be exploiting women throughout this comic. [Fig 4]
The style in which this comic is illustrated is very informal, and almost like a doodle or something that has been drawn out of boredom on a spare piece of paper with a black pen. The subject matter of the comic also suggests that it is something that is taking place in his head, almost like a dream, a fantasy he wishes he could live out. The story continues to an image of Snoop preparing to have sex with the female, however, he still carries on with his phone conversation at the same time. This suggests that he does not want to give her his full attention or perhaps he believes that women do not warrant his full attention. This gives an indication of his lack of respect for women and his approach to sex. In that same image the female’s top half has been cut off and is only baring her behind, showing that she is seen as nothing more than a ‘piece of meat’. They also find the time to make fun of her by including an illustration of a noise coming from her backside, again showing the lack of respect for women and the fact that she is there simply for their own amusement. [Fig 5]
At the end of the comic you find the female dog being booted out of Snoop’s ‘Dogg Pound’ for supplying them with stress weed. Throughout this comic the female dog has been spoken down to and no mention of any praise. This can be seen as the males taking advantage of the females. She has also had her features enhanced with a large chest, thin waist and large buttocks. Is that a fantasy Snoop has about how he wants his women to look or how he thinks every black female looks? This is most definitely something that shows the way in which both men and the rap industry sexualise women in general. [Fig 6]
To summarize on the relationship with the Gaze theory and rap music, it comes down to the male rappers wanting to be in complete control over women and showing no respect or any remorse for their actions towards them. Quote from web ‘Misogyny creates a conflict between gangsta rappers and women in which these men struggle to empower themselves. Gangsta rap is their means of this empowerment. The medium of rap music allows them, once empowered, the personal freedom to define themselves, their environments, their lifestyles, and their perceptions of the world.’ (The University of Georgia) The main theme and subject matter on rap records, especially during the early 90’s and glorified more with gangster rap was the exploitation of women and the desire to talk about getting women to do what they were told and perform sexual favours on them without giving them (women in general) any praise or recognition for their individual achievements.
Bibliography
Coward. R., (2000) The Look . In: Thomas, J. Reading Images. Palgrave Macmillan
Terri M. Adams and Douglas B. Fuller., (2006) The Words Have Changed But the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music
The University of Georgia, ‘Here’s for the Bitches": An Analysis of Gangsta Rap and Misogyny’(2000) Available at http://www.uga.edu/womanist/rhym2.1.html Accessed on 01/02/2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)