Mulvey. Jessica Rabbit

Jessica Rabbit is associated with having a very voluptuous figure and being a very attractive constructed character and that draws the male gaze to her. This is because Mulvey has said you must view the the media as a heterosexual male. it is clear that the creators of the character wanted the character of Jessica Rabbit to be looked at because she would appeal to men.

Mulvey/Ferguson/Millum

You will look at the quality of written communication which is required at A2 level including:

Clear and coherent organisation of information; use of specialist terminology where appropriate.

Submission of first draft is required this week, by Friday 26.9.2014
This can be a list of bullet points based around a loose structure.

Task 2: Create a Mind Map of ideas for your Research Investigation.
This should include:
Main texts to be investigated.
Any other comparable texts.
Primary research you will do.
Secondary research you will do.
Narrative theory you will apply.
Audience theory you will apply.
Representation theory you will apply.
Ideas about the conclusions you think you might reach.

Task 3: Develop the mind map to create a loose structure for your R. I. 

Key Words: Scopophilia; from Greek "love of looking", is deriving pleasure from looking. As an expression of sexuality, it refers to sexual pleasure derived from looking at erotic objects: erotic photographs, pornography, naked bodies, etc.

 

Categorizing facial expressions

Marjorie Ferguson 1980

 Identified four types of facial expression in the cover of women’s magazines:

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

Trevor Millum

In a study of advertisements in women’s magazines, Trevor Millum offers these categories of female expressions:

• Soft/introverted: eyes often shut or half-closed, the mouth slightly open/pouting, rarely smiling; an inward-looking trance-like reverie, removed from earthly things.
• Cool/level: indifferent, self-sufficient, arrogant, slightly insolent, haughty, aloof, confident, reserved; wide eyes, full lips straight or slightly parted, and obtrusive hair, often blonde. The eyes usually look the reader in the eye, as perhaps the woman regards herself in the mirror.
• Seductive: similar to the cool/level look in many respects - the eyes are less wide, perhaps shaded, the expression is less reserved but still self-sufficient and confident; milder versions may include a slight smile.
• Narcissistic: similarities to the cool/level and soft/introverted looks, rather closer to the latter: a satisfied smile, closed or half-closed eyes, self-enclosed, oblivious, content - ‘activity directed inward’.
• Carefree: nymphlike, active, healthy, gay, vibrant, outdoor girl; long unrestrained outward-flowing hair, more outward-going than the above, often smiling or grinning.
• Kittenlike: coy, naïve (perhaps in a deliberate, studied way), a friendlier and more girlish version of the cool/level look, sometimes almost twee.
• Maternal: motherly, matronly, mature, wise, experienced and kind, carrying a sort of authority; shorter hair, slight smile and gentle eyes - mouth may sometimes be stern, but eyes twinkle.
• Practical: concentrating, engaged on the business in hand, mouth closed, eyes object-directed, sometimes a slight frown; hair often short or tied back.

• Comic: deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated, acting the fool, pulling faces for the benefit of a real or imaginary audience, sometimes close to a sort of archness.

Barthes

Roland Barthes has argued that every narrative has multiple codes. Typical features are used in narrative but can have several different meanings and interpretations and these meanings are suggested by Barthes five codes.

Barthes argues that every narrative is interwoven with multiple codes. 

Any text is, in fact, marked by the multiple meanings suggested by the five codes.

Barthes theory on Media-Codes is important to us in structural terms as well as helping us to consider the positioning of audiences.

The Hermeneutic Code (or Enigma code)This refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and which creates questions that need to be answered. The purpose is typically to keep the audience guessing until the part of the text when all is revealed, loose ends are tied off and the questions are answered.

 Most stories hold back details in order to increase the effect of the final revelation.

The Proairetic Code (Action code) This builds tension; any action or event that suggests something else is about to happen. An action that prompts the reader to predict what will happen next and will result in increased interest and excitement.

For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. We wait to see if he kills his opponent or is wounded himself. Suspense is thus created by action rather than by a reader's or a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained.

The Semantic Code This code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word. It is by the use of extended meaning that can be applied to words that authors can paint rich pictures with relatively limited text and the way they do this is a common indication of their writing skills.

The semantic code creates tension and suspense in the thriller by the use of connotations of certain features in the narrative such as props and dialogue.

For example, an envelope posted through a door with a number code written the back of it. The denotations of this is just sequenced numbers , yet the connotations will fuel and develop the story into further points. For example, these numbers have connotations of such things as:

·         Phone Numbers

·         Map co-ordinates

·         Pin codes

·         Door Codes

·         Bar codes

·         Address

The Symbolic Code This is very similar to the Semantic Code, but acts at a wider level, organising semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning. This is typically done in the use of opposition, where a new meaning arises out of opposing ideas. Such as good/evil and light/dark.
Similar to the theory of opposition. For example if a murderer in a film seems to have escaped justice; this goes against all our beliefs about the law, this creates tension for the audience.

The Cultural Code This code refers to anything that is founded on some kind of recognised principle that is not challenged by the audience and is always assumed to be the truth. Normally this involves either science or religion.

For example ,  in Quentin Tarantinos production of Pulp Fiction, a religious speech is quoted by Samuel.L.Jacksons hit man character Jules right before he kills another character. The quote is front he bible and is as follows:

‘and I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.’

This quote uses Barthes' cultural code as the words within such as ‘vengeance’ and ‘execute’ only have connotations of violence and death. Jules proceeds to kill the secondary character. What Barthes is trying to explain by the cultural code is that when using symbols from certain areas such as religion or science, only one connotation can be understood and is used within a production.