Xmas Tasks

Tsk #1 - Textual Analysis of Wall-e

Wall-e is a computer animated science fiction film, produced by Pixar Animations. Released in 2008, the film ranking highest grossing opening for a Pixar film , making it a very popular film among not only children but adults too. Overall, the film follows the journey of a robot ( Wall-e) his mission to stay on earth whilst the humans live in space, to clean it up. Along the way, he finds himself the reason for the returning of the humans to earth.

The film raised many social issues that can be related to society at present. The growing environmental problems about the amount of pollution and increase of wastage, is defiantly mirrored in the film. Looking at the chosen scene, when the humans arrive to earth, the setting shows earth as a derelict place, been dominated by wastage and therefore not liveable for the humans. As the camera establishes a long shot of the spacecraft, it comes down and the smoke/ dirt parts and the sky are shown. This signifiers the make way for the end of the environmental problem as now the humans have come to their senses “it’s good to be home”, they are able to restore the earth as it once used to be. The last shot is a pan over the earth that shows the greenery of vegetation emerging upon the hill and also the opposition of the plant and the spacecraft shows an end to the war against technology and traditional things.

The genre of the film is “ cyber punk” , that displays the dystopian view of the world as machines and robots control peoples lives. The is shown when the humans are aboard the spacecraft and although they have a captain, the one that has sole control is a robot ( the auto- pilot). The theory Marxism can be applied to the film because the robots could signify a controlling ruling class, as the humans are subservient to the demands of the robots. Through the representation of the humans, they are seen to be dominated by the robots as they no longer walk but live their lives in a seat that has everything on it, making them unable to see the affects of the robots. As they are in a sense blind to this, it follows the Marxist view that the exploitation of the proletariat is unaware of this as the distractions of other things allow the bourgeoisie to take control. This is evident as the robots control what they eat, what they think and what they do while they remain in the seat. The costumes of the humans as well connotes that they are all the same as they have the same identity through their clothes being the same.

However, like Karl Marx predicted of a revolution, the humans revolt against the robots, resulting in freeing themselves against this. The humans are also represented being lazy and obese, as this is another social issue due to child obesity. The state of the humans have become so bad that they are unable to walk, but when the captain attempts to make his first step, the theme tune of Armstrong is played that connotes a revolutionary thing taking place such as the humans walking , showing the extent of the damage of retreating to space.

Another issue that the film raises are the changes in the family structure. The roles of a man and women are changed as the robots take on that role. In the scene the robots look after the babies and since the humans have come to their senses, a women says to the man “are you ready to have some kids” as they grab them. This highlights the extent of the control over the humans and how much things have changed in this futuristic view.

Politically, the film raises the question whether or not there is enough government intervention and whether it is good or bad. As their solution for the bad state of the earth was to go to space, it shows the extent of the damage and raises the alert about the environment. When the people step off the spacecraft and the captain says “this is called farming” it shows the distinction between advanced technology and the need to go back to traditional ways in order to restore the normality of the earth.


Tsk #3 - The Genre of animation movies has had to adapt to wider social concerns to maintain its popularity

Historical Text Analysis & Research – comparison to Wall-e

Looking at the film Wall-e , the historical film I’m going to compare this to is The Little Mermaid produced in 1989. This film highlights the ways in which the genre of animation has had to adapt to the social concerns over time.

Historically, The Little Mermaid mirrors the decade that feminism had made a break through, through legislations passed such as the sex discrimination act and the equal pay act. The Little Mermaid is represented as a headstrong young mermaid as her ambitious nature to look for the undiscovered and the unknown (humans) is similar to the film Wall-e. The robot “Eve” has a mission to look for anything existing upon the earth, however along the way she meets “Wall-e” and her priorities change. Similarly, both are headstrong females, without both the story wouldn’t end in the way they do. As for Eve , without her then the humans wouldn’t be able to come to earth and without Ariel , the mermaids wouldn’t have mixed with humans.

However we can see that the representation of women has changed over time as for Ariel, even though a headstrong female, her role sometimes proved to be menacing with something bad happening. Unlike the representation of Eve that she still sticks to her loyalties and keeps focused on her mission, also managing to fall in love with Wall- e in the end. This shows that the representation of women over time has become more representative and equal, signifying that we are now living in a post feminist era.

Another way that The Little Mermaid can be compared to Wall-e is by both seem to rebel against something. Ariel being a 16 year old is shown to be rebellious despite her father’s warnings of certain things such as mixing with the humans. From the 60s, a youth culture emerged and music and fashion became the central point in developing their own identity that challenged authority. Films such as Mary Poppins (1964) portrayed this, through the musical fantasy combining animation and live-action sequences. Similarly in Wall-e instead of just youth’s rebellion, all the humans rebel against the system by trying to overthrow the robots in charge. Therefore the genre of animation can be seen as adapting to society and the social changes within it.

Looking at Steven Neales genre theory , “ difference in repetition” , its explanation shows how the animation genre still has similar aspects despite the time in which they were set. The Little Mermaid and Wall-e have similar locations and actors. Such as the under water castle and the spacecraft in space. Still the genre fulfilling its function to provide escapism for children and even adults. Also the actors in the two films have both the princess ( Ariel) and ( Eve) and villains. However, it is evident that the genre has adapted because of social changes, as for both narratives are different despite being both animations. Usually, animations consist of fairytale good triumphs evil and there is a quest to find someone.

However the 80s when The Little Mermaid would see these similar narratives, but Wall-e goes against this as it addresses more about societies problem about the environment rather than providing escapism for the audience.
Whilst comparing The Little Mermaid and Wall-e, the class differences are another similarity, where the genre has adapted due to society’s changes. In the 80s when the little mermaid was made, there was an increase in unemployment as Thatcher came to power, where voyeuristic pleasure about looking down on working class was established. This is evident as even within the mermaids there were class differences as they had servants etc. However in Wall-e it puts the robots in authority and above all. That goes back to Marxists theory of how the bourgeoisie are exploiting the proletariat.

Research into historical affairs

Cinderella (1950), released on February 15, 1950; three-time Academy Award nominee: Best Score, Best Sound, Best Song (Bibbidy-Bobbidi-Boo) [Cinderella has been widely regarded as the most re-made storyline ever]

60s- swinging sixties – youth culture importance music and fashion – children more of an identity challenge to authority –
Multiculturalism
Intro of pill- divorce law


70s- race relations act – love thy neighbour-
Equal pay act – sexual discrimination act – first women MP - 1979


80s – unemployment – thatcher years
The Little Mermaid (1989). i the tale of the headstrong young mermaid Ariel. The popular and highly successful film earned $84 million at the box-office and insured the revival of animated films. (Social)
Brixton riots


90s- reality tv- bnp moral panic – goodness gracious me
Ethnic minorites – greater equality – more multicultural society
Mulan (1998) Disney's hand-drawn animated Chinese folk tale (Disney's 36th feature-length animated film), and DreamWorks SKG's' epic ( Ethinic minorites) ( Social)

The family – changes
• Stuart Little (1999)
• Finding nemo – 2000s

3D
A 3D animation is a motion picture processed to include the illusion of depth perception.
3-D films have existed in some form since 1890 but largely relegated to a niche audience. 3-D films were featured in the 1950s and 1980s in American cinema and currently experiencing a rebirth at the start of 21st century as a result for the development of computer – generated imagery and introduction of high definition video standards.
Whether or not this is the way forward for animation
A larger demand
Been used to bring back animations such as Toy Story

Disney particularly changed their appeal to the audience by producing more mature animations in the late 80s and 90s
Pluralism – The genre could be argued to have changed because of demands from the audience, therefore putting them in control of what is produced instead of the institutions.


Steven Neale “ difference in repetition” meaning that all films have similar aspects in the same genre that is shown through the…..


Narratives- Within the animation/ fairytale similarities seen throughout is the notion that good triumphs evil in the end/ a search or quest to find someone/ something/ usually makes some connection with fairytales.


Location- castles/ forests/ kingdoms/ exotic lands – escapism / what young children want to get lost in/ a place of belonging


Actors – princess/ prince/ hero /villain /anti hero /helper


Rick Altman – “Audiences feel safe with genre as they know what to expect”
Its important considering Disney's audience ( children) as they need to know what typical things are going to be within the narrative.
They not only need to feel safe with the genre but parents allowing their children to be exposed to certain films will base their judgement whether or not it is safe to watch upon other animations as they know roughly what to expect.


Task #2 Bibliography:

A2 Media Studies By Peter Bennett, Jerry Slater, Peter Wall
Wider contexts:
“ it is difficult to deny the significant role played by the media in the transmission of culture and values within western society”
“ in film the late 1960s was notable for its fascination with “ swinging London” – “ everyone was having sex on the pill and enjoying themselves.”

The no- nonsense guide to global media by Peter Steven
“ Accordingly, social trends, general fears and aspirations, the status of various groups and the power of ruling elites will be seen reflected in the media”

When you hear people talking about media as a mirror of society they are framing their comments in this context.”


“ the media don’t simply reflect , they provide the symbols, images, ideas and frames that constitute power itself – the dominant media create some of the forms by which power operates”



“ the various media forms , from the newscast to the blockbuster, don’t simply communicate hegemonic ideas that have been created …. They represent those ideas and ways of thinking in specific media forms”



An introduction to film studies by Jill Nelmes
In recent years computer animation has enabled animators to work in different ways and to invent fresh approaches to their work whilst at the same time attracting huge audiences”.
“ The effect has been that animation is now one of
the most significant art forms of the twenty – first century”



Media and society a critical perspective by Arthur Asa Berger
Media uses and gratifications by genre
Genre- documentary , news show – to satisfy curiosity and be informed
Travel show – to experience the beautiful
Horror show – to experience the ugly
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=REqAFs2aR68C&pg=PT254&dq=film,+domestic+and+foreign&lr=&cd=11#v=onepage&q=film%2C%20domestic%20and%20foreign&f=false



Task #4

Continued … Internet Research


Film review: WALL•E : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3556627/Film-review-WALLE.html
John Lasseter- "Character animation is when an object moves like it is alive, when it moves like it is thinking and all of its movements are generated by its own thought processes."
"WALL•E looks and sounds like almost nothing you've seen before in an animated picture"
"Pixar's latest film is an outrageously ambitious love story that pushes the art of digital animation to new heights, says Sukhdev Sandhu"


Enchanted - The Sunday Times Review- http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article3042349.ece

how do you go beyond Shrek-like irony without going back to Disney-like innocence? Answer: Enchanted
The film focuses on the clash between Robert’s disillusioned realism and Giselle’s wide-eyed romanticism.
The film could have done without the big ending, but it is the best adult romantic comedy and child’s fairy tale we’ve had for a long time

Will Avatar put actors out of work?
James Cameron's space opera might just see less human stars on the big screen but an actorless age is a whole world away - - http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/dec/28/avatar-james-cameron
The idea of entirely removing the actor from the film-making process is not one that has really taken root in Hollywood, though it represents an attractive prospect for currently cash-strapped studios
it's why Cameron spent 12 years waiting for the technology to catch up far enough for him to be able to make Avatar.
Technology tends to move along the path of least resistance, and right now that's a route which is eschewing software programs in favour of performances based on real human beings.


Task #6

The Genre of animation movies has had to adapt to wider social concerns to maintain its popularity

Introduction:

The genre of animation has continued to surprise and amaze its audience since its first appearance from Disney’s classic Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Following on from this, famous films such as “Toy Story” and “Shrek” have continued to enchant us with its storylines filled with mythological plots resulting in “animation is now one of the most significant art forms of the twenty – first century”. However, over time institutions such as Disney have addressed more social concerns in their films than ever before. I will be looking at whether we have moved from a time of films providing escapism and now resulting to adapt to wider social concerns, or whether this has been a reoccurring theme in animation films that has guaranteed its success.

Marxism and Pluralism: Within a Contemporary Film

Overall : What is Marxism?

Marx regarded people as both the producers and the products of society. Given the priority Marx assigns to economic factors, an end to alienation involves a radical change in the economic infrastructure. The relationship between classes is one of antagonism and conflict. Throughout history, opposing classes have stood in " constant opposition to one another , carried on an uninterrupted , now hidden , now open fight that each time ended in a revolutionary reconstruction of society at large. "

Marxists sees society split into two classes: the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. The ruling class ( Bourgeoisie ) owes its dominance and power to its ownership and control of the means of production. The subject class ( proletariat) are the lower class or the two as they are being exploited from the lack of ownership and therefore lack of control of the means of production. The classes stand opposed as exploiter and exploited, oppressor and oppressed.

xX Marxism and the Media Xx

Media producers produce media texts that contribute to maintain this so called satus quo in society between the division of social classes. Texts are primarily there to generate mass audiences because of the profit motive , that consequently results to the dumbing down of their output. Althusser ( Marxist) distinguishes between 2 apparatuses ; the ideological state apparatus and the repressive state apparatus.

The repressive state apparatuses ( RSAs) maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by force or the threat of it. This includes the police, courts and army. This can result with these organisations to use physical force to repress the working class ( proletariat)

The ideological state apparatuses ( ISAs) maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by controlling peoples ideas, values and beliefs. This includes religion, mass media and the educational system.

This therefore makes the audience believe that these ideologies are correct. Another Marxist (Gramsci) came up with the concept hegemony - that is the dominance of these ideologies of the ruling class, along with their beliefs and values. By this being evident in the media , the ruling class retain hegemonic control.

.x Pluralism In The Media x.

Compared to the Marxist perspective, pluralism can be seen as the complete opposite. Pluralists identifies that societies different groups are competing groups none of them more dominant than the other. Compared to the Marxists theory that audiences are passive, taken in by the ideologies being drip feed to them by the media, pluralists see the audience in a position to even manipulate the media that determines the output of texts. They also reject the concept of a mass culture unlike the Marxists. In society there is now high culture that reaches wide audiences , meaning that as an individual we have the freedom to make choices about what we consume and don't. The media is not portrayed to be all negative as it acts in the public interest by keeping them to grips with institutions such as politicians, legal system and the church. By the audience being in control over would is produced and consumed , being an active part within the media, it is less likely to be legitimising class inequality as Marxists would say as the media now operates in the audiences interests.

This leads onto the media as a fourth estate. The first three estates that are a combination of the church , government and legal system all have power within society. The media being the forth has the role to inform the public about the other three. This is evident with the Public Service Broadcast as its main role is to inform the public,

however this has been questioned as there are debates concerning whether this should be the case as the Hutton report sparked some controversy about the exposure of Dr David Kelly and whether or not this lead to his death. Therefore this shows the limitations if this and the relationship between the government and the media and just how much exposure should they be allowed to have.

.x Analysis of The Pursuit Of Happiness x.

The Pursuit of Happiness is a 2006 American biographical drama film, directed by Gabriele Muccino and based on the true story of Chris Gardner. The film stars Will Smith as Gardner, an on-and-off-homeless salesman-turned stockbroker.

The films overall plot is about a working class black American man and his struggle to obtain a job within a competitive society. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner becomes desperate to find a steady job; he takes on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can receive pay, he needs to go through 6 months of training. Along the way he loses his wife but through his commitment to his son he tries desperately to restore any normality to their lives with his big dream of becoming successful is what also keeps his determination in tact. Marxism is present within the film, as it portrays the capitalist state as a system of inequality as there are great contrasts between the working class struggle ( Proletariat) compared to the power and success fullness of white middle class men ( Bourgeoisie) showing that that inequalities and power only benefits the ruling class. Touching on what Marx says himself, the working class are therefore the reserve army of labour for the upper classes as Will Smith presents this as he is constantly

Pluralism is shown within the film as its popularity indicates that this particular type of storyline is popular amongst the audience. Firstly the success of the film could have something to do with the fact that it can be seen as a cultural break through , something that many black Americans would want to see. This is because the film is a way of raising awareness of this inequality that may still be present in society today and by the main protagonist ( Will Smith) going through his troubling times , in the end he breaks the racial and class barrier as he gets the job as a stockbroker.

Not only this but the popularity and the demands of this type of film to be made could come from the current economic situation , as people are finding it increasingly hard to find a job resulting in many people homeless , that faults the system in a convert way highlighting the flaws within it. Due to the difference in the way some live their lives ( upper class) compared to the working classes situation making society seem more polarised and therefore something that an audience wants to see within a film. Therefore in relation to the pluralist theory, it places the audience in a position to manipulate the media that consequently determines the overall outcome by the media institutions.

Representations

How represention is constructed in ( Jess) in Bend It Like Beckham and (Jodies Fosters) flight plan

Post feminism –Post- feminism has developed from the initial feminist movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Since then from the equal opportunities legislation has led to role reversals within the media. Things such as Mulvey s “male gaze” showing women being primarily for the male audience as “eye candy” has been reversed as men are increasingly being shown for women’s pleasures. Both the films I have chosen can be called post- feminist , however it can be argued that they have not quite made it as there are elements of patriarchy.

Flight plan is seen as a post feminist film as it is portrayed through the protagonist Jodie Foster. She is represented being a strong dominant woman, able to stand without her husband. This particular role reversal is shown through her costume as she wears conventionally male clothes such as shirts, round neck jumpers and in trousers. The props as well such as her briefcase connotes her being a business minded person that is not stereotypically a woman’s trait. Her occupation is an engineer for planes. This is usually a male dominated profession.

Due to the historical matter that until the Equal pay act in the 70s this has changed making it easier for women to earn as much as men. Her mother role shows the social increase of single mothers, reinforcing the feminist view that women are capable of being on their own. However this also shows her nurturing / emotional side that is stereotypically a woman’s thing.

Her other qualities such as her being the hero of the film as she finds her daughter, emphasises the “new woman” and to contrast with the male roles e.g. security man she is seen to be more physically and mentally strong. Another part within the film that there are role reversals is that alongside the man, a woman is a villain that challenges the norms of conventional films.



Similarly, Bend it like Beckham shows elements of post- feminism as the protagonist ( Jess) challenges not only gender stereotypes but cultural ones as well. Jess being an Asian girl has the obsession with football, wanting to become one as her career despite her parents’ wishes for her to become a doctor. Socially football is a male dominated profession as the media fails to show woman’s football on T.V. The role reversal within the text comes from the women’s football being shown throughout the film instead of typically men’s. Through the process of jess becoming a footballer , women are represented being far more talented and driven when it comes to football. This is evident when Jess and Jules join in with boys playing football but win the game against them. Therefore women are shown to be more powerful in that sense compared to men.


However their football coach “Joe” is the one in control over what they do, that consequently gives a sense of patriarchy within the film. At the end of the film it shows Beckham briefly in the airport. Because the girls look up to him it connotes the idea that they have not achieved the status of Beckham, showing males dominance and control over the industry. Economically woman footballers are paid considerably less than men. The BBC have reported that England women's footballers have criticised the Football Association after getting just £40 a day for the five weeks at the World Cup in China compared to the men’s football club ( Chelsea) earning a reportedly 1.784 million each.

Immigration BBC News

BBC News

UK immigrant amnesty 'worth £3bn'



It would cost the UK £4.7bn to deport all illegal immigrants
Granting amnesty to long-term illegal immigrants in the UK, could add up to £3bn to the economy, a report has said.
The London School of Economics report said the move would not lead to a rise in migration but would raise spending on welfare services and housing.
About 618,000 people are illegally in the UK, of which 442,000 are in London.
London Mayor Boris Johnson commissioned the study and said it proved immigrants were "far from a financial burden" and had highlighted "long-overdue facts".
This new report has introduced some long overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has far too often been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay
Boris Johnson
The study found that if a five-year residency plan was introduced 67% of illegal immigrants would be eligible to live in the UK.
Mr Johnson said: "This new report has introduced some long-overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has far too often been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay.
"So, far from a financial burden, as some suggest, this new research has found an amnesty could be worth up to £3bn a year to the country's economy.
"The study also demolishes the argument that an amnesty would inevitably lead to increased migration to the UK and identifies effective border controls as the vital factor in controlling and deterring illegal immigration."
Mayoral policy director Anthony Browne says the amnesty's cost could be contained
London Assembly chairman Darren Johnson welcomed the report's publication.
He said: "This report lends further economic weight to the argument in favour of regularising the status of hundreds of thousands of Londoners who are already making a significant contribution to the capital's wealth."
Previously, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas had said the mayor's call for amnesty was "naive" and would lead to more trafficking of people.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The policy on an amnesty for illegal immigrants remains unchanged and is very clear - there will be no amnesty, those here illegally should go home.
"We have a proud tradition of offering sanctuary to those who truly need our help, but to grant an amnesty would create a significant pull factor to the UK and would undermine the asylum system as a whole."
According to the National Audit Office, the deportation of all illegal immigrants would cost the UK £4.7bn.
Since 1998, 111,265 illegal entrants have been deported, at the cost to the UK of £11,000 per person.









Make immigrants legal - Cardinal

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said migrants can be 'easily exploited'
Long-term immigrants should be given British citizenship, according to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor spoke out after Mayor of London Boris Johnson mooted an amnesty for immigrants.
The cardinal told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme many newcomers to the country were "vulnerable" and needed support.
However, Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said talk of an amnesty was "frankly irresponsible".
"The experience of other countries like Italy and Spain is that amnesties simply produce yet more applicants every time," he said.
Migrationwatch estimates an amnesty would cost the taxpayer at least £500 million in extra benefit payments but supporters of such a move say it would boost the economy.
But Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said there was a responsibility for the country to welcome immigrants to "appreciate the gifts that they bring and also make sure that in some way they are supported".
He continued: "A lot of the people who come are quite vulnerable and can easily be threatened and exploited.
"But I think also there is a point here about some migrants who come here and are here for years and they are undocumented.
"After a certain time a way should be given for them to receive citizenship here and so get the benefits of that."
Last week, Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced advisers were studying the potential benefits of an amnesty for the UK's estimated 700,000 illegal immigrants.
He said allowing long-term illegal immigrants to earn the right to stay in Britain would see "hugely increased" tax revenues, setting him against Conservative leader David Cameron.
However, immigration minister Phil Woolas has said any amnesty could lead to more people being exploited by traffickers.
He has previously suggested the UK population could be limited to 70 million.

Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate show

The Catherine Tate Show is an award-winning British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate who stars in all of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters.

Various Characters featured in the Show:

Representations:

Lauren Cooper- She is represented to be a typical argumentative teenager that repeats the phrase " Am i bothered". This is a stereotype of teenagers especially in the present situation with teenagers attitudes against school and communities as a whole. Whether or not this is a fair representation of teenagers is dependant on whom answers this as teenagers would argue against this stigmatised perception of them , whereas adults may agree with what the show portrays.

Joannie 'Nan' Taylor- Represents the older age group , however not stereotypically as her constant use of swear words " What a fucking liberty" and general hatred towards other people leaves this character with an unusual perceptive of old people. Not only this but she is also represented being homophobic and racist at times. This could be a fair representation of old people as her traditional ideologies and actions are those associated with the older English people. However this representation is not completely accurate because the show is a comedy therefore it plays on stereotypes making them worse than it actually is to get response from the audience.

The Aga Saga Woman- She represents an upper middle class mother who is constantly fretted about apparent "dangers" that might harm her children because it may involve mixing with the working class. (For example the tottenham clip)This representation stereotypes upper class Caucasian mothers that isn't a completely accurate , however certain parts to do with the class differences may have some truth behind it.

Derek Faye- He is represented to be a gay man but is in denial about his sexuality. And becomes very offended by people assuming he is gay. " How very dare you". This could be accurate with people still showing the signs of being gay but not comfortable with everyone knowing, however because society is more acceptable of it this isn't a very fair representation.

Janice and Ray- They are represented to be a typical traditional white couple that is constantly commenting about the increase of multi-culturalism in their British circle. Particularly when they have gone to a restaurant that food is from a different country they comment by saying " Those dirty bastards". This could be a fair representation considering people who live in a white area and their reactions to different cultures, whereas for the minority that live in a different surrounding this isnt completely true.

Narrative:

The narrative is non- linear with different parts of the sketch comedy show shown at various times. The techniques of identification within the text comes from the audience being able to identify with some characters from the show whether it being their personality trates or the circumstances and situations that some characters are faced with. For example a teenager may identify themselves with Lauren Cooper from her attitude and her appearance.

Some of the themes that comes from the show are

class

ethnicity

rebellion

denial

Media Institutions :

The institutional source of the text is BBC 2.It is aimed at a wide range of subject matter and interests, and because of it being a public service broadcast it has to cater for the audiences needs. The text has been influenced by the institution as there are certain regulations that have to be followed also the type of audience that the BBC has will determine the content of the show as it isnt a commercial institution that has produced it.

Media Audiences:

To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?

As the text has a number of different sketches each one individually address different audiences. Such as the Lauran Cooper sketch address mainly teenagers also the Aga Saga women middle class white mothers. Therefore the target audience of the text are adults/ young adults men or female working class. But mainly women as the text on a whole has more than men.
The text is aired at 9pm this results from the water shed as some scenes are not suitable for younger children.

The size of the audience weekly is 4.00 to 4.92 million making it one of the most successful comedy shows in Britain today. And the show has had considerably amount of success in the USA as well.

As an audience member I evaluate and read the text as a comedy therefore not taking all the racist and stereotypes too seriously. This is influenced by my age because some adults may take offense to some values within the text.


How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

Reviews :

Catherine Tate, one of Britain's hottest comedy talents is back with a U.S. premiere season of her award-winning sketch show. Winner of a Banff Rockie award and nominated for an International Emmy®, The Catherine Tate Show has become a huge hit in the UK, with catchphrases, "Am I bovvered?" and "How very dare you?!", influencing popular culture and every day speech in Britain. The 'Queen of Catchphrase' morphs through ages, sexes, accents and wigs to introduce a collection of toe-curling new characters in Season Three. Parodied to the extreme, the new personalities include Laura Powers – a bungled spy, called in to assist the U.S. Government in a spoof of 24; Ma Willow – the overbearing owner of a rooming house in the '50s who appears in a parody of Life on Mars; Helen 'I can do that' Marsh – who's eager to please, but hopeless at everything; and Kathleen Leary – a chain smoking, hard faced Northern Irish woman who's fiercely proud of her gay son. They join old favorites Lauren - the "Am I bovvered?" teenage nightmare who would rather be right than happy; Cockney Nan - the opinionated, hard-to-please grandmother who's a mine of misinformation; and Derek Faye - who gets furious if anyone suggests he's gay and coined the phrases "Who, dear? Me, dear? Gay, dear? No, dear" and "How very dare you?!" As well as program awards, Catherine Tate has won numerous awards for her own performance including a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Newcomer and two Royal Television Society awards for Best Network Newcomer and Best Comedy Performance. She is currently filming Season Four of Doctor Who in which she appears as the doctor's newest companion, Donna Noble.

Catherine Tate 'bovvered' by Bard

I never thought for a moment that children would pick up on it - but I didn't want her to be a bad child
Catherine Tate on Lauren the teenager
Doctor Who assistant Catherine Tate has gone back in time again to discuss her love of Shakespeare.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) - where she spent a year before her comedy career - invited her to speak to a younger audience at the Hay Festival.
But Tate admitted at the Powys literary festival that she struggled to enjoy the Bard's comedies at times.
"It's got to strike a chord with us. We can't write Shakespeare off but wearing bells on knees isn't going to work."
But she said she had impersonated Sir Ian McKellen in the way he delivered a Shakespearean scene on stage, which helped her finally pass her drama school audition at 21 after a few attempts.
Tate was speaking as part of the RSC's Shakespeare and Me series, as Doctor Who star David Tennant is preparing to play the lead in Hamlet for the company from next month.
About her TV sketch show characters, Tate said she doubted she would bring back teenager Lauren, who was supposedly killed off in a Christmas special - "although they still haven't found a body."
She said Lauren, with the "Am I bovvered?" catchphrase, only came about because she liked to try out and improvise her characters in front of a live audience first - and she got a reaction.