Key Concept: Representation By Ilan Rubens and Layla Keegan

Defintion Representation: Are the ways in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, experiences, ideas, or topics from a particular ideological or value perspective. Rather than examining media representations as simply reflecting or mirroring “reality,” we will be examining how media representations serve to “re-present” or to actually create a new reality.

Theories Representation Theory: The easiest way to understand the concept of representation is that watching a TV programme is not the same as watching something happen in real life. All media products re-present the real world to us; they’re showing us a different version of reality, not reality itself. This theory is useful because the way certain groups are represented in the media can have a huge social impact. It can reinforce existing representations as well as change the way certain groups are presented, and thus change the way we see that particular group.

Laura Mulvey Laura Mulvey created a theory called “The Gaze” which relates to both genders, talking about how the audience views the characters presented. This can be how men see men, how men see women, how men see themselves. This applies for women as well. In media this can be shown such as the camera lingering on a females body as the “male gaze” usually objectifies the female character. “To gaze implies more than to look at – it signifies a psychological relationship of power, in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze” – Jonathon Schroeder

Music Video Analysis Scouting For Girls - She's So Lovely

As soon as the female is introduced in the video she is immediately objectified. The majority of the people in the video are male and they are all staring at her. The first line of the song is “I love the way she fills her clothes”, which shows that he doesn’t talk about this woman on any personal level and that his love for her is very superficial. Lines like this continue throughout the song, such as “I love the way she shakes her hips,”. This video does just show a stereotypical representation of women as being provocative, enticing, “eye-candy” but also displays men as being more focused on looks than anything else, making them look shallow.