The final stages: Volunteering uncovered

Throughout the entirety of this research project, curiosity has remained the greatest catalyst for new research. My passionate curiosity for philanthropic participation in society acted as the stimulant for my survey questions, guided focus group discussions and led me to interesting, anticipated and unexpected results alike as my project drew to a close.  Ann Gray defines research as ‘the exploration of some phenomenon in a systematic and rigorous way,’ (Ann Gray 2003), however I have found that the research process, while rigorous and systemic, relies largely on creative insight. I endeavoured to actively engage with concepts from the AULIVE method creativity instrument of: abstraction, connection, perspective, curiosity, boldness, paradox, complexity and persistence. My project lended itself to the notions of connection, paradox and perspective as I was forced to deal with conflicting data and make cohesive conclusions from this data. As a result, my project is largely geared towards influencing people’s perceptions of the Australian volunteer industry, with the aim of successively influencing their attitudes and behaviours towards volunteering as a practice. Curiosity, similarly to perspective, has acted as a catalyst for change. Not only as a stimulant for all stages of my research, but through the way in which other’s curiosity in my research will hopefully bring about personal and societal transformation.

The focus of my research project remained the role and or contribution of young Australian women within the Australian volunteer sector. My aim was to uncover what motivates and/or deters young women from participating in volunteer programs, thus providing some insight into the relationship between young people and volunteering, declines in Australian volunteer rates and other trends in the Australian volunteer sector. In hindsight, focusing on young women and volunteering was too broad a topic, thus delving into declines in volunteering and young Australians and their role in volunteering proved too broad to cover succinctly in the allotted timeframe. Nevertheless, taking such steps provided additional thought-provoking and poignant content to my research, which was of importance when considering findings in a broader context.

It was crucial to the planning of my project and during the carrying out of research that I remained accountable for my methodology and final project, the findings of which were to be presented to the public. To do so, I adhered to the guidelines of the MEAA Journalism Code of Ethics, principally acting in an ethical manner, striving for accuracy and fairness as I collected and presented data and through the disclosure of all essential facts as I have done so via my blog. I have respected autonomy where necessary, not disclosing personal information of survey and focus group participation, and crucially, I have not allowed my beliefs or passions towards my topic to influence in any the research process or what has been presented in my final project (media alliance code of ethics).

Remaining accountable for my research further meant acting with integrity in research, upholding ethical standards via acting with the principles of honesty, fairness, trust and responsibility. To maintain the integrity of my work and ensure respect of privacy of contributors to my research I took on an axiological approach to my methodology and research (Shawn Wilson 2008). Axiology is the process of framing our ontological understandings on the basis of your own and others’ morals and values. I have adopted this style of research as I have provided relevant information, when needed, concerning confidentiality and anonymity (Wilson 2008). This was done when conducting focus groups and an online survey. There was no longer a need to organise interviews, as a focus group proved to be appropriately informative and suitable to the design of my project, following the recommendations of Jane Stokes (task two).

Conclusively, I was extremely pleased with my final research report. I believe I revealed invaluable detail and insight into the role and unrecognised potential of not simply young Australian women and volunteering, trends within the Australian volunteer sector itself. Conducting this research project has developed my research and time management capabilities, but further honed my communication skills as I was required to conduct people-centred methodologies. All stages of the project proved vital to self-reflection and provided me the opportunity of working with with a variety of individuals, identify problems and use my judgment to find the best solution. Feel I acted in a highly organised, efficient and responsible fashion, with the ability to work independently and utilise course materials to produce a successful final research report.

Key report findings:

• Lack of time is the main deterrent for participation in volunteering, followed by:

• Lack of awareness of the scope of programs offered.

• Minimal knowledge of the need for the volunteer industry.

• The importance of the formal volunteering industry to Australia’s economic good is not recognised.

• Lack of personal gain i.e. not paid, specifically applies to university students.

 

 

References

Research task two.

AULVIE n. d, Concepts from the AULIVE method creativity instrument. Sourced from: http://www.aulive.com/#testmycreativity

ABC n. d, Media Alliance Code of Ethics. Sourced from: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0921_meaaethics.pdf

Bowels, K 2017, Wilson, S. Sourced from lecture notes: available from: https://moodle.uowplatform.edu.au/course/view.php?id=11034

Stokes, J 2013, How to do Media and Cultural Studies. Sage Publications, London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi Sourced from: https://is.muni.cz/el/1421/podzim2012/FAV241/ebooksclub.org__How_to_do_Media_and_Cultural_Studies.pdf

Volunteers Australia: priceless pioneers

My research project focus remains the role of young women and the role and/or contribution they make to volunteering. I have however, narrowed this down further to the role of young Australian women and ‘what deters, or motivates them from participating in voluntary programs,’ particularly those offered domestically via Australian organisations.  After careful consideration, I realised that attempting to identify the trends in volunteering in Australia in comparison with foreign exchange programs was far too vast to research, analyse and evaluate in the time-frame available. I largely believe that foreign exchanges and volunteer programs are romanticised, while similar domestic offers are overlooked. People too often believe the grass is greener on the other side, blind to the treasures offered in their own backyard. The broader aim of my project now is more personal than just examining information and analysing trends, but a method for which to reveal the value of volunteering to Australia, economically, philanthropically and psychologically.

So far during my research, I have uncovered the vital contribution volunteering makes towards the Australian economy. The greatest difficulty I have encountered however is the lack of information. Volunteering in general, is not a highly-researched issue as it is an under-valued and under-acknowledged practice. Furthermore, much of the information is generalised, very little focusing on the role of young women volunteering in Australia. There have also been skewed statistics regarding the percentile of young Australian volunteers and I intend to investigate and address this issue further with the hope of providing some clarification of the issue.

Majority of the information currently uncovered has surrounded the issue of the declining rate of volunteers in Australia. Thus, this will be a key overall issue I will discuss, with any luck providing why this is the case through qualitative data collection methods of my female peers and friends.

I am pleased with the progress my project is making. My topic is unique, and an issue that I am passionate about. I am hopeful and confident that my research will raise important discussions regarding awareness of volunteering in Australia and the poignant, yet under-represented role of young female volunteers.

Curious by nature; a research endeavour

I have reached the conclusion that passions and curiosity are inherently intertwined, a friend speaking to me recently of a quote that passions should not be thought of as concrete objectives, but considered in the same manner with which we view our feelings — A confident fact we know about feelings; they change. Likewise, our curiosities change and often in a manner of side-tracked seconds. Like many I am sure,narrowing my aspirations has never come easily, though I have always considered myself somewhat of a humanitarian, a forever unwavering motive to advocate for women’s rights. This task stimulated me to contemplate when and why my passion began –

 

My intrigue emerged when reading the confronting, beautiful book Gogo Mama by Sally Sara, a collection of real-life events faced by twelve astonishingly brave, selfless African women. Undermined by the circumstances she fell victim to a particular harrowing story of one of these women struck me, and still does when I recall it today – A Rwanda genocide survivor asked by a young rebel boy whether she would rather smile or frown. Smile, her lips would be cut by a hunting knife, frown, they would by pierced and padlocked shut; She chose to frown.This remarkable woman recalls her own agony and fear, accompanied by the terror of the young boy himself, yet never hostile nor resentful throughout her recollection. To me, that is the greatest display of courage. Through this reflexive thinking I recognised the subconscious inspiration this story has provided and the subsequent meta-narrative discovery it has sent me on.  

 My research at a preliminary stage was to be on young women today and the role they play in improving the lives of those less fortunate. I acknowledged that this was an extremely broad topic that encountered too many research restrictions in terms of scope and availability. Therefore, following voluntary participation in the International Women’s Day Breakfast in Sydney, as part of the UN Women AU. Committee on the 9th March 2017, I chose to focus on the role of young women in volunteering and ‘what motivates, or deters, young women from participating in voluntary programs?’. I intend to do so through conducting primary research in the form of focus groups, surveys and one-on-one interviews with my female peers. I have not yet fully fleshed out my research modes, yet aim to reveal why volunteering it geared towards foreign exchanges and academic programs rather than philanthropic purposes. I hope to influence young women to take charge in a manner beneficiary for themselves while equally to fellow women in need of a voice. 

References:

Sara, S 2013, Gogo Mama; a journey into the lives of twelve African women, Macmillan, Australia.

Image; Gogo Mama book cover, http://www.Goodreads.com ,viewed March 11 2017.

The Catalyst that is Curiosity

Curiosity is the foundation of research & research is the foundation of knowledge; This is a slogan I mustered up when considering curiosity and the role it plays in fostering research and thus knowledge. I consider myself to be a highly inquisitive individual, forever reading articles, scrolling through web feeds, constantly caught up in my own thoughts. This happens to be my best trait. Not to mention my biggest downfall. My curious ways have led me to an abundance of knowledge on a wide scope of topics from high-brow politics to pop-culture fandom. For example did you know the worlds oldest woven garment is an Egyptian dress known as the Tarkhan dress, or that Brad has been texting Jennifer following his sudden split from Angie. Scandalous. My point is, curiosity can take you anywhere. It helps you immerse yourself in culture heightens your senses and stimulates memory intake at a rate you wouldn’t believe. 

At times we all become caught up in the marvelous swirling cacophony we know to be our thoughts. We often consider spending much of the day  day-dreaming, fleshing out these strange entities as a waste of our valuable time, but how can kneading and molding and changing a puzzle of ideas into something succinct and meaningful hold no stature of importance?

Behind great epiphany’s, astonishing scientific discoveries and mere everyday findings, there is one raging catalyst. Curiosity.

All great knowledge stems from an individual or groups curious nature. The want of greater self awareness and a belief that there is always a greater power, a broader understanding of how things work in there current state or how things should work in a Utopian society. It is a characteristic embedded in the human condition. Many scientists who have examined curiosity in relation to research have come to the conclusion that curiosity is an instinctive feature of humans and animals alike.

In their publishing The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity Hayden and Kidd use a working definition of curiosity “as a drive state for information,” in other words, we are curious because we want to learn. They present curiosity as a form of information seeking  and go on further to state that this state of seeking can be observed in mundane circumstances and in organisms as simple as nematode worms.

Cross-over Cinema: Breaking Boundaries through the lens of trans-nationalism

Slumdog Millionaire advertisement poster. source

Diasporic cinema is a derivative of the concept ‘diaspora’, which refers to the temporary or permanent dispersal, migration or series of multiple journeys of an ethnic group or individual from their native homeland. Hence, Diasporic Cinema encompasses a broad and diverse spectrum of film making communities, a genre of cinema which breaks down cultural boundaries and in doing so radically alters the way in which we discuss and interpret films of a hybrid nature.

In his study, An Accented Cinema, Hamid Naficy discusses the way in which Diasporic Cinema ‘reflects a collective experience,’ (Hamid 2001) due to a unique collaboration of collective cultures during the stages of ‘conceptualization and production’ (Khorana 2010) while diversifying the nature of the films. Dissimilar to the distinctive features of Bollywood or global Hollywood productions, Dasporic Cinema or “Crossover” films hold no commonplace in the eyes of the audience due to unique combinations of various cinematic styles.

A prevailing example of the global capabilities of cross-over cinema is Danny Boyle’s acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire, featuring a transnational story format to engage its audience, a tale of rags to riches. Boyle’s film features numerous flashbacks, a characteristic of old-style Bollywood films, a result of employment of an Indian co-director, further highlighting the competitive value of cross-over cinema. The success of Slumdog Millionaire can be attributed to the enmeshment of ‘commercial Bollywood and Hollywood’ but the ‘international distribution and publicity that made the film materially available as well as seemingly accessible to cosmopolitan audiences’ (Khorana 2010).

Diasporic or Cross-over Cinema has emerged as a result of empowerment of migrant and diasporic populations. Such films have flourished as a result of their multiplicity and mass audience appeal. However, Cross-over films and filmmakers go largely unnoticed and they are required to ‘work for access to the means of production and control over representation,’ (Hamid 2001), yet irrespective of this fact if diasporic filmmakers lacked total voice cinema too would lack cultural and contextual enrichment.

 

Cat, D.

 

References

Barraclough, R 2014, pp. 86-87, Crossover Cinema: cross-cultural film from production to reception, available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20403526.2014.895224?journalCode=rtrc20 [August 30 2016]

Berghahn, D & Sternberg, C 2009, ‘Locating migrant and diasporic film in contemporary Europe‘, in: Berghahn, D & Sternberg, C (eds.), European Cinema in Motion: Migrant and Diasporic Cinema in Contemporary Europe, London: Wallflower Press, available from: http://www.migrantcinema.net/glossary/term/diasporic cinema, [August 29 2016]

Curry, R 2016, Transnational and Diasporic Cinema, available from: http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-0243.xml , [August 29 2016]

Naficy, H 2001, An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking, Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. Available from: http://www.migrantcinema.net/glossary/term/diasporic cinema, [August 29 2016]

Khorana, S 2010, Crossover audiences in the aftermath of Slumdog Millionaire, available from: http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=lhapapers [August 30 206]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nollywood: The New Age Film Industry of the Shanty

Nollywood film set. Source.

Hollywood has long been regarded as the most affluent and successful film-industry in the world, nevertheless by 2009 a newly thriving film industry ascended from the slums of Nigeria to surpass Hollywood as the world’s second largest movie industry by volume, right behind India’s Bollywood (Bright 2015). Nigeria’s Nollywood may be regarded as groundbreaking, the relatively new industry producing approximately two thousand films per year, a $3.3 billion sector, with 1844 movies produced in 2013 alone. (Bright 2015)

Nollywood originated in the heart of Nigeria when in 1992, electronics salesman Kenneth Nnebue shot a straight-to-video movie in one month, on a budget of just $12,000. Living in Bondage sold more than one million copies, predominantly by street vendors (The New York Times 2016). Nollywood grew rapidly from it’s initial launch despite the fact that the films never make it to the cinema, the industry prospered as it expelled up to thirty films onto the streets daily. Nigerian film producer and financer Yewande Sadiku notes that “Nollywood’s popularity across Africa and the diaspora certainly demonstrates the capacity of the films to travel.” Consequently pirating is a dire problem as it takes pirates a mere two weeks to copy a film and distribute it across Africa. (The New York Times 2016)

Pictured above; A scene being filmed on a Nollywood film set.Source.

Critics have also noted that Nollywood is severely lacking in production value and African actors have yet to branch out globally (Bright 2015). Nigerian Producer Kunle Afolayan stated that “key players in the global movie industry still have little idea what Nollywood is about,” (Bright 2015) both in a cinematic and cultural sense. Nigeria is teetering in a state of political and economic disorder, thus corruption, the economy and bureaucracy feature heavily in Nollywood films during height of the countries tumultuous state. Furthermore, the Nollywood genre is anti-globalisation in terms of position, lacking the luxurious cinematic experience of Hollywood, for many lower and middle class citizens providing an escape from the torments of reality. 

Nollywood can undoubtedly be viewed as revolutionary in terms of production style, value and cultural poignancy. However, it is Nollywood’s “acute notation of locality that gives it an unprecedented acceptability as the local cinematic expression in Nigeria and indeed in Africa.” (Okome 2007), that makes it truly unique. 

 

Cat, D. 

 

 

References 

 

Abuja Accra & Lagos 2010, ‘Movies are uniting a disparate continent, and dividing it too,’ The Economist, available from: http://www.economist.com/node/17723124.%5BAugust 20 2016]. 

Bright J 2015, edt, Meet ‘Nollywood’: The Second Largest Film Industry in the World. available from: http://fortune.com/2015/06/24/nollywood-movie-industry/. [August 9 2016].

McClintock P 2015, The Hollywood Reporter, available from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-star-wars-crosses-851359

Okome O 2007, ‘Nollywood: spectatorship, audience and the sites of consumption,’ Postcolonial text, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 1-21. 

Onishi, N 2010,’How the Times named Nollywood’, Times Insider, available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/insider/how-the-times-named-nollywood.html?_r=0. [August 9 2016]. 

 

 

 

 

Globalisation: Cultural Collaboration or a Global Divide?

Gobalisation and OSH: The way we work is changing. n.d., image. Source.

Globalisation as a concept emerged in the 1960s, a series of anti-globalist movements bringing the worldwide phenomena to the forefront of public debate. As Simon Jeffrey of The Guardian clarifies ‘Globalisation came to be seen as more than simply a way of doing business, or running financial markets – it became a process (Jeffrey, 2002). Globalisation in its entity suggests the transformative powers of ever-expanding technological, industrial, educational and economic forces resulting in an irreversible sense of global belonging.

Universal interconnectedness has fostered the concept of the “global village,” though this notion reflects an “imagined community,” in which all individuals are seemingly incorporated on an even-playing-field. This imagined community may be critiqued as an unrealistic utopian outcome of globalisation as ‘regardless of the actual inequality and exploitation that may prevail in each, the nation is always conceived as a deep, horizontal comradeship’ (Anderson, 6-7) as a result of electronic and industrial colonization such an extensive degree.

The following innovating Stephen Hawking documentary produced, researched and directed  by Ryan Faulkner provides an insight into the development of globalisation in Australia. Hawking pin points the irreversible effects of globalisation as he reveals the extent to which Western countries penetrate and dominate the ‘Global Village.’

‘Ryan Faulkner, Australia: Living in a Global Village‘ Source.

One of the most contentious issues that has arisen as a result of globalisation is the apparent emergence of cultural imperialism. The spreading of Westernised values however, may also be considered a beneficial outcome as countries such as the US and Australia, are civilizations founded in democracy and the strive for national equality, consequently these virtuous values are internationalised. The rate at which we are exposed to both low and high culture is drastically increased when we make reference to Arjun Apadura’s five dimensions of global cultural flows, elucidating the advancing ‘Distribution of electronic capabilities to produce and disseminate information’ (Appadurai, 1996). Thus, the rate at which we are exposed to both low and high culture of such Western cultures is drastically increased.

Globalisation has unarguably resulted in universal collaboration and expansion of cultural ideologies. What we must consider however, are the disruptive, detrimental forces and advantageous qualities and their conjunctive influences.    

Cat, D. 

 

 

 

 

References

Appadurai, A 1996, Modernity at large : cultural dimensions of globalization, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minn.

Simon, J 2002, ‘What is globalisation?: Simon Jeffrey explains the origins and meanings of the now ubiquitous term’, available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/31/globalisation.simonjeffery [August 23 2016]

Vrasidas, C & Zembylas, M 2007, Globalisation, information and communication technologies, and the prospect of a ‘global village’: promises of inclusion or electronic colonization, available from: http://.tandfoline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220027032000190687

 

 

 

 

An Age of Innocence no more

One of the most contentious issues in the media sphere today is the concern of the inappropriate sexualisation of youth, regardless of the deliberate intention of the portray-er or in some cases the child themselves. An array of practitioners and average citizens such as parents of young children and teens face an inevitable chopping block when they use children as their muse or medium, albeit for art, advertising or personal consumption.

The question is, are we over-sexualising our children or are such art forms or everyday presentations too harshly critiqued? It cannot be denied that children are an essential marketing tool in a boisterous economy, accounting for billions in the modern market. As stated by Brian Young in David Marshall’s ‘Understanding Children as Consumers’ states “Advertising is pervasive in the culture of the twenty-first century and indeed it would be hard to identify a country on earth that doesn’t have some form of advertising,” but “do children understand advertising the same way as adults?” and if so is this a positive or negative? Undoubtedly younger children and teens are more greatly exposed to advertising than every before due to increase accessibility and frequency of media exposure. Yet if a child witnesses a photograph of a young girl in a provocative pose clothed seductively and plastered in makeup do they see this immoral and strangely disconcerting or simply as a playful afternoon rifling through mums’ things. Perhaps it is a case if adult vs.child interpretation, yet even so it cannot be denied such images circulating in social media and advertising have some influence upon how young girls believe they should dress and act. 

The case of French model and actress Thylane Blondeau, daughter of footballer Patrick Blondeau and Véronika Loubry, an actress and television presenter provoked anxiety in the media and public as the young socialite emerged at the sheer age of four modelling for prominent French designer Jean Paul Gaultier. However real controversy arose surrounding the young beauty when at the mere age of nine she ignited a moral panic concerning the over sexualisation of children predominately in advertising and the media as she appeared in the Vogue Paris supplement, Vogue Enfants, poised seductively in somewhat erotic clothing with a heavy face of makeup the socialite was branded “the new Kate Moss”, who too provoked discontent with similar scandalous advertisements. The shoot spiked condemnation from the prominent public figures such as labour MP Helen Goodman claiming the shoot to be ‘disgraceful and totally irresponsible’ by publishing the pictures, saying the editors of the magazine “should have known better.”

Blondeau’s mother, a poster figure for the twenty first century liberal woman spoke out against criticism at the time claiming her daughters’ photographs were progressive not overtly sexual or provocative in any sense. Yet it cannot be contended that the young girl is exhibited in a setting far beyond her years sporting overly mature and revealing, even sexy clothing while sporting an unnaturally erotically aggressive facial expression for such a young girl. All these factors contradict the natural instincts and appearance of an average nine-year-old girl and exemplify the anxieties raised by so many surrounding the prominent issue. 

While it can be argued the way in which children are perceived in advertisements remains in the eyes of the beholder it is explicit we are no longer living in an age of innocence as children are exposed to ever-increasingly sexualised content through advertising and other media platforms and while they may not truly understand such confronting images they are subject to inapt and inaccurate representations of childhood and exploitation through their presence in such advertisements.

– Yours, Cat. D 

ADAPT or DIE

To appreciate the immense influence of convergence media all most of us have to do is reflect on the role it plays in our everyday lives. The ever-expanding framework of media platforms are integral to how we function, form and uphold relationships, and expand our knowledge. Living in an increasingly digitalised age means the extent of information we have at our fingertips, literally, is immense as such advancements as the Apple iPhone enable immediate access to a mecca of resources and functions. 

Convergent media encourages individual expression with the hope of giving voice to opinions, or the intention of launching a career through extensive exposure while fandom  has endorsed engagement with abroad audiences through avenues such as the creation of fan sites or blogs. Giving way to personal sentiments and allowing audience expression of attitudes.

Yet despite obvious benefits converged devices have contributed greatly to cyber bullying and eating disorders. Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it one of the most common mediums for cyber bullying and research is increasingly clear similar exposure exerted by media increases appearance dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Such concerns are a result of misuse and exploitation of media platforms not undertaken by the average informed person with positive inclination

Media convergence marks a crucial shift from traditional media forms to give way to a compilation of new media platforms through the merging of mass communication outlets. It can be argued the transition from legacy media to converged outlets is generational. Undoubtedly older generations are more reliant on traditional mass media forms though it can also be suggested that one’s choice of media platform is to an extent reflection of their upbringing. From personal experience it is clear I am amongst minority of youths who listen to the radio and read the paper, prefer a phone call to a text and willingly sit down to watch the evening news with their parents. I see this as an advantage. In touch with converged media while frequently delving into the world of traditional mass media enables me to develop a broad spectrum of information through a unique multimedia experience.

Media convergence has paved the path for modern communication and is crucial in shaping and upholding society. Great benefits have arisen through expansion of culture and knowledge as such platforms act as the primary media outlets despite the pertinence of traditional mass media. Perhaps as we are plunged further into this mechanically driven, faced-paced world it is simply a case of adapt or die.

Vision is the art of seeing things invisible – Johnathan Swift

To look beyond the surface, is to see what is hidden from others…

Advertising is one of the most influential forms of mass media, a vacuum engulfing and shaping the ever changing ideologies of the general populous. Yet the ideological position and interpretation of an advertisement as a text depends on the individual’s knowledge (The ‘Nationwide’ Audience, 1980), connotations and understanding of myths surrounding the signifier presented. Daniel Chandler’s ‘Semiotics for Beginners’ discusses how the art of semiotic analysis of cultural myths attempts to deconstruct the ways in which codes operate within particular texts or genres, with the aim of revealing how certain values, attitudes and beliefs are supported while others are suppressed. The advert for David Beckham’s men’s fragrance ‘Classic’ is a valid portrayal of this notion. To truly apprehend the intended message of this advertisement one must look beyond the surface, the signifier (what we see), and consider the signified (the meaning) in a more complex sense.

Beckham himself plays a crucial role through the art of persuasion in this advertisement. To the average person he his most commonly known for his celebrity persona with little knowledge of his astonishing professional success, which perhaps has been overshadowed by his luminary lifestyle. Voted ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ by People’s Magazine in 2015 Beckham epitomizes the stereotypical conception of a “perfect man,” thus acts as the perfect source of temptation to entice the audience as potential consumers.

This text is particularly unique as the denotative and connotative aspects of the advertisement parallel one significantly. The signifier/s clearly portray Beckham as a ‘classic’ figure through explicit word choice, the gold, almost nectar-like liquid colouring of the fragrance and more importantly the costuming of Beckham himself in a refined tailored suit. These denotative factors are massively supported by assumed implications of Beckham as one of the most marketable athletes in the industry. Arguably the most well-known British footballer of our time, assumed familiarity of his charitable efforts, rugged good-looks, gentlemanly charm and athletic ability in conjunction with his literal portrayal give this particular advertisement great value.

Yet despite the objective behind the advertisement, it is still widely open to interpretation by the masses. An avid football follower for example may engage with the text through awareness of Beckham’s professional life as opposed to his ‘claim to fame’ as a socialite as an average citizen may. Personal opinion of Beckham is also significant in shaping differing interpretations of the text. Does one praise or condemn the star?

In the case of this advertisement text, Beckham is distinctly viewed not as a person, but as a brand.  

– Cat.D. 

 

 

 

References:

• Daniel Chandler’s Semiotics for beginners:

-Panofsky, Erwin (1970a): Meaning in the Visual Arts. Harmondsworth: Penguin

-Barthes, Roland ([1964] 1967). Elements of Semiology(trans. Annette Lavers & Colin Smith). London: Jonathan Cape

-Hayward, Susan (1996): Key Concepts in Cinema Studies. London: Routledge

• The ‘Nationwide’ audience (1980) David Morley and Charlotte Brundson