Independent Assignment

Macmillan Cancer Support TV Advert


Who is the target audience?
People who are suffering from Cancer, their friends and family.

What is the message being conveyed?
The main message of this advert is to encourage people with cancer that its not the end and no matter what they will always have someone to talk to. This is portrayed through the advert displaying a couple of clips of cancer patients who look particularly worried being reassured by family, their GP etc.

Is the message convincing if yes/no please explain?
Yes this is a convincing message as many people in that position feel like it is the end of the world so through this TV campaign they may open their eyes to the help they can receive.

Induction Report Task

Explore how gender and/or ethnicity is represented  in at least three examples from  the media.


In media, the representation of gender and ethnicity is often repeated in different forms of media to the extent of the audiences perspectives being altered over time. This is also known as the cultivation theory which was developed by George Gerbner. A prime example of this would be the constant images of females being presented as manipulative and sexually available in television, film, magazines and etc. Due to the reiteration of women displaying sexual prowess in many types of media some members of the audience begin to stereotype all women believing that is their behaviour.

Furthermore, ethnicity is also stereotyped to a large extent which is highly evident in the film and media industry. For example there are numerous roles for white males of any age group however black, Asian, Hispanic, and Indigenous roles are particularly marginalised. Additionally, not only are there not many roles for ethnic minorities over 70% of them are very stereotypical of that race. For example an African American playing a thug or a Hispanic male portraying a drug lord. Although this isn't positive stereotyping is a form of representation as said by Stuart Hall as it is the main way that we as the audience instantly recognise different social groups. On the other hand many people from these backgrounds have attempted to change their representation in the media. An excellent example of this would be the black female rapper Lil Kim. Obviously, it is quite well known that Hip Hop does not have the best reputation in the media. As an audience we see newspaper articles of rappers being incarcerated, arguing amongst themselves, mistreating women and etc. From the 90s to present day Hip Hop has been integrated into the mainstream although it has always been predominantly male artists who gain international success through their explicative lyrics and equally provocative music videos.

When Lil Kim came onto the scene there were not many successful female rappers. Her lyrics expanded the range of acceptable behaviour for women in hip hop and supposedly made women feel better about themselves. Instead of the usual seduction of women that we as an audience witness in urban music she took the misogynistic sexuality of male rappers and used it to empower other women. From a feminist perspective she really paved the way for future female rappers and challenged the way women are represented in Hip Hop. Some media critics could argue that she opposes van Zoonen's feminist theory as Kim attempted to equal the male representation in Hip Hop. One her most iconic music vidoes for her song The Jump Off is a great example of how she did this. Firstly, the establishing shot of the video is a party scene. As an audience we get an overall view of people enjoying themselves which at the time would have been typical of hip hop videos at the time yet the camera cuts to a medium shot which introduces Kim as some what the "life of the party" or the main  subject. Initially, this is already going against the stereotypes of women in all music videos as at the time they were never the primary focus. Within the first ten seconds we get multiple close ups of Kim. In the video she is wearing an oversized pink fur coat which could symbolise wealth as fur clothing is considered a luxury. Having established that it could also demonstrate that women do not need to display their whole bodies for attention. Forty seconds into the video we see Kim walk on the stage of the party and rap along to the song then the scene is cut to Kim as the only woman with a group of men as she says the lyric "keep it gangsta look out for her people" (also known as continuity editing). This insinuates that being a "gangsta" is not just about guns and violence the media so often chooses to present it. In fact some of these people who are involved in that lifestyle would interpret there fellow gang members as family. The first minute of the video involves the camera cutting back and forth from the party scene to Kim in a Range Rover and her once again with the same group of men. Kim subverts the typical representation of a rapper surrounded by women to having her around men as she asserts her power as a woman who can also be a rapper. The narrative around "The Jump Off" was very common with Hip Hop songs at the time as this song does not mention Kim's background which would have been different especially with the genre of Hip Hop. Instead the overall song was quite positive. In addition to this the song was received very well with the audience and peaked at number 6 on the UK R&B charts. Due to the age group of the men and the flashy lifestyle portrayed in the video it's highly possible that the video was aimed at young people and Hip Hop lovers although it was adored by many different types music fans.

As of today, the representation of gender and ethnicity is still the same as we can still recognise a stereotypical role in all forms of media. Christmas adverts reinforce the ideas of family and spending time together which links to genre and representation as most people are familiar with that kind of scenery around that time of the year. Another outstanding example of a media product that does not conform to normal media representation to some extent would be The Greatest Gift advert by Sainsburys in 2016. The establishing shot is an overview of a family home in the sunlight which connotates comfort and warmth.  The next shot is a close up of the main character who is a white man in cartoon then the camera cuts to a kitchen scene with cartoon characters of ethnic minority making breakfast while the man is getting ready for work. This is most likely to be his family. Then the camera cuts to a wide shot of the man on a packed train on his way to work. The lyrics of the song that narrates this advert exclaim "now its December so much to remember before Christmas Eve". That is a lyric that many people can relate to as it is well known that Christmas is one of the busiest and arguably most stressful times of the year. Through the usage of the minor characters and the memorable narration of music it is fair to say that this advert was aimed at everyone. Perhaps the message that Sainsburys was trying to get across was that all people are welcome to the store as they cater for everyone. This advert is a step forward in the increase of representation of ethnic minority in the media industry. If this type of representation continues where ethnic minorities are displayed from a positive viewpoint then ethnocentrism could cease to exist as it involves judging people based on your own preconceptions which links to the Cultivation Theory.

Despite the fact that there are a couple of media products that challenge the representation of gender and ethnicity there are also many forms of media that do not. This does allow the audiences that relate to these certain products to get a sense of identity based on the media that they consume. On top of that it makes it a lot easier to acknowledge the particular representation. For example Hip Hop music as a genre is instantly recognisable and is often associated with the black race and has negative related to gang violence in the UK and the US.  Interestingly enough as an audience we instantly think negatively of this genre through the backlash that it receives in the media which is further evidence that the media recapitulates stereotypes about ethnicity. On the other hand, Drill and Hip Hop artists are attempting to change the representation of young black males by having their lyrics focus more on positive aspects such as leaving their criminal lifestyles behind and making money. An example of this would be the music video for Lick by Cardi  B ft Offset. Initially, the establishing shot of the video is a casino. Already this is quite distinct from other Hip Hop videos. Afterwards, the camera cuts to Cardi who is dressed like a 20s flapper girl. This also goes against the typical representation of females in Hip Hop as it is quite Eurocentric. The lyrics also encourage the idea of earning money as she says "looking like I caught a lick" which otherwise means she has made a lot of money.

In conclusion, Gender and Ethnicity can sometimes be portrayed in a negative way by the media however as an audience it helps us to identify situations. Due to these representations we as the audience are able to identify with the media we tune into. Equally, we are aware of these inadequate depictions of gender and ethnicity however it is necessary. Without these characterizations it would not be easy to pinpoint typical behaviours of people of these social groups.