Feature Article

Year 10 English – Web Research
Analysing media and language
Save As this document to your own blackboard and continue the activities. Where questions call for textual evidence, you may cut and paste information from the website you are analysing.
Double click at the top of the page where “Name:” appears. Type your name.
Men in the Media –
What is your opinion on the representation of men in the media?
Men are represented as strong, powerful, tall and manly. Being manly in that they are rough and tough. This is the general stereo type of men in the media.
What sorts of movies and television shows do you watch and what sorts of men are represented in those shows?
I watch action and adventure movies and in those the males are normally the strong hero’s of the movies.
ONLY RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IF YOU’RE A MALE:
How much do you think these representations of men affect you and your identity as a male? Be honest.
I think that the representation of men on TV shows and movies do not affect me because I don’t watch them to look at the media stereo types.
Do you seek to emulate (try to equal, imitate) those men in any way?
No I do not.
What attributes of these men do you admire?
I admire their bravery and courage, to fight through their problems.
Are there any aspects of these men that you find confronting/challenging?
Most of the men that are considered normal men would be considered extraordinary men in real life and the women in the movies are dependent on the men where in real life they are not.
FOR EVERYONE:
Do you believe this is a realistic portrayal of men?
No
Read the following web articles and complete the questions: http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/how-do-media-images-men-affect-our-lives Complete the Discussion Questions at the end of this article.
How many of your favourite shows feature men as the principal character, the center of the plot or the action? What messages do they suggest about the importance of men in our society relative to women and children?
Most of the main characters in the movies I watch are men that are helped sometimes by men. The messages that it sends is that the world would not survive without men and it would be chaos.
List some of the roles men play on TV? How do they compare to their roles in the "real" world? How do they influence your expectations of how men actually behave?
Roles that men play in movies and TV shows are the hero’s, police men, fathers and sport stars. They are made out to be the strong, smart characters. The characters in the shows can affect some peoples view on men in the real world.

How are the characteristics displayed by men on TV comparable to those of the men in your own life? How do they differ?
The characteristics are displayed by the way the characters dress, speak and act in movies rather the realistic characteristics of men in the real world. They differ in that the movie and TV shows make the men out to be more heroic and tougher than they are in real life, the men in the movies are ‘undefeatable’.

How does the portrayal of men differ in various types of programing? Do TV ads seem to portray the "new" man and sportscasting the more traditional man?
The portrayal of men differs with each ad, movie and show depending on what they are trying to get the man to do. The TV ads

List your own male TV heroes. What qualities attract you to them? Do any actual men you know share them? List the various ways men are shown on TV in relationship to other men, such as controlling/sharing, caring/abusive, fighting/friendly, etc. In thinking about these TV men, how do they make you (if you are a man) feel about other men? Do you feel inferior to them or do you feel validated by them? In other words, how well do men on TV function as role models, as viewing spectacles, or as people to relate to?

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_media_assault_on_male_body_image/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15160230/ns/health-mens_health/t/guys-have-body-issues-too/ Analyse the difference in the use of language between the two above websites. How does the tone differ? Provide evidence and focus on specific conventions that are used. Consider the Internet as an information medium (an agency or means of doing something). Which article would be more likely to be published in a differing medium, such as a magazine or current affairs program? Why do you think this is?
List some of the roles men play on TV? How do they compare to their roles in the "real" world? How do they influence your expectations of how men actually behave?
Women in the Media
What is your opinion on the representation of women in the media?
What sorts of movies and television shows do you watch and what sorts of women are represented in those shows?
ONLY RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IF YOU’RE A FEMALE:
How much do you think these representations of women affect you and your identity as a female? Be honest.
Do you seek to emulate (try to equal, imitate) those women in any way?
What attributes of these women do you admire?
Are there any aspects of these women that you find confronting/challenging?
FOR EVERYONE:
Do you believe this is a realistic portrayal of women? http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/excerpt.asp?id=2 http://suite101.com/article/media-portrayal-of-women-a189870 http://www.mamamia.com.au/health-wellbeing/i-will-wear-short-shorts-a-manifesto/ Analyse the difference in the use of language between the two above websites. How does the tone differ? Provide evidence and focus on specific conventions that are used. Consider the Internet as an information medium (an agency or means of doing something). Which article would be more likely to be published in a differing medium, such as a magazine or current affairs program? Why do you think this is?
What do you think about male/female identity issues and male/female relations in the world today? You are free to be honest here; however you must clearly justify your opinion.
Do you think either one or the other or BOTH genders face increasing difficulties in society? Use evidence and facts from the articles that you have read to support your opinions as well as your own experiences or experiences of people that you know.

Violence and Video-games http://www.ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html http://www.cracked.com/funny-5310-violence-in-video-games/
Analyse the difference in layout and language usage between the two websites. Can you determine the target audience for each site? How do you know? What conventions and language devices led you to that conclusion?
Violence and Videogames Forum http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1709213 What is your opinion of the viewpoints expressed by those posting in this Forum considering the content that they are talking about?
What attitudes towards the perpetrator and the victim are expressed?
Social Media
Do you feel that social media is damaging to the development of social skills? Why/why not? Give specific detail as to your response. http://socialtimes.com/a-teen-speaks-is-social-networking-damaging-our-social-skills_b38991 http://newslite.tv/2010/11/01/facebook-and-twitter-are-killi.html http://www.minyanville.com/sectors/consumer/articles/facebook-facebook-email-facebook-ipo-fb/7/3/2012/id/42149 Do you find anything particularly ironic about the design and layout of some of these sites?
Do you post things on the internet that you would not ordinarily say to someone or act in that manner towards someone face to face?
What is your opinion on the way people view social media and the ‘freedom’ they believe they have in expressing opinions?