How Does Anchorman Define Identity

1.English speech
Anchorman
Adam McKay

What if the identity of today’s society resembled the actions and behaviour of the 70’s? Would life be altered and if so would life be better or worse?
2. Good morning the film I have chosen is Anchorman; Anchorman is about identity of news readers in the 1970’s. the film Anchorman highlights the question, “what I have come to understand about identity”, as it depicts exaggerated characteristics and behaviours of the news team in the 70’s, this text is complementary to my understanding of the term identity.
3. This benefits me to understand more about identity and how it can be inserted in different texts and themes. My definition of identity is that it has various meanings, it can be a personality,
traits and that identity can be manipulated and altered by others. The meaning of identity can be conveyed through Themes like belonging.
4.
Cultural, personal and social identity can be comprehended in one meaning. Cultural identity is attached to backgrounds such as a nation or language. Social identity is something perceived of others of your self-personality and appearance whereas personal identity is unique no one else has the same appearance or personality as you.
5. Identity can be altered and varied; it can be conveyed differently by every person as they have their own opinion of identity.
6. The text “Anchorman” shows the identities of five characters, well dressed proudly confident main character and anchor Ron Burgundy, Brick Tamland the weather man who is a slow witted character with an IQ of 48; he is a kind person but is socially awkward. Champion Kind is a sports journalist who is a passionate sports fan with a sexist outlook at life. Brian Fantana is a field reporter who is a self-acclaimed ladies’ man.
7. Director Adam McKay represents identity with over exaggerations of personality and appearance. He does this by giving each character distinct personalities. By undertaking these identities the film is shaped but is quickly changed when an ambitious woman arrives on the scene named Veronica Corningstone who demands to be taken seriously in a male dominated news
room.
8. Veronica is seen as an outcast when arriving at the channel 4 news. She was made to report on a cliché female orientated field report which had little relevance to the show and nothing whatsoever to do with the news. The character Ron Burgundy is the main character of the show with his famous moustache and line “stay classy Seattle”
9. Ron and Veronica clash throughout the film as Ron is the key anchor in Seattle and is socially seen as always confident and well-dressed but he is nevertheless ignorant, egotistical and not very intelligent whereas Veronica is conservatively dressed and is a passionate newsreader in a male dominated time. She manages to make her way to the top devastating Ron which shatters him and ultimately loses his job.
10. I chose this text as it shows and explores ways identity can be shown. Director Adam McKay explores this by using themes enhancing the term identity. The film shows how identity can be portrayed and biased to a sex, this can be seen where Brick quotes “you aren’t Ron!?” This is followed by Brian and Champion who are trying to distract Veronica while on air.
11. The film Anchorman shows how identity can be powerful, both socially and personally. Anchorman also shows how identity can be shown as “socially awkward”, “egotistical”, “ignorant” and can deem people as an “outcast”.
12. I believe that everybody has their own identity and that we often get caught up in what is the “right and wrong” way to behave and how society wants us to be, that we often forget who we really are.
Are you happiest when you are being yourself or when you are acting a false identity?