ms 10 midterm 2 study guide

character types

intertextual constructions with commonly understood traits and behaviors

stereotypes

reduce an entire group into a few simple characteristics

representation

stand in for; the practice of image creation

the Other

anyone who is “not like us”; “we” are “normal” while the other is “strange” and “different”

symbolic annihilation

the absence of representation

splitting

(Hall) the fixing of boundaries between social groups; creating differences and assigning those differences worth

multicultural representation

the portrayal of cultural differences within groups

4 media sales logics

commodities, turnstile, ad-supported, microtransactions

commodities (media sales logic)

paid in full by consumers, 1 time sale

turnstile (media sales logic)

sell access to content, consumer pays “admission”/”subscription”

ad-supported (media sales logic)

“free” to consumer, advertisers pay cost of media in exchange for access to consumers, consumers pay in attention/time/increased product costs/data

microtransactions (media sales logic)

lots of little payments, payments from whales subsidize other users

3 hybrid sales logics

combination, economies of scope, premium option

combination (hybrid sales logic)

multiple simultaneous logics (e.g. streaming service as turnstile + ad-suported)

economies of scope (hybrid sales logic)

selling a product across multiple revenue windows and logics (e.g. movie windows/movement)

premium option (hybrid sales logic)

charging additional money for a premium version with additional perks (e.g. ad-free Spotify/YT)

maximizing profit

to sell more at the highest price the market will bear (economies of scope + scale)

market share

the percentage of the market held by a specific company

maximizing investment capital

the more money one invests in/promotes a subject, the greater the likelihood of success

sunk cost fallacy

the more time and energy one invests in something, the harder it is to walk away from it

9 advertising persuasive strategies

expert opinion, satisfied consumer, celebrity endorsement, snob appeal, association principle, bandwagon effect, hidden fear appeal, slogans/jingle, shock advertising

expert opinion (1)

expertise adds credibility

satisfied consumer (2)

product fits into the lives of everyday people

celebrity endorsement (3)

capitalize on celebrity recognizability and admiration

snob appeal (4)

product will elevate your social status

association principle (5)

associate product with positive image/value

bandwagon effect (6)

claims you are being left behind

hidden fear appeal (7)

plays on anxiety/insecurity

slogan/jingle (8)

name recall by getting in your head

shock advertising (9)

edgy appeal cuts through clutter

culture industry

commercial producers of mass culture; reinforcing dominant ideology + placate public through the media

mass culture

industrialized and formulaic media produced by the culture industry; for, not from, the masses

impact of mass culture

conformity, mindless stimulation, artificial concerns, commodification of leisure time, no community/collectivity

false consciousness

the misleading of people into thinking that the route to contentment comes from consumption rather than upward mobility

standardization

formulaic assembly-line production

social cement

commodified catharsis providing just enough relief to sustain capitalism

criticisms of Frankfurt school

elitist defense of high culture, sweeping generalizations regarding production, greater media choice today; doesn’t account for producer failure, innovation, and actual audience interpretation

popular culture

a process of assembly from mass culture resources; a site of struggle

excorporation

(Fiske) pop culture scans mass culture for resources it can appropriate (e.g. The Rachel)

incorporation

(Fiske) mass culture scans pop culture for resources it can commodify (e.g. ripped jeans)

criticisms of pop culture analysis

populist celebration + romanticization of ability to resist mass culture, pop culture spreads harmful ideas too, validates dominant/commercial interests, audiences have little power to produce/distribute on own

media industry view of child audience

view children as desirable and lucrative demographic as high consumers and receptive to ads

protectionist view of child audience

assert children must be protected from the media industry as blank, impressionable slates

productive practices of consumption

interpretation, speculation, projection, discussion

dystopian understanding of fandom

fans presented as falling outside “normal” media consumption; care too intensely, duped by mass culture products, obsessed with fictional world/lives of others

utopian understanding of fandom

high engagement, close scrutiny, social practice, public display of passion

fandom online

info seeking, consumption through additional outlets, backstage access, social media, media appropriation

grassroots culture

(Dalelio) bottom up and spread organically

media appropriation

(Dalelio) fans can analyze and transform texts, express critique, address underserved audiences, networks of mentorship/collaboration/audiences