representation in super.human.

POINT – make an observation about representation

The ad is interesting in that it challenges representations of people with disabilities as…..

This trailer is interesting in that it conforms to representations of people with disabilities as…..

EXPLAIN - the point – What this means is that the ad…..

EXAMPLE – a specific example from the ad with detail on how that representation is constructed

An example of this is where….

EXPLANATION AND EXPLORATION OF WHY THAT IS INTERESTING – The reason this ad might challenge this representation is……..

The reason the ad might conform to this representation is….

The Super. Human. advertisement trailer attempts to challenge audiences’ pre-conceived notions and perceptions of disability. This is demonstrated through its representation of the paralympians as not just super human, but super & HUMAN. An example of such representation is in one of the opening scenes where the paralympian is abruptly woken up by an alarm, disturbing a dream sequence. This suggests to the audience that the paralympian themself go through similar ‘human’ experiences that we collectively go through as humans, which is part of what Stuart Hall coined as a ‘shared cultural roadmap’.
Furthermore, near the end of the advertisement, there is a scene where the phrase ; Super.Human. is displayed and ‘Super’ is subsequently hit by a ball, causing the screen to fragment which highlights the word ‘Human’. This use of visual and audio codes by the producer (Channel4) emphasises the importance of considering people with disabilities as equal and not ‘‘super’ just because they are different, but super and a human just like us.

Another way the super.human trailer is interesting is through it’s challenging of harmful stereotypes which are often subconciously internalised through our consumption of media. This is evidenced in Stuart Hall’s idea that media texts tend to be produced by those in power ( who have hegemonic power) which can lead to negative or limited stereotypes or representations of certain groups in the texts they produce, this is usually due to their lack of understanding of the group and is more common in the representation of marginalised or disempowered groups in society. An example of such is obvious as the common but inaccurate stereotype; ‘Disabled people are sexually abnormal or lacking in desire which renders them unable to have normal relationships like other humans’. Super. Human. directly challenges this idea as there is a scene where a paralympian is on call with his family, (wife and children), as he is missing out on an event due to him being commited to his training as an athlete. This implies that disabled people are indeed desirable & the stereotype that they aren’t is very harmful towards the group.

The Super.Human trailer challenges in its representations. It doesn’t use the ‘disabled person as ordinary’ stereotype. What this means is that the ad doesn’t suggest people with disabilities are just like everyone else with no challenges to face. A scene where this stereotype is challenged is when the female athlete at the end tries to enter the café, but the front wheel of her wheelchair hits the step and she cannot get in. The mise en scene and composition of shots help to signify her position in society. The fact that the owner stares her out and is stood behind a counter, and the other customers have their backs to her, signifies her rejection in some quarters and represents her as other and an ‘outsider.’ There are literal barriers between her and other members of the community. This acts as a binary opposition to other scenes, where the athletes are very much ‘insiders’ and dominate and control the sporting spaces, such as the gym and the pool. Furthermore, by representing her frustration through her diegetic dialogue, ‘For f*** sake!’, it positions the audience to see her life as not ‘ordinary’ or easy but it anchors her very much as human, with thoughts and feelings like everyone else. She is perhaps represented in this way to remind the audience that just because we have a Paralympics doesn’t mean that society is inclusive in other ways and that they should consider their own behaviours towards those with disabilities, when they’ve finished cheering them on screen.

1)representations of disability as one of these stereotypes:

-as a figure of pity

-as an victim of violence

-as a villain/monster (includes mental and physical disability)

-as a curio

-as a super human

-as their own worst enemy – not helping themselves

-as a burden

-as sexually abnormal or lacking in desire

2)representations of gender and stereotyping relating to other areas:

-Van Zoonen’s ideas that women in Western society tend to be represented as passive

-Van Zoonen’s ideas that women in Western society tend to be represented as sexualised figures for the male gaze

-bell hooks’ ideas on intersectionality (challenging but try it if you want to push yourself)

-Van Zoonen’s ideas on representations of men’s bodies as ‘spectacle’

-Stuart Hall’s ideas that texts tend to be produced by those in power and thus negative stereotyping or limited stereotypes are common in the texts that they produce. This is particularly the case when the representation is of marginalised or disempowered groups in society.