detournement - hijacking/rerouting
a.k.a culture jamming - the act of criticising and subverting advertising and consumerism in the mass media, by methods such as producing advertisements parodying those of global brands
Culture jamming is often targeted at consumerism and capitalism. Capitalism is unfair
ADBUSTERS
- Political
- Satirical
- Modern
- Serious
- Protest posters
Features:
- Lots of white space
- Masthead changes everytime
- Challenges conventions
- No consistent layout
- Barcode moves around, sometimes incorporated into the image
- No reference to anything inside
ADBUSTERS
- Non-profit, anit-consumerist, anti-ad. Hence higher price because not making profit e.g. louis viton direct attack- Bimonthly magazine since 1989
- May/June 2016 edition below
- Price: £10.99
- Independant, self published
- Not for profit - don't run adverts because they don't agree with the consumerism so don't get the 3rd of the funding other magazines do. Entirely from the consumers
- Adbusters purpose is to subvert the hegemonic industry norm for magazines
- Does not have an office, connects with people all over the world to produce it and takes audience submissions
- Preaching to the converted
- Consistently lacks anchorage to confuse the audience as to what the true meaning is
- Adbusters does have a letters page which is one of the only thigns which is conventional
Front cover
- Spray paint tool creates splattered gradient over title. Covers title, it is getting destroyed and vandalised. Shows brand is not important the message is what matters- POST - WEST coverline in bold and clear, that is the new standard taking over from adbusters and the 'old west'. The west has lost to the terrorist. World is crumbling.
- Connotations of war (army camo vest, dark colours)
- Shouting angry face, fierce harsh cover - unconventional
- Middle Eastern male central image, terrorist connotations? "Typical enemy"
- No conventions, no barcode or adverts, subverts
- No anchorage
"Genre conventions in magazines are completely informed by the social and historical context in which they are made" Evaluate this statement. Make reference to adbusters and genre hybridity
- Talk about genre, subvert conform how this is shown
- (magazine ideology)
- Social and historical context
- Evaluate
How to structure an essay:
1) Read the question, underline key terms
2) Gut reaction - whats your oppinion
3) Plan on the answer paper. Intro, conclusion, 3+ paragraphs about a specific point each
4) Intro - CDA (context(background info), description(define key terms), argument(I shall argue)
5) Paragraphs PEAT, Point (your topic for the paragraph), Evidence (detailed example from the text), Argument (how this links to your argument), Theorist (any theorists that could support your argument or evidence). Points we could make: Social context, Historical context, Producer ideology, Industry
6) Conclusion, list and recount your points including a final stance. Should include no new info except your opinion
Intertextuality - When one media product references another
- Culture Jamming advert
- Referential code, requires outside knowledge of the brand Louis Bouton - shoes cost £800+ and are a high class brand with signature red soles. Intertextuality
- High angle shot - shows power over the person wearing the shoes, they are weak
- Binary opposition of rich west vs poor African countries. Connotations of charity adverts (referential code)- underprivileged and in poverty. Stereotypical view of Africans. Halls theory.
- "Red soles are always in season" dark humour about bleeding feet of people who can't afford shoes
- Binary opposition of luxury vs necessity
- Cultural capital - hold high value in society- Attack on the brand
- Ideology - LouisBouton are ridiculous. We desire luxury which is not necessary. Anger at the rich vs poor divide
- Target audience is middle class so it is possible some people who actually wear designer shoes may see this. Creates guilt about their consumerism.
Concentration Camp Catwalk
Consumerism - Defining yourself by the products you buy
Commodity Fetishism - process of giving magic "phantom-like" qualities to an object, whereby the human labour required to make that object is lost once the object is associated with a monetary value for exchange.
Karl Marx - Marxism. Ruling class ensure working class are kept poor. Ruling class are rich because the working class are poor. Ruling class create lies and hegemonic codes to keep the working class down and keep them happy being poor.
Bathroom adverts
- Hermeneutic codes, no anchorage of images
- Norman Gall =- Womans hands empty - they have nothing. But hands are wrinkled implying she has water in excess
- Symbolic code of looking at your hands is guilt e.g. bloody hands
- Woman is not sexualised in picture it is subversive of the genre
- Active audience response: Donate to a water charity, spread message of water importance, don't buy zucchetti taps
- Zucchetti = Assumed knowledge (middle class audience). Luxury bathroom appliances.
- Commodity fetishism = stupid. Water is necessity
Gender Representation in Adbusters
Adbusters magazine conforms to dominant hegemonic notions of the male gender. On the front cover it features a non-sexualised man shouting in an army camo vest showing a stereotypical portrayal of a 'war crazed' aggressive male. The use of the mid-shot adds to this aggressiveness because the audience is placed with the man, and while no direct mode of address is used because he is looking off to the side, it creates the feeling that we are the subject or cause for his aggression. Stuart Hall's theory of representation supports this because the portrayal of the man mirrors the ideology of the producer. The man is angry at the state of the 'West' but also perhaps could represent adbsuters anti-consumer ideology because the people buying the magazine will feel threatened by the aggressiveness shown. The man is also a stereotypical representation of a middle-eastern terrorist. This can link to the title 'Post-West' meaning that the 'West' have fallen or been destroyed - perhaps by this terrorist. This image also has links to Gerbner's cultivation theory because this, over time, has become the dominant representation of a middle-eastern man meaning the audience will automatically come up with their own connotations of terrorism from the image because it is what has been reinforced across the media.
- Not sexualised
- Subvert stereotypes of pictures of women in baths
- Stuart hall representation theory. Subverts sterotypical representation of women. ideology of producer shown. Shows harsh reality of homelessness.- Binary opposition of 'rich city' vs 'poor person', black and white colour scheme has sad connotations.
- No anchorage
- Ideology presents inequality
- Female
- Conventionally attractive features
- Direct eye contact- Shows how women are just used to sell products to men. - vs homeless women
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/business/adbusters-war-against-too-much-of-everything.html Ideology in practice - how Adbusters interacts with its audience
OCCUPY WALL STREETOccupy Wall Street (OWS) was a protest movement that began on September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district, receiving global attention and spawning a surge in the movement against economic inequality worldwide.[7]
The Canadian anti-consumerist and pro-environment group/magazine Adbusters initiated the call for a protest. The main issues raised by Occupy Wall Street were social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the perceived undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. The OWS slogan, "We are the 99%", refers to income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. To achieve their goals, protesters acted on consensus-based decisions made in general assemblies which emphasized direct action over petitioning authorities for redress.
The protesters were forced out of Zuccotti Park on November 15, 2011. Protesters turned their focus to occupying banks, corporate headquarters, board meetings, foreclosed homes, and college and university campuses.
BUY NOTHING DAYAdbusters promoted the idea of ignoring 'Black Friday'
Benefits of capitalism?
- Provides structure to our lives
- Works whereas communism has been seen to repeatedly fail
- Provides distraction from harsh reality of live
- Gives people their own identity through state of being (e.g. work, school)
- Consumerism gives people an identity
WEBSITE RESEARCH TASK
How does the website reinforce the brand identity of the magazine?
- The manifesto of their page shows the people they are and their goal as a magazine. The diversity reinforces the brand identity by identifying with stereotypical left wing jobs.
- Is there a clear house style which is clear across the magazine and website?
The website does seem to follow a theme of multiple images to express ideas and items which is similar to the magazine
- What does the website offer that is different from the content of the magazine?
It features a video you can watch through the website. It also plays music when you enter the website. You can also visit links to different websites and emails through the website.- How does the website extend the brand?
They have a shop where they sell special issues and backlogged issues as well as shoes
- How does adbsuters use social media?
They use twitter and facebook to spread messages of their ideology as well as information about their issues release
- How can readers interact with adbusters through the website and social media?
Readers can contact through an address or emails on the website. They take submissions from their readers which can be used in future issues of the magazine.
They can also talk to their twitter followers.
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