Media Studies Lesson 3

Component 1
Gender stereotypes: Image Analysis

Key Terms:

Myth: This is how an image relates to wider society. When analysing an image, we must
always realise that it might be promoting a particular political or ideological viewpoint,
albeit quite subtly. If we continually see a particular representation over and over again we
might begin to believe it is true or real, for example stereotypes.

Stereotype: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified idea of a particular type of person or thing.
An example of a common stereotype might be that girls are not good at sports, or that smart boys
are nerdy (think of the TV show Big Bang Theory).

Activity: Choose ONE stereotypical 1950’s advert and ONE stereotypical modern advert. Analyse the
way the adverts have been constructed to reinforce stereotypical gender representations.

 1. Carry out denotation/connotation analysis exploring the following mise en scene

elements (symbolic codes):
o setting
o costume
o body language and facial expression
o props

symbolic codes Denotation (describe what you see in
the image)
setting
. In the older Hardees advert it shows a
wife in the kitchen looking out of the
window at what most likely is her
husband and daughter playing outside.
Connotation (explain the underlying
meaning )
. The fact that the woman is in the
kitchen shows that this
company(Hardees) is trying to portray its
opinion about gender roles onto its
audience, which is a patriarchal ideology.

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 Media Studies
Component 1
Gender stereotypes: Image Analysis
. In the newer bmw advert it shows a
woman from a high angle pov shot at a
woman.
costume
. The woman from the Hardees advert is
in an old fashioned dressed from the
1950s
. The woman from the bmw advert is
wearing no clothes from what is shown
on the advert
Colour . In the Hardees advert both the kitchen
sink and the daughter are/wearing yellow
The colour of the girls hair in the bmw
advert is blonde and also the lighting is
darker
body language . In the Hardees advert the woman in the
and facial kitchen has her leg raised in the air and
expression her head held up high.
. In the bmv advert the woman is looking
forward with relaxed body language and
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Lesson 3
. In the bmw advert the high angle pov
shot shows us that bmw is trying to show
us that women are weaker or lower than
men through the use of this angle, and
the angle entices the reader to look at
the women because it places them on
top of her. Also vehicles are normally
referred to as she or her which could be
the reason why a female is used but also
it could be seen as the woman being
objectified.
. The woman looks like she is from the
1950s because that was the main time
period where a patriarchal ideology was
used within society.
.The woman having no clothes goes
together with the patriarchal belief that
women are only sexual object.
. the matching colours most likely serves
as a way to highlight what the company
believes the women`s responsibilities
are. The colour yellow also connotes to
happiness which shows how the
company is trying to say that taking care
of the kids and being in the kitchen is
what makes her happy
. the girl being blonde could be the
company trying to represent her as a
dumb bimbo character but also the
lighting creates a more romantic feeling
which then entices the reader to stare at
the women.
. the position that the woman uses is
commonly used in movies when female
characters get excited which tells me
that she is either excited to watch her
family or she is excited to stay in the
kitchen which would further tell me that
she has more or less accepted her
gender role in society.
 Media Studies Lesson 3
Component 1
Gender stereotypes: Image Analysis

a sort suggestive expression on her face

and her fingers are rested on her cheek . In the bmv advert a direct mode of
to make her look both seductive and address is used (through the fact the
demure. women is staring forward) which helps to
create a relationship between the cover
image and the reader which further
entices the reader (especially male
readers) to keep looking just like how
bmw are trying to entice the reader to
buy the car
props

The slogan tells the reader more about

texts . The slogan for the Hardees advert is the patriarchal views that the Hardees
“Women don’t leave the kitchen!” company has.

. The slogan for the bmw advert is “You The slogan presents the woman on the
know you’re not the first” advert as promiscuous as the man with
her (seen by the hand) is not the first

 3. How are men represented in this advert?

Men in the Hardees advert are represented as superior than women as they have freedom to
leave the house while the women “don’t leave the kitchen”

In the bmw advert men are presented as stronger than women because it shows the women
through a pov high angle shot with a hand on her chest which is from a man.

 4. How are women represented in this advert?

Women are present as having less freedom as a man because it is seen as a negative thing if they
leave the kitchen. but still being happy since the colour yellow is used throughout which connotes.

Challenge Activities

 If this advert was made today, how do you think audiences would respond to it?

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Media Studies Lesson 3
Component 1
Gender stereotypes: Image Analysis

I believe that if the Hardees advert was released today it would receive a negative because the
patriarchal ideology which is present in this advert has diminished in society and women have more
freedom than in the 1950s. I believe the same for the bmw advert

 Looking at the collage of 50s adverts, can you identify any patterns regarding the
representation of men and women?

. In the collage of 50s adverts the colours of the setting normally matches the clothing of the
women which shows that they maintain order in the house
. in a lot of the adverts the colour yellow is used through to show that the women are happy
. in many of the adverts the women have their legs revealed to match with the patriarchal
ideology that women are sexual objects.

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