Yasmin

Does it offer a positive or negative representation of British Muslims? 

To being with the clip Yasmin may start-up with a negative representation of the Muslims that were being presented, for an example when the mosque prayers started at the beginning of the day that's when the morning started for the Muslims. And we were introduced into seeing how they start there day off by looking at the different characters. One of the characters owns a shop and there shutter had graffiti on it which said 'paki go away'. This already significantly shows that they are not accepted of who they are in their community, and they are not wanted there because of being a Muslim. But they didn't respond in an angry manner, they quietly scrubbed the graffiti off. However, there could be a positive as when the morning prayers began it was like a wake-up call for the people in the community and it's positive as it's something different and religious they are being represented as peaceful. Another negative aspect which was represented was the woman Yasmin, when she heard the prayers she took of her hijab and full length clothing and had a top and jeans underneath this is showing she is going into a western lifestyle and choosing to ignore her religious beliefs. However, there is a positive presentation of the woman Yasmin when she is wearing her hijab and scarf and driving the car she get's stopped by the police. Instead of shouting and saying to them why are you stopping me? Is it because I'm Muslim? Why are you being racist? Instead of pointing these things out, she willingly knew what she had to show giving proof of ID, driving licence and informed the police that she didn't consume alcohol. This has a negative representation of the white people as they are the ones who under subtext are being racist, and for example went Yasmin went to the pub she chose to abide by her religion standings and consumed orange juice, but the white people in the pub were staring at her through the facial expressions. Perhaps because they are find it weird or don't want to accept a British Muslim in there community.

To what extent, does it reinforce or challenge Said's theory of orientalism (the difference between east and west) that the west is superior to the exotic or dangerous east?

Orientalism is the difference between east and west, Edward Said who was born in 1935 and passed away in 2003 argued that the west constructed the meaning of the east and it was different, dangerous and uncivilised. Even though he used this theory in the 70s it is more relevant in today's society as the 9/11 bombings took place.  In the clip of Yasmin it reinforces Said's theory as in the first clip we could see the difference between the east and the west. The west don't want to accept the Muslims in their community as they feel they don't or shouldn't belong in their country. This is evident as for an example, in the video on the gates of the Muslim's there was graffiti on the shutter named 'paki' this is showing the difference between the two. However, it seemingly challenges the stereotype of naming the east cast as dangerous as in Yasmin they are seen as peaceful because in the morning the prayers commence and everyone quietly does their work and go do their jobs quietly without making loud noises or causing any trouble. However, the white people in her are depicted as the rude ones by the way they are treating the Muslims for an example, the police stopped Yasmin and questioned her because she's supposedly Muslim but instead of reacting in a rude way and having a go at the police she calmly did what she was told even before the questions began. So this in a way challenges the theory of Said and shows a different side to the west instead of depicting them as a dangerous cast they are shown as peaceful naive people who are being wrongly accused. Blumer and Kats theory (surveillance) we are learning different elements of the religion.

Personal response: Representation question- Why might some people in the media object to Robin Thicke's song and video for blurred lines?

WWW- good depth, use of theory and wider issues/debates

EBI- look again at McRobbie, would she oppose this video?

LR- consider again how Butler + McRobbie might respond to this video?

Well Butler's views are that traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into 'men' and 'women' and says gender is not biologically fixed. He believes that by dividing men and women, feminists accidently reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders.He says that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology. Therefore in response to Robin's song and video of Blurred lines I believe he would be strongly against, as it's representing as females being some sort of dolls and they are allowing men to control them. The men have a higher authority in this video, as they are wearing suits but the women are depicted as the lower ones because they are either naked or wearing very little clothes.This is therefore how the behaviour is being constructed. And people view this as the same, because men are stereotypically head of the house and the bread winners, whereas the females are the housewives and have to listen to the men. This is showing that men, dominate over women and society are the ones that are depicting the difference between men and women therefore Butler would be against this video.
McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as cosmopolitan and glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists.

Post-colonialism

The daily mail states that "it was an unpleasant mix of contempt, misanthropy and thinly disguised racism". In the opening ceremony this was supposed to be a representation of how the current generation is now but as the organisers found an educated white middle-aged mother and black father living together with a happy family they thought this was a set-up. Colonialism was a period of history in the 15th centuries when people declared that there land was their, they had power and made money from the national resources.Post-colonialism is what has happened since the 1950 empire, that now Britain is a multi-cultural country. In the last 60 years people from around the world have been coming here as refugees or to stay in a safer country, we are as multi-cultural as we'll ever be in the societies but some still view that Britain was how it was 60 years ago. Because for an example, if a white British was to travel abroad to a place like India they would be treated with a lot of respect and have a higher status. They'd be invited to big luxury restaurants and hotels ect. Therefore, not many people still consider Britain as being 'equal'. Therefore, when it comes to the Olympic opening ceremony the media such as the daily mail was against this and really conclude that this is not how the multi-cultural society is depicted today. For an example, the theorists Alvarado (1987) stated the key themes in racial representation about black people.

Exotic- traditional clothes, carnivals. Dangerous- gangs, drugs. Humorous- comedians, sidekicks. The one I found interesting was Pitied where in the Comic Relief white people help the black people in places like Afria who are stuck in poverty. This is not a set-up as it's celebrities and white people who are making a show and donating as much money possible to help the people in need. Moreover, as we are living in a multi-cultural society this allows different cultures to mix in very well and usually different races tend to get married. There are happy black and white people living together today, just because it's depicted in the media as different doesn't mean realistically it doesn't happen. We don't live in the past, but in the presence.