Outcome Brief and Essay Data Collection

Brief
For my physical outcome I plan to have a screen based application or video demonstrating 'Unhappy Places'. I originally thought about doing as a continuation of my studio brief project 'Happy Places', another app relating less to meditation but more mental health, but I feel now this would be too similar as it would include meditation techniques and have the same overall aim, to create a sense of calm. Therefore I want to test out the complete opposite, through research into screen based applications throughout my essay I plan to simulate what makes someone uncomfortable, what it would be that's damaging to mental health. Social anxieties, innate fears of animals, sounds and so on can be simulated in order to test what it is that puts people in an 'Unhappy Place'.

To understand this I need to evaluate what makes people uncomfortable, unhappy, paranoid, scared and so forth.

Essay & Outcome Data Collection
I want to interview people with these questions which are relevant to both my physical and written outcome, although I feel I will need to formulate some more specific questions for my physical outcome for more innate fears as well as socially constructed anxieties and so on:

Interview/ Questionnaire
What is your biggest fear?
How often do you check your phone?
How do you feel when you get a 'like/ share/ favourite'?
How do you feel when a social media post is ignored/ gets little or no attention?
How many hours of sleep do you usually get?
How long do you play on your phone before you sleep?
Playing video games/ app based games that contain violence, what is your overall mood during and after the game?

Creative Explorations Technique (Gauntlett, 2007) 
Having played violent games for half an hour please draw your current emotions.
Having played non-violent games for half an hour please draw your current emotions.


Research
I was originally going to use the book but upon finding this article I thought would be more appropriate as it contains elements of social media, a social media consultants perspective which I feel is more valuable than that from the book as it was heavily focused on technologies not so accessible, these being Virtual Reality devices which were administered by medical staff. Although there was some fascinating data collection from tests that were ran through simulations in order to gage how this emerging technology could help aid the progression of treating mental health disorders.

This article focuses far more on the epidemic of anxiety which is much more relevant to Millennials as social media under this umbrella of screen based applications has contributed a great deal to the rise in paranoia often leading to anxiety disorders.

Prozac Nation is Now the United States of Xanax- Article in the New York Times by Alex Williams June 10th 2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/style/anxiety-is-the-new-depression-xanax.html

GAMES
"Consider the fidget spinner...Originally marketed as a therapeutic device to chill out children with anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism, these colorful daisy-shaped gizmos have suddenly found an unlikely off-label use as an explosively popular toy" 
"The fidget spinner is nothing but nervous energy rendered in plastic and steel, a perfect metaphor for the overscheduled, overstimulated children of today"

ANXIETY
"This past winter, Sarah Fader, a 37-year-old social media consultant in Brooklyn who has generalized anxiety disorder, texted a friend in Oregon about an impending visit, and when a quick response failed to materialize, she posted on Twitter to her 16,000-plus followers. “I don’t hear from my friend for a day — my thought, they don’t want to be my friend anymore,” she wrote, appending the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike."

"According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, some 38 percent of girls ages 13 through 17, and 26 percent of boys, have an anxiety disorder...
Meanwhile, the number of web searches involving the term has nearly doubled over the last five years according to Google Trends."

"Generation Y has also suffered from the low-level anxiety that comes from failing to meet expectations. Thus the invention of terms like “quarter-life crisis” and “FOMO” (“fear of missing out,” as it is fueled by social media apps like Instagram)"

SEX/ BODY IMAGE
"Sexual hedonism no longer offers escape; it’s now filtered through the stress of Tinder. “If someone rejects you, there’s no, ‘Well, maybe there just wasn’t chemistry …,’” Jacob Geers, a 22-year-old in New York who works in digital sales, said. “It’s like you’re afraid that through the app you’ll finally look into the mirror and realize that you’re butt ugly,” he added."

POLITICS
“Controlled neurosis” is the common characteristic of most “highly successful entrepreneurs,” according to Mr. Trump (or Tony Schwartz, his ghostwriter) in the 1987 book “The Art of the Deal.”
"Indeed, Mr. Trump is the first politician in world history whose preferred mode of communication is the 3 a.m. tweet — evidence of a sleepless body, a restless mind, a worrier."

Reality Is Broken by Jane McGonigal pg11 - statistics 

GAMES "Relevant statistics from the Entertainment Software Association's annual study of game players- the largest and most widely respected market research report of it's kind:
69% of all heads of household play computer and video games
97% of youth play computer and video games
40% of all gamers are women
One out of four gamers is over the age of fifty
The average game player is thirty-five years old and has been playing for twelve years.
Most gamers expect to continue to play games for the rest of their lives."

"ARGs (alternate reality games) are designed to make it easier to generate the four intrinsic rewards we crave- more satisfying work, better hope of success, stronger social connectivity, and more meaning- whenever we can't or don't want to be in a virtual environment... they pick one very specific of our personal lives and try to improve it. Others have quite audacious goals, involving entire communities or society at large: for example, to reinvent public education as we know it, to help players discover their true purpose in life, or even to improve our experience of death and dying." pg125

"Born 1990 and later- ... know what extreme, positive activation feels like, and when they're not feeling it they're bored and frustrated... it's a lot harder to function in low-motivation, low feedback and low challenge environments when you've grown up playing sophisticated games." pg127

ANXIETY /DEPRESSION 
"Either I'm going to kill myself or turn this into a game...I knew right away it needed to be a multiplayer game. I'd been having a lot of trouble explaining to my closest friends and family how truly anxious I was and how depressed I felt... I also felt awkward and embarrassed asking for help."
"First: stay optimistic, set goals, and focus on any positive progress you make. Second: get support from friends and family. And third: learn to read your symptoms like a temperature gauge."
"SuperBetter is a super-hero themed game that turns getting better into a multiplayer adventure." Pg 133-135

"Social psychologists have long observed that one of the hardest things about a chronic injury or illness is asking our friends and family for support... but reaching out ... prevents social isolation."
Pg137

"Within two weeks of playing Jane the Concussion Slayer, my symptoms were improved by roughly 80 percent... I suffered a great deal less during the recovery as a direct result of the game... When my allies joined the game I finally felt like they really understood."Pg 140/1

"An alternate reality... game can better prepare us to deal with that reality." pg 141

"Positive phycologist Martin Seligman explains that "the pervasive belief that happiness is inauthentic is a profound obstacle"... happiness activities will need to be embedded in a ... package." pg 185

"Happiness hacking is the experimental design practice of translating positive psychology research findings into game mechanics." pg 188
Involves 'Unlocking the Kindness of Strangers (express gratitude and practice acts of kindness), Playing Our Respects (remembering death easier and more rewarding), Activating the Dance Secret (endorphins combine with oxytocin... what we feel when we 'loose ourselves').' pg 207

Technology In Mental Health - Applications In Practice, Supervision and Training by Stephen Goss, Kate Anthony, LoriAnne Sykes Stretch, DeeAnna Merz Nagel, (2016)

ONLINE THERAPY 

"The term online therapy is a broad-reaching term that describes any means of delivering mental health services via the internet. It includes video conferencing, audio conferencing, chat-room or instant messaging, and secure email dialogues between client and therapist." Pg16 Kathleene Derrig-Palumbo

"The primary concern regarding the identity of the therapist is centered on how the consumer can be certain that he or she is meeting with an actual licensed mental health provider." Pg 17 Kathleene Derrig-Palumbo

"Young adults... used to communicating via the written word, predominantly by using mobile texting, computer instant messaging chat rooms, blogs and social networks.. online therapy for the younger generation shapes up to be a natural assumption." Pg23 Kathleene Derrig-Palumbo

SOCIAL MEDIA

"Americans spend 7.6 hours a month using social media" and "63% of American Facebook users log on to the site daily" (Whiteman, 2014) "Pg 43 Allison Thompson

search engines & therapy
"By learning about their mental health concern, the individual becomes an informed and educated patient one that can play a more active and engaged role in the transformative process (Khin-Kyemon, 2013). Valuable therapy time can be used to focus on the client's individual needs and issues, rather than in explaining basic components of mental illness or its treatment."

BLOGGING
"Blogging may also be used as a form of journal writing or self-help intervention therefore teaching the client about the effects of posting information into cyberspace can be critical (Nagel & Anthony, 2009)."

"There are, however, groups on the internet that help provide a great deal of information and support for committing suicide, anorexic food intake control, self-harm methods, and similar disturbing topics. So while the potential for good is far greater than harm, the implications of consuming online health information remains a legitimate concern that should be addressed." Pg 78


SLEEP

https://sleep.org/articles/ways-technology-affects-sleep/

Study Task 5; Essay Structure

Initial Contextualising Section 

Triangulating my first two texts may be easier than the third one in terms of topic, as the third hones in on the subject matter of games whereas the others are more broadly focused on the impact of technology on mental health. The third text will be very effective when discussing my creative report, whereby I've asked people to take part in a small experiment which I will use to correlate results, determining wether violent video game exposure results in some form of destructive thought patterns. 

All topics lead into each other, I have gathered all my quotes and am ready to start writing. I find by writing out my quotes first under headings relating to topic, triangulating texts is far easier and as long as almost all my information has been sourced when I start writing, the essay flows easily.

Research: Triangulation

Research Question

How screen based applications effect mental health issues:

1 TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL HEALTH: Applications in Practice, Supervision and Training By Stephen Goss, Kate Anthony, LoriAnne Sykes Stretch, DeeAnna Merz Nagel

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n66nDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA107&dq=screen+based+applications+effect+on+mental+health&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjl_cjD98LXAhXhBcAKHRK3A6sQ6wEITjAH#v=onepage&q=screen%20based%20applications%20effect%20on%20mental%20health&f=false

2 Virtual Environments in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience: Methods and ... edited by Giuseppe Riva, B. K. Wiederhold, E. Molinari

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0-Nzrj_DWL4C&pg=PA22&dq=how+screen+based+applications+affect+mental+health+issues&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC4pSHs9LXAhVCKcAKHeyJCeIQ6wEIRjAG#v=onepage&q=how%20screen%20based%20applications%20affect%20mental%20health%20issues&f=false

pg24




3 Reality is Broken - Why games make us better and how they can change the world by Jane McGonigal 

pg39
'He was intensely focused, highly motivated, creatively charged, and working at the very limits of his abilities. Immersion was almost instant. Flow was fast and virtually guaranteed

Primary Research Methods & Data Collection

Primary Research Methods

Ethics
When using human participants you need to be approved by a tutor in advance. Any research using vulnerable people (children or people with certain disabilities) must be approved by the ethics sub-committee. Research involving human participants must be anonymous and you must obtain informed consent in advance.

Empiricism vs Rationalism
There are two main approaches to knowledge

Empiricism: something is only true if it is experiences using senses- what you do though primary research
Start with questions that have not already been answered (preferably)
These questions will contain the clues to the potential methods by which you will find the answers
ie: they are about people's feeling, opinions, activities, circumstances, relationships etc


Rationalism: truth can be grasped intellectually using logic and reason- what you do through discussion, arguing...

Qualitative/ quantitive data
Empirical research is all about data collection and analysis... however, 'data' can take different forms
Quantitive data is organised in numerical form
Qualitative data is found in language- written or oral

Data Collection:

Focus Groups: group gathered deliberately selected people who participate in a planned discussion                              about a particular topic.

Survey- Interviews: Structured/ semi- structured/ unstructured
           - Questionnaires: should be multiple choice, easy to complete, easy to read and understand                     without leading questions

Ethnography: (study of people and cultures) Participant observation- spend time establishing                                   yourself as part of that group, unlikley to have time for this
                       / direct observation- situated outside the group, just there to observe (much more                               appropriate for this essay considering time limits)

Content analysis: Extracting quantitive data from qualitative sources- Measures the frequency of pre-                              specified items within a particular context

Creative Explorations (Gauntlett, 2007): Using creative techniques as a means of gathering                                                                                    subjective data: Lego building, collage, film making etc...

Cross referencing: You may have basic personal information (e.g gender) that you can cross                                               reference with other trends (i.e 30% of men prefer black)

Statistically significant: How do you decide if a result is significant? This needs to be asked early on                                         in the process and should have some logical or rational justification.

Qualitative
Coding: making sense of numerous qualitative responses from the same questions won't happen                        without some coding. Coding means organising your data into common themes/ concepts.

Deductive analysis: (top down)- using a general rule of theory to find specific data in support of the                                     rule.
Inductive analysis: (down up) Using the data and your analysis to establish new generalisations                                          about the subject.


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My Data Collection

I want to use data gathered through playing and observing video games, namely violent ones such as Modern Warfare which will be easily accessible as my housemates play this often and I've seen and heard the aggressive threats made to them by other users worldwide, wether it be through an IM or vocally through a headset. I will carry out sound recordings during gameplay as well as interview frequent players and gage what if any effect it has on them.

I may also create a surveymonkey survey in order to gather a wider audience with different demographics such as age and sex as having used the headpiece before the men who were playing the game told me alot more people will turn their microphones on as a result of hearing a female voice. It was interesting to initially be warned of a division of the sexes and felt like it was more of a novelty for women to be playing these games, but I was still called a "dumb bitch" within 5 minutes into talking to people online. I therefore want to gather information from a range of diversities and gage if there is more or less impact on certain people, there may be sexist, racist and homophonic comments more or less than I think, at present I'm unaware of this specific sector (gaming) but want to explore this avenue as part of 'screen based applications' as I feel it's relevant as '69% of all heads of household play computer and video games'.

Video game comparison: Aesthetic

Compare meditation apps/ calming games to apps where they're quite stress inducing, particularly video games such as GTA and Modern Warfare.

Recently I've been playing Tap Tap Fish as I find it really therapeutic, nothing goes wrong and you constantly make 'new fish friends' and everything is visually beautiful. The audio is a key aspect of this soothing effect that blends with the visuals. The colours are vibrant and the sky different shades of blue pink and purple, everything about the visuals have been tapered to be relaxing.

I want to consider how I can achieve the same soothing sensations as this game does, the sounds and ripples of the ocean is a commonly used audio in calming down / meditation tapes. The pallets used I will also explore and experiment with my app. Muted tones and pastels work well and are heavily featured in this game.

Contrasting this, GTA uses far more vivid tones and explicit graphics of violence.

I hope to get gameplayers to play these kind of games before I do my creative experiment, getting them to draw whatever comes into their mind after gameplay. I feel the rush of adrenaline and exposure to virtual violence may have some kind of impact on them emotionally to some degree.

As well, the sound effects are similarly align to the aesthetic, with shouting, gunshots and a radio station selection often full of fast tempo music to get you going.

Even more disturbing however is Modern Warfare and their hyper-realistic modern warfare visuals, arguably army propaganda, and I can see why.

The choice of weaponry is eerily specific, as well as the matching sound effects, visuals and all round experience. Talking to people internationally as you play this game is another feature, I was shouted abuse at while I partook in this and was shocked to hear many of the voices coming from young teenagers. These kind of games leave you feeling the opposite of relaxed unlike Tap Tap Fish, I can only imagine what long term implications these games could have on users. 

Study Task 4- Identities and Consumption

This Is Your Lifestyle: Self Identity and Coherence in some English and Spanish Advertisements by Robin Warner 

exegesis- critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.

-The way he talks about the way advertisements suggest products attribute to the image of the self, commodities become part of our identities, the identity of self is perceived through the eyes of the individual and others. -Coherence is being logical and consistent within the discursive structures of language. 
-Nobody can question you if you have your own opinion, hence why we should write our essays in the third person as you can challenge theories.
-Ads often play on the modern sensitivities of the self, removing risk acts as a selling point for example with the haircare products and water advert 'Think Of Your Kidneys'.
- Role model helps secure the message especially when you just have a strap line. 

Idenitity and Consumption - Jansson Boyd, Cathrine V (2010) Consumer Psychology 

-Multiple identities are what we all have when fitting into different roles we may have, for example in the morning you may be a mother of three and during the day you may be a lawyer, you may also occasionally collect for charities and so forth and act differently according to each situation, humans usually try to just identify one character in someone as we seek to simplify.
-Identity is the subjective concept of how an individual views themselves.
-People categorise and compare to figure out who we are as individuals, material possessions can often attribute to social categorisation

-Social comparison is about how people learn about themselves by comparing similarities and differences to others, this is often driven by a need to maintain and increase self esteem.
-Downward social comparison makes us appear to do better as others are doing worse.
-Upward social comparison can be damaging as you compare yourself to others who are arguably more desirable which can result in feelings of inadequacy, especially for example women who look at models and other 'desirable' female figures this may have serious effects on their body image.
-Brands and products can be transformed into symbols and in turn become ways of communicating with others.
-Group memberships are identified and justified by outsiders, acknowledging this group favours certain brands and services which give them a group identity, consumption signals they belong together.

- Self discrepancy theory explains why people become unhappy with their physical appearance, it proposes there's three types of self schema
Actual Self- The way people are at the present point in time
Ideal Self- The self that we aspire to be
Ought Self- The way we think we should be

Screen Based Media and Meditation

I started to consider how difficult it would actually be to access VR regularly or even at all especially in the way I want to explore it for medical purposes, so I think I should include this in my essay but not make it the main focal point. A more broad accessible approach would be to look into all screen based media, as I had the idea of creating an app as my final outcome to accompany my essay as this would be doable for me as I'd have to collaborate to create a video game which I feel would be interesting but I'd loose control of the outcome somewhat.

The aim would be therefore to create an app that would be used in cases of panic attacks, to alleviate stress and help soothe people in stressful situations. I meditate myself and think including such methods would be useful especially in terms of audio, I have sleeping problems and anxiety and find listening to Binaural beats before I sleep as well as guided meditation tapes will help alleviate stresses and thoughts experienced throughout the day and enables me to sleep. Doing so has not only reduced my sleep paralysis and repetitive nightmares but helped in areas I didn't expect like soothing my back ache and contributing towards better overall mood and energy.

My favourite guided meditation to sleep to and binaural beats:

Another aspect to look into when researching these as featured in the guided visualisation is Chakra cleansing and how spirituality can arguably play a part in mental health treatment. I originally was sceptical, thinking 'chakra's' were hippy nonsense in all honesty, but since physically and mentally seeing the benefits it would be nice for me to include this in my app as I've had first hand experience of the benefits. I'm aware of course this isn't a comparison to psychotherapy but that's not the aim of the app, it's more of a quick fix, that in the long term can be more of a habit that may have long term benefits but due to the nature of medium (being on a small screen) this like most other apps used for gaming, social media platforms and so on is as easily accessible on the go, a relaxant in your pocket.

I personally don't use meditation apps as I only meditate at night and use my laptop, I will however try out some of these apps and pinpoint any specific criteria I should.

Leading Meditation Apps Include:

Headspace

Calm

Buddhify

The Mindfulness App

Smiling Mind

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/26/five-of-the-best-meditation-apps

Possible research questions

How the media effects schizophrenia
How video games effect mental health issues
How virtual reality can aid mental health
How screen based applications can effect mental health

I'm particularly interested in the applications these have on schizophrenia, continuing from last year's COP study on Body Dysmorphia, a condition often linked to schizophrenia it helps me understand this condition better, my cousin is schizophrenic as a result of self inflicted damaging behaviours, but interestingly now he finds it difficult to watch TV, go outside to take the bins out and generally interact. My mum regularly receives 'chain mail' from him on Facebook with messaged laced with paranoia about this message being capable of killing those who don't pass it on but not a hello. I'd like to explore more into this topic and understand where this fear of mass media comes from and what specifics can alleviate or worsen mental health issues.

Preliminary research:

Video and Computer Games: Effect on Children and Implications for Health Education

1. -Steve M. Dorman

ABSTRACT: Video and computer-based games have assumed a prominent role in the culture of American children and adolescents. Given the pervasiveness of their influence, it is likely that these games may affect the health and well-being of children. This paper examines the health effects of these games on children, suggests criteria upon which parents and teachers may evaluate the games, and notes some implications for health educators.

Video games as a complementary therapy tool in mental disorders: PlayMancer, a European multicentre study

-Journal of mental health 

-Previous review studies have suggested that computer games can serve as an alternative or additional form of treatment in several areas (schizophrenia, asthma or motor rehabilitation). Although several naturalistic studies have been conducted showing the usefulness of serious video games in the treatment of some abnormal behaviours, there is a lack of serious games specially designed for treating mental disorders.

Playmancer: A video game designed to aid with rehabilitation with physical disorders/ treating severe mental health conditions from issues to schizophrenia, to anorexia nervosa; namely eating disorders and impulse disorders. 

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09638237.2012.664302#aHR0cDovL3d3dy50YW5kZm9ubGluZS5jb20vZG9pL3BkZi8xMC4zMTA5LzA5NjM4MjM3LjIwMTIuNjY0MzAyP25lZWRBY2Nlc3M9dHJ1ZUBAQDA=

Possible outcomes: Develop with a game designer/ animator my own game that helps treat mental health conditions, or an app capable of the same thing. This way I'd be a lot more in control of my design decisions and would fit the brief as a body of graphic outcomes. With the game I'd be limited to designing only certain elements. 

https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/40/2/237/1944403/Prevention-of-Schizophrenia-Will-a-Broader?searchresult=1

Prevention of Schizophrenia—Will a Broader Prevention Agenda Support This Aim? Felice N. Jacka Michael Berk- Schizophrenia Bulletin

Looking into the causes of developing schizophrenia this piece touches on self inflicted bad habits such as smoking cannabis, sleep, vitamin D efficiency, poor nutrition and so on which are all every day things to me and most people (not smoking cannabis anymore.. as it increased my paranoia so I can see how this would aid as it worsened my anxiety and can act as a gateway drug). We all probably don't eat what we should due to mass production of chemically enhanced food our bodies shouldn't even be absorbing, this can also lead to obesity which it's stated also puts you at greater risk of developing schizophrenia.

In another article virtual reality is touched on again. I love the graphics of this and the other game, the simplicity is supposedly calming however especially this game looks threatening for some reason. 

A Virtual Reality Apartment as a Measure of Medication Management Skills in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study Matthew M. Kurtz Elizabeth Baker Godfrey D. Pearlson Robert S. Astur

Study Task 3: Postmodernism - parody/pastcihe

Fredrick Jameson

engender- cause or give rise to 
gerundive- that should or must be done
pastiche- an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.
simulacrum- an image or representation of someone or something. An original copy that has never before existed
Polysemous is a word lover's favourite, since it's about the meanings of words — lots of them in this case. Its complementary buddy is monosemous, which describes words that have only one meaning. The Greek root of polysemous is polysemos, "of many senses."
Parody- Disable target through humour and satire

Post modern architecture acts to put all historical styles together without meaning and purpose thus removing meaning rendering it ordinary and worthless and symbolism of historical features are lost.
Jameson's definition of Pastiche is that it is something that comes to take the place of parody devoid of humour, satire. Certain typical symbols are used to convey the time period without being realistic about the nature of the time it's actually set in, he says he doesn't appreciate this. Examples (not in this text) where this happens being Edward Scissor hands, Stranger Things- There's no requirement for this to be set in the 80s apart from a feel of nostalgia. Jameson argues Post modernism is a cannibalisation of the past.

Linda Hutcheon

Metacinema- also meta-cinema, analogous to metafiction in literature, is a mode of filmmaking in which the film informs the audience that they are watching a work of fiction.

Hermeticism- also called Hermetism, is a religious, philosophical, and esoteric tradition based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus ("Thrice Great").

hermetic- (of a seal or closure) complete and airtight.
"a hermetic seal that ensures perfect waterproofing"

synonyms:

airtight, tight, sealed, shut; More

AND relating to an ancient occult tradition encompassing alchemy, astrology, and theosophy.
"some saw in the Hermetic texts an anticipation of Christianity"


hegemony- leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.

monolithic- formed of a single large block of stone.
"later Byzantine columns were monolithic and usually made of marble"

AND	(of an organisation or system) large, powerful, indivisible, and slow to change.

"rejecting any move towards a monolithic European superstate"

1. • 
     

     
     

1. • 
     

Stranger & Stranger


Drawn on Victorian typography and advertising, focus on etching, french floral flourishes
Jameson would argue this is mindless.

Jonathon Barnbrook 


Creating his own bible, Barnbrook uses historic and social references

My own example of pastiche that I've noticed would be by the makeup brand Benefit

Their packaging usually mimics pin ups girl styles, 40's/ 50's pin up girl poster style. Their vivid use of colour and bold typography mimics yet updates the stylised design.

What is Hutcheon's definition of parody and how does this relate to Jameson's definitions? 
Hutcheon's definition of parody challenges Jameson's; she believes there is critical distance in parody whilst Jameson believed parody is devoid of authenticity and just a failed copy of an original masterpiece. 

What is Hutcheon's criticism of Jameson?

She criticises his belief that Post-modernist parody is simply a condition of age, that as time has gone on we have lost touch with the mastery of traditional work,  she believes we have simply grown to adapt and develop "through a double process of installing and ironizing, parody signals how present representations come from past ones and what ideological consequences derive from both continuity and difference". Hutcheon values the questioning of all ideological positions by Postmodernism. 

What are Jameson's and Hutcheon's positions on Modernism and Postmodernism?

Hutcheon positions herself as a supporter of the Post Modern and tackles Jameson's argument. What she refers to as parody she means this as repetition with critical distance which allows ironic signalling of distance at the heart of similarity, Para can mean to counter or against AND near or beside. She believes Modernist artefacts are just aimed at the phallocentric, bourgerious, white western male. Post modern pieces exist within normal social discourses rather than the modernist artefacts are put on a pedestal and seem to set rules for how visual things should be. History is written by powerful white men, post modernism draws attention to the fact genuine historicity doesn't exist, it constantly seeks to challenge history. Distinguishing between Post Modernism and Modernism; it "takes the form of self-conscious, self-contradictory, self-undermining statement".

Jameson on the other hand believes PostModernism has eliminated satire and humour. 

"postmodernism is not the cultural dominant of a wholly new social order..., but only the reflex and the concomitant of yet another systemic modification of capitalism itself"

He believes Postmodernism is the fall from modernism, it lacks political stance, a "blank parody". It is the weakening of historicity, "always historicize!" (his mantra); he even suggests this leads us to a state of schizophrenic position as he claims to compare this to the breakdown of signifying chain schizophrenic sufferers experience. From examples including architecture, it's 'cannibalized' all styles of modern architecture with no purpose, in 'overstimulating ensembles'.

Furthermore postmodernism is the definition of low culture as we are so much aware everything before was high culture, this is furthermore thanks to new technologies, only concerned with reproduction. Predominantly he is concerned with the depthlessness of design.

Laura Mulvey- Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema 1975: Task 2

I used this in my essay last year and was very pleased to see we were studying this piece in today's class as I'm passionate about feminist theory and think it will be interesting to revisit this text and see other people's analysis.

Diegesis- narrative
Verisimilitude- appearance of genuine/ true

A Political Use of Psychoanalysis
First paragraph arises the issue of the pre-existing patterns of fascination, the male gaze is used as a political tool.
The second paragraph focuses on the obsession with the phallus, the idea the woman is the bearer, not the maker or the meaning in terms of linguistic command imposed on them by males who may live out their fantasies and obsessions.
The third looks at the vagina, the sexing of the female infant and the overriding fact that we're stuck in this patriarchal mindset and will find it hard to analyse when stuck like this.

Destruction of pleasure as a radical weapon 
New cinema has the ability to change, politically and aesthetically avant-garde cinema is possible.
It then goes onto focus on the holywood style, the dominant patriarchal order and coded erotic language. "Analysing beauty or pleasure destroys it". Revealed intention of the article

Pleasure in looking/ fascination with the human form
Look into Freud's theory of Voyujrisitic scophophilia- activities of children, their desire to see and make sure of the private and forbidden- active. The narcissistic form then develops which is the perversion.

Speaking about how this is relevant nowadays I brought up how the new BladeRunner is supposedly sexist, not that I've seen it but it's said all the women are sex robots or we see die horrific graphic deaths, with all the lead roles as men, this coincides with Mulvey when she says that women often break up the story line, roles such as strippers/ show girls, this is done fluidly and cunningly without interrupting the flow of the diegisis.
Developing on this point men secure their power, ego and authority by controlling and positioning the women into something less then a man: 'her lack of a penis, implying a threat of castration'. Men are scared of the female form so they diminish into to something erotic that they can control.

We then looked at texts:
Storey J. (2001) Cultural Theory and Popular Culture
A reflection of Laura Mulvey's text, a condensed text book version highlighting key points and simplifying theory.

Dyer  R (1979) Stars
Queer writer based on the eroticisation of the male body, he offers a counterargument without contrasting Mulvey, more to fill the gaps which are left when looking at the male and offers suggestions for the female gaze, and sexualisation of the male form. He also looks at masochistic (punishing the self) as opposed to just sadistic that Mulvey focuses on (punishing others). The look is disabled by pointing desires inwards in a masochistic fashion, Dietrich added her 'idiosyncratically cool sensuality which represented her indifference to male desire.' So the power is not completely given unto the women but she's certainly not punished or victimised.

1. Her use of psychoanalysis as a feminist critical tool

She uses psychoanalysis as a political weapon, women are given power through this threat of castration and she also uses it to understand oppression as many feminists completely deny this and link it to the patriarchy.

2. The opportunity in contemporary cinema for more radical forms that break away from patriarchal influence

There is great opportunity for modern cinema to deviate from patriarchal influence however this has always proved quite difficult, for example the recent release of the new BladeRunner, the only women featured are killed off early or sex robots. 

Emerging from classic Hollywood cinema

3. Explanation of scopophilia ... how it relates to cinema

Scopophilia is the sexual pleasure derived chiefly from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity; voyeurism. is especially relevant in cinema, the cinema theatre itself offers viewers anonymity, a room desired to be for gazing. Therefore when women are represented as a sexual object throughout cinema, audiences often can't help but encourage scopophilia. 

4. Explanation of narcissistic pleasure ... how it relates to cinema

Narcasstic scopophilia is developed through voyuerisitic scopophilia and relates to the identification of shape, ego of libido. It demands "identification of the ego with the object on the screen through the spectator's fascination with and recognition of his like".

5. Summary of the two forms of visual pleasure ... and a discussion of the castration threat

Scopophilia is a function of sexual instincts, whilst Narcassistic Scopophilia is developed through constiution of the ego and narcassim, however both overlay each other; this was crucial for Freud. This is due to both visual pleasures being aims in "indifference to perceptual reality", construction of the image, eroticized and a mockery of empirical objectivity.

The Castration Threat is offered by women to due to her physical lack of a penis as well as through the offering of her child into the symbolic. It is all about the male fear, castration complex arises from the moment of birth. While cinema explores identification through voyuerism and narcissism through ego libido, it will always come back to this castration complex, while the women may be "pleasurable in form, can be threatening in content, and it is woman as representation/ image that crystallizes this paradox." 

6. The roles that men and women play in cinema and spectatorship - active/male, passive/female

Men play the active role in spectatorship while women are passive, male sexual desire is played out and represented as women are presented in a sexual objectified manner, she "holds the look" and plays up to this role suited to satisfying the male gaze throughout mainstream cinema. For instance the utilisation of the 'show girl', the use of such allows not only an erotic object for those within screenplay, but also means of satisfying the male gaze of the audience. 

7. The constant threat of castration and how the male unconscious relinquishes it.

The male unconscious relinquishes the threat of castration by 'demystifying her mystery' the female, thus having sex with her to uncover the original trauma. The other means of doing so is they turn their fear into fetish, fetishising the thing they fear (women as they offer fear of castration) enables them to yet again take control of the situation transforming the threat. The first avenue is named voyeurism which has associations with sadism, the pleasure is demonstrated through guilt which is linked immediately with castration, asserting control and subjecting the guilty party through punishment. The latter is fetishistic scopophilia which builds up the physical beauty of the object so it can be transformed into satisfaction. 

8. 2 x case studies - Sternberg and Hitchcock

Sternberg once said he would rather his films be projected upside down  "so that story and character involvement would not interfere with the spectator's undiluted appreciation of the screen image." He introduces the fetish as the powerful male gaze is broken, the woman is at her most erotic when her on screen love has gone. Sternberg further plays down the illusion of screen depth, using foliage, lighting and so forth to give the screen a one-dimensional aesthetic, his films demand the presence of a woman, notably actress Dietrich. The beauty of women as an object is no longer the bearer of guilt, she's shown through close -ups as content of the film for the spectators gaze. Stenberg argues his stories are irrelevant, time lines are never linear and are more lighthearted, focused on misunderstanding as opposed to conflict.

On the other hand you have Hitchcock explores the side of voyeurism as the male protagonist does see exactly what the audience sees. He utilises identification process to portray women through scopophilic eroticism, he's also never been shy of expressing his love of voyeurism; his heroes Vertigo a policeman and Marnie a wealthy dominant male embody his love of law and order, despite the fact both men end up in compromised situations due to their own sexual drive. As well in Rear Window the level of voyuerism is somewhat uncomfortable and outright perversion is barely hidden, while the woman is on the wrong side of the law and threatened with punishment. This male power is backed by law and established guilt of the woman evokes castration fear. Character Jeffrie becomes somewhat a member of the audience as Lisa's exhibitionism is watched by the audience and male protagonist who is solidified in his role as he's a photo journalist and as is she thanks to her obsession with dress and style. The roles are inbuilt and explored without shame. 

9. Summary

Laura Mulvey's study into visual pleasure and narrative cinema highlights many issues still apparent in modern day cinema, the Male Gaze is definitely still relevant, women are sexualised throughout modern cinema. Mulvey highlights through this research that women can be subject to two different kinds of scopophilia, voyueristic and fetish.