Representation and Murderball By Sina Hadgu

What is representation?

Representation in the media is how the media as a unit present and convey the real world to 'real world.' they construct and mediated presentation of people, things, places and ideas.

Mediation in the media industry means making decisions in a group.

Process of re-representation - 

1) Reality

2) Mediation

3) Representation

Everything that we as an audience view is a representation of something.

Ideology is the science of ideas; the study of their origin and nature.

What is a code?
A code is something that generates meaning.

Initial approach - 
is something that the media industry continuously use as its a deliberate attempt to create associations and ideas.

Constructive approach -
Is a meaning created by the relationship between the producer, text and audience. Constructive approach is the ideas and values of the producer and its in the context of the audience and characters/ideas. For example British actors in films such as James Bond films are usually either the hero, crazy, intelligent (techy).

Wednesday 7th of January 2015.

Today we were introduced to the topic of representation in the media and how it is that certain characters and stories are presented in the very intense film Murderball.

This lesson let me realise how as an audience we can instantly have an opinion on a character or a storyline instantly. 

Stereotypes -
sexuality appearance, race --> skin colour -->ethnicity etc.

What are stereotypes and why do the media use them?
Stereotypes are simplified representations which help focus on specified characteristics, assumes there to be shared and judgment. The media industrry use them because it communicates complex information quicker to an audience, it creates and reflects, it's also reinforcing.

Example -
For example when you see a teenager in real life wearing a hoody whilst walking down a dark alley, and you were an old lady who had to walk past that person, you'd most likely be terrified that they were going to mug you because of the stereotypes that have been incepted into films, television shows and also how the new portray a lot of teenagers to be these days.

Negative stereotypes -

Negative stereotypes are usually used by people who don't understand something and use negative stereotypes against something they're not a part of (outside of the group) e.g. there are numerous stereotypes attached with homosexuality, females, races, body size etc.

Corrective stereotypes:

• Positive representations
• Create new ideas

An example of this would be the show 'Buffy the vampire slayer'. This show is about a strong and independent woman (rather than a man e.g. Bat(man), Spider(man), Super(man). She is the main character in the show and she is a character who is the hero of the as she is the courageous and the leader of what she does. Typically with a dominant and bold character like this most people would assume it would be played by a male instead of a female.

Constructing stereotypes -
appearance --> Physical, clothing, sound
Behaviour --> Things that people do

Constructing stereotypes us the ideology through media influence, for expel gender, ethnicity, religion age, class etc.

Murderball

MTV, Paramount and indie films decided to make a documentry about quadriplegics wheelchair rugby players who play competitively and they're currently in the process of competing in the 2012 Paralympics.

I've always been a person who doesn't believe in judging something, someone or a situation unless knowing the facts first, however it's a natural human instinct to judge something instantly. Before watching this documentary I thought that most disabled people were strong, pittiful and mis-understood people. This mind blowing documentary gave me a detailed insight into the life of the daily routines, emotions and dreams of a person living in a wheelchair. 


Disabled stereotypes:

• Sinister or evil
• Non-sexual
• Laughable
• Unable to participate in daily life on goings
• Burden
• Pitiable or pathetic
• Lazy

The amazing thing that this documentary did in my eyes was make all of these negative stereotypes about disabled people disappear.


Media influence on disability
focus on impairment rather than individual
under-represented in employment and portrayal

Positive representations of the film

• From the very first second of the documentary, I was hooked. It began with no dialogue whatsoever for the first minute or so which kept me captivated as it showed one of the main characters of the documentary getting changed by himself with no help, he didn't show frustration or resentment in how hard it was and i thought that it was great to portray to people who have negative stereotypes about disabled people to show them that they are capable of doing things independently and not all of them expect a helping hand or pity.
• Throughout the entire documentary it was a very positive thing that the characters were seen in their personal lives. It portrayed that they can have relationships, marriages, children and the biggest stereotype of all in my eyes is that they are seen to not be able to have sex with others which is incorrect and i think that addressing this in a informative and non aggressive way was a great thing for the characters and it disclaimed yet another positive stereotype of disabled people.
• The characters convey that they can still fulfil a happy and achieving life. The fact that we watch them through their individual and group journey of making it to the Paralympics in Greece was a great journey for me as an audience member to watch them experience and it kept me hooked o see what would happen in the end, would they win, would they loose and how would they deal with either outcome.
• The characters within the documentary were portrayed to being very honest people, that includes the sporting aspect and their domestic aspect of their lives. When they told us each individual story of how they became disabled it was very heartwarming and I did feel sorry for them, but not in a way where I pitted them, if anything they were represented in a way which I envied their strength and determination to reach their goals in life.
• Throughout the entire documentary the players were focused to being the winners at the final Paralympic games which i thought was great because we saw their fight and determination and how hard they were everyday, how they don't let people's ignorance get to them, yet they choose to just push the negative stereotypes by getting on with their day to day life and being in a wheelchair doesn't determine what or who they become in life.

Negative representation of the film

• The main negative representation that was highlighted to me was the aggressiveness of the players and coaches. Their anger they have when playing the game and how their competitiveness overpowers their love for their game was shard to watch because I am not used to seeing being be so aggressive towards one another so seeing that from the players and coaches was very uncomfotable for me as I couldn't make out if it was anger from loosing or missing a shot that gets the players angry or that it's because they will be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.
• Another negative representation of the film was when we are introduced to one of the main character's Joe's attitude towards his child, his wife and the spot of rugby. Joe strongly appeared to be very tough and strict on his child, even though he is a very good kid, Joe never seems to be satisfied with what he achieves, he almost treats him like one of the players from his team, he shouts, screams and is very aggressive. Furthermore when we see Joe on his anniversary dinner with his wife we see him talking about the sport inspire of talking to his wife about their relationship, this portrayed him to be very self centred as he puts all the attention on the sport and it appears as if the sport is who he is and that is a huge negative representation of him, I don't think it's a negative representation of people who are disabled, because I think that's how he has always been.
• When we are introduced to a character from the documentary who has recently just had an accident and is now in a wheelchair, we see him arriving at his re-furbished home with his mother and girlfriend, but he is clearly finding it very difficult to come to terms with the life he has to now get accustomed to and it is very sad and uncomfortable to see him taking his frustration out on his loved ones.

Messages of the film

An emotional, visual rollacoaster. This is how I'd describe Murderball the documentry. This real and intense factual documentry enables us as an audience to view the real on goings of life as a disabled person, but it doesn't just show us how hard it can be to get dressed independent while sat in a wheelchair, it gives us as an outsider the opportunity to slightly understand how hard it is to come to terms with not being able to walk maybe ever again. However this documentry portrays such positive attributes of the characters involved, whether it be their love life and families, or the continuous strength they convey through not only the sport they compete in but every day to day life that they have to face.

"I do more now that i am in a wheelchair than I ever did when I was able to walk"

How did the film change views?

• The documentary Stripped away delicacy and sensitivity over certain subjects e.g. body parts
• Rehabilitation
• The documentary focus on what they 'can' do rather than what they 'can't' do.
• Players spirit and zest for life - every moment mattered to them, from the start to the end
• They aren't fragile and emotional people like people's perceptions are of all disabled people

What I think?

I think that in the documentry, Murderball the players were portrayed to be very aggressive, pitiful and unbelievably competitive, most importantly they were mentally and physical strong. Even though its safe to say that this documentary is something I wouldn't have watched in my own time out of choice, the perfectly fair way the people in this documentary were portrayed and the strength that these men have is deniably why I was hooked to this documentary from start to finish.