A & M

• The question about representation of this text is likely to be about gender
• Female character on the left


  • Being carried and supported by a male character
  • Seems unconscious or potentially dead
  • Neck and skin exposed, adding to sense of vulnerability
  • Dress is tight and looks like silk, creating a sexualized representation
• Other female character


  • Dress is form-fitting, particularly around bust
  • Looks sexy and is wearing high heels, creating an objectified view
• This poster was made in the 1960s


  A time when women were becoming increasingly objectified in media
• The 1960s saw a sexual revolution with the introduction of divorce laws, abortion laws, and contraception
• Women were becoming seen less as mothers and wives, and more as partners and girlfriends who could be objectified
• Representation of women


  • Weak and vulnerable, like the lady on the left
  • Sexualized and objectified, like the other lady
• Representation of women as damsels in distress was conventional for the time period leading up to the 1960s
• In the 1960s, there was a second wave of feminism where women were starting to become more powerful and demand equal rights
• The film poster still represents women in a traditional, sexualized way despite the changing social context
• This may be due to the fact that horror films traditionally have a mostly male audience


  Who may be more interested in seeing women represented in a traditional, sexualized way
• The film was made by a mainstream horror company in the 1960s


  Their viewpoints and representations are likely to be quite mainstream
• Feminism was still quite new and alternative in the 1960s, so the film is representing more mainstream ideologies
• Male character


  • Holding the female character
  • Has vampire fangs, suggesting he may be a villain
  • Wearing dark clothes and a cape, adding to a symbolic code of danger
• The male character's arm is back, as if trying to protect himself

  Makes him feel slightly victimized
• It's unclear whether the male character is a hero or a villain from the poster alone
• Male character on the bottom right

  • In a submissive, semi-conscious or unconscious pose, looking like he will be bitten or eaten
• The shift in gender roles in society can be seen in the other female character in the center
• Tide

  A print advert set text at A-level for the Media Studies exam
• Female character in the center

  • Looks aggressive, with fist raised and vampire fangs
  • Appears to be in a dominant position, potentially as a villain or aggressive killer
• Having a female villain would have been quite unconventional at the time, reflecting the changing gender roles in the 1960s
• Tide could appear in a question in component one for one of two sections: representation or audiences
• There is an equal number of male and female characters on the poster, suggesting some equality in gender representation
• However, the credit block at the bottom has mostly male names, suggesting a heavy representation of men in the film industry roles
• Target audience for Tide

  Female, predominantly 18-40 years old
• In the 1950s, the target audience would have been white women who were housewives and had their own families
• The advert is likely targeted predominantly at American audiences, but would also have appeal to women in other post-war Allied countries like Britain
• How Tight appeals to the target audience

  • Use of beautiful, aspirational female characters
  • Use of direct address and language targeting women
  • Intertextual reference to Rosie the Riveter wartime poster
  • Reflecting 1950s fashion and hairstyles
  • Depicting domestic items like washing machine and laundry
• The 'Good Housekeeping' stamp of approval would have helped attract the target female audience
• Preferred reading


  The advert uses language like 'miracle', 'trust', 'like no other' to encourage the audience to see Tide as a brilliant product
• Some audiences may have responded in a more negotiated or oppositional way, seeing the advert as sexist or old-fashioned
• Audience theory: Gerbner's cultivation theory


  • The repeated messages in the advert could cultivate the idea in the audience's mind that Tide is the best product
• Audience theory: Uses and gratifications

  • Audiences may have used the advert for entertainment, information about products, or as escapist/aspirational content
• Tide

  • It could appear in a question in component one for one of two sections: representation or audiences
• Representation


  How the print advert represents people, groups, events, and issues
• The main things that could be represented in Tide are: representation of women, representation of gender, representation of housework/cleaning, representation of the Tide brand
• Representation in Tide

  • The woman has her hair up in curls with a headscarf, wearing a pretty blouse and apron, with a perfect face of makeup - representing an idealized, aspirational image of women
• Representation in Tide

  • The woman's dress code reflects 1950s fashion, with hairstyles similar to famous film stars like Betty Grable and Veronica Lake
• Representation in Tide 2

  • The woman's hair being tied up and practical reflects her being ready to do physical, difficult work in the home
• Representation in Tide 1

  • The woman is smiling and hugging the box of Tide, representing women as loving Tide, cleaning, housework, and laundry