Representation

In the lesson on representation we learnt how in the film industry, people are shown in different lights due to different areas. For example youth of London would have a completely different view compared to the youth of Yorkshire. A representation is the way in which people, events and ideas are presented to an audience. The media mages to take something that is already present and shows it differently in the way that they choose. These type of representation were chosen by producers. 

Many stereotypes are known as a 'visual shortcut' and are repeatedly talked about and they quickly become normal or 'true'. As soon as someone from a certain ethnicity are seen as 'representing' their country or religion they are broken down and continuously talked about which becomes the normality that others see people by. 

Archetypes are also the ultimate stereotype that people consider true for an ethnicity or religion. Countertypes are a type of representation that decides to challenge traditional stereotype associations of groups, people or places.

This film opening is a representation of a typical gender stereotype of men. This shows a lifeguard coming out of the sea, focusing on what seems like a woman at first as you can only hear the voice. 

Within this film opening, it is an advertisement that is promoting a new yogurt that is much healthier than others, representing the yogurt are both the woman and the man but more the woman. They do this by having a topless man enter out of the water and walk sexually towards the camera, which is understood as though a woman is filming the man. This is stereotypical because it is thought as though whenever a woman sees a man without a top on they instantly stare and become attracted, There are several things wrong with this, because in this film, is a toned physically attractive man, however men don't have to be toned lifeguards for women to be attracted towards them and this advert makes it look otherwise. This advert is typically aimed towards the audience of women due to the woman being the 'watcher' in the chair, however this eliminates the fact of gays being able to look at men in the same way as women are supposedly allowed too. This advert almost presents the man representing all types of lifeguards where as there are many different shape and sized lifeguards which all have their own qualities but this advert in particular presents lifeguards as being an alluring model figure.

This representation of a lifeguard is seen from a woman point of view on the advert however, there is a range of people that view this on the TV as its not age restricted. Also with the woman being on the beach she is in a bikini, talking too herself about a man, as the man walks out the see it is almost like he has the right too stare at her like an object however, this is not the case that should be allocated to happen. The audience it intentionally is aimed towards is those who are looking for a healthier option of yogurts, although behind everything else they are mainly aiming it towards women, which is shown as the only one eating the yogurt is the woman, and she was staring at the man. This is also stereotypical and pressurises women to eat healthier. These type of adverts destroy women confidence and aims it towards them to try and lose some weight. In addition, the girl in the advert is also the typical blonde girl in an advert which categorises all blonde girls into one section as though they are looking for a man in their lives. 

The colour red of which the life guard is wearing and holding an object which is red. This colour has connotations of love, but danger in cases sometimes. This colour could be a warning to the audience to say if you don't eat a healthy yogurt you won't find yourself a man, but also the colour red could symbolise love, which is slightly presented between the woman and man within the film opening. With the yogurt, after all the seriousness, they show the man as being clumsy and having a good time which breaks a little bit of the tension that some of the non-targeted viewers could have against the film. Furthermore, the film language also used inside this TV advert is 'delicious' which is intentionally talking about the taste of the yogurt which is what they are promoting, but this is seen as aimed towards the lifeguard as well. The meaning of the lifeguard being in the advert is almost like, the yogurt tastes too good that you might need some help after tasting the wonderful taste of it. But the lifeguard is portrayed throughout in a sexual way, and so is the woman. The lifeguard and the woman are being represented in this way to ensure that they can promote their products in the best way that they can and to make sure that the audience they are targeting towards is intrigued in the product. 

Film language that is used in this film opening is of a mysterious tone and is used too promote the product, the yogurt. Although the woman is presented as talking in the sense of the appearance of the lifeguard and commenting on what she thinks of him, this language is also used in cooperation with the man. It is presented as though if you love this man you will love the yogurt and the producers using an interesting looking man think they will sell the product easily. 

The preferred reading of this film opening is that the producer wants the audience to feel attracted to the man which seems too be in awe of the yogurt and the wonder. They want the audience to feel as though if the eat the yogurt men will look at women this way. However the oppositional reading of this media text would be that it is all stereotypical, and is a cliche. Many people will have this opinion as it is just a typical representation of a toned lifeguard, with a watcher who is a woman in a bikini. They used both physically slim actors which is another stereotype that many places within the media use.