Frontline - Merchants For Cool

- Co-operate America see Teens as a mass market who they want to mediate & are seen as "Africa". 
- Most studies generation in history. 
- Teen runs today economy by spending over $1 billion and are given 'guilt money'.
- Teens will process on average 3,000 discrete adverts a day.
- 75% of Teens has a t.v in the world. 
- Due to technology the media can target specific groups such as 12-14 year olds girls.
- "Cool Hunting" is finding 20% of the population who are the 'trend setters'
- "Cool Hunting" is a paradox, as it kills what it finds. By discovering cool you force cool to move onto the next thing.
- These multinational companies have 'weaponary' in their arsenal to pick up the next big thing.
- MTV realised that kids were changing so therefore new things are becoming cool, something that was nee cool was not cool anymore as nothing stays consistent. They had to understand where teen culture was moving.
- MTC created the term 'Mook' who are obnoxious, loud, fun, crazy groups of males. There is not "Mook" in nature.
- The media is not longer trying to find ways to help young people they are studying them to find out how to pitch their products to them.
- Some old cliches but packaged in a new way so it sen as empowering. They are known as "midriffs'. "I am midriffs, hear me roar".
- We are now seeing advanced sexualisation of teenagers.
- More than ever we now live in a media climate where American culture has beaten British culture in submission.
- Teenage girls are being represented as women with the aspect of sex even though they are still teenagers.
- "It's one enclosed feedback loop." Rushkoff says. "Kids' culture and media culture are now one of the same, and it becomes impossible to tell which came first--the ager or the marketing of the anger."

Youth Culture Films Notes

Stefan

Richard dyer's theory can be applied to this movie as it plays on the stereotypes of british youth, MBTD, shows stereotypes as working class youth and TIM as middle classed represented as young immature teenagers.

Elliot

Wich Kidulthood and Sket there is a contrast of class and culture. There is a difference between the two. The representations are that they are both less passive and equally deviant.

Mousa

All urban films are very similar, the creators are monopolising a genre. The relationship between the film and music. Music has a big impact on the opening of the film as it could change the whole aspect of the type of film. Such as if you put indie music on the opening of 'Shank' it shows the opening titles different. In terms of media language theses films are pushing the boundaries such as introducing new technology and titles which are unconventional. Lifts these representation out of standard cinema and makes them feel more real. Representation are given a similitude aspect to them. All the posters are very similar due to the similar representation. Outside of the UK, Kidulthood was represented as the 'Streets of London'. In Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, there is a scene that a male is seen as a sexual object rather than the conventional female. Films like Adulthood is seen as voyeuristic.

Culture

"Culture… Is not artifice and manners, the reserve of the sunday best, rainy afternoons and concert halls. It is the very material of our daily lives, the bricks and mortar of our most commonplace understandings."

David Willis 1979

But what if the Bricks and mortar of our most commonplace understanding is mediated to us?

Mr Roberts 2014

iLL Manors vs Anuvahood

Task: 

Create a 5 minute video comparing the representation of youth cultures in two films.

Work should contain at least 2 theorists and how their theories may be applied to the chosen films. Try and focus the work around the key questions on the case study sheet.

They you can begin writing up your comparison as a form of a script that you will then record. Then edit in clips and images to support your work.

Media and collective - Youth Culture Case Study

Anuvahood - parody mocks convention.

What is re-presented?

The youth are represented as immature, very stereotypical and comical. Anuvahood’ dismantles a pantheon of street stereotypes with acid one-liners and energy levels that are off the chart. Deacon plays K, a vain MC whose lack of success leads him to try his luck as a drug dealer. When his money and gear are pinched by vainer, even more deluded lisping meathead Tyrone (Richie Campbell), K must show his community and family what he’s worth. It’s a bit juvenile and some of the racial and sexual stereotypes are spiteful. Although, the way it has been represented in the film makes it hilarious and entertaining.
Whose representation is this this?

Why has this representation been constructed in this way?

How can this representation be decoded? (Audience Reception)

What points or arguments can you make as a result of this analysis?

Which theories and theorists can you reference in support of your comments and arguments?

What is the overall conclusion you come to for this this case study?