MEST4 Coursework

BFI Second visit: 23/12/17 Three days to work on first draft: 22nd/23rd and 27th

Intro 13 reasons why- brief summary- highlight issues and debates Representation of mental health and suicide in the media- problem with glorification Mention films that have dealt with suicide "And she died alone. And you could have stopped it. And I could have."   There have been many debates over the representation of suicide in the media and its ambiguous meanings and messages that it presents to the audience. Inevitably there is always controversy over displaying explicit scenes in film and TV. The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" (2017) created by Brian Yorkey, is a teen drama about Hannah, a high school student who commits suicide after being mistreated by the people in her school. The show follows the stories of 13 people who contributed to the death of Hannah, who she sends tapes to, which explain how they have had an impact on her. In the last episode, Hannah's suicide is explicitly shown to the audience to inform them on how suicide is a maj...

Nik Powell: Fundamental to success: Respect, good manners, good ideas (can be unusual) Always find room for improvement Samira Ahmed: Media studies is an important subject- lets us learn abut the world we live in and challenge what we see on screen Don't trust everything you see in the media Smaller stories get coverage through NDM  White male dominance in media industry- hegemonic values Leslie Manning: TV manipulates audiences But we also manipulate and construct what is seen on TV Social media now has the same power as TV in the 80s Tom Ford: Truth of the story- important to know what the meaning is, what path you are taking Make it convincing  Adam Buxton: Creativity- unusual, innovative, think outside the box Sometimes leaving work to the last minute is the best option Work with your family members

Critical Investigation:    How does "13 Reasons Why" represent mental health issues and can it be argued that it glorifies suicide? Introduction briefly mention mental health and suicide in the media- issues with glorifying suicide Introduce texts- debates and issues Quotes ignores the relationship between suicide and the mental illness that often accompanies it. People often commit suicide because they are unwell, not simply because people have been cruel to them.-  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/28/13-reasons-why-new-zealand-bans-under-18s-from-watching-suicide-drama-without-adult   Section 1 - Primary text (13 Reasons Why) Institutional Information- Netflix and Background Info on 13 Reasons Why Textual Analysis- Suicide Scene (MIGRAIN) Issues and Debates- glorification, "vulnerable youth", theme of suicide in tv shows Quotes  "Available in over 190 countries"-   https://help.netflix.com/en/node/14164 "...

Media Magazine Sources MM34- 5. Evolving Technologies: Changes in Audiences and Consumption pg 23  "Modern audiences are used to having all their desired technology at their fingertips in one product, and this has greatly affected audience consumption ." pg 23 " Over-accessibility may change why the audience chooses to consume in the first place; where once there was a desire to see something that was a novelty and share it with friends and family members, the audience now constantly demands something new, and often watches it in isolation ." 9. Hashtag TV: Twitter and television pg 42 "Cultivating an audience that is interactive means building a sense of community and fostering the brand loyalty that all media institutions crave." MM41- 1. Self-image and the media – selling us our selves. How do the media influence the ways we see ourselves, and our construction of our own identities? pg 9 Freud’s ideas about the Self seemed to imply that ...

Books  Harper, S. (2009).  Madness, power and the media: class, gender and race in popular representations of mental distress . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Philo, G. (1996).  Media and mental distress . London: Longman. 1) Madness power and the media pg 168 "perfect body shape"- damaging to women's physical and psychological well being The extract talked about the representation of women in magazines and the "perfect body shape" (examples given were Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan). Explored the way in which nowadays journalists are sensitive to the subject of mental health and pursue an "anti-stigma agenda" pg 109 Channelling Affliction- "Some dramas depict how medical authorities and institutions sometimes fail to exercise their duty of care..." pg 34 "the media's role in the stigmatisation of mental distress has become a central concern among media watchdogs and campaigners in Britain and the US." "has be...

Historical Text #1: The Breakfast Club (1985) The Breakfast Club Group Therapy Scene 4:03- 5:45 In the scene we see the characters sitting down on the floor, and talking to one another about how they ended up in detention. In the scene we see a medium close up of Brian laying down on the floor, crying, as he tells the rest of the group why he got into trouble. He avoids eye contact as he feels guilty for what he has done. He explains that one of the teachers "found a gun" in his locker and claims that "he tried...". During this line he hesitates quite a bit and doesn't directly mention the words 'suicide' or 'kill myself'.  He then goes on to explain that he tried to kill himself due to his bad grades and says that he "can't get an F..." and that he knows his parents "cant have it". The medium long shot of the whole group sitting on the floor shows the characters remaining listening to Brian and trying to h...