Niamh Bird Media Homework

1a)  Taylor Swift Although Swift spent many of her early years on her family's Christmas tree farm, she often visited Tennessee in order to pursue her singing career. At the 'country music capital' she often co-wrote songs to try and land a recording contract. I think maybe the fact that a lot of her albums had her name on them helped to directly advertise her as a product and help in spreading her name to wider audiences. It also made it seem more personal for her listeners, which could also explain why Taylor Swift has became so increasingly popular over the years. Because a lot of her songs tend to be about relationships and breakups and are normally quite empowering, it means that her audience demographic can be quite niche and consist of younger girls, maybe teenagers. However, her music can also appeal to  a wider audience, also consisting of older females and males of a younger age.    1b) 1c) I think young people using pop stars as role mo...

1) Hip- Hop music was born around the time of the Civil Rights movement and has documented many other moments that affected people on a global- scale. This means it probably had a very sentimental worth to young black Americans because, at the time, people were going through life-changing moments and the music created allowed people to relate to how the artists of the songs were feeling. Hip-Hop is a collision between African American, West Indian and Puerto Rican cultures. Because of this, it probably empowered young blacks and meant they had a stronger connection towards the music. 2)  I enjoy a wide variety of music, from modern dance music to 80s music. However, my favourite genre to listen to has to be R&B/ Soul and songs from the 90s. I find music belonging to these genres is often quite calming and relaxed but also very powerful. I also like the beats to the songs and the melodies created. For example, No Scrubs by TLC and Say my Name by Destiny's Child. However, in c...

1a)  In the Army by Status Quo. 1b) It was significant to my step-dad because, on the first morning that he woke up at basic training in the Army, the song was played at half past five in the morning and they came into the room banging a metal bin. It is significant to Ben because it reflects the start of his new life as a soldier in the Army, which was a big milestone within his life. I think this reason reflects that Ben's Youth was spent differently, compared to the youths of a lot of people his age. The Army played a big part in Ben's life and he formed a lot of strong bonds with other soldiers that were in the same position as him. They became "brothers" to him.

2) Michael Jackson is my example of a star that links to Richard Dyers' Theory. Firstly, he is very well known and often associated with his dance move 'The Moon Walk' and is often remembered for his style of dress, which included a white glove, black blazer, trousers and a black hat. Obviously, Michael Jackson didn't moon walk everywhere, which conveys that he had a construction. In addition, he wouldn't have dressed like he did on stage or in music videos in real life, which also suggests he had a construction. Furthermore, he had commodity as a lot of merchandise was created. Also, modern well-known artists like Bruno Mars share a lot of his characteristics. Michael Jackson used his music to represent his views and, consequently, educate his listeners. Many of his songs portrayed didactic messages, for example; 'Heal the World' and 'Earth Song' . Both of these songs have important messages about society behind them and about the environment. Beca...

1) Subculture= A group of people within a culture that have their own values and beliefs n matters like culture and politics. They are apart of a culture but have specific characteristics and differentiate themselves from the parent culture. For example, 'Hippies' . 3) Teddy Boys: In the early 1950's, subculture originated in London and later spread across the UK. The subculture was linked to Rock and Roll music and they had a very distinctive style. Featuring tapered trousers and long jackets, Teddy Boys created the new 'Edwardian Look', which swept men's fashion within the UK. Although they were associated with Rock and Roll music, they often listened to Jazz and Skiffle music. Because The Teddy Boys were the first youth group to differentiate themselves as teenagers, it helped to create a youth market. However, some Teddy Boys formed gangs and had a lot of violent clashes with other gangs, which were often exaggerated by the press. ...

Why are Alfred Hitchcock's films so famous? Alfred Hitchcock managed to have very good camera angles and shots, despite the act that he worked from the silent era into the 1970's. Also, because he didn't have access to the very advanced technology like we do today, it meant the great shots he managed to capture and  the scenes, that he blended so effortlessly, made his films even more enjoyable to watch. An example of his talent with shots can be shown in the fake shots, like the stairwell fall in 'Psycho'. Also, he had a great way of infusing humour into even the scariest and most disturbing films. Because he did this so successfully, made the characters and the films, that he produced, so memorable for his audience. Finally, Hitchcock managed to break the boundaries with his films. In Psycho, he took a great risk by killing the main character off halfway through the film.