SeLf eVaLuaTiOn..x

Attainment...2
I've understood most if not all of the work we've covered in Media so far and feel that my work is of a reasonably high standard because I do do it properly.

Effort...1
I think I put alot of effort into Media Studies with everything especially my blogs because I know I do my work properly and keep everything up to date and I have improved soo much since last year!

Punctuality...1
I am practically always on time to my lessons and think that I've only been late once or twice but that was last term.

Submission & Quality of Homework...1
I think theres only been like one or mayybe two homeworks that I haven't completed on time so far so I think I deserve a 1 because this is a massive change from last year and I also think that the quality of my work is high especially my blog work which I do take pride in :)

Ability to Work Independently...2
I am able to work well independently, however I do prefer working in a group sometimes - but I do get what I need to do done when working by myself

Quality of Writing...2
I think my quality of writing is quite good at the moment as I am able to express my views well and use appropriate media terminology etc however I feel that this can still be improved

Organisation of Media Folder...1
I think my media folder is perfectly organised :)

Oral Contributions in Class...3
I think that my contributions in lesson could probably quite drastically improve because I don't tend to contribute unless I'm asked to

Standard of Module 5 Blog...1
My blog is always up to date and consists of high quality and detailed work therefore I feel that I deserve a 1, also I think my blog looks pretty and I am very proud of it :)

Standard of Module 6 Blog...1
My med 6 blog is also up to date and of a high quality, it also looks pretty and I got 3 credits for it too :D

iNdEpEnDeNt sTuDy..1st dRaFt..x

‘Due to the lack of Asians in the media, any portrayal can be viewed as stereotypical, because that's all viewers have to define Asians (not that they should base their views on movies, of course, but many will)’ [1]
'How are Asians represented in film and television, with particular focus on Bride & Prejudice?'

Asians have been migrating to the UK for a number of years, although, migration from the Indian subcontinent peaked in the late 1960s and early 70s. [2] Since, we have witnessed the affluent progression of Asians in the business community; some of Britain’s richest such as the Jasminder Singh Family: owners of the Edwardian Group [3]. However, despite such succession within society, Asians have still been minutely represented in the media. Gurinder Chadha is one of such successful Asians today. However, what differentiates Chadha from others is her progression in creating awareness of Asian culture and values and exhibiting them in mainstream media effectively. Chadha has produced two main landmark films in representing the Asian community, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ (1992) and more recently ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (2002). ‘Bride & Prejudice’, (2004) also by Gurinder Chadha, is an adaptation of the novel ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by writer Jane Austen, and is fundamentally about traditional mother Mrs. Bakshi and her eagerness to find suitable husbands for her four unmarried daughters. [4] Brought to us by mainstream producer, Miramax Films ‘Bride & Prejudice’ demonstrates the portrayal of young Asian women today. Breaking free from stereotypical roles, all four sisters are represented in individually distinct manners. Dealing with the themes of love, marriage, tradition and family values, ‘Bride & Prejudice’ is exemplary of the contemporary attitude of Asians in today’s society.

‘Bride & Prejudice’ is part of a hybrid of genres which includes comedy, drama, romance and musical film. It can also be placed into the newly founded British Asian genre. This particular genre of film was initiated by films such as ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ (Gurinder Chadha, 1992). An attribute of such texts of this genre is that they are productions by Asians, about Asians and are evident of the fact that Asians in today’s society have more power and influence as a social group than in previous years. This is also evident in the rise of the ‘brown pound’ over the years as there is a much wider and thriving target audience for the consumption of such texts. The genre ‘British Asian’ has prospered from the success of previous texts such as ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ (Sanjeev Bhaskar, 1998) and ‘East is East’ (Ayub Khan, 1999), and has created a realisation of the post modernist attitudes expressed by British Asian audience’s today whom have a more open mind and are noticeably not offended by the use of accents for example as they feel as if though they can laugh at themselves as their portrayal in British Asian texts is created by Asians themselves. Where although most British Asian texts have a comical element, they are still able to express issues and situations which the target audience may feel they can relate to.

The intended target audience for ‘Bride & Prejudice’ would be both males and females of all ages in the Asian community considering the films hybrid of genres; ensuring that audiences of all ages are able to relate to particular characters and situations in the film. Also, due to the fact that ‘Bride & Prejudice’ was created by Gurinder Chadha, who has been part of widely successful mainstream British Asian texts such as ‘Bend it Like Beckham’, the film would appeal to a wider multicultural audience that is familiar with her work. Another factor that would generate a wider audience span is that the film’s protagonist is played by former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai which would encourage certain viewers to watch the film as they may be fans, due to her celebrity status amongst both British Asians and traditional Asians. There may also be a strong secondary audience presence between the white, liberal middle class population and other non Asians whom may be interested by the nature and appeal of the film and may consider it as an educational experience.

‘Bollywood meets Hollywood... And it's a perfect match’ [5] is the tagline for ‘Bride & Prejudice’ and promotes the idea of a collaboration of two cultures; Bollywood & Hollywood in one. The mise en scene in the film helps to portray this attribute as it is displayed as continually colourful which links to Bollywood films and the way in which they are portrayed as usually you would expect them to be bright and cheerful in this way, this sense of colour is also depicted through the clothing that the characters wear; which is usually traditional Indian clothing especially in scenes such as the wedding. The bright lighting within the film helps to portray the light hearted feeling and images expressed throughout. This is true for most scenes in the film, even if the mood of the particular scene is not really of a 'bright' & 'happy' nature the lighting still generally remains bright reinforcing the comedy and musical elements of the film, also the strong use of non diegetic music used through out the film in the form of song and dance routines lives up to the conventions of most Bollywood films or Hollywood musicals. There is a strong significance of the use of the particular mise en scene and settings that have been utilised as they are important to symbolise the 'stereotypical' vision that the audience expects to have of a film which is in a sense a reproduction of a 'Bollywood' film. These sets usually look extravagant and grand as you would usually find them to be in typical Bollywood films. An example of this idea of a grand setting is the scene at the beginning of the film where there is a wedding taking place in an enormous and elaborate house. The conjunction of cultures is also evident via the use of two languages being spoken which is predominantly English but also some Punjabi. The use of both languages works to reach a wider range of audiences both, British Asian and traditional Asian.

‘Bride & Prejudice’ presents many characters that appear to conform to the stereotypical representations of Asians, however, it also demonstrates various alternative representations of Asian characters that challenge these conventions. For example, the stereotypical representation of an oppressed Asian female is often reinforced in British Asian films via the use of several inferior female characters, which is evident particularly in films such as ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ and ‘Monsoon Wedding’ (Mira Nair, 2001). Where these films do deal with serious issues regarding the likes of a patriarchal society, there appears to be no real development within the Asian community concerning such matters which is a misconception. ‘Bride & Prejudice' on the other hand features Aishwarya Rai as the leading protagonist of the film, giving her a sense of power and independence which makes the audience identify with her as she is in a central and active role. However, applying Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ it can still be argued that she has been deliberately used for this role to in order to satisfy the male gaze as she holds a quality of to-be-looked-at-ness. There are moments in the film where this idea is emphasised as certain parts of her body are fetishised by the use of semi revealing or tight clothing which, still reinforces the idea of a patriarchal society. The theme of 'patriarchy' can be expressed in ‘Bride & Prejudice’ as it features a very stereotypical Asian attitude at times, especially in terms of marriage, for example, ‘I will end up living in that rotten house, full of spinsters with no grandchildren’ [6], is the opinion expressed by Rai’s mother in the film whom feels as if she should marry off her daughters as soon as possible to relieve the shame of having the burden of unmarried daughters. This theme of marriage is a key aspect to the narrative of the film as it is a central issue covered that helps to showcase the idea of patriarchy. The character of Rai’s father and most other male characters seem domineering as they feel what they expect should be done without argument. In many ways though, Mulvey's theory is subverted by this text as the Asian women in this film all hold a strong presence and do not adapt to traditional roles women would be expected to fulfil. Also, even though the women in this text may come across as objects of the male gaze as they are beautiful and hold the quality of to-be-looked-at-ness they are still strong, independent women aware of their good looks and how to operate them which is known as post - feminism.

‘Bride & Prejudice’ portrays the way in which young girls today have to deal with the division between Western and Asian culture and are often faced with the predicament of where their loyalties genuinely lie. Lalita’s character is initially presented as having a good balance between the two, however is faced with her own predicament between tradition and values against her choice for love given that Darcy is white. Lalita’s younger sister, Lucky is also an example of one such character in the film. She is portrayed as completely neglecting to conform to her stereotypical role as an obedient Asian daughter and is seen to be ‘wild’ in comparison to her sisters. An example of her ‘wild’ behaviour is witnessed when she runs away with a white boy in England or even in her persistency to dress seductively, which are all attributes that Asian girls are not stereotyped to coincide to.

Chadha’s previous release ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ from 1992 is also heavily evident of such struggle between the conflict of Western and Asian culture. This presents us with the idea that more than a decade ago this conflict would have been an even larger issue for young British Asians. ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ illustrates many stereotypical visions of the Asian community; more so than ‘Bride & Prejudice’, both positive and negative however, it also manages to display characters whom chose not to conform to their stereotypical roles yet the way in which such individuals would be treated by the remaining Asian community completely differs at that time in comparison to present day; they would have been much more frowned upon. For example, Lalita marries Darcy at the end of ‘Bride & Prejudice’ which demonstrates her parents’ and communities acceptance and conformity of multiculturalism. However, in ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ the character of Hashida becomes pregnant by her black boyfriend and as the other women in the community find out they are all far from accepting and look down upon her.

As different ethnic minority communities are gradually establishing themselves in Britain, stereotypes are changing as society is learning more about Asian culture. Due to this, alongside traditional portrayals of Asian women, we are also becoming increasingly aware of alternative representations of Asian women such as the character of Aishwarya Rai in ‘Bride & Prejudice’. One such example of a career orientated, beautiful, independent and successful Asian woman is Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty whom Britain became aware of from ‘Big Brother’ (2007). ‘Producers of Big Brother hope to attract more than two million Asians living in the UK’ [7] would have been ‘Big Brother’s’ motive of Shilpa’s arrival to the show; in an aid to reach a wider audience – Asians. As Shilpa entered the house she was an obvious example of a glamorised Asian culture that Britain is presented with today. This particular glamorised trend was set in many ways by the creation of ‘Bombay Dreams’, a Bollywood-themed west end musical in 2002. [8] Due to the much anticipated hype created by the establishment of such an event in British theatre, many varieties of Asian cultural trends were seen to be ‘cool’ and became glamorised ‘accessories’ almost. Asian culture is now seen to be stylish and is influencing areas such as fashion, music, food and entertainment.

Shilpa Shetty’s presence in the Big Brother house also created great controversy in 2007. With alleged racial bullying being carried out in the house by housemates; Jade Goody, a former Big Brother contestant, Jo from S Club 7 and model Danielle Llyod, news broadcasts all over the world expressed their opinions regarding the serious issue. ‘Jade Goody told the actress to "go back to the slums", in a row that erupted over stock cubes’ [9] is evidence of such ‘racist’ bullying that took place, however, the debate here is whether this was truly an intentional racial hate comment or perhaps just pure ignorance. This is an argument which can be considered as an on going one in society, where we had perhaps assumed that racism was no longer an issue in multicultural Britain today, this series of the show proved many wrong. Where ‘Bride & Prejudice’ presents a much more broad minded and multicultural representation of society, there are many texts such as ‘Big Brother’ (2007) and others from previous years in which we witness completely different ideologies.

‘My Beautiful Laundrette’, (Hanif Kureishi, 1985) can be viewed as a historic text in comparison to the more contemporary ones today. It is an example of the differentiating ideologies portrayed between the representation of Asians then to Asians today. ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’, is set within the Asian community in London, during the Thatcher years, and displays those values, of money but 'anybody can make it' [10] The issues that are presented in this film are of a different manner in comparison to the typical comedic nature we witness in most British Asian films. They come across as a lot more serious than other British Asian texts; mainly because 'My Beautiful Laundrette' is just a drama. This film focuses largely on racial hate issues as well as the adjustments Asians had to make in settling into Britain and adapting to its ways. Although, it does relate to 'Bride & Prejudice' and other films of this genre in the way that it subverts many stereotypes instead of conforming to them. For example, the protagonist of this film, Omar is a homosexual, which is not a stereotype that we generally associate with Asians.

‘Bride & Prejudice’ presents a modern and westernised view of the Asian community, even within scenes that are shot in India, which aids to show the racial diversity and open minded nature of Asians today. Aishwarya Rai’s male lead in the film is
Martin Henderson whom plays the role of William Darcy. The blossoming romance between an Asian woman and a white American man is still regarded as a relationship that may be frowned upon within the Asian community; however ‘Bride & Prejudice’ portrays this as any other love story which helps to reinforce the promotion of multiculturalism and unity within society. Another aspect of the film which also creates this sense of unity and a prosperous multicultural society is the presentation of Lalita’s (Aishwarya Rai) mother and Darcy’s mother. Both women are presented as pressurising, over protective, possessive mothers with high expectations for their children, whom are both trying to arrange their child’s marriage. This motherly image is a universal, stereotypical representation of many mothers. Therefore, by showing Asian characters to share certain traits with white characters, we can see that the film is trying to promote multicultural values; forcing us to identify our similarities rather than regret our differences.

However, a reason for the cross over success of the film to white audiences may not just be due to cultural similarities but also due to the fact that the audience is encouraged to see many of the Asian characters as ‘novelty-value’ [11] For example, the character of Lalita’s mother is successful in appealing to audiences due to her use of over the top comedic gestures. This, in conjunction with her strong Indian accent presents her almost as a modern day ‘racial clown’ [12]. Therefore, it can be argued that the audience is laughing at her ‘un – English’ attributes and mocking her accent and cultural features instead of laughing at her as a comedic character.

Such similar characters have consistently been employed as ‘Brown Clowns’ in British Asian texts in the past. An example of this is the use of Asian characters in the sitcom ‘Mind Your Language’, (Stuart Allen, 1992). There is an evident use of stereotypes employed in ‘Mind Your Language’ as there is in ‘Bride & Prejudice’ although in different ways. Even though ‘Mind Your Language’ was initially created as a light hearted comedy we cannot be sure of the genuine intentions of the creators because they were themselves white British. Due to this fact, it’s harder to assess whether the use of Asians as the butt of the joke was simply a form of amusement and entertainment or even a way to showcase ethnic minorities on predominantly white television or in actual fact supposed to be offensive. Whereas, we know that the stereotypes we come across in ‘Bride & Prejudice’ aren’t intended in a racist or offensive way as the creators of this text are themselves British Asian.

In conclusion, ‘Bride & Prejudice’ is a film that contains a variety of different representations concerning Asians. Some of these conform to many well recognised stereotypes however, there are many which challenge these stereotypes and offer the audience ‘alternative’ portrayals of Asians. The protagonist of this film, Lalita, has been presented to us through actress Aishwarya Rai; encouraging the audience to identify with her and therefore take on her beliefs and views and through this film attempts to promote a more successful multicultural society. ‘Bride & Prejudice’ promotes the idea of today’s multicultural Britain and also the changing and developing ideas and attitudes of the Asians that live here and in fact even those that live in India.

Word Count: 2984

References:

• http://imdb.com/title/tt0361411/usercomments?start=60 [1]
• http://www.ipa.co.uk/diversity/communities_asian.htm l[2]
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2843321.stm [3]
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/plotsummary [4]
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/ [5]
• ‘Bride & Prejudice’, Gurinder Chdha, 2004 [6]
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Dreams [7]
• http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/jan/04shilpa.htm [8]
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6273677.stm [9]
• http://www.imdb.com/title [10]
• Dexter, Guardian, 8 December 1993 [11]
• ‘Representing Black Britain’, Sarita Malik, 2002 [12]

FiRsT PaRaGraPh..x

‘Due to the lack of Asians in the media, any portrayal can be viewed as stereotypical, because that's all viewers have to define Asians (not that they should base their views on movies, of course, but many will)’ – from a review of ‘Bride & Prejudice’ [1]
'How are Asians represented in film and television, with particular focus on Bride & Prejudice?'

Asians have been migrating to the UK for a number of years, although, migration from the Indian subcontinent peaked in the late 1960s and early 70s. [2] Since, we have witnessed the affluent progression of Asians in the business community; some of Britain’s richest such as the Jasminder Singh Family: owners of the Edwardian Group [3]. However, despite such succession within society, Asians have still been minutely represented in the media.

Gurinder Chadha is one of such successful Asians today. However, what differentiates Chadha from others is her progression in creating awareness of Asian culture and values and exhibiting them in mainstream media effectively. Chadha has produced two main landmark films in representing the Asian community, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ (1992) and more recently ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (2002).

‘Bride & Prejudice’, (2004) also by Gurinder Chadha, is an adaptation of the novel ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by writer Jane Austen, and is fundamentally about traditional mother Mrs. Bakshi and her eagerness to find suitable husbands for her four unmarried daughters. [4] Brought to us by mainstream producer, Miramax Films ‘Bride & Prejudice’ demonstrates the portrayal of young Asian women today. Breaking free from stereotypical roles, all four sisters are represented in individually distinct manners. Dealing with the themes of love, marriage, tradition and family values, ‘Bride & Prejudice’ is exemplary of the contemporary attitude of Asians in today’s society.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0361411/usercomments?start=60 [1]

http://www.ipa.co.uk/diversity/communities_asian.html [2]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2843321.stm [3]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/plotsummary [4]

DeTaiLeD eSsaY pLaN..x

‘Due to the lack of Asians in the media, any portrayal can be viewed as stereotypical, because that's all viewers have to define Asians (not that they should base their views on movies, of course, but many will)’ – from a review of ‘Bride & Prejudice’ [1]

'How are Asians represented in film and television, with particular focus on Bride & Prejudice?'

iNtRoDuCtioN...

Asians have been migrating to the UK for a number of years, although, migration from the Indian subcontinent peaked in the late 1960s and early 70s. [2] Since, we have witnessed the affluent progression of Asians in the business community; some of Britain’s richest such as the Jasminder Singh Family: owners of the Edwardian Group [3]. However, despite such succession within society, Asians have still been minutely represented in the media.

Gurinder Chadha is one of such successful Asians today. However, what differentiates Chadha from others is her progression in creating awareness of Asian culture and values and exhibiting them in mainstream media effectively. Chadha has produced two main landmark films in representing the Asian community, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ (1992) and more recently ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (2002).

‘Bride & Prejudice’, (2004) also by Gurinder Chadha, is an adaptation of the novel ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by writer Jane Austen, and is fundamentally about traditional mother Mrs. Bakshi and her eagerness to find suitable husbands for her four unmarried daughters. [4] Brought to us by mainstream producer, Miramax Films ‘Bride & Prejudice’ demonstrates the portrayal of young Asian women today. Breaking free from stereotypical roles, all four sisters are represented in individually distinct manners. Dealing with the themes of love, marriage, tradition and family values, ‘Bride & Prejudice’ is exemplary of the contemporary attitude of Asians in today’s society.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0361411/usercomments?start=60 [1]
http://www.ipa.co.uk/diversity/communities_asian.html [2]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2843321.stm [3]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/plotsummary [4]

‘BoLLyWooD MeEtS HoLLyWooD...aNd iT's a pErFeCt maTcH’...

• The genre is a hybrid between drama/musical/comedy & romance.
• Style and narrative in this case are a combination of both Hollywood/Bollywood, this blend has been constructed intentionally in order to give audiences a bit of both worlds.
• A way in which this has been particularly constructed is via the use of many song and dance routines linking to the general structure of Bollywood films, and then in turn showing a bridge between Bollywood and Hollywood. This could possibly be the aim and objective of the film in general.
• This text features a director which can be associated to a particular genre type - 'British Asian' and also a star (Aishwarya Rai) whom is associated with Bollywood - thereby also assocaited with the generic themes of drama, romance and musicals, which are seen to be the stereotypical genres of Bollywood films.
• Many of the characters are incredibly generically determined. As the genre is a hybrid of many different genres we come across characters which are generically determined in either one of these ways. For example, one of the genres and themes of this film is romance; therefore we see this romance depicted through the selection of couples we witness. There is also a particular ‘comical’ character whom we clearly state to be used as just comedy centralised.
• A major generic convention expressed throughout is the application of frequent song and dance routines which reinforce the genre of this film partly being a musical.
• The text generally conforms to the characteristics of the genre as the audience receives what it would expect to from such a text. Having been said however, considering the genre of romance, perhaps the text is not conforming to what the audience would typically expect from a Bollywood style film as the ‘heroine’ ends up with a white guy which is not typical of Bollywood endings.
• Bollywood films usually have high budgets but British films are less likely to have the same. However, this film was created to have the same blatantly high budget image to be able to glorify the idea of Bollywood cinema.

GuRiNDeR ChaDHa – contribution to the creation of many British Asian texts available...

• Although ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ is a slightly more recent text than ‘Mind Your Language’ dating back to 1992, I think this text has a better reflection of the differences and similarities between social attitudes and Asian representations then and now. Even from 1992 a lot has changed. ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ was Gurinder Chadha’s debut film – she is also the director of the text that I’m studying; ‘B& P’. I think that both films are a reflection of her wish to be able to demonstrate the lives of Asian women and the struggles they face in a battle between tradition and the changes in modern society.
• ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ is a good comparison to my chosen text as it was directed by Gurinder Chadha too, therefore in certain mannerisms it is similar to the way in which it has been composed when compared to ‘Bride & Prejudice’. This includes the likes of media language a considerable amount baring in mind the director and her style.
  
  

OtHeR tExTs - MoRe CoNtEmPoRarY...

This text can be compared to several others of a similar nature within recent and past years such as: ‘East is East’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’, ‘Bend it like Beckham’, ‘Goodness Gracious Me’.The texts that I have considered to use to compare ‘Bride & Prejudice’ to have been selected based on different aspects of their characteristics.

• ’East is East’ was one of the very first ‘British Asian’ genre of films of its kind which, marks it as a milestone towards the path that such a genre of films is moving towards.
• The same can be said for the memorable ‘Monsoon Wedding’. This film is able to make an even larger comparison to ‘Bride & Prejudice’ as it’s narrative is considering of Chada’s remake considering its daughters and marriage theme.
• ’Goodness Gracious Me’ is a text differentiating from the others mentioned above as it was a television series. However, this text has to be regarded as seriously important considering its huge television success.

OtHeR tExTs – HiStoRiCaL...

The expectations and stereotypes we hold of the Asian community have changed from previous years and texts as people have become more aware of Asian culture and traditions with time – there is a less racist attitude for example.

• Compare ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ where this racist view is the dominant ideology. the issues that are presented in this film are of a different nature - they come across as alot more serious than the other texts; mainly because the others are of a comedy genre whereas 'MBL' is a drama. This film focuses largely on racial hate issues aswell as the adjustments Asians had to make in settleing into Britain and adapting to its ways . Although, one way in which it does relate to 'B&P' is in the way that it subverts many stereotypes instead of conforming to them. For eg, the protagonist of this film - Omar is a homosexual.

aSiaN WoMeN – MuLveY...

'Bride & Prejudice' features Aishwarya Rai as the leading protagonist of the film. Although in a way this could give her a sense of power and makes the audience identify with her as she is in a central and active role - it can still be argued that she has been deliberately used for this role to satisfy the male gaze as she has a quality of to-be-looked-at-ness. There are times in the film where this idea may be emphasised as certain parts of her body are fetishised by the use of semi revealing or tight clothing. The idea of 'patriarchy' can be related to this text as it features a very stereotypical Asian attitude at times - especially in terms of marriage. This theme of marriage is a key aspect to this film as it is a main issue covered - it helps to showcase the idea of patriarchy as the protagonists father and most of the other male characters seem domineering as they feel what they expect should be done without argument. In many ways though Mulvey's theory is subverted by this text as the Asian women in this film all hold a strong presence and do not adopt to traditional roles women would be expected to fulfill. Also, even though the women in this text may come across as objects as the male gaze as they are beautiful and hold the quality of to-be-looked-at-ness they are still strong, independent women aware of their good looks and how to operate them - known as post - feminism.

RePreSeNtaTioN iN SoCieTy & SteReoTyPeS...

• This film shows the audience both the negative and positive stereotypes of Asians. For example, the stereotype that all Asians are hard working is employed in this film – portraying Asians in a positive yet stereotypical light. However, some other misconceptions of Asians have also been portrayed as stereotypes such as the burden of unmarried daughters.
• Asians are generally portrayed in a stereotypical way regarding matters such as marriage, family values and the roles of men in women – there still appears to be links to a patriarchal society.
• I believe this film portrays a fair reflection of society as it demonstrates the balance between Asians and their more contemporary attitudes, yet still shows how rooted many are in their culture.
• ‘B&P’ does both – reinforce and challenge stereotypes. Some characters reflect the reinforced stereotypical image of Asian society, whereas other challenge these stereotypes in their actions and attitudes.

HiStoRiCaL TeXtS..x

'Mind Your Language' (1992)

Director: Stuart Allen
Writer: Vince Powell
Genre: Comedy Sitcom
Synopsis: This sitcom was based around a white language teacher whom taught a group of foreigners English.

Research:

The series was known for its humorous take on national stereotypes: the German woman was dour and humourless; the French woman was sexy and flirtatious; the Swedish woman was liberated and straightforwardly sex-mad; the Chinese woman a rampant Maoist; while the SikhPakistani men were often on the brink of war, and the Spaniard, the Greek and the ItalianEnglish language, their often outrageous speech patterns and the students' hilarious mispronunciations of English. In the politically correct days of the late 1990s the show was criticised, but in its day the show was popular with people of many backgrounds because of its light-hearted take on multiculturalism and because it gave some otherwise unrepresented minorities a television presence. It was cancelled in 1979 by Michael Grade, then LWT's Deputy Controller of Entertainment, who considered the stereotyping offensive. Nevertheless it was sold to other countries where it found amazing popularity. and were macho. Much of the humour also stemmed from the trouble the students had with the

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Your_Language.com)

A statement from a review of ‘Mind Your Language’ on (www.bbc.com):

The scripts ensured that every possible foreign stereotype was milked, and to this effect the class included representatives from China, France, Germany, Greece, India (both Sikh and Muslim), Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Spain and Sweden. 'Please, let us have no racialism,' teacher Brown pleaded of his pupils in the opening episode, 'in this class all are equal.' All things being equal, then, it is fair to say that this was still very dodgy comedy, deriving easy laughs from 'foolish foreigners' and their linguistic difficulties. It may not have been racist, as some claimed, but it certainly wasn't clever.

‘Representing Black Britain’, by Sarita Malik:

Some of her comments of the sitcom are as follows…

‘…Asians or race were usually the butt of the joke, these comedies tended to hit a racist note, but always in a well meaning, benevolent tone.’

‘…never before had so many diverse races been seen in the same television frame, but hey had also never clung so tightly to their popular crude national stereotypes. Conveniently set in an in an English-language teaching centre, Mind Your Language set up the perfect opportunity to show the differences between various ‘foreigners’. The source of humour was not just racial difference, but more specifically non-Englishness (denoted in their accents, customs, clothes and the situations they would find themselves in.’

‘At the time, Humphrey Barclay (then Head of Comedy at London Weekend Television, which produced the majority of these comedies about race) defended the programme on the grounds that seeing difference races on-screen would familiarize and naturalize them to a White majority viewing public. This standard defence based on an unpersuasive multi cultural philosophy, supposed that some representation was better than none, and that putting something on screen would necessarily ‘unshackle’ it. In fact, it is quite possible to flaunt a multi-racial society without displaying any multicultural sensibility or awareness, and laughter does not necessarily mean that we have ‘overcome’ racism, but that we can, in fact, be in the midst of reproducing racist ideologies.’

Analysis & Links To My Text...

Although this particular text is a television series and not a film, there are still many comparisons that can be made in between the two. There are three Asian characters in ‘Mind Your Language’; the Indian lady and the Sikh and Muslin guy.

One of the similarities between ‘Bride & Prejudice’ and ‘Mind Your Language’ is that there is an evident use of stereotypes employed - although in different ways, however although ‘MYL’ was initially created as a light hearted comedy we cannot be sure of the genuine intentions of the creators because they were themselves white British. Due to this fact, it’s harder to assess whether the use of foreigners as the butt of the joke is simply amusement or even a way to showcase ethnic minorities on predominantly white television or is it in actual fact supposed to be offensive? Whereas, we know that the stereotypes we come across in ‘B&P’ aren’t intended in a racist or offensive way as the creators of this text are British Asian.

‘MYL’, looks at general representations of Asians; although there is an Indian lady, the emphasis is still upon the two Asian male characters, whereas in ‘B&P’ the representations we come across are more so of women.

‘Bhaji on the Beach’
(1992)

Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writers: Gurinder Chadha & Meera Syal
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Synopsis: Three generations of Indian women embark on a day trip to the British resort town of Blackpool: Asha, a woman in conflict between her traditional upbringing and modern British life; Ginder, an abused wife who has left her husband; Simi, a counselor at a shelter run for women; Hashida, a pre-med student who has just learned that she is pregnant by her black boyfriend, Oliver; Pushpa and Bina, two sari-clad, older traditional women; Rekha, a stylish visitor from Bombay; Amrik, Ginder's 5 year-old son; and two teenage girls, Ladhu and Madhu, who are only concerned with the local boys.

(http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/b/Bhaji-on-the-Beach/)

Research:

Bhaji on the Beach (d. Gurinder Chadha, 1994) was a surprise commercial and critical hit. It garnered numerous international awards, was nominated for a Bafta and won Chadha the Evening Standard Award for 'Newcomer to British Cinema.'

The trip is an opportunity to see their country, while confronting each other's values. The women come together when confronted by white racists, but the generations clash on the issue of traditional values. Hashida's pregnancy first provokes shock then a round of anti-black prejudice from the older women. Ginder is blamed for the collapse of her marriage and urged to return home.

Commitment, duty, honour, sacrifice - all the fossilised values which they have carried around for years are mercilessly questioned. These entrenched attitudes contrast sharply with those of a visiting Bombay relative, all slick slacks and western attire, who seems freer and more modern than the older women in their drab Saris, who cling to the ideas of the India they left behind. The women do begin to loosen up - particularly in a comic scene at a male strip joint. Finally, the appearance of Ginder's husband, and his violent public attack on her, causes a major re-evaluation of values. At the end, new notions of solidarity and sisterhood across the generations emerge as the women make their way home.

Bhaji on the Beach's comprehensive success reflects its ability to deal with complex issues in a simple and conventional narrative. In the process, it opens up, with humanity and warmth, the closed world of Asian women.

(http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id)

‘There's a line of dialogue in Bhaji on the Beach that sums up the film: "It's not often that we women get away from the patriarchal demands made on us in our daily lives, struggling under the double yoke of racism and sexism." When Simi says this, she does so with a broad smile. It's a serious statement, but not one ponderously made. And that seems to be Chadha's view of filmmaking: explore themes, but let the philosophical issues blend into the story, not dominate it. If she continues to abide by this creed, it may not take many more films before she's turning out pictures to rival Loach's Riff-Raff and Raining Stones.’

http://www.reelviews.net/movies/b/bhaji

Analysis & Links To My Text...

Although ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ is a slightly more recent text than ‘Mind Your Language’ dating back to 1992, I think this text has a better reflection of the differences and similarities between social attitudes and Asian representations then and now. Even from 1992 a lot has changed. ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ was Gurinder Chadha’s debut film – she is also the director of the text that I’m studying; ‘B& P’. I think that both films are a reflection of her wish to be able to demonstrate the lives of Asian women and the struggles they face in a battle between tradition and the changes in modern society.

‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ (1985)

Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Hanif Kureishi
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: My Beautiful Laundrette is set within the Asian community in London, during the Thatcher years, and displays those values, of money but 'anybody can make it.' Omar gains the running of his Uncle Nasser's laundrette. He is helped by his friend Johnny who is an outsider, white but not entirely accepted by either the white or Asian Londoners. There are many memorable characters: Tania, Omar's cousin whom he might marry. Salim the manager of Nasser's garage and sometime drug importer. Rachel, Nasser's white mistriss, who like Johnny seems to be another outsider.

(http://www.imdb.com/title)

Analysis & Links to My Text...

'My Beautiful Laundrette' has less links with 'B&P' in the sense that the issues that are presented in this film are of a different nature - they come across as alot more serious than the other texts; mainly because the others are of a comedy genre whereas 'MBL' is a drama. This film focuses largely on racial hate issues aswell as the adjustments Asians had to make in settleing into Britain and adapting to its ways . Although, one way in which it does relate to 'B&P' is in the way that it subverts many stereotypes instead of conforming to them. For eg, the protagonist of this film - Omar is a homosexual.

LaURa MuLVeY...sUmMaRy..x

Laura Mulvey was a feminist academic and media & film critic - she was responsible for developing theories of the male gaze in her essay 'Visual Pleasure & Narrative Cinema' in 1975.

The term 'male gaze' is one which she used to desribe what she felt was the male point of view constructed by the camera for the benefit of an assumed male audience. She also argued that even the women in the audience were forced to be positioned by the narrative in order to see the world through a male perspective. Mulvey also felt that women are nearly always portrayed in passive roles whereas men are always central and active characters in the text and hold higher statuses in comparison. Therefore, she felt that women are either portrayed as housewives etc.. or as sex objects. Being represented as housewives etc... promotes the idea of 'patriarchy'. This is a form of society ruled by men through the 'father figure' to whom all others are subordinate - therefore showing a patriarchal society to be one where the men dominate and the media are constructed as their audience. Women are depicted as sex objects because the focus of the camera on certain attributes of their bodies - referred to as fetishistising showcases their bodies to be used for the gratification of men. Mulvey argues that cinema audiences look at films in two different ways voyeristically & fetishistically.

HoW tHiS tHeOrY aPpLiEs tO 'BriDe & PreJuDiCe'..x

'Bride & Prejudice' features Aishwarya Rai as the leading protagonist of the film. Although in a way this could give her a sense of power and makes the audience identify with her as she is in a central and active role - it can still be argued that she has been deliberately used for this role to satisfy the male gaze as she has a quality of to-be-looked-at-ness. There are times in the film where this idea may be emphasised as certain parts of her body are fetishised by the use of semi revealing or tight clothing. The idea of 'patriarchy' can be related to this text as it features a very stereotypical Asian attitude at times - especially in terms of marriage. This theme of marriage is a key aspect to this film as it is a main issue covered - it helps to showcase the idea of patriarchy as the protagonists father and most of the other male characters seem domineering as they feel what they expect should be done without argument. In many ways though Mulvey's theory is subverted by this text as the Asian women in this film all hold a strong presence and do not adopt to traditional roles women would be expected to fulfill. Also, even though the women in this text may come across as objects as the male gaze as they are beautiful and hold the quality of to-be-looked-at-ness they are still strong, independent women aware of their good looks and how to operate them - known as post - feminism.

RePreSeNtaTiOn oF WoMeN...aDvErTs..x

The following advert is a Burger King advert - evidently advertising food but for no apparent reason, women dressed in provocotive clothing - making sexual referances (by hanging off poles etc..) have been used to market the product. Perhaps trying to seduce men into trying this food ? Their body parts have been fetishised as certain aspects of their bodies are emphasised on and connote sexuality.



The following advert is a car advert for BMW. In which we see a man driving through small roads in a rush and women in their balconies delicately throwing items of clothing at him - one woman is even seen removing her bra and throwing it at him - which is where the car stops. Women in this advert are presented as objects of the male gaze and we are automatically put in the position of the male.



The following advert is a Loreal hair colour advert in which Aishwarya Rai has been used as a method of propmotion to market this product at girls/women whom may aspire to be like such a celebrity. This is done by objectifying her as something that has the quality of to-be-looked-at-ness ; forcing the target audience to want to be able to identify with her.

SeLf eVaLuaTiOn..x

Attainment...2
I've understood most if not all of the work we've covered in Media so far and feel that my work is of a reasonably high standard because I do do it properly.

Effort...1
I think I put alot of effort into Media Studies with everything especially my blogs because I know I do my work properly and keep everything up to date and I have improved soo much since last year!

Punctuality...1
I am practically always on time to my lessons and think that I've only been late once or twice but that was last term.

Submission & Quality of Homework...1
I think theres only been like one or mayybe two homeworks that I haven't completed on time so far so I think I deserve a 1 because this is a massive change from last year and I also think that the quality of my work is high especially my blog work which I do take pride in :)

Ability to Work Independently...2
I am able to work well independently, however I do prefer working in a group sometimes - but I do get what I need to do done when working by myself

Quality of Writing...2
I think my quality of writing is quite good at the moment as I am able to express my views well and use appropriate media terminology etc however I feel that this can still be improved

Organisation of Media Folder...1
I think my media folder is perfectly organised :)

Oral Contributions in Class...3
I think that my contributions in lesson could probably quite drastically improve because I don't tend to contribute unless I'm asked to

Standard of Module 5 Blog...1
My blog is always up to date and consists of high quality and detailed work therefore I feel that I deserve a 1, also I think my blog looks pretty and I am very proud of it :)

Standard of Module 6 Blog...1
My med 6 blog is also up to date and of a high quality, it also looks pretty and I got 3 credits for it too :D

BoOk ReSeaRcH..x

Downes, Brenda (1998) : Media Studies. UK: Hodder Headline PLC.

This text is relavant to mine as it discusses sterotyping in detail and the differences between representation and its realities from its assumptions.

Burton, Graeme (1999) : Media & Popular Culture. UK: Hodder Headline PLC.

This text links to my study as it focuses upon the representation of races. It features a range of theorists that we have not yet covered which could relate to the views that I am expressing throuhgout my study.

Clark, Vivienne & Barker, James & Lewis, Eileen (2000) : Key Concepts & Skills for Media Studies. Malta: Gray Publishing.

This text was useful for me as it discusses representation and ideologies as a key comcept in more technical and academic detail.

Mullard, Chris (1985) : Race, Power & Resistance. London: Routledge & Ledge Paul PLC

This links to my study as it looks at how and when it was that ethnic minorities protested for their rights and post-colonialism was challenged, it also looks at the white ideologists and the black utopians.

Jones, Marsha & Jones, Emma (1999) : Mass Media. Hampshire: Macmillan Press LTD

This text links to my study as it focuses on representation of gender, ethnicity and stereotypes, it looks into these areas in depth and it also gives examples regarding such issues which would help me to extract information for my own study.