Exploring Media Literacy's role in Sociopolitical Development

Assignment

1. This week please search for a media artifact to deconstruct that is meaningful to you. Perhaps it is an ad or a message that stood out to you this week. It can be anything. Please post the artifact or a link to the artifact in your threaded reply.
2. Use the following framework to assist your analysis this week. The Media Artifact Interrogation and Analysis Framework was designed to supplement the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy to inspire sociopolitical development, action, and to assist teachers and students in expanding their analysis of critical media literacy. It adds elements to our analysis that relate to your readings this week, including how media messages address global/historical focus, race, culture, violence, power, and happiness.
3. You do not have to answer all of the questions for each artifact - just the ones that stand out to you as the most pertinent.
4. Describe how you might, or might not, be able to use these questions/framework in your final project.
   • What counts as violence?
   • What is made public or kept private within this message?
   • What would be the consequence of making the reverse true?
   • Who benefits or loses in these differing situations? How is violence conveyed in this message? Who is potentially harmed by this message?
   • What does this message say about how pain should be expressed?
   • Are youth portrayed as powerful or weak in this message?
   • Who benefits from this portrayal?
   • Is this message trying to sell a product, an idea, or value?
   • Why does this advertisement/message work on a cultural level?
   • What is the story that this advertisement/message tells us about how we should behave?
   • What is this advertisement or message telling us about what it means to be happy?
   • Is there a link between this commodity/message and happiness?
   • What does this advertisement convey what people want?
   • What does this advertisement or message tell us about how we can become happy or feel better?

Media Deconstruction

YouTube: Making the Cut, Season 2 (Trailer)

1. Who created this message?

   Amazon (Amazon Prime, Amazon Video) created the trailer. Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum are executive producers, moving away from Project Runway (Bravo, Lifetime) in 2017 and began Marking the Cut in 2020. It looks as if they exited Project Runway when the studio producing it fell on hard times, being tied to The Wienstien Company and its declaration of bankruptcy. The rights of the show then bouncing to NBCUniversal. Project Runway then moved to both Lifetime and A&E Television, each partially owned by NBC (Wikipedia (Links to an external site.)). A person can speculate as to why Tim and Heidi left the show, but in interviews they noted rigid formatting, and low budget lead them to break paths from the series and develop a similar series for Amazon - Making the Cut (Refinery29 (Links to an external site.)). This new series has allowed the producers, Time Gunn and Heidi Klum) more creative liberties than the former series. As stated in an interview with Refinery29, the show has a larger budget and a platform to sell designers creations. Both of these allow the show to iterate and move forward with the theme of finding the next Global Fashion Brand. Additionally, the budget allows for the shows dynamics to change allowing designers the use of seamstresses, mimicking the real-world. In all, the message was created to publicize a new season of this updated reality television fashion design show.

2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

   Typical trailer effects are used. It is short (2:00) highlighting dramatic scenes with heavy bass sound effects. It alludes to drama on the reality television show, but also highlights the fashion creations to be seen throughout the series. The trailer highlights each of the judges and the fashion designers who will be in the season, and teases their personalities. The trailer also promotes the Amazon store for Making the Cut. After all the store front is an integral part of the reality television series. Bold wording draws the viewers eye to this marketing idea, "Watch it, Wear it."

3. How might different people understand this message differently from me?

   Amazon is a recognizable name as a retailer and media streaming company. Most viewers will understand that this is a trailer for a reality television series. We see each of the designers at sewing machines, receiving feedback, and portions of judging. We see models on runways, and high-end settings. The audio, both musical and character outtakes, lead the viewer to see that this is a drama based reality television series and not a do-it-yourself television show or a fashion show. Viewers may be inclined to judge themselves against this reality television series, noticing what they are wearing (fashion) and imagine if fashion could lead them to these glamorous places. The whole shows premise would be completely unrelatable to those with no interest in this sort of creative expression. There is an underlying aspect of consumerism and of competition highlighted in the trailer. Viewers are enticed to search out the show on Amazon to make purchases, now and with each new episode. The winning fashion designer wins an exclusive deal with the Amazon brands plus one-million dollars for the designers brand This might inspire or give a false sense to the complexities of the fashion world to viewers - I think Shark Tank might too.

4. What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in; or omitted from, this message?

   In the trailer, diversity in the fashion industry is represented. We see fashion designers, judges, and models from varying backgrounds. Paying attention to the models, we see different body types, races, ethnicities, and genders - important since fashion as blemished history here. We hear the producers express Making the Cuts purpose, finding the next global designer brand. We can hear the Judges points of view on why they are in the show. We can hear the incentives for the fashion designers. We can see teasers of the fashion to be created during the season and the drama. Within Refinery29 interview, Tim Gunn was excited that the fashion created on the show would be available on Amazon for around $100. Making the Cut is obviously targeting an audience that is interested in fashion and/or interested in the creation textile goods. Views not related to fashion design or the fashion industry are excluded. Everyone and everything in the trailer is intentionally set and glamorized. We won't see the average persons fashion being portrayed, as that goes against the premise of the reality show - moving fashion forward.

5. Why is this message being sent?

   This message is being sent to create awareness for the upcoming season of Making the Cut. It is accessible through YouTube, but most content is located on Amazon. When visiting the webpage for the show which is neatly integrated into Amazon (Amazon Prime, and Amazon Prime Video) we can see this message is about much more than just a reality television show - as is the show itself. Making the Cut is blending together reality television, consumerist culture, and media influencers into something new. We've seen this in the likes of Disney - and others - creating entertainment to sell products, but this show is reaching a different audience. It is also incorporated into one of the worlds largest retailers - Amazon. Once on Amazon, you can purchase, the show, episodes, fashion from the episode, visit influencers pages who are endorsing products buy. This message is being sent to help all those involved profit from this reality television series through viewership.

6. Media Artifact Interogation

   • What counts as violence?

   In Making the Cut, economic disparities is ignored, showing only luxury and glamour. Aside from that, reality television in general, is known to produce drama by pitting characters against each other and overly harsh criticisms - manufacturing disfunction for drama (violence).

   • What is made public or kept private within this message?

   When watching the episodes we learn that the fashion designers come from a variety of backgrounds and may have had different career aspirations early on. We learn about each designers through short biographies and not all designers come from a place of privilege. In fact, since the shows premise is to find the next Global Fashion Brand, designers come from across the globe - UK, US, India, Columbia, France and Poland (Fashion United (Links to an external site.)). Each of the designers have established brands, are entrepreneurs, and have visions for where to their brands identity. Newsweek (Links to an external site.) provides an easy to digest biography of each contestant. None of this is visible in the trailer.

   • What would be the consequence of making the reverse true?

   Since the reality television show is about fashion and design, telling the story of designers in the trailer would not be marketing the reality factor of the show. However, finding a trailer highlighting the designers backstory may lead viewers into desiring to watch the reality television series. Changing the messaging could make the show more appealing to those with little interest in fashion design.

   • Who benefits or loses in these differing situations?

   Making the Cut glamorizes an already glamorous field. The reality show is designed to produce profits for a variety interests. Of course this adds to economic disparities, as profits move upward. However, Making the Cut is highlighting fashion design entrepenuaers who are all self made and following their passions/interests. The fashion industry, itself, informs what we find acceptable, fashionable, and sways what is available at clothing retailers so the shoes impacts could reach everyone.

   • ~How is violence conveyed in this message?~

   • ~Who is potentially harmed by this message?~

   • ~What does this message say about how pain should be expressed?~

   • ~Are youth portrayed as powerful or weak in this message?~

   • ~Who benefits from this portrayal?~

   • Is this message trying to sell a product, an idea, or value?

   Making the Cut is designed for many interested parties to profit, including the hosts, judges, the entire production crew, the designers, Amazon, Social Media Influencers, etc. The fashion designers are creating goods to be sold on Amazon, with the incentive of winning an exclusive deal to sell their collection as an Amazon product. The reality television shows premise is to find the next global brand, this is selling the world a fashion identity. What these designer brands identify as fashionable, then trickles down to all manufactures.

   • ~Why does this advertisement/message work on a cultural level?~

   • ~What is the story that this advertisement/message tells us about how we should behave?~

   • ~What is this advertisement or message telling us about what it means to be happy?~

   • ~Is there a link between this commodity/message and happiness?~

   • What does this advertisement convey what people want?

   Making the Cut advertises that people desire to look good through fashion. But it also highlights the creative passions of the designers.