Product contexts

Question 1

What is the historical context of ‘Assassin’s Creed’?

Answer 1

• Video games are a relatively new media form
• Since the 1970’s they have had rapid technological growth
• It is hard to regulate such a fast growing industry

Question 2

What is the economic context of ‘Assassin’s Creed’?

Answer 2

• Videa games are financially and culturally significant mainly in Japan, USA and UK
• Severe rise in mobile gaming
• Ownership can also impact financial success of a video game

Question 3

What is the social and cultural context of ‘Assassin’s Creed’?

Answer 3

• Rise in female gamers, so need for better representation of them in products
• They are often underrepresented as they are assumed to be a minority group

Question 4

What is the historical context of ‘Tide’?

Answer 4

• Post WW2 consumer boom of 1950’s meant rapid development of new technologies to make domestic chores easier
  -Products linked to these new technologies such as washing powder also became popular

Question 5

What is the cultural context of ‘Tide’?

Answer 5

• Print ads at the time conventionally had more copy because products were new and needed more explaining to audiences
• Still many typical conventions used in print advertising even today

Question 6

What is the social and political context of ‘Tide’?

Answer 6

• Intertextual references to WW2 propaganda such as Rosie the Riveter which encouraged women to work during the war in the place of men that had gone off to fight
• However post war they were linked to domesticity again hence why household products were primarily aimed at women

Question 7

What is the cultural context of ‘Water Aid’?

Answer 7

• Contemporary audience is assumed to be familiar with codes and conventions of charity adverts due to events such as ‘Live Aid’ and ‘Comic Relief’
• Target demographic of people 30’s-40’s would likely recognise the song ‘Sunshine On A Rainy Day’ from 1990

Question 8

What is the social context of ‘Water Aid’?

Answer 8

• Water Aid said the public had become desensitised to traditional fundraising tactics
• The most conventional type of charity advert the stereotypical ‘victim’ needing the audiences help
• So the countertypical representation in this advert may stand out to an audience who has perhaps become immune to the emotive tone in a typical charity advert

Question 9

What is the cultural context of ‘Kiss Of The Vampire’?

Answer 9

• 1960’s audience can be assumed to be familiar with the codes and conventions of ‘monster movie’ film posters and its female characters

Question 10

What is the political and social context of ‘Kiss Of The Vampire’?

Answer 10

• The 1960’s is often seen as the start of women’s liberation such as the introduction of the contraceptive pill in 1960
• This advert encodes ‘older’ stereotypes of women as passive victims of men as well as a more modern representation of women challenging male dominance

Question 11

What is the historical context of ‘Formation’?

Answer 11

• Flooding in New Orleans following Hurrican Katrina created racial tensions

Question 12

What is the economic and political context of ‘Formation’?

Answer 12

• Motivation of finance and profit, released the day before Beyonce’s Superbowl performance
• This meant that there was a global circulation of 100m views
• Was this video to promote a cultural/political agenda or for financial gain?

Question 13

What is the social and political context of ‘I, Daniel Blake’?

Answer 13

• Addresses contemporary British issues such as poverty and the welfare system
• Conveys a clear left wing political message and criticises government policy
• Much of Ken Loach’s work has addressed similar issues via social realism

Question 14

What is the economic context of ‘Riptide’?

Answer 14

• Low budget, unique style due to indie genre
• Advertising song/artist

Question 15

What is the social and cultural context of ‘Riptide’?

Answer 15

• References to surrealist film impacts the representation of women

Question 16

What is the political context of ‘The Times’ and ‘The Daily Mirror’?

Answer 16

• In 2016 UK citizens voted to leav the EU
• Vote was very close (52% voted leave and 48% remain)
• Theresa May took over from David Cameron after he resigned
• In this edition MPs had just voted against the deal she had negotiated with the EU which was very serious

Question 17

What is the cultural context of ‘The Times’?

Answer 17

• Horse racing is an iconic part of British culture often associated with the upper classes
• Audience can be assumed to be familiar with broadsheet conventions such as one main story with lots of details and smaller headlines at the bottom

Question 18

What is the industry context of ‘The Times’?

Answer 18

• Owned by News UK which is a subsidiary of Ruper Murdoch’s global mass media conglomerate News Corp
• The company demonstartes a predominantly right-wing political stance despite The Times being more neutral
• One of the first newspapers to introduce a website with a paywall system in response to fall in print sales
• Part of regulatory body IPSO which is anti-Leveson in its approach

Question 19

What is the cultural context of ‘The Daily Mirror’?

Answer 19

• Eastenders is one of the UK’s most popular soap operas and the actors have become celebrities
• One of their main elements is sports reporting, especially horse racing

Question 20

What is the industry context of ‘The Daily Mirror’?

Answer 20

• Owned by Reach PLC which is the largest multimedia content producer in the UK
• Largest fall in print sales for any national newspaper
• Launched MIrror Online in response and has social media prescence
• Regulated by IPSO

Question 21

What is the historical context of ‘Black Panther’?

Answer 21

• 15th-20th century: European powers colonised Africa and exploited continent for resources and slaves
• In the early 20th century African-Americans attempted to establish a new black cultural identity with movements such as the Harlem Renaissance
• The Black Panther Party was a black power activist group

Question 22

What is the cultural context of ‘Black Panther’?

Answer 22

• Superhero films are generally dominated by white men
• Marvel films have topped the box office for around 15 years but black characters are usually reduced to sidekick roles
• Black cinema has traditionally consisted of issue-driven social realism or are arthouse/prestige films
• ‘Blade’ is one of the few black superhero films
• # oscarsswhite campaign in 2016 drew attention to the lack of diversity in nominations
• The media usually portrays Africa as an under-priveleged, developing country
• Cultural movement of ‘Afrofuturism’

Question 23

What is the economic and political context of ‘Black Panther’?

Answer 23

• Barack Obama was the first black US president from 2009-2017 and made significant changes to help under-priveleged people
• Black Lives Matter movement drew attention to police brutality in the US

Question 24

What is the historical context of ‘Late Night Woman’s Hour’?

Answer 24

• Woman’s Hour has broadcast since the 1940’s, possibly reflecting the idea of tokenism by creating a show just for women
• Late Night Woman’s Hour is a spin off that features frank and honest discussions and demonstrates changes in gender equality

Question 25

What is the social and cultural context of 'Late Night Woman's Hour'?

Answer 25

- Changes to the female role in society and increased equality - Impact of the #MeToo movement