PPT

Media Ethnography

Working at a bookstore, I am surrounded by people who are passionate about books. On a daily basis I am faced with masses of teenage girls searching for all things related to the Twilight series of books. Before this phenomenon, a young wizard named Harry Potter was the must have item in any bookstore. Harry Potter continues to be extremely popular among many different age groups and still has a devoted set of fans that read the books, see the movies, and do many other things related to the world of Hogwarts. I count myself as a member of this group, as does one of my co-workers, Brooke. Our shared interest in the series was one of the first things I remember us talking about when I first started my job. I have seen her chat with many customers about their shared love of Harry Potter. This creates an immediate connection between the two of them. To this day, her knowledge of the book series continues to astound me. I recently asked her a series of questions to attain a deeper understanding of her interest in Harry Potter.

For many diehard fans, a piece of pop culture that they are obsessed with may be hard to describe. In a few sentences, I could not explain to you why Star Wars is so fantastic, I just know that it is. End of story. Brooke was originally turned on to Harry Potter by her college roommate. She states that the "phenomenal character development and magical release from reality make this series an adventure that anyone can enjoy. Even though it is a fictional world, it deals with realistic issues and feelings. JK Rowling has inspired a generation that wasn’t reading to rediscover the worlds that await them in books."

Love of all things Harry Potter does not just involve reading the books. The series has become a part of Brooke's identity in a multitude of ways. Facebook groups, fansites, and release parties are all ways that she uses the book series as a way to connect with a larger community of fans. ""Potter-heads" are everywhere and I definitely identify with them." "Potter-heads" are also not on monolithic group. Referring to JK Rowlings website and the somewhat hidden content, she says there is a group of "super-nerds" that she definitely feels a part of.

Being a "super-nerd" as she calls it has even had an effect on her interactions with others. "It depends on the person. Strangers and friends who aren’t familiar or don’t like (gasp!) the series will definitely tease and make fun of me. I had a harry potter bridal shower for my wedding, which ROCKED, but I ended up having to have it separate from my real bridal shower because parts of my family and friends who had no idea what the hell I was talking about were totally weirded out by it. Other fans of the series get very excited to talk about it and share their opinions."

That a form of media helps shape someones identity is not a new phenomenon. "Trekkie's" have been around for more than one generation and many other series have devoted fans that will attend conventions, dress up in costume, or devote websites and books the specific brand of pop culture that they love so dearly. In analyzing a case study such as this one, it is clear that pop culture choices and identity are closely linked. Many friendships are based upon a shared interest in certain bands, books, or films. In teaching students about media literacy, it is important to study certain things will become more popular that others. In general, i don't think students would complain about reading a Harry Potter novel as part of an English class. Using this as a tool to discuss friendships and relationships in their own lives is a great way to use pop culture as a source of self reflection.

VoiceThread

Here is a VoiceThread on images of the great state of Minnesota.

Critical Approaches to Media

The Empire Strikes Back. Han Solo frozen in carbonite.

View the clip on YouTube.

This scene is one of the memorable lines from what many agree to be the best of the Star Wars films. Like all cinema, it can be analyzed through many different critical lenses to dig deeper into the meaning of the film and its place in society. One lens through which this scene can be analyzed is that of feminist media criticism. Throughout the movie, the relationship between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is becoming increasingly romantic. When Leia finally admits to Han that she loves him he responds simply with, “I know.” This short, but very effective piece of dialogue reinforces the stereotype that women are emotional whereas men are strong and resist outwardly showing emotions. Even though he is about to be put into a state of hibernation, Han remains a masculine image. He gives instructions to another male character, Chewbacca, to look after Leia while he is away. Even though Leia is often portrayed as an independent and strong woman, the men in the film still feel that she needs to be cared for by a man.

Another analytical framework that can be applied to this scene, as well as the film series, is the deconstruction/poststructuralist lens. The character of Darth Vader is portrayed in the films as the personification of evil. He helps run the Empire, which oppresses everyone and benefits a limited few. Hi robotic appearance and sinister voice make him the exact opposite of the youthful and innocent Luke Skywalker. Vader is always dressed in his black uniform while Luke usually wears white. Vader preaches a gospel of anger and hate while Luke resists him and searches for the good in the world. In this scene, Darth Vader is freezing one of the beloved main characters to further his own agenda, both personally and politically, a decidedly “evil” thing to do. At the same time, Luke is coming to the rescue in order to save the day. He abandons his own personal training to come to the aid of his friends and fight the forces of evil. However, as the film progresses Vader’s means are not entirely evil. He eventually helps destroy the empire, seemingly out of a desire to make amends with his own son Luke. This no longer makes him archetypal evil character that he is made out to be. Also, if he had wanted to do real harm, he easily could have killed Han Solo instead of simple putting him into hibernation. Although it is based upon obvious categorization of “good” versus “evil,” upon further analysis this framework eventually collapses.

Having students use the deconstruction/poststructuralist lens is an excellent way to have students explore the idea of attaching labels to ideas and objects, both in film and in society in general. As a classroom activity, a teacher could show a film clip such as this one or any other clip where archetypes are used. Separating students into pairs, have one student look for all of the “good” qualities/actions of a character and have the other look for all of the evil qualities/actions. Once the clip is finished and each student has a list, give them some time to prepare an argument. Have the students debate each other on whether or not a character is purely “good” or purely “evil.” This activity could also be done in groups of four, with two students arguing each side. Hopefully, the students and the class as a whole will come to the conclusion that no label can be 100% accurate all of the time.

Film Activity

As a social studies teacher, there are many good films that can accompany almost any unit or theme. However, Hollywood rarely follows the events exactly as they happen for a variety of reasons. After students have become familiar with the people and events of a certain time period, analyzing a film a good activity to promote critical thinking. This allow them to get a visual representation of history as well as practice analyzing films. Students can compare the events of the film to the events they are learning about in class. The decision to sometimes portray events in a false way is not normally done out of ignorance of history, but as decision about making a film.