Humans Postmodernism

Humans - Postmodernism

Commonly on social media we see a reconstruction of reality, people choose what ideal version they want others to see.

Hyperreality - something that is beyond reality. Substituting the signs of the real for the real, the representation is replaced with a representation which it substitutes (Jean Baudrillard).

Barthes - Semiotics  - Signs, signifiers and signified, anything that can have meaning, the thing that creates meaning and the meaning that is created. E.g, an illustration of a tree doesn't represent what trees really look like, nothing is real, everything is represented.

What is reality? A postmodern view is we don't know, hyperreal has replaced the real.

Simulacrum - a representation of something that has never existed in the first place.

• Paris syndrome.

In this postmodern age of simulacra, audiences are constantly bombarded with images which no longer refer to anything 'real'.

It is increasingly difficult to as certain what is real; we live in a fantasy, because the 'real' world is too depressing to consider. The fake is more real than the thing it is replacing.

In postmodern culture, the boundaries between the 'real' world and the world of the media have collapsed and is no longer possible to distinguish between wat is reality and what is simulation. Therefore, in this postmodern age of simulacra, audiences are constantly bombarded with images which no longer refer to anything 'real'. Media images have come to seem more 'real' than the reality they supposedly represent - hyperreality.

Baudrillard - Postmodernism.

• Odi as a hyperreal construct - he is a broken old machine/synth, and must be recycled, he is a broken character. George, the owner, loves Odi as a son, he is better than a human because he is flawed - a hyperreal representation of a human. Allegory- Odi's breakdown reflects alzheimer's as he also faces memory loss. Odi is like us.

Postmodernism

• Criticism of metanarratives - postmodern texts that usually try to distance themselves from traditional ways of making meaning, and will break the rules of existing metanarratives such as religion or science to make a point.
• Rejection of high culture - postmodern texts will often use a deliberately 'trashy' aesthetic.
• Directly addressing the audience - breaking the fourth wall.
• Breaking rules - postmodern texts often break fundamental rules of making media, for example, 'breaking the fourth wall', having a mixed narrative.
• Intertextuality - postmodern texts often routinely make refernce to other texts, cultures and times. This is 'cobbling together' of disparate themes is referred to as bricolage (bric-a-brac).
• Style over substance - surface meanings are seen as more important in a postmodern text than any deeper meaning.

        Examples in Humans

• Anita walks away with Sophie - style over substance.
• Hyperreality - synths doing jobs and chores which humans wouldn't want to do.
• The synths are fake humans.

Humans Mini Mock

Humans Mini Mock

To what extent does the first episode of Humans conform to conventions of the science fiction genre? [15 marks]

media language

DAC

buying anita scene eg. music, colouring lighting, synths, glowing green eyes, allegory of how women are treated 

breakfast scene - unconventional seems like a normal family eating breakfast although anita and hyperreality

conclusion- summary 

PEA genre conventions 

In the TV series, 'Humans' we see that it is British and of the sci-fi genre, genre is categories of what theme a media text follows using generic conventions. We see that 'Humans' is sci-fi from the main theme of the show being about robots or more known as synths that have human like features, there are themes of technology, synth music and unaturalness in the synths' glowing eyes. However we could argue that it is also unconventional in the science fiction genre as everything we see is current and reflective of contemporary British life, which we all see today, 'Humans' is also a sub genre of an alternative present.

In 'Humans', we can see that it very much follows the conventions of the sci-fi genre from the use of mise-en-scene. For example, the scene where Joe and Sophie go and buy Anita, when we see Anita being pushed from the warehouse into the shop the colouring is blue tinted and cold, connotating a sterile environment with harsh high key lighting further creating this feeling to the audience. The non-diegetic music is synth, a technical music genre, as well as featuring synths, which are artificial intelligent robots. Using the theory of genre by Neale, the audience can see that this is immediately a sci-fi genre because of the familiarity of the repetition of the conventions, however the audience should also see something new to make the show interesting, usually producers have a hybridity in genres, 'Humans' is also an alternative present, the audience can relate to it apart from the synths that are involved. Another important genre convention is that sci-fi always have an allegory, in this case we see 'Humans' portraying many current issues, in this case women, later in this scene, Joe and Sophie objectify the synths, however, it is an allegory for how women are seen, it is a hegemonic patriachal representation of women because we see one synth cooking and wearing a maid outfit, Joe says, 'Look Soph, that's a really posh one', Zoonen's Feminist theory talks about the objectification of women.

In 'Humans', we could argue that it is also unconventional in some ways as it features less stereotypical conventions of the sci-fi genre. For example, the breakfast scene

(Ran out of time.)

Humans - Gender

Humans - Gender

How do the characters perform as their gender? 

Performativity and hegemonic ideology of gender.

• Anita - stereotypical woman, long hair, caring, nurturing, takes care of the house and Sophie; repetition of this. This affects people around her by having hegemonic representation of what we would expect from a mother.
• Mattie - stereotypical moody teen girl who sees Anita as a machine. This affects the world around her as no one knows what to do with her - parents.
• Sophie - she wants Anita to be pretty - she's like a Disney princess - femininity.
• Laura - she has an atypical job of a lawyer. She is threatened by Anita.

The representation of gender in Humans is extremely complicated.

Reflects gender as more complicated, less binary and this reflects modern society - contemporary Britain. 

Zoonen Feminist theory - men and women are represented in different ways through mise-en-scene and semantic codes. Gender is constructed - meaning varies dependent on cultural/historical context.

The Brothel scene: media language for construction of gender

• Leo is constructed as male by close up shot of his face, his expression is aggressive.
• He's wearing scrappy clothes.
• Women sexualised by their clothes, the lighting is coloured pink and glowy.
• Leo and Max first seen in a dark gloomy street, with lowkey lighting.
• Club Logo - Blue and pink gears.
• Dark clothing - symbolic of masculinity and being tough.
• Stereotypical masculine locations - street and brothel - hegemonically masculine.
• Binary opposition of lowkey lighting of street - highkey pink lighting.
• Camera is slightly lowered on Max whereas points upwards on Leo, demonstrating he's 'larger'.
• Leo with a close up face - looks uncomfortable in the brothel - signs clumsily.
• Red light - sex and aggression, prostitution.
• We have the same position as Leo, feeling uncomfortable - context - synths have consciousness -  he's the only person aware of synths having self-awareness.
• Niska - red lingerie - heavily sexualised, prostitution - seen in media - intertextual reference to other media.
• Represented as a sex object - pushes her breasts together.
• Difference in intimacy of before, hugging Leo in relief. Facial expression and body language is relaxed.
• Leo doesn't save Niska - atypical and subversive representation to stereotypes.
• When he says he can't save her, Niska challenges his masculinity by acting aggressive - slapping his face and unzipped his trousers to make him look flustered and like he's just had sex.
• Synth music, low energy, bass heavy, threating.

Introducing Leo scene: gender representation

• Over the shoulder close up shot, Leo's face is aggressive - contrasting with the man's face he even asks. 'Are you threatening me?'.
• He slightly pushes him back.
• Masculine location - garages are grimy.
• Body language is threatening. Mid/long shot - contrast with Max - binary opposition. Hegemonic representation of gender/masculinity. We sense his character is aggressive.
• Costume - dark scrappy - men.

Humans - Representation of gender, Gender Performativity

 

Representations of Gender 

- Anita takes a maternal figure role - house jobs and caring jobs.

Madonna/ Whore complex - Freud developed a theory to explain men’s anxiety towards women’s sexuality, suggesting that men define women into one of two categories: the Madonna (women he admires and respects) and the Whore (women he is attracted to and therefore disrespects). -Madonna- typically virtuous, nurturing, saintly and sexually repressed. -Whore- sensual, sexualised and desirable without purity. Double standard - allegory.

- Male gaze - only function of a media product is to be looked at by a heterosexual male audience. Patriarchal hegemony.

Fetishism - overwhelming obsession with a particular concept or object.

Fetish - a small religious statue.

Commodity fetishism- an obsession with a product, not through what it can do, but through what it represents.

Anita - mobile phone.

• Allegory of the way in which we use technology.
• Our fetishistic obsession with technology.
• Way in which we use and treat women in our society.

Breakfast Scene: In what ways are women and technology represented in this scene?

• Immediate excitement, their breakfast isn’t normally like this.
• Anita made the breakfast - represents technology and women.
• Mattie - immediately compares Anita with her friends by saying it makes her three meals a day.
• Laura tells Anita stop when Mattie tells her to get white sugar - women.
• Unconventional Sci-fi.
• Angle shots of Anita cleaning a lot.
• Mid to close up shots of Anita.
• Binary opposition PJs Hawkins family, Anita dressed in a generic outfit.
• Is the breakfast really normal? It’s like a hotel breakfast, movies and TV shows - creates a hyperreality where something is more perfect than reality.
• Mattie - ‘crusty sheets’ to Toby - reinforced by Male gaze.
• Hyperreality - high-key natural lighting, Anita in the shadows.
• Anita is a commodity to be fetishised. 

Gender Performativity 

- Gender presentation, domains, culturally formed.

• Identity is a performance, and it is constructed through a series of acts and ‘expressions’ that we perform everyday.
• While there are biological differences dictated by sex, our gender is defined through series of acts. These may include the ways we walk, talk, dress, and so on.
• Therefore, there is no gender identity behind these expressions of gender.
• Gender performativity is not a singular act, but a repetition and a ritual. It is outlined and reinforced through dominant patriarchal ideologies.
• Shaping the world around us - reinforcing ideologies.

- Gender performativity is how our performance of gender affects the world around us.

Humans - Binary Oppositions, Representation

Binary Oppositions and Representation 

Binary Oppositions in Humans

• Anita v Laura - Mise-en-scene - Anita has a perfectly symetrical face, she\"s taller, younger looking compared to Laura. Laura is sexually threatened by Anita.
• Synths v Humans - Jobs, synths taking \"low-skilled\" jobs, tickets, flyers, picking fruit and sex work. Whereas Laura, is a lawyer.
• Anita (Automata) v Synths - She makes mistakes and has feelings whereas synths don’t. 
• Broken v Fixed -  Odie v Anita - Odie is broken, he could represent dementia/disability.
• Hawkins family v synths and Leo - stereotypical British family v homeless and on the run.
• Mattie v Sophie.

Representation - how a group are presented again/repeated using ideologies.

Anita is presented as an East Asian woman, she sticks out more, she is seen as ‘other’ and contrasts further with the Hawkins family who are white. East Asian women are sexualised in the media - 18+ card, and being obedient and delicate - housemaid.

- We see different representations of ethnicity and of women - usually negative - the series is providing how they are usually represented.

Scene: After opening credits - Anita offering to drive Joe

• Establishing shot - we see Joe cleaning up, on the phone and house phone ringing - chaos in the home.
• Lighting high-key at home - low-key where Laura is - we sense that she is usually separated from her family and is always busy. Close up, she looks tired and sad.
• Everything feels normal - regular to the audience - stereotypical British family.
• Conventions of Sci-fi - Music - synth and quite eerie - Colouring - cool and cold - a stark contrast as now the relatability of what we see is gone and different from our reality.
• They buy Anita - a synth, like technology or a car - glowing green eyes.
• Joe and Sophie are happy, feels like perhaps a replacement to Laura.
• The synths are dressed professionally, they work for humans.
• Questioning of ethics - they look human like but are objectified as they are synths/robots, further seen as they are women.
• ’Look Soph, that’s a really posh one.’ - the synth is a woman dressed as a maid who is cooking - Feminist theory - objectified and acting stereotypical. Allegory of how women are seen in society.
• The salesman winks at Joe as he hands an extra thing over, we later learn it’s the 18+ card - ‘lad banter’.
• Anita has features as well as other synths to do unwanted work like housework.
• Artificial Intelligence.

How the scene represents/constructs gender

• Mise-en-scene - Anita’s costume is basic, resembles nurse scrubs, highly gendered and highly utilitarian - objectification.
• Close up/extreme close ups of Anita’s face, hermeneutic code, who is this beautiful woman? Joe’s facial expression is surprised.
• Joe is Anita’s ‘primary user’ - he controls her - reflecting stereotypical patriarchal hierarchy between men and women.

Humans - Genre, Themes, Diametric opposition

Genre, Themes, Diametric opposition

• It is set in England because it is a developed Western country and is targetted towards these people.
• Target Audience - British, middle-class, middle aged.
• Sci-fi is always largely an allegory for what is current, it explores and encodes real world issues.

We see themes of:

• Sexualisation and exploitation - Toby looks at Anita in that particular way. Feminist theory - Male gaze.
• 18+ card (slavery).
• Brothel.
• Modern slavery - Anita is a slave.
• Capitalism and the nuclear family - Most middle-class families have a robot.
• Fantastical racism - Synths are 'other' and different, they've taken all the jobs represents racism in modern society. Different coloured eyes. Hawkins family - stereotypical British familym middle-class and Anita is presnted as East Asian, making slavery be seen more obviously. However she is simply a robot or human, conciousness.
• Swedish Version - 'Real Humans' - Prejudice term towards synths, 'pacman'.
• Anita is a commodity.

Genre - Neal - theory

• Generic conventions of a Sci-fi genre.
• Hybridity - Repetition but has difference.
• Subgenre - Alternative Present.

Sci-fi -

• Technology.
• Glowing eyes.
• Synth music.
• Machinery.
• Robots - e.g. Odie's brain scrambling 'fatal error'.

However can be unconventional as its not in space and has allegories.

    - Humans is original.

    - What is humanity?

Narratology - Todorov - theory

• Moving from one equilibrium to another.
• Equilibrium then conflit creating a disequilibrium then a partial restoration of equilibrium. (The Liminal Period).

• Equilibrium - There are robots in this world.
• Disequilibrium - There are some robots with a consciousness, Joe buys Anita and Laura doesn't like it.
• New Equilibrium - Laura tells Anita what she can and can't do.
• Cliffhanger - Anita walks out with Sophie in her arms.

Diametric opposition - Binary opposition - Strauss

• Anita is caring and kind because the family isn't.
• Mattie is a rebellious teen.
• Laura is stressed and busy.
• Anita is the perfect woman and mother figure.

Historcal Representations of Automata

Anita is A.I.

Automata is something that moves on its own term.

E.g.

        Das Schone Madchen - Hannah Hoch

        - BMW car logo and women - Men usually want to possess these things, women are like 

        objects. A woman is a machine. A status symbol.

Anita is constructed as the ideal woman (hegemonic ideology), she is the perfect housewife and looks perfect, conventionally attractive - better looking than Laura.

Humans - Media Set Product 12

Humans

It is a British Sci-Fi television series with the subgenre of alternative present.

There are various themes which the show includes,

• Robots
• Problems in the family 
• Representation of women 
• Slavery
• Sex work
• Consciousness
• Capitalism
• Dangers of technology

Polysemic - Multiple or many meanings.

Allegory - Metaphor for something else, usually making a broader comment on society.

Zeitgeist - Mood of the era.

Humans reflect the present in zeitgeist.

Using allegory and zeitgeist, media producers can encode a range of ideological perspectives that may not be apparent to all audiences. Iconography may represent and capture the sociohistorical zeitgeist of the era that it was released it.

Example- Godzilla 1950 Film Poster

• A huge monster destroys the city.
• Allegory - using zeitgeist, USA dropped an atomic bomb onto Japan in WW2.   Anti-war.

Sci-Fi reflects the fear which exists in society.