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CASE STUDY: “To What Extent Do Newspaper Headlines Play a Role in Manipulating Public Opinion?”

Abstract

Newspapers are one of the nations oldest sources of information, yet laced with contrasting ideas between companies. Headlines are the strongest tool used by these papers. For years, the public have used newspapers as a way to receive updates on sport, television and politics, amongst others, not always considering the manipulative viewpoint embedded within. This report will address the strategies and effectivity of newspapers over the nation which try to warp the opinions of the public for social or political purposes. Throughout, there will be data taken from interviews, surveys and critical discourse analysis to show the extent of this influence. 

To What Extent Do Newspaper Headlines Play a Role in Manipulating Public Opinion?

Who is responsible for giving us our views and opinions? From who do we receive our perceptions of society? The study of manipulation in the news is somewhat neglected in the practices of sociology, however it is grasped by a number of media theorists to an extent. This report critically examines material which manipulates public opinion and suffocates free thinking. Material such as this seeks to ‘promote the world view of the journalist’ and therefore ‘increase the probability that a journalist’s story is published’ (Baron, 2006:1) in order to benefit the company. Newsroom ethnographies have often discovered a political and social influence on the reader which is often due to economic reasoning. Many aspects of this will be explored in the report using examples from various primary and secondary resources.

 Literature Review

In a review of three academics similar fields of study, I have reviewed their texts which explore the role of news and media manipulation on society. The research undertaken by these writers demonstrate an analogous style of analysis which accompanies my findings on a theoretical level. Firstly, Nani Tiono’s text of an Analysis on Syntactic and Semantic Factors Found in Newspaper Headlines considers the ambiguity and disillusioned structure of newspaper headlines to draw an audience in through curiosity. The text mainly focuses on the language projected by newspapers using the examples of The Jakarta Post and Indonesian Daily News. Tiono outlines how their opinion is exposed throughout their semantic choices, ‘the linguistic structures lead to different versions and views of the same event in different newspapers’ (Tiono, 2003:50), suggesting that stories will be manipulated between each company for an influential purpose.

Tiono considers five functions which are served in newspaper articles such as information, expressive, phatic, aesthetic and most importantly, directive functions. She claims the ‘orientation of directive function is toward the listener/reader’ (Tiono, 2003:51) suggesting that if used strategically, their message can be projected onto the audience in their use of language. The text uses influence from mass culture theories through the way that the writer sees newspaper companies as manipulative outlets, seeking to restore traditional beliefs. From her research, the effects of language in news is shown to be critical to the opinions of the public. Shockingly, this can even resort to physical negative outbursts where ‘it is not rare that people are provoked to act or to respond based on the reporter’s point of view or just based on one’s ideas’ (Tiono, 2003:51) giving that this is a crucial area of research.

Secondly, the text from Noam Chomsky holds relevance to my field of study as he considers the role of manipulation in the 1980’s. His text discusses propaganda in America and its role in manipulating political opinion within the public. He addresses the issue of power surrounding mainstream media where institutions use their reporting styles to distract the reader from real, pressing events. It is noted in the text ‘the major media and other ideological institutions will generally reflect the perspectives and interests of established power’ (Chomsky, 1989:21) demonstrating a problematic view of reporting standards. This is written in a Marxist perspective, opposing the restrictions given by networks and furthermore seeking a rise in informative content.

Ultimately, Chomsky’s ideas in this text revolve around a false state of democracy and how these institutions stand in the way of progress. Hegemonic structures are abundant in the media industry which means political influence will be used anywhere with money involved, and businesses said to be ‘framing their reporting and analysis in a manner supportive of established privilege and limiting debate and discussion accordingly’ (Chomsky, 1989:21). By obscuring the headlines from genuine world events, companies can use their power to give another perhaps less important story more coverage for their social or political favour. Chomsky further describes the tendencies which follow media influence such as ‘progressive elimination of unions and other popular organizations that interfere with private power’, and ‘an electoral system that is increasingly stage-managed as a public relations exercise’ (Chomsky, 1989: 37) which demonstrate the legitimate effects that media companies impose on communities.

Thirdly, I researched the studies of moral panic and the way in which it is subjected upon society to the benefits of the elite class. The techniques are explored by Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda where they claim it ‘began as far back as existence of organized society itself’ (Goode & Ben-Yehuda, 2009:89) suggesting that this style of reporting is embedded into the media and throughout society. The writers use specific examples of moral panic as a tool, these include 9/11, flag burnings and school shootings; from their reporting, we can understand the incentives for creating moral panic and how they function to obscure the truth.

Goode & Ben-Yehuda consider a field of research which is essential in understanding the outcome of my research question. The act of using fear as a tool for publishers is omnipresent throughout society and is considered to be normal and doxa for many members of the public. The writers claim ‘to the extent they can, [companies] “engineer” moral panics to generate news and appeal to the concerns of their audience’ (Goode & Ben-Yehuda, 2009:90) suggesting there is a capital element to this in order to sell to a nation in fear. The text often implies the relevance of theories from Katz and Lazarsfeld regarding the hypodermic needle. This theory states that the media uses its power to inject ideas into the heads of readers passively through their material. Moral panic driven by the hypodermic needle is perhaps most effective in gaining a reaction from their audience, yet its main purpose is to distort facts and gain capital.

 Methodology

In order to explore this question to the closest detail, I have chosen a methodology of critical discourse analysis, using primary research to reinforce my findings. The contextual analysis will be based on several newspaper articles including their language choices, and applying this to theoretical frameworks. Furthermore, I will consider the economic, political and social factors surrounding news outlets which give reasoning for this form of delivery to the public. This kind of research is essential in determining the cultural effect that mass media corporations have on societal values and public opinion. In terms of newspapers considered in this report, there will be several articles taken from different companies which effectively illustrate the role that they have in manipulating ideals. These will be ranging from mass-produced, conservative run papers such as The Sun, to hyper local outlets such as Driffield Post.

Using primary research to investigate my question in a more visual light, I have conducted polls and interviews in order to find the publics opinion on these headlines. These are in response to several newspaper headlines which had been either deemed controversial by many reporters or considered influential to the opinion of the reader. In performing research through polls, there is the ability to gain a wide variety of views and determine the dominant ideas towards mass media from the public. Moreover, interviews will assist this data through expanding on some of these ideologies in closer detail and gaining a more personal perspective on the subject. Through a range of results in polls and interviews, we can understand the way the public receive this and get an accurate portrayal of the trust invested into mass businesses.

  Analysis

From interviewing members of the public I was able to analyse the views that they possess and their general attitudes towards mass produced news. It was noticeable that the headlines given from hyper local, impartial papers gave a less cynical response than the mainstream alternative. My questions queried their initial thoughts and opinions towards the papers' The Sun, Driffield Post and Daily Mail headlines; this was without revealing the source to prevent a bias reaction. Besides the hyper local outlet, Driffield Post, these papers have a history of bigoted and far right wing reporting style which is frequently expressed through their misleading headlines. Many liberal writers and fame icons have stood against the reporting styles of this paper, noticeably Stephen Fry, where he quotes 'how can one not be fond of something that the Daily Mail despises?' (Fry, 1992:426). Largely, their controversial headlines are used with the intention to cause political debate (usually in the favour of the Conservative government) or as bait to draw more readers their way.

In some respects, the interviewing process is seen as a 'fundamental act' of modern journalistic practice (Schudson, 1994:565). By questioning a set of interviewees on controversial subject matters, the data collected can demonstrate the impact that these headlines have on the public. I showed the interviewees the following headlines:

One in Five Brit Muslims' Sympathy for Jihads (The Sun)

Police Amongst Fittest In The UK (Driffield Post)

Miliband Will Bring Back More Uncontrolled Migration (Daily Mail)

They all answered in an informed and fairly liberal perspective expressing distrust in some of the papers - mainly The Sun's dramatic headline regarding Muslims. Fortunately this established a lack of bigotry and independent thought from the succubus that are mass media reports. 

Interviews proved to be very effective in demonstrating the views of the public. It is considered that 'the interrogative and personal communicative form of interviews can seem to elevate their truth status over and above other forms of communication' (Craig, 2010:76), illustrating a more up close and in depth sample of opinion when proceeding with this research strategy. First of all, I asked what the first thing that the participants thought when they saw The Sun's headline on Jihad sympathisers. They all answered in a shocked manner, bewildered by the supposed 'fact' which is in front of them. One participant claimed that they felt it showed an 'increase in terror within the UK', which demonstrates the scare mongering tactics in effect. When asked whether they feel it accurately represents British Muslims, none of them seemed to feel this way, claiming that 'they definitely haven't personally spoken to every Muslim in the UK', yet another suggested 'they must have got their facts from somewhere'. Interestingly, The Times made a public apology on this article as their poll only asked about their sympathy for young Muslims going to Syria. They claimed that it was 'misleading' and furthermore 'did not distinguish between those who go to fight for Islamic State and those who join other factions in Syria'. Whilst the paper made no attempt to publicise this error, the aims of manipulating public opinion were met with little recoil.

My research also brought me to understand the effects on the representations of political parties and public sector figures. This was illustrated through asking whether the headline would make them feel safer in response to the hyper local headline on police fitness. They all agreed with the question, and coincidentally possessed the same opinions on the abundance of unfit police officers in local communities. As a result of this, the results raise a few questions on whether the headline was created to give the local authorities a more positive appearance to local readers. Furthermore, the political influence of newspapers is used universally in order to convey a negative outlook for the papers opposition. The data illuminates this when asking the participants how the final headline made them think about the Labour party. This was perhaps one of the more interesting results where interviewees claimed that Labour seemed `weak' from this headline, and 'inadequate', also that they seemingly 'don't have enough power'. Although the interviewees demonstrated open-minded views, they took an opposing view of the Labour party from the headline, illustrating that political influence is amongst the strongest from newspapers.

To reinforce the data which I found in the interviews, I conducted an anonymous online survey of which 25 people contributed. The questions asked the newspapers that the participants read and pondered the opinions of a specific headline from Daily Express which socially marginalizes foreign residents. My first question asked which newspaper the participants read the most, of which 36% replied with The Guardian, 24% claimed to read none and 20% read the infamous Daily Mail. Although this does not give us much information of the participants' opinion, it shows that there may be two contrasting dominant views (The Guardian tends to vouch for the left, whilst Daily Mail generally takes a Conservative stance). They were then asked whether they felt that news stories had an influence on their political beliefs, from which 48% answered yes; with 36% claiming that they were sometimes influenced by news stories. Following similar interview answers, claiming that they would see Labour as 'weak' after reading the Daily Mail, it is evident that the public can be manipulated by the of large newspaper companies. This view can leave people vulnerable to manipulation if they read newspapers with contrasting beliefs.  

Moreover, the survey asked the participants about questions regarding specific groups of people in relation to the headline 'Immigrants Bring More Crime' from Daily Express. This part of the survey began with asking whether the participants felt that headlines accurately represent the truth of a story to which 56% claimed that they sometimes were. A mere 12% said that they do accurately represent a story which left 32% declaring distrust towards reporting standards of newspapers. This statistic aligned with my interview question on the representation of British Muslims, in which the interviewees strongly disagreed with the headline. With only 12% agreeing with the 'facts' expressed in newspapers, this shows a relatively large opposition to dominant news ideologies. Following the headline, I asked participants whether they saw immigration as a problem after seeing the Daily Express's reporting. The majority (68%) claimed that immigration did seem like a problem as a result of this headline illustrating the social influence that these papers can give on the public. Although people may have ordinary, open minded views, these fields of data demonstrate a distortion in public opinion which can be manipulated by a news outlet.

 Critical Discourse Analysis

Fundamentally, articles aim to convey a stylistic expression of writing in order to appeal to the reader on a personal level. Whilst newspapers such as The New York Times aim to do this through more intellectual driven language and content; there are many mass media writers who target a broader market with simplifyed writing styles, shorter structures and sensationalised headlines to cause confusion. The lexical choices used in news, ‘have consequences for the ways news consumers come to view a certain set of historical conditions’ (Lukin, 2013:98) which can lead to predudices and, moreso recently, islamophobia. The headline used in the interview from The Sun, ‘One In Five Muslims’ Sympathy for Jihadis’ demonstrates this theory in effect by using false statistics to semantically group ‘Muslims’ with ‘Jihadis’. By manufacturing this headline throughout the country, the newspaper was spreading this message about Islam to incite hate following a terrorism attack on Paris.

On the other hand, we should take into account the active tendencies of audiences which has been shown in the interviews conducted. It would be ignorant to assume that this language has an effect on all readers, yet the article from Daily Express used in the survey displays a blunt and spiteful message. Using the idea that immigrants bring more crime to communities and stating it in a factual delivery can be very hurtful to the younger generation or easily impressionable. Furthermore, the content of the article reflects these opinions in an aesthetic procedure to make the ideas seem relevant to the readers life. It claims ‘facts’ such as ‘foreigners are responsible for one in five murders’ and ‘a foreign national is arrested for a suspected crime every four minutes’ in a formal, directive delivery to demonstrate an urgency to the situation with little proof of legitimacy. The aesthetic drive for this is claiming that it has had a ‘devastating sign’ on ‘our towns and communities’ (Daily Express, 2008) making the subject seem relevant to the reader and vividly localised.

It is typical of papers to choose their reporting topics based on their political perspective. More so in hyper local outlets, they tend to cover topics based on the constituency in the area and the interests of the local voters. Driffield Posts’ frequent stories on Conservatives often demonstrate this, such as the headline ‘Young Conservative Launches New Group’. This targets younger readers and creates a semantic field of revolutionary sorts using ‘young’ and ‘new’ alongside ‘Conservative’. Some may argue that this is an ineffective form of manipulation and ‘research has documented public apathy toward community level politics’ (Scheufele et al, 2003:428) yet the practice is still used in most newspapers. This can also be done in an oppositional way, such as the headline ‘Prime Minister Corbyn…and the 1000 Days Which Destroyed Britain’ from Daily Mail. Effectively, they demean the Labour party through creating a fictional dystopia using aesthetically driven lexical choices.  

 Conclusion

To conclude, the feedback demonstrated the range of opinions held by the public which gives us an understanding on the activity from some audiences. Many demonstrated disbelief and skepticism towards the claims made by the newspapers, whilst it was only a small minority who believed it was the concrete truth. Although the interviewees both displayed a slightly different perspective on the headlines, neither seemed manipulated or strongly persuaded by the examples. 

Whilst there is room for improvement, my research effectively showed the correlation between hyperbolic headlines and reader reception. The shorter structure of the interviews resulted in useful feedback as longer interviews are often ‘evaluated more negatively’ (Stocke & Langfeldt, 1983:9) leading to less progressive responses. Moreover, I feel the slight lack of precision in the survey answers is a result of the amount of surveys given and could have perhaps been more informative with 50 participants. In using research based on an online survey, there was a slight error margin due to the likelihood of untruthful answers and participants from the same demographic. This is one of the key areas which I will be considering for my next report.

Closely studying lexical and semantic choice in journalism proved useful to assess the manner in which manipulative strategies are delivered. It showed that the use of language can widely spread a negative opinion on a religious group, political party or societal change whilst influencing the writers views passively. Ultimately, we can understand that newspaper companies can use their power to manipulate opinion through eye-catching headlines and shocking, ill-informed statistics. We can prevent this unethical indoctrination however, by using our power as citizens/parents/friends to address the manipulative views which are abundant throughout news reporting.

for Birmingham City University, 2014 

    Appendices

Interview #1:

“What is the first thing you think when you see this headline? “ [Shows ‘One In Five Muslims’ Sympathy for Jihadis’ headline]

-It makes me feel like the terror problem in the UK is getting a lot worse, it’s quite a shocking one

“Do you feel it accurately represents British Muslims?”

-No I don’t, although they must have got their facts from somewhere I don’t think that there’s enough Muslims in the u.k who agree with terrorism. At least not that many anyway.

“Would Seeing This Headline In the Local Newspaper Make You Feel Safer?” [Shows ‘Police Amongst Fittest in UK’ headline]

-I suppose it would, maybe they would get to you faster as most police are renowned for being slow [laughing]. 

“How does this headline make you feel about the Labour party?” [Shows ‘Ed Miliband Will Bring Back Uncontrolled Migration’ headline]

- I think that it makes the labour party look weak and incapable of making firm decisions. I suppose Labour have a different view on the immigration crisis to other newspapers

 Interview #2:

“What is the first thing you think when you see this headline? “ [Shows ‘One In Five Muslims’ Sympathy for Jihadis’ headline]

-I would think that this statistic is false. It just seems like an unbelievable claim from a newspaper trying to make people racist.

 “Do you feel it accurately represents British Muslims?”

-No I don’t think so. I haven’t heard or met any British Muslim who agrees with with Jihadi. They can’t just claim that statistic and put this as a headline when they definitely haven’t personally spoken to every Muslim in the UK.

 “Would Seeing This Headline In the Local Newspaper Make You Feel Safer?” [Shows ‘Police Amongst Fittest in UK’ headline]

-A little I guess. Because the only police I see nowadays are old and clearly unfit and wouldn’t be good with foot chases. But that’s the only reason.

 “How does this headline make you feel about the Labour party?” [Shows ‘Ed Miliband Will Bring Back Uncontrolled Migration’ headline]

- I think it makes the Labour party look inadequate and like they don't have enough power if they are unable to control the amount of migration coming into the UK. 

 Survey

Which newspaper (physical and online) do you normally read?

The Guardian - 9

The Independent - 2

The Times - 2

The Sun - 1

Daily Mail - 5

None - 6

  Are your political views influenced from news stories?

Yes - 12

No - 4

Sometimes - 9

  Do you feel headlines accurately represent the truth of a story?

Yes - 3

No - 8

Sometimes - 14

  Read the headline 'Immigrants Bring More Crime', does this make you think immigration is a problem?

Yes - 17

No - 7

Unsure - 1 

    Bibliography

Baron, D. “Persistent Media Bias” Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 90, No. 1 (2006) pp. 1 - 36

Chomsky, N. “Thought Control in Democratic Society” {London, Pluto: 1999)

Craig, G. "Dialogue and Dissemination in News Interviews" (SAGE: 2010)

Fry, S. "Paperweight" (Arrow, London: 2004)

Goode, E. & Ben-Yehuda, N. “Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance” 2nd ed. (Chichester, Wiley-Blackwell: 2009)

Greenslade, R. "The Times Admit Story on The Sun's Jihadi Poll Was 'Misleading'" (The Guardian, Online) [http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/nov/26/the-times-admits-story-on-the-suns-jihadi-poll-was-misleading]

Lukin, A. “Journalism, Ideology and Linguistics: The Paradox of Chomsky’s Linguistic Legacy and his ‘Propaganda Model” Journalism, Vol. 14, No. 1 (2013)

Scheufele, D.A, Shanahan, J. & Kim, S. “Who Cares About Local Politics? Media Influences on Local Political Involvement, Issue Awareness and Attitude Strength” Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Vol. 79, No. 2 (2002) pp. 427 - 444

Schudson, M. "Question Authority: A History of the News Interview in American Journalism 1860s - 1930s" Media, Culture & Society (SAGE: 2010)

Stocke, V. & Langfeldt, B. "Effects of Survey Experience on Respondents Attitudes Towards Surveys" Bulletin of Sociological Methodology (SAGE:2004) pp. 9

Tiono, N.I. “An Analysis On Syntactic and Semantic Factors Found In Newspaper Headlines”, K@TA: A Biannual Publication on the Study of Language and Literature, vol.5, no.1 (Online, 2003) [http://puslit2.petra.ac.id/ejournal/index.php/ing/article/view/15497/15489]

_

Daily Express, ‘Immigrants Bring More Crime’ (2008)

[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/41589/Immigrants-bring-more-crime]

 Daily Mail, ‘Miliband Will Bring Back Uncontrolled Migration’ (2015)

[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3053043/Miliband-bring-uncontrolled-migration-Mail-urges-speak-PM-s-stark-warning.html]

 Daily Mail, ‘Prime Minister Corbyn…and the 1000 Days That Destroyed Britain’ (2015)

[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207363/Prime-Minister-Corbyn-1-000-days-destroyed-Britain-brilliant-imagining-Corbyn-premiership-reveals-Tories-gloat-Labour-s-woe-careful-wish-for.html]

 The Sun, ‘One in Five Muslims’ Sympathy for Jihadi’s’ (2015)

[http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6758207/1-in-5-British-Muslims-have-sympathy-for-jihadis-in-poll.html]

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Check out the most recent release from Pale!

by Daniel Warren (danielwarrenphotography.com)

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“Future - DS2″ Review

If you’re not already familiar with Atlanta’s most recent outburst Future, you should be aware that he has already started the year with releasing three very un-conventional mixtapes (Monster, 56 Nights and Beast Mode). Each of these tapes experiment with different production techniques from DJ Esco and Zaytoven, featuring lyrical content which discusses the highs and lows of his career. These were covered in patches throughout his first official album, Honest.

To start with, Dirty Sprite 2 is the most honest (no pun intended) release by Future to date. We are instantly dropped in the deep end, swimming with his experiences of drug addiction and self-destruction. The opener ‘Thought It Was a Drought’, opens the album with the sound of codeine mixing with the dull snaps of ice in the cup. These sounds are the basis of listening to DS2 in that the instrumentals sit and snap beneath Future’s melancholy voice throughout the 60-minute run time. Future also embraces the moody dream-rap tone that his career has exceeded towards. This looks much further than the themes of heartbreak and empathy that we became a little too familiar with in previous tracks, such as ‘I Be U’.

Whilst Monster was covered in bass-fuelled club anthems, the closest we get to it here is the second track ‘I Serve The Base’ which almost teases the desire to hear another ecstatic ‘Move That Dope’. Instead, the deep bass-line is masked behind the shaky voice of Future assuring that this is not so much a departure into a set of party anthems, but rather a short, hyper-active and psychotic episode in his long lived career.

‘A product of those roaches and them ashtrays / I inhale the love on a bad day / Baptised inside purple Activis’

This then tones down slightly into the stand-out ‘Where Ya At’ containing the only feature in the entire album, Drake. We are given the familiar Future flow, in an ignorant sentiment on all the moments until now which have influenced his career. Drake comes in by imitating his flow and maintaining the records mellow without stepping too far away from the concept.

DS2 certainly steps back from the enchanting but messy first release, and we are still presented with a range of styles which feel as if the trio of mixtapes have merged together. It is once again assembled by the likes of DJ Esco and Zaytoven which give tracks such as ‘Blood On The Money’ and ‘Colossal’ such stand-out status. The bizarre mixture of pianos with psychedelic drone make Future seem much more ambitious with this release compared to the likes of most modern trap artists which he is often associated with. It is safe to say that production wise, this album really hits the nail on the head.

Strategically, the singles made for release feature at the end of the album (Trap Niggas, Fuck Up Some Commas) hidden with the two typical sad songs, ‘Kno The Meaning’ and ‘The Percocet & Stripper Joint’. These tracks are painted with woes, illustrating the real meaning behind his most recent releases. Dirty Sprite 2 certainly magnifies the impact that drugs, violence and Esco have had on Future’s life through a very concentrated effort. Future has ultimately benefitted from ditching from the drone-y love songs that followed his separation from Ciara. Instead we are presented with Future in his finest form, more honest than Honest, an artist that is self-aware and only getting better with each release.

for Brithop.uk/

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“Lil Peep - Hellboy” Review

Lil Peep is one of many East Coast exports re-branding the term Mood-Rap with a fluster of early-2000’s inspired emo beats. This is not new, as we have seen with the likes of Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, and $uicideboyz, many have tried and failed to match rap with the sound that made emo so appealing initially. With this in mind, Lil Peep’s sophomore mixtape, Hellboy, is currently being hailed as a true re-cooperation of the emo genre. Here is our take on it. 

Hellboy opens exceptionally well. In comparison to his patchy, but generally pretty good debut Crybaby, there is a visceral, gloomy presence on the self-titled opening track. He pleads into the mic ‘Leave me to bleed / I know I’ve got you on your knees’, slipping into the apathetic, scum-bag persona which he adopted so often in the debut. Songs such as ‘Drive-By’ also nod to this personality which he often sinks into. He often describes fiendish drug binges and nights in which he has almost died with little care or self-awareness. At some points, he genuinely comes across as suburbia’s answer to Future, and he even names a track after one of his apathetic heroes ‘Gucci Mane’. Lil Peep’s voice is straight-up radio repellent and horrendously uninviting at times, though on occasions this is pulled off.

At many points in this record, Lil Peep manages to be brandished as an outcast, but it doesn’t always come across tastefully. On the vacant OMFG, when his repetitive lyricism and less than enthusiastic delivery comes through, the album just deflates a little. In a similar fashion to Lil Peep’s previous efforts, there is a lot of stopping and starting. This is often a result of lazy production, or two-dimensional story-telling of conventional emo topics; switching between love and death. Lyrically, there isn’t anything new here, though this is 2017 and nobody listens to hip-hop for lyrics anymore.

Strangely it is often when stepping in unfamiliar territories that Lil Peep succeeds the most on Hellboy. On ‘Fucked Up’, the beat speeds up, the drugs kick in, and Peep is guiding us around a party where nobody is having fun. On ‘Girls’, the beat plays like a pop song, and the drugs have worn out. At this point, the album has a greater focus on reworking the early 2000’s emo sound which it had been heavily influenced by, though never quite succeeds. With that said, the use of samples from the likes of The Postal Service and Sunny Day Real Estate, will most likely come across well in Emo Nights. The range of dynamics do manage to keep the album afloat; however, it rarely soars.

On the highest point in the record, The Song We Played (When I Crashed into The Wall), Peep features Lil Tracy whose natural energy steals the record. His eccentric nature bounces off Lil Peep’s cold vocal style producing satisfying results. Collectively, Hellboy is a record which has many bold qualities which simply fade away as the run-time progresses. Essentially it seems to fall short of what was expected after a very promising debut.

for Brithop.uk/

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Spring-Summer Drop Two

PALE are releasing drop two from their spring-summer collection on Sunday. This release will feature two new graphic tees, a reworked version of the “OG” sweatshirt and a restock of the embroidered “Intimacy” t-shirts. 

Get it whilst its hot. 

http://paleuk.co.uk/

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TEENAGE DIRTBAGS: A Case Study on “K.I.D.S.”

It is evident that Larry Clark’s KIDS strays far from the path of conventional dramas. It is a movie that is often so hard-hitting, so uncomfortably real, that it was condemned by various organisations worldwide. The films legacy tells a story of how independent and cult films can be marketed without big stars or expensive advertising. KIDS shows how careers can be made from independent films and how critical rejection does not necessarily rule out the success of a film. Though widely controversial, Kids accurately represents the nineties lifestyle in New York in its strikingly ugly form.

 I.

Introduction

It was 1995 when Larry Clark shocked the public with his first, and questionably most hard-hitting film, KIDS. The film follows several groups of teenagers around New York over the space of a weekend where they explore their sexuality, mental capacity and moral stances. KIDS primarily centres around Casper and Telly, two sexual deviants who are neither seen as protagonists nor antagonists. In another group there is Jennie, a young girl, who has just found out that she is HIV positive the night before a party, and later has difficulty coming to terms with her diagnosis. This is the central plot for most of the film, and ultimately the reason why controversy came following its release.

So why were people afraid of this ‘wake up call to the modern world’? (Maslin, 1995) Whilst the public had already dealt with uncomfortable confrontation of sexual desire in the likes of Blue Velvet, it caused widespread controversy when Clark depicted young teenagers engaging with drugs, sex and anti-social behaviour. The films raw content ultimately exposes the dangers of the inner city teenage lifestyle which can resort to violence, promiscuous sex, and even disease. As a result, there were many parties who had acclaimed the film for the realistic danger that it portrays. The following study considers Kids and the way in which it has been marketed throughout the years by both the creators and second parties. In response to this, there has been a distinct cultural effect which has made this film essential to its generation.

   II.

Franchising

Larry Clark has been known to work in close quarters with various skateboard companies around New York. As a result of skate culture being represented on screen so frequently in KIDS, many companies and designers involved in the skateboarding scene wanted to collaborate with Clark. Though a lot of the products released in association with the film were far from conventional, it was evident that the merchandise was widely sought after and valued within members of the fan base. At the time of the films release, it was unlikely that said merchandise would have been created, though due to post-modern or vintage trends, the film was essentially brought back to life in 2015.

Most noticeably, the Spring/Summer range for Supreme included a collaborated set of clothing which celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the films release. The range was created alongside Larry Clark of which came a variety of t-shirts and sweatshirts which included stills from the film. Their approach to marketing was very similar to that which has previously been seen from Supreme in the past. When the KIDS collaboration of Supreme clothing was available, there was nothing available in stock within ten minutes of release. Though this is typical of the brand, who have consistently been creating hype through imbalance of supply and demand; this release was considered as a milestone in the brand’s livelihood.

The merchandise contains certain off-center shots taken from the film which are placed as front graphics for the garments. This is used in a similar style to past Supreme collaborations such as musicians ‘KRS-One’ and ‘Misfits’. On the back of the t-shirts there is the quote from the film ‘Jesus Christ, what happened?’, which is uttered by Casper in regard to his particularly controversial act. Through wearing this merchandise, the fans do not intend to glamourize or condone the behavior, it is primarily an ode to the style of the film which had re-emerged in 2015. Some felt that the film represented their lifestyle growing up in New York in this era and therefore held a significance upon its release. As the actors in the film are often shown to wear brands such as Independent and Bones (of which Supreme had previously collaborated with), there is a relevance within the skate community which has benefitted the films marketing decades on.

  III.

Reception

It is commonly known that Larry Clark’s film held a significance in 1995. The themes of drugs and sex within teenage communities had not been shown on film in such raw detail before Kids was shown in theatres. Though there were mixed receptions, most reactions were negative and only considered the film by the surface, judging only based on the graphic sexual nature. It was considered by some as a ‘disturbingly voyeuristic look at adolescent promiscuity’, which is ‘set in a nihilistic never-never land’ (Kempley, 1995). Though this is a relatively empty interpretation of the feature, it is correct in assuming that Clark’s film was indeed a nihilistic perception of the inner city American lifestyle with openly voyeuristic tendencies. With a lengthy duration of shots and a limited use of cuts, the film often seems to be shot in the style of a documentary which creates the realistic effect which is ‘hailed as a cinematic masterpiece by some and denounced as exploitative smut by others’ (Steele, 1995). Though regardless of opinion, there is a strong indirect tone of anti-drugs and anti-rape which is informative in its own unique, but distressing manner.

There is a strong absence of adults in the film being that the majority of the cast are seen patrolling around the streets or smoking weed at 4am. In the unlikely occurrence that an adult appears in the film, they are often ‘worn out, beaten down, hardened by life’ (Engdahl & Hosney, 1995) as a result of the poor living conditions of the inner city. 

KIDS is plastered in vivid cultural imagery of an era bewildered by uncertainty. The sexual dialogue is so graphic and realistic that it feels like we are listening in on genuine conversations. It allowed conventions to be broken by showing teenage girls openly conversing about their sexual development as adolescents. It furthermore acted as a ‘film that demystifies teenage sexuality, allows female desire a voice that’s rarely heard in American cinema’ (Engdahl & Hosney, 1995). 

This aspect of KIDS has provided it with a significance of gender representation, and additionally hailed Chloe Sevigny as somewhat of a cult hero following her performance. Audiences respected her role throughout the film as one of the only sane children amongst the group and subsequently, she gained many roles in other features (e.g. Boys Don’t Cry, and the particularly controversial, The Brown Bunny). Sevigny also gained further success from collaborations with Supreme affiliated brand, Fucking Awesome, and delved into the fashion industry with Opening Ceremony. We can learn from her rise to fame how independent cinema and cult following can market a film just as much as a strong advertising campaign. This is a widely a result of how KIDS powerfully breaks the taboos of female sexuality within the film. As a result, there have been many films (e.g. Thirteen, Sweet Sixteen) which have tried to imitate the gritty and honest style of Larry Clark.

With this in mind, we are left to ponder why there is any sort of cult following for such a disturbing and confrontational film. Although at times it is uncomfortably blunt, Kids demonstrates a unique display of mise-en-scene throughout within its intimate scenes which rarely seen on screen in the mid-nineties. There are no romance connotations, and there isn’t any violin music here, there are only neutral white backgrounds and false promises made from the cast which makes it feel largely voyeuristic. Clark ultimately made a hyper-reality in KIDS which did not seem so hyperbolic, as it unnervingly told the truth about the looming threats of the inner city lifestyle. Though in many ways it is ‘marked with nostalgia for teenage lawlessness’, KIDS does not allow you to completely indulge on this feeling as it ‘views with absolute horror both teenage sexuality and youth itself’ (Romney, 1996).

   IV.

Style

Though the marketing did not comply with the average strategies used by film agencies, it was widely marketed by second-party advocates of the film who felt the need for more people to see it. Noticeably, famous rapper Mac Miller created an album which focused on the concept of Larry Clark’s film and even named it ‘KIDS’. The record sold thousands of copies, gave the film mass recognition and excelled his career being his first credible release. It is evident throughout the release that Mac Miller relates to the upbringing that the children had in the film where he quotes ‘now I’m selling weed out my shoebox’ and ‘looking at the street thinking it could all be mine’ in Nikes on my Feet and Thoughts on a Balcony from the record. In many ways it is clear that the musician is paying homage to a film which represented his style and unconventional upbringing.

Though it is rather small, there is a following to Larry Clark’s film which may be considered as a fandom. In accordance with John Fiske’s theories surrounding fandom, the fans of the movie do indeed follow the ‘discrimination and distinction’ (Fiske, 1992) characteristics. This is demonstrated by the distinct separation of those who felt the film was very important, and those who decided that it was smut. It is evident that the separation between fans and foes is ‘sharply drawn’ and essentially ‘the community of fans and the rest of the world are just as strongly marked and patrolled’ (Fiske, 1992). This illustrates how even smaller kinds of fandoms comply with the same guidelines stated by Fiske. 

KIDS used advertising strategies which gave a degree of ambiguity to the film such as the theatrical trailer that used fast music and editing to give the illusion that it is an easy going, or even a comic movie. Upon watching the film, the characters are not as joyous or happy as they appear in the trailer, in fact they are a wreck; this is the reality for the children in the film. Essentially, the creators wanted to tell a story about the broken youth of Manhattan. The gritty realness created moral panic when the film was released ‘because it deals with fundamental issues of culture’ (Jancovich, 2003) within New York. Nevertheless, the moral panic did not destroy the films reputation, it was well known that the purpose of the film was far beyond a mere smut-fest. Generally, Clark uses a strong ‘cultural relevance of such films for the evolution of cinema’ (Jancovich, 2003), this had later been used as inspiration for many other features (e.g. Kidulthood, White Girl) which effectively tell similar stories of a broken community of youth.

 Conclusion 

It is evident that KIDS is a film which was widely influential for independent film makers. The consistency of appreciation for the film has showed how cult status and second party advocacy can be just as useful to marketing as expensive advertising. With the success of Larry Clark’s fashion collaborations, it is highly likely that the film will continue to stay in the spotlight. Whilst there were different receptions, the film proves to be consistently relevant and shocking, thus maintaining its acclaimed cult status for years to come.

    _________________________________

Bibliography

Maslin, J. “Kids” The New York Times, (rottentomatoes.com/kids/), 1995.

Kempley, R. “Kids” The Washington Post, (http://tinyurl.com/zlwonw7) 1995. c.05/2016

Steele, S. “Teenage Wasteland – Kids directed by Larry Clark” Maclean’s 108. 1995.

Engdahl, J. & Hosney, J. “Kids” Film Quarterly 49.2. California, 1995.

Romney, J. “Kids – A Gift to Middle America” New Statesmen & Society 9.403. 1996.

Fiske, J. “The Cultural Economy of Fandom” The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media, pp.30. Routledge, London. 1992.

Jancovich, M. “Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste”. Manchester, Manchester University Press. 2003.

[joeburrowsblog-blog]

Gender in the Horror Genre

Throughout the world of film, we are often met with a ‘silent image of a woman still tied to her place as bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning’ (Mulvey, 1975). The abundance of male dominance in contemporary cinema paints a picture of ignorance from the past and the consistent need for film to satisfy the male ego. For many generations, the horror genre has embodied many stylistic elements which impose the image of female inferiority on screen. 

 In the contemporary film Piranha 3D (2010), there is a key focus on shaming of young women that embrace their sexual urges and furthermore fetishizing the murder victims. It actively portrays the attitudes which have carried on from early cinema in which the sub-genre of the slasher film was born. Carrie (1976) focuses on a young woman who is repressed in her sexual nature and resorts to vengeance on her peers after being bullied by them. The film often suggests that women can become the ‘monstrous-feminine’ (Creed, 1986) if they do not succumb to repression and the negative effects that their rise to power could bring.

 With this in mind, it is evident that the illustration of male superiority was wanted on screens by the industry in hope to segregate genders. Older examples such as Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) also show the historically rooted sexism in cinema. We are often met with narratives surrounding male dominance similar to those conveyed in more contemporary texts where female characters appear to be the ‘damsel in distress’ in need of support from the male protagonist. Whilst there are many aspects of the film which misrepresent gender, having one female role in the film as this archetype shows a severe problem in the film industry.

 In using these films for my research topic, I intend to analyse them alongside several relevant theoretical frameworks. There are a range of fascinating case studies based on feminist ideologies within film including Feminism, Film and the Imperial Gaze (Kaplin, 1997) which deconstructs texts and illuminates their patriarchal discourses. Kaplin’s text holds significance to the subject area as it is a more modern text than her previous work; additionally, her focus on the changes which have occurred in film throughout time proves to be useful for the research question at hand. Feminist Film Theory (Smelik, 1999) is another text which confronts gender misconception through analysing semiotics and the theories surrounding psychoanalysis. Smelik also writes on horror and the ‘theatricalization of gender’ which gives way to misrepresentation of the oppressed side. Thirdly, Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film (Clover, 1987) explores many areas of horror texts and how they are represented as a culture. By investigating more closely within the slasher sub-genre, Clover’s theoretical stance can be applied to the previously mentioned examples such as Carrie. Ultimately, we must be aware that no simple conclusion can come from questioning the reason for gender roles within film; however, horror as a genre evidently holds many sexist conventions which show the reality of a male dominated industry.

Written for Birmingham City University, 2016

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CREATIVE CITIES: My Exploration into Birmingham’s Cultural Values

Birmingham holds a firm stance as one of the cultural capitals of the country, being that it has a greater multicultural following than any other city in the UK. This opens many doors, perhaps most interestingly in Digbeth where the district is buzzing with culture and a different way of living. No two roads are the same in this cultural heart of the city, though a particular hotspot is the historically significant Custard Factory which houses many cultural outlets in an aesthetically pleasing layout.

 It is immediately noticeable how each store represents an individual style, and in some cases subculture, to maximise their space in this cultural hub. A keen point of interest being the newly established Bene Culture, a streetwear distributor and designer who also resell vintage stock. Whilst the latter is merely a monetary failsafe, the heart of the store embarks on representing the streetwear culture in unconventional ways.

 Following its launch event which I was fortunate to attend several months ago, many local artists and designers have worked and collaborated alongside the store to contribute to its product line and marketing. From pop-art prints to deconstructed sweatshirts, Bene Culture represents the following of streetwear in many different ways. Through speaking to the manager I was told of the upcoming event ‘Dollar Dim-Sum Club’, which will feature a Chinese vendor from the subcultural background. The vendor is to be accompanied by independent artists and companies opening pop-up stores for the night.

  The Custard Factory holds many talents of a similar variety, housing other creative outlets such as Family Fury (hosted by the artist, FILFURY) and the long established independent skate store Ideal. The newcomers at Bene Culture also show a lot of promise in bringing this social aspect of streetwear to life in ways that ex-sneakerhead store Always, and Sneaks N Peaks events in Digbeth have touched on. Perhaps, this cultural shift that Bene Culture aim to impose through their marketing strategies may benefit the community and bring a change in the shopping experience.