Time to (try to) catch up on some blogging!

With ANZAC Day causing a closure to the university, there was no Lectorial for week 8. Instead, it was suggested we use this time to instead reflect on one of the readings we had done for Project Brief 4. As I had not yet done this reading at the time (due to me being lax after a hectic week of submissions beforehand!) I am now finally getting around to recapping a reading.

With PB4 underway and my group exploring institutions of media – particularly Disney – I decided to read the academic journal:

Gender Representations on Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon Broadcasts in the United States
Hentges, B., & Case, K., 2013

I wanted to use this piece to get a better understanding of the ideas portrayed on Disney’s cable television station in the US, and how this compares to direct competition from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. The piece contained a large amount of statistical data, analyzing the characters on these stations and the representation of gender stereotypes (males being violent/action; women being image-conscious/caring). The study found that an overwhelming 90% of characters on Disney television at the time were live-action; not animated — which highlights the change in Disney’s focus from cartoons to include live action as well. Furthermore, 55% of the characters in the shows were males; which was the lowest percentage of the three channels.

While the overall statistical data may not be useful in the final product (as it may be hard to present this in an interesting way) — there are still arguments made about Disney’s target audience, and there is data to be taken to emphasise Disney’s shift in focus from purely animated media to more live-action productions.