Exam Blog G325: Critical Perspectives in Media

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Leveson Inquiry

1. The Leveson Inquiry looked into the ineffectiveness of the regulatory body of the press at the time of the phone hacking scandal. The phone hacking scandal uncovered the tapping of phones by various papers and police bribery, this was uncovered after the Milly Dowler scandal.

2. The Leveson Inquiry took place following the Milly Dowler scandal in which people at The News of The World deleted voicemails of the missing girl, so as to gain more quotes from grieving friends and family members.

3. The Leveson Inquiry began in 2011 but public hearings took place throughout 2012 as well.

4. The Leveson Inquiry made the recommendation for an independent regulatory body be sset up to replace the Press Complaints Commission, which led to the creation of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

BBFC

1. What year was the BBFC founded? 1912

2. What was the original name of the BBFC? British Board of Film Censors

3. Who actually had power to license and screen films, regardless of the BBFC’s advice? (This power was given by the 1909 cinematograph act) Local authorities

4. What were the first two age certificates given? U and A

5. How many reasons did T.P O’Connor list upon which a film could be ‘deleted’? 43

1) A brief history of the BBFC - how it was founded, how it's role has changed.
The BBFC originally known as the British Board of Film Censorship now dubbed the British Board of Film Classification, as it is more appropriate to the job that they officially carry out. They no longer censor films, they merely classify it an 18 for adults only. In 2015 thousands of films were reviewed by the BBFC but out of them only one was rejected and the rest were classified as an 18 or below.

2) What case studies (key films or events) have caused these changes at the BBFC?
Rebel Without A Cause
The Garden of Eden
The Devils
Straw Dogs
Clockwork Orange

3) What the key pieces of legislation are that govern how the BBFC works as a regulator.
Video Recordings Act of 1984
Obscene Publications Act of 1959

4) How the BBFC is different today than it was at other times in it's history.

5) How does the BBFC classify and rate films today? (What are the certificates and what is allowed in each)
U:
Discrimination - Unacceptable unless clearly disapproved of.
Drugs - References must be infrequent or have an anti-drug educational purpose.
Imitable behaviour - Anti-social behaviour must be clearly disapproved of.
Language - Infrequent and mild usage, such as 'damn'.
Nudity - Occasional nudity with no sexual content.
Sex - Very mild (kissing) and references to other such behaviour.
Threat - Mild and brief instances, which come to a reassuring end.
Violence - Very mild (comedic and wholly unrealistic)
PG:
Discrimination -
12A:
12:
15:

18:6) What challenges the BBFC has going forwards, how it's role has changed?

Monday, 4 July 2016

Tzvetan Todorov Theory - Deadpool

Equilibrium - Wade Wilson is a mercenary he meets Vanessa who becomes his girlfriend.

Disruption - Wade gets terminal cancer, a mysterious man offers him a cure if he joins a program.

Recognition - Wade joins the program leaving his girlfriend Vanessa, and is put through a series of torturous procedures in an attempt of giving him supernatural powers, which he does indeed gain.

Reparation - Wade escapes the institution utilising his newfound hyper regenerative abilities.

Equilibrium - Wade deals with his disfigurement as a result of his new abilities.

Disruption - Vanessa is kidnapped by the same organisation that he escaped from, in particular by a man name Francis.

Recognition - Wade sets out to rescue taking on the alias of 'Deadpool'.

Reparation - The now named Deadpool hunts down Francis cutting down anyone who stands in his way.

Equilibrium - Deadpool saves Vanessa.