Marxism & hegemony
1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?
Capital shows immigrants, illegal immigrants, and working class families/young people without 'real jobs' in a positive light. The higher powers are suggested to be greedy, unintelligent and out of touch with reality and their surroundings- for example, when the banker didn't know what any of the terminology his lower colleague was using, or when the bankers wife had never been in their local shop. They are positioned to be laughed at by the viewers while the other characters are meant to be sympathised with.2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?
'With a fizzle like a firework on a wet night, Capital (BBC1) dribbled to a soggy ending.' - while this is arguably true, the ending I believe suggests more than wheat meet the eye. The final postcard that is posted after everyone who has to leave leaves I think is a way of saying we can't escape this way of life and even though the show has ended, this current situation wasn't entirely made up for the sake of making a TV show.
'The last 20 minutes contained no plot.' - this is a fair criticism as production wise, the end of the episode seemed like a rush to get each character out wit a happy ending to their storyline.
'Everything British came in for a dose of loathing' - this seems like a personal offence taken by the writer here who obviously has an opposing view on immigrants and the current expanding diversity of rural London. The show highlights how police have minimal effort on issues that don't affect them, and how bankers have basically no idea what they are doing: we are shown who's hands our lives and money are in and how poorly it is being handled, how incapable they are.
3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?
Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology
Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Beeb, The Mail and JKR' in MM53 (page 20). This focuses on the politics of The Casual Vacancy, another BBC three-part drama based on a book by JK Rowling.
Answer the questions below:
1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?
It is said to be 'virtually unwatchable' because Rowling heavily promotes left-wing values by ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House.
2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
Rowling is said to be ‘ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House’ which is seen as an attack on the upper class and sympathy to the poor people. The setting is in an idyllic country town and a neighbouring council estate that naturally depicts the point of view to be from the residents.
3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?
Danny Cohen, BBC Directorof Television, is also a director of Rowling’s charity Lumos. This may be a personal association that Cohen has made but the BBC as a whole has to be unbiased.
4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
This theory can be applied here as people who actively support Left-Wing ideologies might watch this show for the pleasure of seeing their views made into a series. People who want to see the series could be unknowingly accepting these views on different classes.
Capital shows immigrants, illegal immigrants, and working class families/young people without 'real jobs' in a positive light. The higher powers are suggested to be greedy, unintelligent and out of touch with reality and their surroundings- for example, when the banker didn't know what any of the terminology his lower colleague was using, or when the bankers wife had never been in their local shop. They are positioned to be laughed at by the viewers while the other characters are meant to be sympathised with.2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?
'With a fizzle like a firework on a wet night, Capital (BBC1) dribbled to a soggy ending.' - while this is arguably true, the ending I believe suggests more than wheat meet the eye. The final postcard that is posted after everyone who has to leave leaves I think is a way of saying we can't escape this way of life and even though the show has ended, this current situation wasn't entirely made up for the sake of making a TV show.
'The last 20 minutes contained no plot.' - this is a fair criticism as production wise, the end of the episode seemed like a rush to get each character out wit a happy ending to their storyline.
'Everything British came in for a dose of loathing' - this seems like a personal offence taken by the writer here who obviously has an opposing view on immigrants and the current expanding diversity of rural London. The show highlights how police have minimal effort on issues that don't affect them, and how bankers have basically no idea what they are doing: we are shown who's hands our lives and money are in and how poorly it is being handled, how incapable they are.
3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?
- The scene with the Kamal family being innocent but nonetheless being wrongly accused of being terrorists
- The authorities sending Quentina off to a country where she could potentially be killed and almost definitely going to be abused even though she was working hard to serve Britain on a daily basis as a refugee
Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology
Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Beeb, The Mail and JKR' in MM53 (page 20). This focuses on the politics of The Casual Vacancy, another BBC three-part drama based on a book by JK Rowling.
Answer the questions below:
1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?
It is said to be 'virtually unwatchable' because Rowling heavily promotes left-wing values by ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House.
2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
Rowling is said to be ‘ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House’ which is seen as an attack on the upper class and sympathy to the poor people. The setting is in an idyllic country town and a neighbouring council estate that naturally depicts the point of view to be from the residents.
3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?
Danny Cohen, BBC Directorof Television, is also a director of Rowling’s charity Lumos. This may be a personal association that Cohen has made but the BBC as a whole has to be unbiased.
4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
This theory can be applied here as people who actively support Left-Wing ideologies might watch this show for the pleasure of seeing their views made into a series. People who want to see the series could be unknowingly accepting these views on different classes.
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