Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?
it suggests this because capital portrays a few negative stereotypes throughout the 3 episode season as we see the bad and stressful living standards of the immigrants in London and we are also shown the how the elite white middle class live in a social bubble as they are immune to they struggle going on around the world and mostly focused on money rather than topics such as immigration.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blog post. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

"he hardest worker on the street was an illegal immigrant, determined to pay her way and not touch a penny of benefits"

 "Everything British came in for a dose of loathing." - There was a lot of criticism towards British people and how they go about things.

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

The scene with the immigrants as it shows them to be hard working and faithful in what they do, they are not shown to put stress or harm onto society so the audience is made to sympathises with them, furthering their left wing ideology.

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

The Yount family as they constantly consider money to be the most important thing in life as everything they do or talk about revolves around it.

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?

The Casual Vacancy promoted a left wing ideology because it mocked the wealthier.

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?

the article suggests that the show has used the view point of the immigrant quintina to get the audience to sympathise with her and we are shown that she is a respectable person who is still being exploited by her employer as she is not paid fairly for her work.

3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

It suggested that the BBC had to get all their viewpoints out now if they wanted the audience to see it because when the election comes around they will have to be much more careful with what they do and say. it also suggest that the BBC is quite bias and has a mainly left wing view point.

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?

The dominant thoughts are that immigration will only lead to more problems. The BBC will evaluate both sides of the argument, however, the Daily Mail would argue their viewpoints as common sense