Formation TIA

?
  • Created by: agracex
  • Created on: 21-01-25 13:19

Both Formation and This Is America represent race and stereotypes, but through different approaches. Formation celebrates Black culture and resilience while This Is America criticises the oppression that Black communities face. Stuart Hall’s theory of representation can be applied, as these videos challenge audiences to reflect on the stereotypes constructed in the media.

Beyonce’s Formation video challenges stereotypes of Black women by reclaiming their representation in the media. The scene in the pool depicts Beyonce and her dancers dancing proactively in tight clothing. The mise-en-scene of dress codes and choreography is used to construct an empowering representation of Black women. The similar movements connote unity, despite stereotypes of being overly sexualised. Beyonce acknowledges the historical objectification of Black women but claims it back through empowerment. The choreography and dress code position the women as confident and in control of their own representation, subverting Hall’s ideas of fixed stereotypes. This reinforces Beyonce’s aim to celebrate individuality, shifting the focus from how Black women are perceived to how they choose to represent themselves. In This Is America, Childish Gambino reinforces stereotypes to criticise how the media maintains them and ignores societal issues. The scene of Gambino casually shooting a man with a sack over his head, reflecting the stereotypes of black men and gang violence. The shots of Gambino performing to the camera, while blurring the background forces the audience to confront the fixed stereotypes of aggression in Black men. Unlike Formation, Gambino heightens these stereotypes to criticise how they are normalised in the media. The casualness of the act and lack of cuts throughout symbolise how society accepts this narrative without questioning the causes behind the violence. While Beyonce subverts stereotypes to empower women, Gambino uses them to highlight the role of society in promoting harmful narratives.

Beyonce uses historical settings to reclaim places associated with Black

Comments

No comments have yet been made