Thursday, 28 March 2013
Ill Manors (film)
This film is about youths in London, stuck in the vicious lifestyle they've been pushed into. It shows the harsh reality of some people's lives- drugs, sex, violence, vandalism etc. I think Plan B's aim of making this film was to introduce this situation to people who aren't aware of it, and simply think youths make an informed choice to behave this way. This film shows each character's story and how complex their situations are- they can't get out of this mess. The plot reveals each character is linked and the violence between them is even more emotional once you feel you know these characters. Throughout the whole film you watch the characters going through troubles and complications- much more sinister than anyone else's day-to-day life. The representations of youths in this film support people's negative views eg. their clothing: caps, dark clothes, baggy tops, bling, trackies, hoodies etc. This reinforces the expectations that anyone dressed like this is bad. The use of drugs demonstrates how low these people feel their life is and that is their only method of escapism eg. michelle takes drugs to help her get through life as she is constantly in bad situations- being used for sex to produce money for others. This film shows the importance of gangs as if you're not part of a gang you are seen as a child and don't have the security needed, such as Jake becoming part of Aaron's gang by beating someone up, the music reinforces this importance 'he becomes a man today'. The use of guns in this film (eg. Chris/ Aaron/ Jake) back up the expectations and the fears that people have about youngsters: they can be dangerous, but only due to the society they have been brought up in. This film addresses some wider social issues such as the vicious cycle which targets and attacks youngsters caught up in the motions of it all. This underclass can't escape: they're raised poorly, taught to achieve via illegitimate means such as joining gangs and gaining status through violent acts, they then have their own children and they're stuck in the same situation- because they're raised to believe there's nothing they can do for themselves cause their parents made nothing of themselves either. Because the underclass are constantly in this situation it causes the rest of society to label them as trouble, therefore the media reinforces these views to make the beliefs stronger. Wider society's behavior towards the underclass (such as authority targeting a certain type of person for stop and search etc) pushes them further into the hole, causing them to be more and more unattached to the rest of society.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
TED Lecture
-no schools take bad kids
-no respect for authority, ignored by society, don't listen to anyone but rappers
-broken families, alcohlic and drug addicts for parents, raised children to believe kids can never make -anything of themselves cause they didn't, kids abused physically/mentally
-only takes one person to put positive thoughts in a kid's head
-no one wanted to take the chance on 'ill manors' until he was famous
-chav= derogatory term, bad stigma 'council housed and violent' hypocritical as racism etc would be public uproar
-demonisation of youth, people judge them without first hand knowledge, base knowledge on what they read
-whole generation pushed out of society, beaten into apathy, no more youth centres
-media dont show good sides of youth eg. plan b's story, doesnt fit in to the rest of the bad press
-plan b took people on in his band, but can't help everyone, other individuals can help eg. plasterer, plant seed of knowledge 'each one teach one', without opportunities these kids would have criminal records
-no respect for authority, ignored by society, don't listen to anyone but rappers
-broken families, alcohlic and drug addicts for parents, raised children to believe kids can never make -anything of themselves cause they didn't, kids abused physically/mentally
-only takes one person to put positive thoughts in a kid's head
-no one wanted to take the chance on 'ill manors' until he was famous
-chav= derogatory term, bad stigma 'council housed and violent' hypocritical as racism etc would be public uproar
-demonisation of youth, people judge them without first hand knowledge, base knowledge on what they read
-whole generation pushed out of society, beaten into apathy, no more youth centres
-media dont show good sides of youth eg. plan b's story, doesnt fit in to the rest of the bad press
-plan b took people on in his band, but can't help everyone, other individuals can help eg. plasterer, plant seed of knowledge 'each one teach one', without opportunities these kids would have criminal records
Monday, 25 March 2013
Time 4 PlanB
http://www.time4planb.co.uk/
http://www.time4planb.co.uk/news/statement-on-ill-manors
Plan B is running this campaign to try to get the middle and upper classes to think about their behaviour towards the underclass, as well as the derogatory and prejudice behaviour from authorities. He believes society is hypocritical as to how labeling someone a 'chav' is a common phrase used by individuals and the mass media alike, but racial and gender prejudices are heavily frowned upon. Plan B aims to raise awareness of the reasons this underclass feels the need to fight back and rebel against the society they have been kicked out of.
http://www.time4planb.co.uk/news/statement-on-ill-manors
Plan B is running this campaign to try to get the middle and upper classes to think about their behaviour towards the underclass, as well as the derogatory and prejudice behaviour from authorities. He believes society is hypocritical as to how labeling someone a 'chav' is a common phrase used by individuals and the mass media alike, but racial and gender prejudices are heavily frowned upon. Plan B aims to raise awareness of the reasons this underclass feels the need to fight back and rebel against the society they have been kicked out of.
Ill Manors (Song)
Youths are represented as scum in these lyrics. They are like a species you can go and look at but they are stuck in that situation. They have all the bad qualities that people expect of them. However, Ben Drew only encodes this message, as he is only saying it in a satirical sense because he knows that not everyone is like that and he ahs been in that situation before. He has digs at the government and argues that they are to blame for these situations, 'there's no such thing as Broken Britain, we're just bloody broke in Britain'. He adds links to other songs which might attract older generations to listen to the lyrics of the song. He humour within this song is whitty and very matter-of-fact as he tries to reveal the real feelings behind the youhts of today.
The visuals of the song back up the stereotypical portrayal of youths and gangs. It is filmed in slummy urban areas with no new building projects, 'they preserve our natural habitat' and they're wearing hoodies and face scares to hide their identity. It shows them smoking and drinking, and involved in violence and vandalism. It also shows some original footage from the London Riots. On the other hand it shows figures of authority abusing their power eg. policemen attacking individuals and members of parliament snapping at the public, 'what you looking at you little rich boy?'.
This video fuels negative representation of youth collective identity but in a sarcastic, satirical way. Plan B takes the mick out of the government and media representations of youths and plays up to the expectations in the music video. However, at the same time, the lyrics and images in the song attempt to challenge these negative views by mocking them. In the video the youngsters are seen smoking, drinking, vandalising and partaking in violent behaviour; the typical acts assumed by other classes. There are some scenes showing authority abusing their power such as a group of policemen taking down one youth, or members of the government reaching breaking point and snapping at members of the public. Plan B was trying to challenge people's stereotype of youngsters ironically by living up to the expectaions people have given them. Plan B hopes to raise awareness of the harsh treatment given by different social groups towards the underclass and youths. By making this song he also wants to create inspiration for the people in these situations to try to make their lives better than what they are now.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Discussion and Activity
How far were the responses of the rioters themselves given space in the media?
Whenever we heard anything from the rioters' point of view it always focused on the negative things they said or the way they said them to back up the bad stigma attached to these youngsters. However many reports didn't give space for their explanations at all and simple assumed that they were out there to cuase mischief without any reason or morals. Many of the interviews with the rioters were a spur of the moment sort of thing, not planned and rehearsed so it didn't give the youngsters a lot of time to think about how they need to explain themselves, unlike the formal debates with the government etc.
Given the general framing of young people as the key participants in the events, how much space was given to young people's voices, and what sorts of young people were given space to respond in the media debates?
They were given very little opportunity to talk and explain themselves, they were often confronted in the middle of a street where their emotions were probably still running high. They were often hooded, male, masked, and smoking or drinking, giving off the stereotypical look of a thug- the way the media made sure all youths would be represented. Despite this, there is one famous news coverage where a smart young man confronts Borris and suggests reasons why people may be committing these crimes and causing devastation. This was a rare opportunity for the young man and you could argue that he stood up for all people his age and in his situation.
To what extent did social media challenge or confirm representations of youth identity in the mass media during the time of the London Riots?
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter was used to set up the riots throughout England. Luckily these posts are very public and were easy to track so the people who were involved were easy to identify. On the other hand after the riots there were groups on both sites advertising clean up sessions eg. #riotcleanup and Facebook pages dedicated to restoring the towns and cities. Also Henry Jenkins suggests these social media sites allow youngsters their freedom of speech to say what they want and express their feelings and emotions. BBM was a huge problem for the officials as messages send via this device can't be tracked meaning the rioters could set up attacks between them and others without anyone else even having a clue about it. Due to happenings such as the London Riots there have now been dedicated sites set up to promote youngsters in a good light such as 'Goody in a Hoodie' suggesting not all youngsters are thugs and just because someone wears something doesn't automatically give them a bad name.
Whenever we heard anything from the rioters' point of view it always focused on the negative things they said or the way they said them to back up the bad stigma attached to these youngsters. However many reports didn't give space for their explanations at all and simple assumed that they were out there to cuase mischief without any reason or morals. Many of the interviews with the rioters were a spur of the moment sort of thing, not planned and rehearsed so it didn't give the youngsters a lot of time to think about how they need to explain themselves, unlike the formal debates with the government etc.
Given the general framing of young people as the key participants in the events, how much space was given to young people's voices, and what sorts of young people were given space to respond in the media debates?
They were given very little opportunity to talk and explain themselves, they were often confronted in the middle of a street where their emotions were probably still running high. They were often hooded, male, masked, and smoking or drinking, giving off the stereotypical look of a thug- the way the media made sure all youths would be represented. Despite this, there is one famous news coverage where a smart young man confronts Borris and suggests reasons why people may be committing these crimes and causing devastation. This was a rare opportunity for the young man and you could argue that he stood up for all people his age and in his situation.
To what extent did social media challenge or confirm representations of youth identity in the mass media during the time of the London Riots?
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter was used to set up the riots throughout England. Luckily these posts are very public and were easy to track so the people who were involved were easy to identify. On the other hand after the riots there were groups on both sites advertising clean up sessions eg. #riotcleanup and Facebook pages dedicated to restoring the towns and cities. Also Henry Jenkins suggests these social media sites allow youngsters their freedom of speech to say what they want and express their feelings and emotions. BBM was a huge problem for the officials as messages send via this device can't be tracked meaning the rioters could set up attacks between them and others without anyone else even having a clue about it. Due to happenings such as the London Riots there have now been dedicated sites set up to promote youngsters in a good light such as 'Goody in a Hoodie' suggesting not all youngsters are thugs and just because someone wears something doesn't automatically give them a bad name.
Monday, 18 March 2013
London Roits Write Up
1. Overview of Contempory Case-study:
What was the context of the riots?
When Mark Duggan was shot dead by police people started a peaceful protest as they believed it was down to police racism. This then blew out of control as people used this situation as an excuse to fight back against the government, even though many of the rioters just wanted to join in with the 'fun'. They caused chaos in their local areas, setting fire to almost everything and vandalising and looting shops.
What were the reasons given as to why youths were involved in the riots?
Many youths say the riots were a fight back against raise in university prices, cuts in funds such as EMA and the general treatment that youths receive by the older generation and those of higher status. However it is argued that the majority of the rioters were just there for entertainment, something to do, or just to cause trouble.
Were youths given a fair and unbiased representation in the press coverage of the riots?
The majority of the reports don't give the rioters a fair say as they always interview either the victims or the people in control eg. the police.Whenever they do give quotes of the rioters it is often the violent things they shout in the height of the moments. They are rarely questioned reasonably on their behaviour and given a proper opportunity to explains themselves.
2. Applying Theory
How can the coverage of the London Riots be understood in relation to the ideas of Stan Cohen?
Stan Cohen created the idea of Folk Devils, which in this case are the rioters. The older generation always label youngsters as trouble, and situations like this back up their point. These Folk Devils create moral panicks and the media usually plays these situations up.
David Gauntlett stated that, 'identities are not given but are constructed and negotiated' how does this apply?
These youngsters have other identities eg. son, brother, colleague, but they are now mainly labelled as 'thug' or 'theif' due to their most recent behaviour. They could move on from this bad situation but will always be remembered as being a rioter.
From the research you have conducted into the coverage of the London Riots, to what extent is the representation of the collective identities of youths constructed by the press? Consider for and against arguments.
A lot of what goes on nowadays is published in the papers, whether it's relevent or not. Often in the papers things are exaggerated or views are biased to prove a point. In this case, youths are being represented as violent and disrespectful, these articles disregard those of us who don't behave like this and had nothing to do with the riots. These articles make the readers group all young people into a certain stereotype which is invalid. On the other hand people are often quick to make their own judgements about people due to their appearance and often don't consider how they actually are as a person.
What was the context of the riots?
When Mark Duggan was shot dead by police people started a peaceful protest as they believed it was down to police racism. This then blew out of control as people used this situation as an excuse to fight back against the government, even though many of the rioters just wanted to join in with the 'fun'. They caused chaos in their local areas, setting fire to almost everything and vandalising and looting shops.
What were the reasons given as to why youths were involved in the riots?
Many youths say the riots were a fight back against raise in university prices, cuts in funds such as EMA and the general treatment that youths receive by the older generation and those of higher status. However it is argued that the majority of the rioters were just there for entertainment, something to do, or just to cause trouble.
Were youths given a fair and unbiased representation in the press coverage of the riots?
The majority of the reports don't give the rioters a fair say as they always interview either the victims or the people in control eg. the police.Whenever they do give quotes of the rioters it is often the violent things they shout in the height of the moments. They are rarely questioned reasonably on their behaviour and given a proper opportunity to explains themselves.
2. Applying Theory
How can the coverage of the London Riots be understood in relation to the ideas of Stan Cohen?
Stan Cohen created the idea of Folk Devils, which in this case are the rioters. The older generation always label youngsters as trouble, and situations like this back up their point. These Folk Devils create moral panicks and the media usually plays these situations up.
David Gauntlett stated that, 'identities are not given but are constructed and negotiated' how does this apply?
These youngsters have other identities eg. son, brother, colleague, but they are now mainly labelled as 'thug' or 'theif' due to their most recent behaviour. They could move on from this bad situation but will always be remembered as being a rioter.
From the research you have conducted into the coverage of the London Riots, to what extent is the representation of the collective identities of youths constructed by the press? Consider for and against arguments.
A lot of what goes on nowadays is published in the papers, whether it's relevent or not. Often in the papers things are exaggerated or views are biased to prove a point. In this case, youths are being represented as violent and disrespectful, these articles disregard those of us who don't behave like this and had nothing to do with the riots. These articles make the readers group all young people into a certain stereotype which is invalid. On the other hand people are often quick to make their own judgements about people due to their appearance and often don't consider how they actually are as a person.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Tabloid article
Descent into hell
as London burns
Terror ... woman leaps to flee riot blaze in Croydon
Published: 09th August 2011
A TERRIFIED woman leaps from the first floor of a burning block of flats into the arms of cops as a third night of rioting spread across London.
She escaped in Croydon as police struggled to cope with the escalating crisis.Large areas of the capital burned as mindless thugs fought pitched battles with police, with violence spreading to West London as the windows of Hugo Boss on Sloane Square were reportedly smashed.
Children as young as eight were seen throwing bottles at hard-pressed officers.
The anarchy spread round the country as Birmingham was also hit by looting and violence broke out in Liverpool early today.
Police confirmed riots in Bristol amid reports of fires and looting in the city. Meanwhile a Sony distribution centre the size of a football pitch collapsed in flames in Enfield, North London, after being hit.
Scotland Yard today said 334 people had been arrested, 69 people charged and two cautioned in connection with the rioting and looting across London.
Brave ... the unidentified woman who leapt from fire ravaged building
PM David Cameron flew back from his holiday in Tuscany, Italy, last night.
Today he condemned the “sickening” scenes of violence. Speaking outside Downing Street he said the Government would do “everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and to make them safe for the law-abiding”.
Home Secretary Theresa May and London Mayor Boris Johnson also cut short holidays as the crisis deepened.
The trouble-making rabble used social networking to organise an orgy of violence and destruction across the capital.
A rallying cry was issued to rioters on the Blackberry Messenger phone system.
It promised thugs that police would not be able to cope if they flooded on to the streets and added: “We need minimum of 200 hungry people. Who says no to free stuff.”
Thousands of extra police were drafted in as shops were looted, cars torched and buildings set ablaze. Thugs also robbed innocent commuters going home.
Hackney in North London and Lewisham, Peckham, Clapham and Croydon in the south of the city bore the brunt of the mayhem.
Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin called on the public to clear the streets. He also urged parents to contact children and find out where they were.
In the centre of PECKHAM a 100-strong mob cheered as an independent clothes shop was turned into an inferno. A bakery next door was also set alight.
One masked lout swigged whisky and roared: “The West End’s going down next.”
The mob descended on Rye Lane, the main shopping street, at around 5.30pm.
One onlooker said: “The mob was just standing there, cheering and laughing. There’s no sign of police or fire engines on the ground. It’s absolutely terrifying.”
A woman called Caroline told how her husband was dragged off his motorbike by a baying mob of 12 hooded youths, who beat and kicked him, then took his bike.
She said: “He is in a real state and we can’t get to him. This is just sheer criminality. These people have no cause.”
Hundreds of people in black balaclavas and scarves marauded along Rye Lane, launching petrol bombs at police. Bus services were suspended after one was torched and another smashed to pieces.
Tesco and Iceland were among two of the shops looted. Around 50 masked youths made off with champagne and beer.
One local said: “They were emerging with shopping baskets full. They screamed and jeered. Most were between 15 and 30. Many were on bikes.
AS rioting continues throughout the city a huge fire in Croydon rages
“It makes me so angry. They should turn water cannon on them. I’m Northern Irish and if this was going on back home they’d be firing plastic bullets.”
Peckham-born England and Man United soccer star Rio Ferdinand tweeted: “London’s burning, riots galore — what will this solve??”
HACKNEY descended into a war zone after the rioting broke out about 5pm. Senior cops were checking reports that the violence was sparked by a stop and search.
Three police cars were destroyed in daylight and another vehicle still ablaze as darkness descended.
A 71-year-old man was pulled from his burning home after looters torched a newsagent below.
Police had to push back rioters and knocked down the pensioner’s door as he pleaded for help.
Neighbour Andy Hutchins, 38, said; “He was out the window screaming for help. He came out crying his eyes out. It’s dreadful. What has he done to deserve that?”
Another witness said: “There were kids running everywhere. They can’t have been much older than eight. They were telling their older brothers when police were on the move.
“Some had bottles in their hands, which they were throwing at police before running away. The whole area is choked with smoke.”
Yobs used bins and shopping trolleys to smash their way into a sports store. An off-duty bus driver said: “They were like animals. It’s very frightening.”
A cyclist was attacked by five men who jumped on him and ripped his shoulder bag free. Other looters jeered as they fled.
REPORTER Mark Stone films looters before eventually having to flee
A witness said: “I saw one bloke kicked on the floor and they stole his moped.”
With police already spread thinly, yobs in LEWISHAM ran amok and looted shops at will.
The gangs used wheelie bins and a car to build a barricade. Masked yobs also ransacked shops in CLAPHAM without a cop in sight.
Shopkeepers began boarding up their stores at 4.30pm after Scotland Yard warned them the area could be targeted.
Waves of thugs then swamped the area. Resident Ted Knight, 24, said: “People just started coming out of side streets. About 100 of them went to Currys and just started coming out with big screen TVs.
“I saw a boy with trainers he stole go back to the shop. He was saying to his mates that he had taken the wrong size.”
A girl looting Currys was heard shouting “We’re getting our taxes back” when she was confronted about what she was doing.
Commuters were trapped inside Clapham Junction station by rioting. Looters were seen fleeing the area on stolen Boris Bikes.
Witnesses spoke of seeing “hundreds and hundreds” of looters.
The iconic Debenhams department store was completely trashed. One girl was seen carrying away ten handbags — five on each arm.
There were clashes between thugs and police in STRATFORD, BETHNAL GREEN, BARKING, East London.
Also in the East End, there were reports of commuters being attacked at MILE END. CHALK FARM and KENTISH TOWN in North London were hit.
London football clubs including West Ham and Charlton were ordered by police to postpone home matches tonight because there are no spare officers to police them.
Trouble also hit upmarket East Dulwich, next to Peckham, where a Tesco Express was looted.
The rioting later spread to West London, as Ealing Broadway shopping centre was torched.
Meanwhile 30,000 Met police were told not to wear uniform while off duty after a gang threatened to target them with grenades.
Shop windows were smashed in BIRMINGHAM as crowds gathered following rumours on social networking sites of a riot copying London’s. Police set up an exclusion zone up to half a mile around the Bullring shopping centre.
Looters’ targets included an Adidas store, an Austin Reed menswear shop, a camera shop and several mobile phone shops.
England cricketers were holed up in the city centre hotel where they are staying for the Third Test against India, which starts tomorrow.
More than 87 people including several youngsters were arrested as scores of extra officers had been drafted into the city centre.
Four people were said to be held on suspicion of aggravated burglary, four for violent disorder and one for breach of the peace.
Pictures of troublemakers taken by police camera crews are expected to be released as early as today.
Buses were stopping outside the city centre and passengers had to continue journeys on foot.
Police used Twitter to dismiss rumours of similar trouble in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Coventry.
Paramedics were called to at least 23 emergencies related to the disturbances including a 16-year-old who had dislocated his knee last night.
A man in his 20s suffered a serious head injury and three people were injured in a fight in Handsworth, Birmingham.
A man in his late 20s was assaulted and another man was kicked in the head. Both were taken to A&E.
The violence also spread into KENT after a mob of 15 youths started fires and caused criminal damage in the Medway area.
SHOCKING footage shows rioter throwing pickaxe at police officer
Ten arrests were made following the widespread damage in Chatham, Rainham and Gillingham.
Last night’s anarchy erupted despite pleas from the family of suspected gangster Mark Duggan, 29, whose shooting dead by police in Tottenham last Thursday sparked the attacks.
Mrs May had talks with Acting Commissioner Godwin amid claims police acted too late and too meekly. She warned thugs will “be made to face the consequences”.
By last night, 225 arrest had been made in London.
This morning, a Scotland Yard spokesman said all cells in the capital were full, adding that anyone arrested now would be taken to surrounding areas.
Hero PC David Rathband, 43 — who was blinded by a shot from gun nut Raoul Moat — urged the use of water cannon on rioters.
The rioting began in Tottenham, North London, on Saturday and spread to Enfield and Brixton.
PLUMES of smoke seen for miles after DADC building set alight by rioters
A man was shot in the face in Chapeltown, Leeds, last night following trouble between youths.
Labour MP Diane Abbott, whose Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency was ravaged by the trouble, said a curfew should be imposed.
She said: “I have not heard of a curfew on mainland Britain in the past century. Very difficult to impose.
“I’m not saying that it is definitely the way forward but it is something we have to consider.
“These young people, who seem to have no stake in society, are trashing their own communities.
“We cannot continue to have increasing numbers of looters on the streets night after night.”
PM David Cameron flew back from his holiday in Tuscany, Italy, last night.
Today he condemned the “sickening” scenes of violence. Speaking outside Downing Street he said the Government would do “everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and to make them safe for the law-abiding”.
Home Secretary Theresa May and London Mayor Boris Johnson also cut short holidays as the crisis deepened.
On the prowl ... a masked lout marauds through burning Hackney yesterday
The trouble-making rabble used social networking to organise an orgy of violence and destruction across the capital.
A rallying cry was issued to rioters on the Blackberry Messenger phone system.
It promised thugs that police would not be able to cope if they flooded on to the streets and added: “We need minimum of 200 hungry people. Who says no to free stuff.”
Blazing ... cars are consumed by flames after they were set on fire in Ealing, West London
Thousands of extra police were drafted in as shops were looted, cars torched and buildings set ablaze. Thugs also robbed innocent commuters going home.
Hackney in North London and Lewisham, Peckham, Clapham and Croydon in the south of the city bore the brunt of the mayhem.
Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin called on the public to clear the streets. He also urged parents to contact children and find out where they were.
In the centre of PECKHAM a 100-strong mob cheered as an independent clothes shop was turned into an inferno. A bakery next door was also set alight.
London burns as PM returns
The mob descended on Rye Lane, the main shopping street, at around 5.30pm.
One onlooker said: “The mob was just standing there, cheering and laughing. There’s no sign of police or fire engines on the ground. It’s absolutely terrifying.”
A woman called Caroline told how her husband was dragged off his motorbike by a baying mob of 12 hooded youths, who beat and kicked him, then took his bike.
Chaos ... yob in front of blazing car in Hackney
She said: “He is in a real state and we can’t get to him. This is just sheer criminality. These people have no cause.”
Hundreds of people in black balaclavas and scarves marauded along Rye Lane, launching petrol bombs at police. Bus services were suspended after one was torched and another smashed to pieces.
Tesco and Iceland were among two of the shops looted. Around 50 masked youths made off with champagne and beer.
One local said: “They were emerging with shopping baskets full. They screamed and jeered. Most were between 15 and 30. Many were on bikes.
Riots in London: The latest
Sky News
“It makes me so angry. They should turn water cannon on them. I’m Northern Irish and if this was going on back home they’d be firing plastic bullets.”
Peckham-born England and Man United soccer star Rio Ferdinand tweeted: “London’s burning, riots galore — what will this solve??”
Horror ... flames rip through Peckham store
Three police cars were destroyed in daylight and another vehicle still ablaze as darkness descended.
A 71-year-old man was pulled from his burning home after looters torched a newsagent below.
Police had to push back rioters and knocked down the pensioner’s door as he pleaded for help.
Neighbour Andy Hutchins, 38, said; “He was out the window screaming for help. He came out crying his eyes out. It’s dreadful. What has he done to deserve that?”
Another witness said: “There were kids running everywhere. They can’t have been much older than eight. They were telling their older brothers when police were on the move.
“Some had bottles in their hands, which they were throwing at police before running away. The whole area is choked with smoke.”
Yobs used bins and shopping trolleys to smash their way into a sports store. An off-duty bus driver said: “They were like animals. It’s very frightening.”
A cyclist was attacked by five men who jumped on him and ripped his shoulder bag free. Other looters jeered as they fled.
Violence engulfs Clapham
News
A witness said: “I saw one bloke kicked on the floor and they stole his moped.”
With police already spread thinly, yobs in LEWISHAM ran amok and looted shops at will.
The gangs used wheelie bins and a car to build a barricade. Masked yobs also ransacked shops in CLAPHAM without a cop in sight.
Shopkeepers began boarding up their stores at 4.30pm after Scotland Yard warned them the area could be targeted.
Devastation ... masked thug in Hackney wheels a burning bin through fire-ravaged street
Waves of thugs then swamped the area. Resident Ted Knight, 24, said: “People just started coming out of side streets. About 100 of them went to Currys and just started coming out with big screen TVs.
“I saw a boy with trainers he stole go back to the shop. He was saying to his mates that he had taken the wrong size.”
A girl looting Currys was heard shouting “We’re getting our taxes back” when she was confronted about what she was doing.
Commuters were trapped inside Clapham Junction station by rioting. Looters were seen fleeing the area on stolen Boris Bikes.
Inferno ... firefighters battle a blaze at a Sony warehouse in Enfield, North London
Witnesses spoke of seeing “hundreds and hundreds” of looters.
The iconic Debenhams department store was completely trashed. One girl was seen carrying away ten handbags — five on each arm.
There were clashes between thugs and police in STRATFORD, BETHNAL GREEN, BARKING, East London.
Also in the East End, there were reports of commuters being attacked at MILE END. CHALK FARM and KENTISH TOWN in North London were hit.
Plume ... smoke still rises from the Sony plant in Enfield this morning
Sky
Trouble also hit upmarket East Dulwich, next to Peckham, where a Tesco Express was looted.
The rioting later spread to West London, as Ealing Broadway shopping centre was torched.
Meanwhile 30,000 Met police were told not to wear uniform while off duty after a gang threatened to target them with grenades.
Morning after ... cop walks along ravaged St John's Road in Clapham, South London
Looters’ targets included an Adidas store, an Austin Reed menswear shop, a camera shop and several mobile phone shops.
England cricketers were holed up in the city centre hotel where they are staying for the Third Test against India, which starts tomorrow.
More than 87 people including several youngsters were arrested as scores of extra officers had been drafted into the city centre.
Hell ... huge blaze guts Croydon shops
Pictures of troublemakers taken by police camera crews are expected to be released as early as today.
Buses were stopping outside the city centre and passengers had to continue journeys on foot.
Police used Twitter to dismiss rumours of similar trouble in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Coventry.
Destruction ... yobs kick in the window of a jewellery store near Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre
A man in his 20s suffered a serious head injury and three people were injured in a fight in Handsworth, Birmingham.
A man in his late 20s was assaulted and another man was kicked in the head. Both were taken to A&E.
The violence also spread into KENT after a mob of 15 youths started fires and caused criminal damage in the Medway area.
Thug throws pickaxe at cop
Sun Exclusive
Ten arrests were made following the widespread damage in Chatham, Rainham and Gillingham.
Last night’s anarchy erupted despite pleas from the family of suspected gangster Mark Duggan, 29, whose shooting dead by police in Tottenham last Thursday sparked the attacks.
Mrs May had talks with Acting Commissioner Godwin amid claims police acted too late and too meekly. She warned thugs will “be made to face the consequences”.
By last night, 225 arrest had been made in London.
Braced for trouble ... cops with shields and batons as unrest reached Camden, North London
Hero PC David Rathband, 43 — who was blinded by a shot from gun nut Raoul Moat — urged the use of water cannon on rioters.
The rioting began in Tottenham, North London, on Saturday and spread to Enfield and Brixton.
Sony site in Enfield torched
Sky News
A man was shot in the face in Chapeltown, Leeds, last night following trouble between youths.
Labour MP Diane Abbott, whose Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency was ravaged by the trouble, said a curfew should be imposed.
She said: “I have not heard of a curfew on mainland Britain in the past century. Very difficult to impose.
Thieves ... girl stuffing bags of food in her jacket is among people looting a Poundland in Peckham, South East London
INFphoto.com
“These young people, who seem to have no stake in society, are trashing their own communities.
“We cannot continue to have increasing numbers of looters on the streets night after night.”
March ... crowds roam through Toxteth on Merseyside as the violence spread to Liverpool
Evaluation: all of the images used either show the devestation the rioters caused, the rioters in the act, or the police- notice you never see pictures of the police fighting back or using weapons, but are always either defending or just in the picture. This suggests it was purely the rioters fighting without anyone to fight against as the police are just doing the right thing innocently defending themselves and the areas.This article often calls the rioters 'thugs' and 'mobs' and collectively assumes they are all youths. It gives everyone our age a bad reptation and doesnt consider the older rioters. The readers of this article will use this knowledge to further build up the negative stereotype. This article is biased as it doesn't show anything from the rioters' point of view or even interview them saying anything worth listening to. It is all from the journalist's point of view.The youths aren't given a fair voice, a few times it quoted what people shouted, but they were never offered to properly explain themselves.
Evaluation: all of the images used either show the devestation the rioters caused, the rioters in the act, or the police- notice you never see pictures of the police fighting back or using weapons, but are always either defending or just in the picture. This suggests it was purely the rioters fighting without anyone to fight against as the police are just doing the right thing innocently defending themselves and the areas.This article often calls the rioters 'thugs' and 'mobs' and collectively assumes they are all youths. It gives everyone our age a bad reptation and doesnt consider the older rioters. The readers of this article will use this knowledge to further build up the negative stereotype. This article is biased as it doesn't show anything from the rioters' point of view or even interview them saying anything worth listening to. It is all from the journalist's point of view.The youths aren't given a fair voice, a few times it quoted what people shouted, but they were never offered to properly explain themselves.
Broadsheet article
UK riots: 'We don't want no trouble. We just want a job'
Poverty and disaffection or simply the thrill of the fight? Young people, looters and academics on what led to the riots
'The upper generation are judging the lower generation' - audio
'The upper generation are judging the lower generation' - audio
- Shiv Malik
- The Guardian,
A child in Peckham
adds a message to the 'peace wall' set up by residents to show support
for the community following the riots. Photograph: David Levene
Alex is standing outside the "peace wall" in Peckham, a woodchip
board covering the broken window of Rye Lane's Poundland, which is full
of messages of community solidarity. His explanation for why he was at
the riots is rather less civil minded.
"For some people, they just wanted fun innit? … I was standing there seeing police getting ripped [attacked] and that. It was entertainment," he says.
The 22-year-old freelance builder and father of one, says he did not take part in the looting and in no way condones the arson attack on Gregg's bakery up the road but adds with a glint that it will boost his income. "I'm working on that [repair] job tomorrow so it's given me a bit of extra work."
He cites police harassment and the death of Mark Duggan in Tottenham as reasons for why people flooded on to the streets. But when I ask him why he was there, he struggles to give a decent explanation.
In the aftermath of the worst scenes of violence in three decades, commentators and politicians have rushed to give their account of the causes, citing everything from David Cameron's broken and sick society to more leftwing explanations of inequality and deprivation.
But it is the sheer brazenness of the young teenagers on the street, the cheering as windows were smashed and clothes and flatscreen TVs pillaged, which has left most people utterly shocked.
Jack Levin, professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University in Boston, said this question of why people riot should be split into two – the first being the undoubted thrill of getting involved, the "entertainment" factor that Alex spoke about.
There is, said Levin, little point trying to ascribe individual responsibility to people involved in these events because they are doing exactly the opposite by attaching themselves to a group. He terms this the process of "de-individuation" where people in crowds abandon their sense of personal identity.
He said: "People get together in a group and commit acts of violence that they would never dream of committing individually.
"De-individuation, can go from the 'sublime to the ridiculous' and from the benign to the dangerous.
"This is the violent version of the Mexican wave" he said. People are infected with "emotional contagion. "It is a feature of every riot."
The Guardian's datablog breakdown of those arrested so far shows that nearly 80% of those in court were aged under 25 and half of those charged have been under 18. Only a very small number were aged over 30. This corresponds with most accounts of rioters being mainly young teenage men. Levin said the age factor greatly exacerbates the "groupthink" mentality.
"We are talking about young people who want desperately to be accepted by their friends and when they get together in a collective atmosphere they may participate in a riot simply not to let their friends down.
"The last thing they want is to be rejected. It's like getting the death penalty for a teenager. Buddies, pals, friends mean everything to them."
In effect, being a copycat makes them part of a tribe. This explains all those invitations to passersby to join in, not just as looting was happening but also through social media like Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry's messenger service. In that way, Levin said, the riots were not about a "me, me, me" consumerist grab-what-you-can culture, but the exact opposite. It was about reinforcing a sense of community.
But, Levin added, there are the factors before a riot begins, its rapid descent into mob mentality which are just as important to understanding why violence kicks off.
"[People are] frustrated bruv, frustrated," says Joe as we speak twenty metres from Salford's recently destroyed shopping precinct.
He is "ballied-up", covered from head to toe in a hoodie, tracksuit, gloves and a bandana to wrap around his face, and tells me that he was involved in the violence that occurred the night before.
Wednesday night, and Salford City is in lock down. In the near distance, police in full riot gear protect shops and surround estates, detaining anyone who might be about to start trouble. Joe's friends nervously keep watch. "Yo, yo, yo, riot van pulling up, riot van pulling up," one suddenly exclaims. "Na, we're sweet man," Joe retorts.
He says this is about his generation losing all hope. "People are sayin' 'how are people going to get a job round here tell me now?' … They [employers and the older generation] look at us, yeah and they say 'fuck it, youths mate' that's all they think."
"People … that have got a good qualifications and shit like that, they're not getting jobs because of what they look like. It's not on."
His friend chips in saying "it's about foreigners". But Joe says: "It's not even 'bout the foreigners bro. It's nothing like that. It's like I say, all the upper generation are judging the lower generation because they think they're fuckin' bastards."
I ask him if he has been to the job centre to find work? "I'm at the job centre most days of the week … I'm trying my hardest. I've got CVs and everything bro, I still try, I still do all this shit, I still don't get nothing. I don't get nowhere because of what we look like. You get what I'm sayin'," he says.
"At the end of the day, they think we're youths and the youth generation today goes mental. [But] we don't go mental, we don't want no trouble. We just want a job. I'm happy to do hard work, decent work."
"Fuck all this life," Joe says pointing to the smashed up windows of the shops. "This is a shit game bro."
A recent survey of 1,500 people aged 16 to 24 carried out in the weeks before the riots reflected exactly Joe's feeling of age discrimination.
In one of the first barometers of attitudes from the generation who have found themselves entering the job market during the economic downturn, the survey overseen by academics at Teesside University, found that 57% said that employers were discriminating against them because of their youth. It also found that almost one in four were depressed about their future.
Teesside youth and communities expert Professor Tony Chapman said the results were "very worrying" especially if it meant that young people would now give up on their future. And at the heart of this depression lay a lack of security. Only 49% believed they would have a secure job in five years' time.
"All the academic research seems to demonstrate that [young people] want a secure living environment, they want to have a good relationship, and if they want to have children, they want the best possible opportunities for their kids and they want secure jobs."
It is a far contrast from the celebrity, consumerist lifestyles which so many commentators assume is what the youth of today seek out.
But there is a growing realisation among British youth, perhaps more especially among English youth, that none of those very basic desires for a stable job and a secure home are going to be met.
And perhaps this is how the frustration has arisen. We are only eight months from when the last set of youth riots exploded in and around the streets of Westminster.
Deemed a middle-class revolt at the time – especially after the high-profile jailing of people from well-off backgrounds such as Charlie Gilmour, the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour – in fact many of those involved in the disturbances were from lower middle-class backgrounds.
In interviews with the young people it was clear that they were shocked and angered that their futures had suddenly been made so uncertain by the hiking of student fees and the abolition of the education maintenance allowance.
They also knew that even upon graduation from university or college, they were unlikely to get a job in an economic climate when there are 83 graduates to every job and youth employment is hovering just below the million mark.
In fact government austerity measures seen through a generational lens make for an even more depressing read. Housing benefits are being slashed for the young more than for the old through the mechanism of the share room rate. The house building budget has been slashed by 60% at a time when a housing shortage has hiked up prices, making it impossible to get on the housing ladder. And on top of the scrapping of the Future Jobs fund and the tripling of student fees, local councils have also aimed their cuts on youth services as they are not deemed essential services. Another exacerbating factor is that of fast inflating rents in the private rented sector, where most young people now live because it takes years for them to get their own social housing. Shredded hopes are what drove 27-year-old Trisha to loot three bags of shopping from a supermarket in Hackney on Monday she tells me. "Not even people that's got an education can get a job, much less people that ain't got education. I went to university and I still ain't got a job," she says.
Dressed in jeans and a black bomber jacket, Trisha read child psychology at Middlesex University and was recently made redundant. "I'm still paying my student loan. That's why I looted all I could," she says without remorse.
She turns her wrath at those in power. "Cameron", she says, is "doing nothing but talking shit in parliament. They do not know what it is like for us young British people. They don't live in our shoes.
"They have no idea what it's like. Telling us we're milking benefits off the system. What kind of bullshit is that [for] someone who is on 50 grand per annum?"
When she hears that Cameron earns well in excess of that, she can't believe it.
The situation is made even more surreal as one of the group we are with just near Mare Street, sells a kitten she is carrying for £60 in cash to a girl from Sweden.
"This is how we have to hustle on the street," Trisha says. As she takes a drag of a cigarette to calm her nerves The Guardian asks why she looted. She says it was to feed her brothers. But then she also says, "It's not about the shops. It's about retaliating against the government system, making us live poor lives.... we ain't got nothing out here. So if people are going out to demonstrate, we're going to riot mate."
Does she think society owes her a living? "I don't think they owe me nothing actually. I think that I just want a decent job to pay my rent and not have to worry about claiming benefits. I don't want to be on fucking benefits."
• All interviewees refused to give their names so false names have been used instead
Evaluation:
This picture is very symbolic as it shows a young child putting a note on the 'peace wall': a borded up poundland. The fact that it is a cheap shop reinforces the fact that these people are not living the ideal lives and are obviously not just looting the shops for what's inside, but to make a statement that the upper classes will listen to. There is a lot of emotive language which sensationalises the whole article (highlighted words) making the reader perhaps feel stronger emotions than what they would have without reading this article. This article is really good in terms of giving the youths a fair voice as the majority of the article is about speaking to them and finding out what they did and why. The article is biased towards the rioters but in my opinion this is a good thing as not many articles looked at the situation from their point of view. It represents the youths as almost justified for what they are doing, as the reasons they claim they felt they need to make a stand are prominent and serious. This article is a rarity in the fact that it gives the rioters a fair voice and allows people to see and hear for themselves that these people are just like us, with real reasons behind their actions.
"For some people, they just wanted fun innit? … I was standing there seeing police getting ripped [attacked] and that. It was entertainment," he says.
The 22-year-old freelance builder and father of one, says he did not take part in the looting and in no way condones the arson attack on Gregg's bakery up the road but adds with a glint that it will boost his income. "I'm working on that [repair] job tomorrow so it's given me a bit of extra work."
He cites police harassment and the death of Mark Duggan in Tottenham as reasons for why people flooded on to the streets. But when I ask him why he was there, he struggles to give a decent explanation.
In the aftermath of the worst scenes of violence in three decades, commentators and politicians have rushed to give their account of the causes, citing everything from David Cameron's broken and sick society to more leftwing explanations of inequality and deprivation.
But it is the sheer brazenness of the young teenagers on the street, the cheering as windows were smashed and clothes and flatscreen TVs pillaged, which has left most people utterly shocked.
Jack Levin, professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University in Boston, said this question of why people riot should be split into two – the first being the undoubted thrill of getting involved, the "entertainment" factor that Alex spoke about.
There is, said Levin, little point trying to ascribe individual responsibility to people involved in these events because they are doing exactly the opposite by attaching themselves to a group. He terms this the process of "de-individuation" where people in crowds abandon their sense of personal identity.
He said: "People get together in a group and commit acts of violence that they would never dream of committing individually.
"De-individuation, can go from the 'sublime to the ridiculous' and from the benign to the dangerous.
"This is the violent version of the Mexican wave" he said. People are infected with "emotional contagion. "It is a feature of every riot."
The Guardian's datablog breakdown of those arrested so far shows that nearly 80% of those in court were aged under 25 and half of those charged have been under 18. Only a very small number were aged over 30. This corresponds with most accounts of rioters being mainly young teenage men. Levin said the age factor greatly exacerbates the "groupthink" mentality.
"We are talking about young people who want desperately to be accepted by their friends and when they get together in a collective atmosphere they may participate in a riot simply not to let their friends down.
"The last thing they want is to be rejected. It's like getting the death penalty for a teenager. Buddies, pals, friends mean everything to them."
In effect, being a copycat makes them part of a tribe. This explains all those invitations to passersby to join in, not just as looting was happening but also through social media like Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry's messenger service. In that way, Levin said, the riots were not about a "me, me, me" consumerist grab-what-you-can culture, but the exact opposite. It was about reinforcing a sense of community.
But, Levin added, there are the factors before a riot begins, its rapid descent into mob mentality which are just as important to understanding why violence kicks off.
"[People are] frustrated bruv, frustrated," says Joe as we speak twenty metres from Salford's recently destroyed shopping precinct.
He is "ballied-up", covered from head to toe in a hoodie, tracksuit, gloves and a bandana to wrap around his face, and tells me that he was involved in the violence that occurred the night before.
Wednesday night, and Salford City is in lock down. In the near distance, police in full riot gear protect shops and surround estates, detaining anyone who might be about to start trouble. Joe's friends nervously keep watch. "Yo, yo, yo, riot van pulling up, riot van pulling up," one suddenly exclaims. "Na, we're sweet man," Joe retorts.
He says this is about his generation losing all hope. "People are sayin' 'how are people going to get a job round here tell me now?' … They [employers and the older generation] look at us, yeah and they say 'fuck it, youths mate' that's all they think."
"People … that have got a good qualifications and shit like that, they're not getting jobs because of what they look like. It's not on."
His friend chips in saying "it's about foreigners". But Joe says: "It's not even 'bout the foreigners bro. It's nothing like that. It's like I say, all the upper generation are judging the lower generation because they think they're fuckin' bastards."
I ask him if he has been to the job centre to find work? "I'm at the job centre most days of the week … I'm trying my hardest. I've got CVs and everything bro, I still try, I still do all this shit, I still don't get nothing. I don't get nowhere because of what we look like. You get what I'm sayin'," he says.
"At the end of the day, they think we're youths and the youth generation today goes mental. [But] we don't go mental, we don't want no trouble. We just want a job. I'm happy to do hard work, decent work."
"Fuck all this life," Joe says pointing to the smashed up windows of the shops. "This is a shit game bro."
A recent survey of 1,500 people aged 16 to 24 carried out in the weeks before the riots reflected exactly Joe's feeling of age discrimination.
In one of the first barometers of attitudes from the generation who have found themselves entering the job market during the economic downturn, the survey overseen by academics at Teesside University, found that 57% said that employers were discriminating against them because of their youth. It also found that almost one in four were depressed about their future.
Teesside youth and communities expert Professor Tony Chapman said the results were "very worrying" especially if it meant that young people would now give up on their future. And at the heart of this depression lay a lack of security. Only 49% believed they would have a secure job in five years' time.
"All the academic research seems to demonstrate that [young people] want a secure living environment, they want to have a good relationship, and if they want to have children, they want the best possible opportunities for their kids and they want secure jobs."
It is a far contrast from the celebrity, consumerist lifestyles which so many commentators assume is what the youth of today seek out.
But there is a growing realisation among British youth, perhaps more especially among English youth, that none of those very basic desires for a stable job and a secure home are going to be met.
And perhaps this is how the frustration has arisen. We are only eight months from when the last set of youth riots exploded in and around the streets of Westminster.
Deemed a middle-class revolt at the time – especially after the high-profile jailing of people from well-off backgrounds such as Charlie Gilmour, the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour – in fact many of those involved in the disturbances were from lower middle-class backgrounds.
In interviews with the young people it was clear that they were shocked and angered that their futures had suddenly been made so uncertain by the hiking of student fees and the abolition of the education maintenance allowance.
They also knew that even upon graduation from university or college, they were unlikely to get a job in an economic climate when there are 83 graduates to every job and youth employment is hovering just below the million mark.
In fact government austerity measures seen through a generational lens make for an even more depressing read. Housing benefits are being slashed for the young more than for the old through the mechanism of the share room rate. The house building budget has been slashed by 60% at a time when a housing shortage has hiked up prices, making it impossible to get on the housing ladder. And on top of the scrapping of the Future Jobs fund and the tripling of student fees, local councils have also aimed their cuts on youth services as they are not deemed essential services. Another exacerbating factor is that of fast inflating rents in the private rented sector, where most young people now live because it takes years for them to get their own social housing. Shredded hopes are what drove 27-year-old Trisha to loot three bags of shopping from a supermarket in Hackney on Monday she tells me. "Not even people that's got an education can get a job, much less people that ain't got education. I went to university and I still ain't got a job," she says.
Dressed in jeans and a black bomber jacket, Trisha read child psychology at Middlesex University and was recently made redundant. "I'm still paying my student loan. That's why I looted all I could," she says without remorse.
She turns her wrath at those in power. "Cameron", she says, is "doing nothing but talking shit in parliament. They do not know what it is like for us young British people. They don't live in our shoes.
"They have no idea what it's like. Telling us we're milking benefits off the system. What kind of bullshit is that [for] someone who is on 50 grand per annum?"
When she hears that Cameron earns well in excess of that, she can't believe it.
The situation is made even more surreal as one of the group we are with just near Mare Street, sells a kitten she is carrying for £60 in cash to a girl from Sweden.
"This is how we have to hustle on the street," Trisha says. As she takes a drag of a cigarette to calm her nerves The Guardian asks why she looted. She says it was to feed her brothers. But then she also says, "It's not about the shops. It's about retaliating against the government system, making us live poor lives.... we ain't got nothing out here. So if people are going out to demonstrate, we're going to riot mate."
Does she think society owes her a living? "I don't think they owe me nothing actually. I think that I just want a decent job to pay my rent and not have to worry about claiming benefits. I don't want to be on fucking benefits."
• All interviewees refused to give their names so false names have been used instead
Evaluation:
This picture is very symbolic as it shows a young child putting a note on the 'peace wall': a borded up poundland. The fact that it is a cheap shop reinforces the fact that these people are not living the ideal lives and are obviously not just looting the shops for what's inside, but to make a statement that the upper classes will listen to. There is a lot of emotive language which sensationalises the whole article (highlighted words) making the reader perhaps feel stronger emotions than what they would have without reading this article. This article is really good in terms of giving the youths a fair voice as the majority of the article is about speaking to them and finding out what they did and why. The article is biased towards the rioters but in my opinion this is a good thing as not many articles looked at the situation from their point of view. It represents the youths as almost justified for what they are doing, as the reasons they claim they felt they need to make a stand are prominent and serious. This article is a rarity in the fact that it gives the rioters a fair voice and allows people to see and hear for themselves that these people are just like us, with real reasons behind their actions.
Friday, 8 March 2013
Historical Case Study- Clockwork Orange
1. Discuss the background to the film:
This film is about a young group of boys who enjoy 'ultra-violence', the main character being Alex. Alex enjoys committing crimes and hurting people for fun, even his friends- everyone fears him due to his attitude and behaviour. When Alex is imprisoned he decides he wants to try a new experiment where professionals try to re-sensitise him to violence and abuse. This experiment works but has horrible consequences for Alex. Doctors decide to reverse the experiment which brings Alex back to his original state.
2. How was the film reported by the press and how did the youths respond to the film?
The press gave the film very bad connotations as whenever it was mentioned or brought up it was in relation to some horrible happening. The film caused such great controversy the director had to pull it from the shelves until he died because he didn't want to have to put up with the hassle. Youths were reported to have reenacted scenes from the film, suggesting the copycat theory was prominent when watching this film. The film was blamed for putting these ideas in people's heads.
3. How can Stan Cohen's theory be applied to this film?
Alex and his friends were the Folk Devils that nobody liked and everyone feared due to their reputations of what they would do. Their behaviour caused moral panic as everyone knew what kind of things they get up to in their spare time for fun and anyone could be their next victim. When Alex got out of prison and was reformed as a good man people wanted revenge for the bad things he had done, they believed he deserved to be treat badly as payment for all the bad things he did to society as a whole. At the same time people also feared him when they recognised who he was because they probably couldn't believe he actually was reformed and wouldn't trust him to be free from jail.
This film is about a young group of boys who enjoy 'ultra-violence', the main character being Alex. Alex enjoys committing crimes and hurting people for fun, even his friends- everyone fears him due to his attitude and behaviour. When Alex is imprisoned he decides he wants to try a new experiment where professionals try to re-sensitise him to violence and abuse. This experiment works but has horrible consequences for Alex. Doctors decide to reverse the experiment which brings Alex back to his original state.
2. How was the film reported by the press and how did the youths respond to the film?
The press gave the film very bad connotations as whenever it was mentioned or brought up it was in relation to some horrible happening. The film caused such great controversy the director had to pull it from the shelves until he died because he didn't want to have to put up with the hassle. Youths were reported to have reenacted scenes from the film, suggesting the copycat theory was prominent when watching this film. The film was blamed for putting these ideas in people's heads.
3. How can Stan Cohen's theory be applied to this film?
Alex and his friends were the Folk Devils that nobody liked and everyone feared due to their reputations of what they would do. Their behaviour caused moral panic as everyone knew what kind of things they get up to in their spare time for fun and anyone could be their next victim. When Alex got out of prison and was reformed as a good man people wanted revenge for the bad things he had done, they believed he deserved to be treat badly as payment for all the bad things he did to society as a whole. At the same time people also feared him when they recognised who he was because they probably couldn't believe he actually was reformed and wouldn't trust him to be free from jail.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
News Broadcast 3
This news report takes a very one sided view as she makes you feel sympathetic for the policemen but not the youths, 'our thoughts have to be with the officers'. It tells you that it is becoming very serious and that 'enough is enough' as if a bid to control the wild youths. She says 'stay off streets' enforcing the wild animal characteristics of the rioters. She mentions that Mark Duggan's family want the rioting to stop, this emotive link to Mark Duggan's death makes people feel like the rioters are in the wrong as they are going against his families wishes. The other woman suggests Mark's death is being used as an excuse for the riots, assuming these youths have no reason behind it. However the other woman acknowledges the fact that people of higher status should make an effort to listen to what people want and need. The images show the youths in a very bad light, attacking policemen and looting shops, but the other woman suggests the police should have thought about what was causing this behavior. No rioters were interviewed.
News Broadcast 2
The headlines have now changed to 'UK riots' and although they are interviewing from the other point of view they are not talking directly to the youths themselves, she also keeps interrupting him whenever he says something she dislikes or disagrees with. Darcus talks about how his son and grandson knew that the riots were coming as there has been great unrest among youngsters due to the cuts being made in Britain, Darcus claims that the government should've listened to the warning signs and would've been able to prevent this. The reporter is quite biased and almost makes Darcus out to be a thug himself, suggesting he supports the violence and may even be a rioter himself. Her views target the Afro Caribbean community and Darcus reinforces this by telling us about how his grandson often gets stopped and searched simply because of his colour and age. The questions asked are mre like attacks on his beliefs and Darcus is hurt and feels disrespected by her comments.
News Broadcast 1
Headline: 'London Disturbance' suggests it isn't too serious at this moment in time, however the what the cameras are showing suggests otherwise as the youths run wildly through the streets chasing after police cars and causing havoc. As the camera man describes what is going on he is very much he victim of the situation as we are seeing and hearing everything from his point of view how he 'thought we were safe' and how the camera was getting attacked so they had to move. There are no real questions asked to the youths apart from 'why are you blocking our camera?!' in a rather abrupt manner. Towards the end Andy is pushed over, however towards the end you hear someone say 'sorry man' but it is blocked out by the woman at the studio. The broadcast is biased because it only lets you see from the eyes of the camera man and you only get to hear what he as to say. No youths are given the opportunity to explain why they are behaving like this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)