This young girl had access to "ecstasy type tablets" at a house party in Midlothian (Scotland). Officers are now strongly urging people not to take the red pills known as "bugatti veyron" and "purple ninja turtle". It's been reported that young people in the town were very concerned after the death. This news must have woken up a lot of drug-taking teens to the reality of illegal drugs. Rebecca Russel states "I'm really worried because they can pick them up so easily for almost nothing and they don't realise how dangerous they really are." This highlights how little knowledge teenagers have of illegal substances, they are unaware of the serious harm it can cause them.
News like this is very devastating and alarming as it shows how taking illegal substances at parties has been normalised. However, it also suggests that parents and teachers should be trying harder to show teenagers how unsafe illegal drugs like ecstasy are and that they could cost them their life. I also think more action needs to be taken towards the people who actually sell these drugs to teenagers who clearly have no idea of the side effects, they are illegal drugs for a reason and I think there needs to be more media coverage about it to raise awareness. Especially to people in the younger ages, so that heart breaking situations like this can be prevented.
'Killer clown' with a knife is seen following children to school...
The 'killer clown' phase started off in the US but seems to have reached the UK. Police have now started to issue warnings as they believe this to be part of a large prank.
The most recent clown incident in the UK was spotted in County Darham, when a man dressed as a clown jumped out on four children aged 11 and 12, while they were on their way to school (Hermitage Academy).
The neighbourhood sergeant Mel Sutherland stated "The children arrived at school understandably upset and distressed by this incident." She also included that "we do not think he intended to harm the children, and as far as we are aware, this is part of the prank." In my opinion, it seems that the police aren't taking these incidents seriously enough, they can't simply see someone carrying a knife in public as 'part of a prank' and more serious actions should be taken.
Stephen King tweeted "Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria--most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh." He is known for instilling a fear of clowns into millions of readers with his character Pennywise.
Series 7, episode 1. In this series of "#GBBO" 8 out of 12 contestants are white, this might be the ratio expected from the audience since it's a "British" show, however I think the three contestants from other backgrounds are only there to give the show more diversity. This might be done to attract a wider audience, not just middle-class white people. This first episode consists of many innuendos such as "great penetration", "don't injure yourself on the balls" and a reference to page 3. I guess this is done to entertain the older audience who'd notice these sly remarks and to attract the audiences attention. There is constant reference to Britain, that is through the repeated clips of pheasants and the British flag buntings that are hang around the whole studio so that they're more or less seen all the time. After the last challenge, when everything seemed to have gone wrong for the majority of the contestants, there is a clip of rain. This pathetic fallacy is used to possibly highlight their emotions and add to the intense atmosphere, but maybe also pointing to the fact that Britain is known for it's rainy days. One thing I noticed is that Paul Hollywood seems to be the one giving most of the criticism, he is also the one leading most of the feedback which makes Mary Berry's criticism appear as a bit less valued maybe. Series 6, finale. I watched the finale of series 6 to compare and contrast to the new series. The show is exactly the same, I could spot no differences apart from the obvious new contestants. There are still British buntings in the background, the kitchen studio it's filmed in is the same, and it is also raining. The only difference is there seems to be a tad less innuendos in this episode. I think the show is made to be very intriguing and competitive through the countdowns and intense music which is played.
Volunteers help Cardiff students get home in freshers' week
This article from BBC News is about preventing teenagers from being a part of crime, while being under the influence of alcohol and possibly other drugs too. This is due to a number of sex attacks that happened last September "which prompted police and students'leaders to take action." They've managed to create a "Safe Taxi Scheme" and "the Student Safety Bus" to help create a safer environment for students from Cardiff University. They are supposed to help students who are "vulnerable after drinking too much".
The taxi service seems like a good idea as it lets students get home even if they don't have the money at the time, as they can pay at the student union later. This ensures that teens stay out of trouble and get straight home safely. This article also highlights the dangers of alcohol and what can happen if it's used irresponsibly, which unfortunately seems to happen a lot within this generation.
I find it really refreshing to see news like this and I think schemes like this should be much more common in all universities as it would make everyone feel safer, especially young females who might be vulnerable after a night out.
Meet the superhumans - an advert to promote the 2012 Paralympics.
The first thing the audience hears is the sound of opening doors, this could be seen as a metaphor, it is opening doors to a new start, new opportunities and an open mind. It is welcoming the audience to a world with no barriers, where possibilities are endless and potential is limitless. We then begin to hear a song by Public Enemy - "Harder than you think". This song is very upbeat and fast paced, it is supposed to make the audience feel excited while watching. Almost a minute into the advert, the music is cut. There are sounds of explosions, car crashes and a babies heart beat. This is very effective as it adds to the dramatic images shown, it makes the audience realise that all of these athletes have had a very difficult life and had unfortunately been through these experiences. It makes the advert more memorable and adds to the realism.
As for visual codes, at the beginning there is very low lighting and shows a silhouette of a human, this allows the audience to make assumptions and leaves them intrigued. It is then soon revealed that it was a disabled person. The clips from army and car accidents are used as flashbacks to remind the audience that all of these disabled athletes have been through a very hard time. Although this is supposed to be negative imagery, it then goes onto showing the superhumans succeeding and doing the same sports as non disabled people. This shows that even though unfortunate accidents have happened to these people, they've worked very hard to change it into something positive, something to be proud of. They are shown using their disabilities to their advantage. The technical codes within this media text are very effective as they clearly present the hard work and effort that these athletes put in, this is shown through the extreme close ups. Additionally, the fast cuts create an exciting atmosphere and make it possible to include many more video clips.
This is a very positive representation of disability, it's supposed to make the audience see that they really are superhumans.
Rudimental - Waiting all night ft. Ella Eyre - music video.
Throughout the video the song was obviously playing, but at the very beginning you first hear the sound of people pedaling their bikes and doing tricks, with a few beeps from cars. Then suddenly you hear someone on the bike being hit by a car. This adds to the narrative of the music video, which shows the true life story of Kurt Yaeger after his accident in 2006. For the music video to make sense, they had to include a clip of the accident. The sound of cars beeping early on was foreshadowing what is going to happen.
The music video ends in a similar way to how it starts. With the group of pro BMXers riding their bikes. In between that it shows the progression of someone who was hit by a truck. There are close ups of him in the hospital bed, and the devastated expressions of his friends and family members. This negative imagery soon turns positive when it shows all the support he was getting from his family and friends, it is what motivated him to get better. There are clips of him having fun, doing the same things he usually would. He is shown practicing to walk and putting a great amount of effort into training himself. There are even moments of anger included, where he throws bikes etc. because he was failing. But he kept practicing and finally succeeded. This would be very motivational for the audience. The fact that most of the music video is recorded from first person perspective, allows the viewers to feel like they're a part of what was happening.
I watched season 1, episode 1 of both The Only Way is Essex (2010- ) and Made in Chelsea (2011- ). These are two very successful shows in the UK, and I would argue that they both have a similar audience as both of these shows aim to show off the lifestyles of people who live in Essex and the people who live in Chelsea. There are obviously multiple differences between the shows, you can tell this by simply looking at their titles. Chelsea is seen as a more upper class area, as it is very close to central London, which means the people living there are wealthy. Whereas the people from Essex are stereo-typically known for being unintelligent and promiscuous. From the very first episode of The Only Way is Essex, it is clear that the characters massively focus on their appearance and the opposite sex. The vocabulary used throughout the episode includes of "babe" and "fit birds", this might be relatable to some audiences. The fact that the male characters call the females "fit birds" shows the lack of respect they have for them and that they're very shallow as they focus on their appearances. In the episode, the female characters are seen in beauty salons or clothing stores, and the men are seen at the gym to pass time. This implies to the audience that the characters care a lot about their appearance. Although the characters in Made in Chelsea seem to have similar interests, but they appear to be more educated as they discuss books and don't use any slang language, unlike discussing "vajazzles". The music in the TV shows is also an important aspect. In The Only Way is Essex the background music consists of the mainstream songs you'd hear on the radio such as "Frisky" by Tinie Tempah ft. Labrinth; in Made in Chelsea the background music is by the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra which is much more classy and sophisticated. Although "airplanes" by B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams, which would be considered as a pop song. In Made in Chelsea, the men and women clearly love to take care of themselves and wear nice outfits. The difference between it and The Only Way is Essex is that they shop in shops such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton as they're shown at the beginning of the show. Additionally, unlike the men in The Only Way is Essex who go to the gym as a hobby, the male characters in Made in Chelsea go canoeing and talk about playing polo. This shows a clear contrast in social class between the two shows, as only wealthy people would be known to be doing such activities. Furthermore, the divide in class and status is shown through the setting, in Made in Chelsea the characters are seen drinking champagne and cocktails in a club in central London. Unlike in The Only Way is Essex, where they all go to a local club. The shows start off very similarly as they both have two male friends discussing females in the car while they're driving; which shows that the genres and themes of the shows are very similar.
Untouchable (2011) is a French film directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. The genre of the film would be a biography with a mixture of drama and comedy included within it. The movie covers themes and representations of disability and race but overall it is about friendship. It focuses on a mismatched friendship between a wealthy middle-aged man and a black man who's an ex-convict. Both of these characters have their own disadvantage, one physical and the other socioeconomic.
Disability is shown mostly under a positive light in this movie, it shows the audience that people with disabilities are still able to live normal and fulfilling lives. An example of this from the movie is when both of the characters go paragliding; an activity which you wouldn't expect a person who is paralyzed from the neck down to be willing, or even to be physically able to do. Phillipe hires Drill as his care taker because he doesn't treat him differently, he doesn't pity him or show him sympathy. That is exactly what Phillipe wanted. The friendship between the two of them grows and they begin to introduce each other to their own worlds. Phillipe has a massive influence on Driss on the way he behaves, this is clearly seen when at the beginning of the movie Driss violently drags a man out of his car because he was parked in a place he wasn't supposed to. Whereas towards the end of the movie, the same situation occurs, except this time Driss asks the man politely to move. This shows the audience how the character has changed positively. Similarly, Driss introduces Phillipe to a different type of music, he also lets Phillipe smoke weed... this is something the audience wouldn't expect an upper class man to be doing.
Race is also a major theme included in the movie, Driss and Phillipe are clearly from two different backgrounds and the audience would have never expected them to become friends. At the beginning of the movie, when Phillipe is interviewing people to be his carer, Driss is the only black man in the room. He is presented very differently to the white men as they are all dressed very smartly and have very good qualifications for the job. Driss however is wearing very casual street clothes and has no interest in actually applying for the job, he just wants to be able to claim his benefits. This is a negative stereotypical representation of black people, but his character grows throughout the movie and shows the audience his true loving nature.
The movie shows the development of Phillipe and Drill's friendship, it is engaging to the audience through the use of humour; which in my opinion is a big factor which lead to the movie being so successful around the world.
