Global Media

Conclusion

2011-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Mai 68, Paris, un manifestant bombarde les policiers, Georges Melet

Congratulations New York University students in Paris! You have completed Global Media: France & Europe.

Arte: An Exploration of its Origins in the Context of Globalization

2011-05-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

By Lily Galef

In my research, I attempted to place the Arte network in the context of the increased globalization of media and interrogate its dissemination of “European” culture, while investigating how it simultaneously remains relevant to and defies Hallin and Mancini’s media systems.

My findings resulted in the conclusion that the Arte network is one of many transnational networks that have been formed as a result of deregulation of media and increased globalization. Arte, however, is unique in the fact that it is collaborated on by two media regions that are noted to be fundamentally different in Hallin and Mancini's Comparing Media Systems. I found that though these two conflicting media systems affect the way the network is received in different countries, but does not ultimately restrict its global perspective.

I used two very interesting articles from Jean K. Chalaby to determine how and why Arte and other transnational networks have been able to thrive in the past 20-30 years. I found that deregulation of media, localization of media, communications satellites, and the Television Without Frontiers Directive were key players in this process.

I also put the Arte network into the context of the Adorno reading we did in class and found that the globalization of media can be related to their argument that culture cultivates false needs as well as squashes individuality.

Links to Arte's Website and Youtube site:

http://www.arte.tv/fr/70.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/ARTEplus7

Elle France: A Window into French Ideology

2011-05-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

By Jolie Spellacy

The March 2011 issue of Elle France stars top Brazilian model Caroline Trentini in an epic 80-page editorial shot on location in Rio de Janeiro. Photographed by the renowned French photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino and styled by Friquette Thévenet, Tamara Taichman, and Anne-Marie Brouillet, the editorial, titled “Be Happy,” shows Trentini modeling the various trends of the Spring 2011 fashion collections. The spread includes 70 images depicting 68 different outfits. Overall the editorial is fairly straightforward and tame – there is no explicit sexual content, no nudity, no dramatic lighting nor makeup.

Images published in fashion magazines are frequently studied as a representation of social norms and cultural ideologies. Through close analysis of the March 2011 edition of French Elle I uncovered pertinent features of French culture and ideology. Roland Barthes’ three classifications of fashion photography categorize the editorial as a romantic narrative targeting a French audience. The application of Georg Simmel’s theories on fashion reveals fashion to be a tool of class distinction in French ideology. Furthermore, the concepts outlined by Thorstein Veblen reinforce these class divisions and reveals that fashion is used as a representational instrument of economic power in French culture. Ellen Furlough’s essay on Club Med exposes the importance of vacation in French culture, which is echoed through the exotic location of the photo spread.

Last, the application of Hallin and Mancini’s depiction of the United Kingdom as more commercially charged than France revealed the strong value the French place on being cultural. This point is further supported by Agnes Rocamora’s article about the emphasis on high culture in French fashion magazines, and through the comparison of French Elle to UK Elle. As Rocamora argues in her article, “Over to You: Writing Readers in French Vogue,” French fashion magazines strive to be more than a media “simply devoted to the pursuit of material goods… and appearances” (Rocamora 2). The publications attempt to be more cultural over all, so they can be perceived as a serious medium. Rocamora explains that because fashion is generally considered to be a “minor art” rather than a high art, fashion magazines are deemed to be of low status. Thus French magazines resist this status through their endorsement of fashion as a high art. She uses Vogue’s juxtaposition of fashion images and articles with pieces on “high culture” and “noble” subjects like the ballet or the sciences as an example (Rocamora 3). In the March 2011 issue of Elle France the desire to be received as a cultural, serious publication is demonstrated through the advertisements for “high culture” and “noble” subjects (Rocamora 3). The magazine includes one advertisement for ballet via the Repetto shoe company, one advertisement for the L’Oreal Foundation’s support of women in sciences, and an advertisement for travel via Airlinair. In addition there are five advertisements for books, and an advertisement for the Sunday paper. In her essay Rocamora emphasizes the importance of literature in French culture, and the inclusion of advertisements for literary items in French Vogue echoes this point. In comparison, UK Elle does not contain any of these types of advertisements.

These ideals of class distinction, importance of vacation, and emphasis on the culturally rich are all facets of a uniquely French ideology.

Football Club Barcelona; Much more than a club: Sport and Citizenship

2011-05-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

By Sabrina Mesa

The presented research, case study of FC Barcelona (FCB), aims to highlight the outstanding globalization of a football club that has made an identity of their own, positively affecting its city and non-Profit organizations like UNICEF. Its governance, sportsmanship and supporters confirm FCB’s slogan, “mes que un club,” or “more than a club,” because it is more than just a football team. The study focuses on the football team but it also considers the difficulties of sports business organizations and the particular characteristics of FCB that allow for special emphasis on this kind of globalization and branding. The club holds deep historical connections with Barcelona and with the Catalan national identity, which differentiates it from other major football clubs like A.C Milan, Manchester United or Real Madrid.

The FCB official website offers plentyof information regarding their six athletic installations in the city of Barcelona along. The official website also provides statistics of official supporters’ club, dividing them by geographic location throughout Spain and all around the world. The previous information demonstrates the club’s media efficiency and extensive reach to all the different demographics the club connects with. The official website along with many other sources on the discourse reveal that, “Barça has become, for millions of people all around the world, a symbol of their identity, and not just in a sporting sense, but also in terms of society, politics and culture.” The splendor of Football Club Barcelona is also explained by its impressive honors list. The team has won championships in Wembley, Paris and Rome demonstrating the teams’ universality.

The values of FC Barcelona, which considers Catalan identity, universality, social commitment and democracy, have been applied through the aid towards world wide non-profit organizations like UNICEF and United Nations Organization’s towards humanitarian aid projects around the world. This partnership has arguably given FCB an identity that goes hand in hand with the efforts of making the club ‘more than a club.’

Here is a video that summarizes the details of the allience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9EJyC0A_go&feature=relmfu

The logo of Unicef is one to fit perfect an identity that has been for long part of FCB’s history. In the case of FC Barcelona the integrity of a well-established identity is now in jeopardy of being reshaped. In 2012, the club will turn away from a 107-year tradition, proving that even such a successful franchise isn’t invincible from financial woes. “Barcelona vice-president Javier Faus has defended the club’s record- breaking shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation by insisting the €150 million partnership will ease the Catalan giant’s financial concerns. “This is the biggest (shirt sponsorship) deal in the history of football and is particularly impressive at a time of economic crisis.” The Qatar Foundation partnership is worth around €10 million per season…according to the club, the children’s charity will continue to receive exposure next season.”” (Sports Business) The fact that FC Barcelona has not have a corporate sponsor on their uniforms has long been a source of pride for the club and its supporters. The discourse long used by the club that the Barça shirt is too pure to be tainted by such a crass degree of commercialism no longer applies.

Shobe explains that, “An official jersey buys the right to advertise via team jerseys, worn by players and fans. Jersey’s become billboards to promote a product that is often not explicitly related to sport nor to the place where the team is located.” The amount of attention the club receives internationally is what makes it such a valuable entity for advertisers. In this case, the Qatar foundation who runs “education, scientific research and community development” projects in Qatar, which recently secured the hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The interest that Qatar may have with FCB speaks of their concerns of raising football awareness and association with the sport with the foundation. Qatar is globalizing their brand through the jersey of one of the most globally known football teams in the world.

For the future, FCB will not be an exemption to this kind of commercialism. This new relationship can also be seen as a major player in what is referred to as the “enlarged Europe” in Alec Charles book. “Thinking about the way in which Europe has expanded in recent years also necessitates a consideration of the way in which parts of Europe have linked up with global financial and information networks…contributing to ‘vernacular geopolitics.’ (Hayward, 127) A parallel of this relationship can be drawn with the deal sealed by Berlusconi’s RIA, Ben Ammar and Prince Al Weed in Hayward’s article. It is learned through the article published by Sports Business that, “The new sponsorship deal was negotiated with input from IMG, the international sports and entertainment company, which was a strategic adviser of the Qatar 2022 bid” In both of these examples, we can clearly see that a more ‘internationally neutral’ middle man serves as the liaison to unite two institutions that until then, would almost be impossible to associate one another. Hayward also introduces the term of “Vernacular Geopolitics” referring to “The intuitional and political-economic relations that constitute the transnational networks within which cultural commodities circulate.” (Hayward 127) These examples consider how some countries in Europe have engaged with global financial institutions for financial help, each time dominating a new medium of communication, as it has with football for example. This   institution stands for the power of using sport as means to achieve social change. To the children that benefit from the FCB/Unicef alliance and the Catalan identity, the new partnership means a globalization of their goals through the face of Qatar. The discourse of globalization displacing sport is one that now affects FCB, the branding of FCB with Qatar changes the value and place related function it has serve for the team in the past. Although one can argue that this was Qatar’s motive, and even though this deal may not be seen through a positive view, one has to admire Qatar’s cleverness to attach themselves to both of these brands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifCmf_2SfEž

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoncm9SYITQ&feature=relmfu

Images: FCBarcelona.com

http://www.manager-online.fr/maillot-de-la-semaine-n-119-votes-t19743.html

ž"Corporate Information." FCBarcelona.com. FC Barcelona, 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.

Cutler, Matt. "Shirt sponsor will ease Barcelona’s financial concerns – Faus." Sport Business 13 Dec. 2010: n. pag. Google Scholar. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.s-financial-concerns-faus>.

žHayward, Marc. "Vernacular Geopolitics and Media Economies in an Enlarged Europe." Media in the Enlarged Europe. By Alec Charles. N.p.: Intellect Ltd., 2009. 125- 131. Print.

Shobe, Hunter. "Place, Sport and Globalization: Making sense of la marca Barça." Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia 61-62.2006 (2006): 259-276. Google Scholar. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.

The Emergence of Sexuality in Advertisements from French Owned Companies: 1960/1970’s vs 2000/2010’s

2011-05-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

By Jennifer Liu

Advertising has become a very influential part in today’s society and with countless ads surrounding us everyday, advertising techniques have to be modified according to social and economic shifts in order to be relevant and grab the attention of the consumer. The 1960s/1970s was an important era in France because of the May 1968 protest in France that is now considered the defining moment of the shift from a conservative moral ideal that was religion, patriotism, and respect for authority, towards a more liberal ideal that is sexual

liberation. The shift towards the sexual liberation now more or less better describes French society today and comparing ads from the time frame around the protest to advertisements now a while after the results of the protests have had more time to be absorbed into French society, should be able to show visual evidence of the sexual liberation that occurred and is now resonating in the 2000s/2010s. For the research, four French companies/products were reviewed: Dior (perfume), L’Oreal (cosmetics), Remy Martin (alcohol), and Gauloises (cigarettes).

DIOR 1972

“A great deal of physical gender representation in advertising takes place visually through the picturing of bodies and body parts.” (Motschenbacher, 4). The use of the woman’s hand in the advertisement is effective because it creates a connection with female consumers that this product is for them. However, the ad still seems pretty ‘tame’ as only a hand is being shown and the main focus is the product that is being sold.

REMY MARTIN 1959

The focus is clearly the product that is the bottle of cognac and the two other illustrations around it are directly related to the cognac: how it is made, and where it comes from. There is no human model in the advertisement, therefore the product speaks more to selling the actual product rather than an idea of what a person who uses the product is associated with. Strategies around the 1960s appeared to have more of a direct focus on the product being sold and if there was a model selling the product in the advertisement, the model would be drawing attention to the product being sold. After the protests that led to sexual liberation in 1968 in France, ideologies in society changed and this naturally translated to show up in advertisements as well. With the liberation to more accepted sexual freedom in France following the 1968 protests, putting more models and their body parts better allowed consumers to build a personal connection with the products even when the products are sexualized. Advertisements from more recent years should illustrate a different approach to selling products and more openness to displaying sexuality.

DIOR J’ADORE DIOR 2006

This more recent ad puts the perfume bottle in the corner of the ad instead of front and center. Instead, the main focus of the ad is the female model draped in gold sheets that takes up the majority of the advertisement space. This type of advertising shifts from focusing mainly on the product to sell the product into focusing on who uses the product, what she looks like, what she represents and how she can be an idea or image that consumers want to be.

REMY MARTIN 2008

Remy Martin’s 2008 ‘Things are Getting Interesting’ advertisement, also does not have an actual image of the alcohol product in the ad. Instead it puts it’s company logo on the bottom of the page under two women that are meant to suggest something sexual is about to happen between them. “Sexuality relies on sensual, suggestive and erotic imagery, sound and wording, and is sometimes combined with the depiction of violence against women in ads showing them in harmful, subservient and helpless positions” (Jean, 5). Compared to the 1959 ad which only featured a standing illustration of a bottle of cognac to this more recent advertisement defined by sexual references and not even a picture of the product in the ad, advertising strategies with Remy Martin underwent a significant change after sexual liberation. Jean Baudrillard writes “seduction is not so much a play on desire as a playing with desire. It does not deny it, nor is it its opposite, but it sets it in play” (22). More often than not, seduction in advertising is used to bring up personal desires in the consumers that make them identify with the advertisement and seek to fulfill it buy buying the product being sold. With the advancement of new technologies and cross-media platforms, there is a globalization phenomenon with most media, even advertising. “The current EU represents the culmination of years of effort toward greater European unity... there is evidence of the existence of a single European market as a result of the unification process. Research on advertising standardization has found that... building a uniform brand image across markets is the single most important reason to standardize” and soon advertising approaches will follow similar formats across the globe (Okazaki, 2007). The future of advertising across different markets has the possibility to use a uniform strategy and because of this globalization, there may become less and less distinction between advertising across different geographic regions.

Works Cited

Baudrillard, Jean. Passwords. London: Verso, 2003. Print.

Jean, Boddewyn J., and Loubradou Esther. "The Control of "Sex in Advertising" in France." Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (2011): 1-15. Print.

Motschenbacher, Heiko. “Speaking the gendered body: The performative construction of commercial femininities and masculinities via body-part vocabulary.” Language in Society (2009): 38(1), 1-22. Web. 8 Apr. 2011

Okazaki, Shintaro, Charles R. Taylor, and Jonathan P. Doh. “Market Convergence and Advertising Standardization in the European Union.” Journal of World Business 42 (2007). OmniFile Full Text Mega. Web. 8 Apr. 2011.

Images:

http://hprints.com/print.php?id=9780&u=2,25

http://hprints.com/print.php?id=14748&u=5,10

http://www.flash-screen.com/free-wallpaper/uploads/201009/thus/1284973140_470x353_dior-perfume.jpg

http://lmaclean.ca/?p=227

Public Service Announcements in France

2011-05-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

by: Christine Lee

Media landscape in France “has its cultural roots in the postwar period, when the state decided to regulate an industry that lost credit after the collaborationist Vichy regime” (Pasquier and Lamizet). Therefore, media circulation in France dependent on state subsidies and other politically liable enterprises. The development of late liberal ideologies is due to mass media traditionally being used as a window for expressing political ideologies and recruitment over anything else. France follows a Mediterranean/Polarized Pluralist model according to Hallin and Mancini. Polarized pluralism represents a model of liberal democracy where many discrete political parties exist and occupies a very wide range of political positions. This wide range calls for liberalism to be extended into the media as it is seen as advancing ideas, the quality of life, and even language and culture (Hallin and Mancini). And so it is no surprise that advertisements in France have developed into liberal forms of discourse.

Advertisements are a ubiquitous means of mass communication. Its pervasiveness seeks to secure that everybody in society will receive important messages that seem to reflect society’s values and conducts, possibly in order to redefine attitudes and even instigate social change (“Advertising in France”). This type of discourse comes in the form of public service announcements. Stated simply, PSA’s are “advertisements carried free of charge by mass media to publicize a message in public interest” (“Public Service Announcement”). They are interesting because while usual advertisements sell products and propaganda sells ideas, PSA’s sell ideology, groups of ideas that advance social groups (Ward).

Karl Lagerfeld Highway Safety PSA
(via)

In 1997, the French government, by the Prime Minister, granted NPO’s concerned about budgeting, space on broadcast television and radio addressing issues that could be labeled as social problems. The specific label given to these issues, “Grande Cause Nationale”, chosen by the Prime Minister, allows for nonprofit organizations or community associations “to obtain free broadcasts of messages on public television and radio for a whole year. Additionally, presidents of the companies determine the conditions under which they are fulfilling this obligation. Also, the organizations receiving the assistance are recommended to inform the public of the allocation and amount of donations received. Another label, “Campagne D'intérêt General”, public service campaign, is allocated in the same way as “Grande Cause Nationale”. The only difference is that the organizations that receive this label pay for their advertisements, but at superior rates (“Label ‘Grande Cause”). And as all public service announcements, emphasis is placed on major social problems such as the protection of children, defense of human rights, highway safety, AIDS, and more.

Here are a few examples of PSA's throughout history that sell ideology as opposed to products:

"regardez-vous...la forme, ca vous regarde!" (1970)

(via)

This particular PSA was commissioned by the government and created by Publicis. Having obtained the "Les Grandes Causes Nationales", it was distributed for free. It has a particularly simple aesthetic approach compared to today's PSA's.

As mentioned, the usual advertisements aim to sell products, but public service announcements focus on selling ideology, which usually refers to “a systematic, elaborated and delimited system of thought, like political ideologies or religious doctrines” (Schmid 57). And even so, it seems as if the approaches to selling are similar, if not identical.

In fact, an AIDS campaign video created in 2006 with the collaboration of TBWA\Paris, a French advertising company, and Wilfrid Brimo, director, and distributed by AIDES, a French non-profit organization spreading the awareness of AIDS, sells ideology but uses the characteristics la seduction, l’amour, and l’humour to do so. These characteristics embody the French advertising sphere. “Live long enough to find the right one” is the message at the end of these two videos – a homosexual version to the song of “Sugar Baby Love” by the Rubettes (Sugar Baby Love) (Object 3) and a heterosexual one (Live Long Enough) (Object 4) to “Baby Baby” by The Vibrators. These videos are fun and lighthearted, controversial for its explicit content, but also speak about a universal issue, “finding the right one”, which makes them relatable. By creating two versions, this campaign also caters to a much larger audience. Also, by having the message written in English at the end, AIDES attempts to reach an even larger audience – the world. AIDES is not the only organization in France that distributes anti-AIDS content and ideology. See for yourself:

Sugar Baby Love (Homosexual Version)

Watch the Heterosexual Version here

Public service announcements are exceptionally important counterparts to French media identity, engaging the society in ideologies that are automatically accepted as the norm due to successful advertising campaigns over the years. It has taken France some time with much turmoil to get to the place it is at in its current media landscape, but the positive results that exist today may possibly exceed the difficulties that France has overcome to get there. Not only does the government provide worthy campaigns with subsidies to spread awareness, but it also first handedly partakes in spreading positive ideologies by providing the monetary necessities and specifically commissioning organizations for numerous PSA’s. The advertising sphere has also developed into one that can be clearly identified as French with distinguishing characteristics that actually work to sell products, ideas, or ideologies. Also, the multitude of PSA’s that exist for the innumerable issues in the general public, and for all types of people, cater to an integrated society in which everybody is equal. Ideologies spread by PSA’s are mostly universal and more open to the betterment of all people. Therefore, France does not seem to limit the means as to how messages are portrayed, allowing for liberalism in the media, with Baby Sugar Love being the soundtrack of a nation being revolutionized.

Additional French PSA's:

Pierrot La Forme (1980)

“Mon corps peut transmettre le sida. Moi je n’accepte pas” (2000)

Vivendi: A Study of the Media Conglomerate’s Mergers and Acquisitions Since 2009

2011-05-03T02:32:00.000-07:00

By: Shireen Cohen

Vivenda SA, a major French conglomerate, has a long history dating back to the mid 1800s. The corporation has proved itself to be a money-making behemoth, employing over 50,000 people worldwide and having a 2010 operating income of approximately $4.8 billion.

After getting authorization from an imperial decree Compagnie Générale des Eaux began in 1853 by a small pool of wealthy investors, including Napoleon III’s half-brother and the Rothschild family. The main purpose of the organization was to supply water to the towns of Lyon, Nantes, and Paris from the French farmlands. By 1976, the company had grown to encompass trash collection, heating networks, waste incineration and construction and its irrigation services accounted for less than 50% of its operating income.

Under the leadership of chairman Guy Dejouany in 1976, the company began a rapid buyout plan. The company purchased Générale de Chauffe, Compagnie Générale d'Entreprises Automobiles and created Société Francaise de Radiotelephonie. Upon Dejouany’s resignation in 1996, Jean-Marie Messler assumed the role of chairman and immediately began to shake things up. One of the biggest events in Vivendi’s history occurred later in 2000 with the three-way merger between Vivendi, Canal+ and Canada’s Seagram. After being cleared by the European Commission, the $34 billion deal created the world’s biggest media group, Vivendi Universal. Vivendi Universal would hold assets in Hollywood film studio Universal, as well as music, telecom and television companies. In 2003, Vivendi Universal announced an agreement for the merger of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which would form a new company called NBC Universal. General Electric would own 80% of the company with the remaining 20% belonging to Vivendi Universal. Messier’s strategy as chairman drove Vivendi to the brink of bankruptcy. The rapid expansion was overambitious and brought the company to debt and a down-grade by credit-rating services.

All eyes were on Jean-Bernard Levy at the start of 2009 to see how he would pick the company back up. Left with little decision, Vivendi Universal agreed to sell the remaining 20% stake to General Electric, giving GE total control of the company in 2009, in order to raise some cash. Levy’s strategy was focused on internal/organic growth and investing in high-growth countries and industries.

With the increase of mobile phone owners globally, Vivendi is betting mostly on the telecommunications industry, pumping more money into the industry and taking measures to protect it. In late 2009, the Maroc Telecom, a subsidiary of Vivendi, paid €252 million for a controlling stake in Sotelma, the incumbent telecommunications provider in Mali, beating out the likes of Sudatel and Portugal Telecom in the auction. Sotelma has a stock of an estimated 90,000 fixed lines and 480,000 GSM subscribers and the market is expected to grow in the near future. Next, Vivendi signed an agreement with Swarth Group and Global Village Telecom BV the controlling shareholders of Brazilian telecommunications firm GVT for 100% control of the firm. GVT has become an important contestant in Brazil, quickly becoming the “fastest growing broadband and telecoms player in Brazil.” Vivendi stated it hopes to offer its expertise in the industry to further push GVT to the forefront of progress by helping it enter new market segments such as IPTV. Most recently, at the beginning of April, Vivendi took a three billion euro loan from thirteen banks to acquire Vodafone’s 44% stake in SFR, the mobile telecommunications company it first began in 1987. The move to buy SFR is also important for Vivendi because the mobile and Internet operator is its biggest cash contributor.

Moreover, in light of Levy’s internal growth strategy, there is speculation that Vivendi will reach a deal to increase its stake in CANAL+. Vivendi currently owns 80% of CANAL+, with the remainder belonging to rival Lagardere. Talks were postponed due to the earthquake in Japan but are expected to start again sometime soon. CANAL+ has been praised as the “sharpest player around the table. ” CANAL+ has a dominating market share in pay-TV across Europe and is considering bringing that brand equity into free television. CANAL+ has announced its plans to launch CANAL 20, a free-to-air generalist digital channel. CANAL 20 will offer French productions and films. Vivendi states that this move into free-TV is necessary to combat the potential threat of outside competitors Google TV and Apple TV.

By using Vivendi as a compass, it is possible to forecast that the telecommunications and free-TV industries will be most profitable in the future. Vivendi will continue in its quest to add value to the brand through the help of mergers and acquisitions. The firm will continue to invest in the other industries it has footholds in so as to accomplish organic growth. It will be interesting to where or what Vivendi does next.

Simplified Organization Chart

2010 Revenues by Geographical Areas

2010 Revenues by Business Segment

CEO Jean-Bernard Levy at Abu Dhabi Media Summit 2011

2011 Tagline

Manger Bouger: Un Programme National Nutrition Santé

2011-05-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

by Betty Chen

Source: Flickr

Contrary to “the French Paradox” and popular media today, the French are not all thin. In fact, the French are now approaching American statistics on obesity. The invasion of American junk food, such as Coca-Cola, during the 1940s, after the second World War brought along American “propaganda” style advertisements for its products and consumerism. Thus, obesity.

Source: Mail Online

The Institut National de Prévention et d'éducation pour la Santé (INPES) along with the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Santé launched the Manger Bouger program in January 2001 in France to combat this trend of obesity. A multi-media Programme National Nutrition Santé (PNNS), it incorporates informational videos, print advertisements and online elements. Its general objective is to better the state of well-being of the population as a whole. Nutritional choices and an active lifestyle are the two major determinants of good health.

I have decided to focus on the print platform of the Manger Bouger campaign. There are three main components: the nutritional guides and the product advertisements and the Bouger plus posters.

Source: Manger Bouger

Source: My own pictures

The Manger Bouger campaign shows the beneficial relationship between good public information, in the form of public service announcements (PSA) and marketing and commercial revenue in France.

PSAs are normally separate announcements from other commercials in order to help people recognize the source of information. This is called differentiation. Talcott Parsons (1971:26) defines differentiation as “the division of a unit or structure of a social system into two or more units or structures that differ in their characteristics and functional significance for the system,” and describes “a process of social change from primitive to modern societies as one in which social functions initially fused are separated: politics for example is differentiated from religion and from economics” (Hallin and Mancini, 77). Healthy media markets have good differentiation of information sources that are clear to the audiences. When there is less differentiation, then there is greater risk for things like propaganda. Media is usually split between promoting what is good for the people and what is good for commercial revenue.

However, Manger Bouger is an example of information directed to the public that is incorporated in both advertisements and city tourism media. Public service announcements are becoming less and less differentiated because more than one sphere (media produced by the government, and media produced by businesses) is trying to relate to the public one message: that better nutrition and more exercise leads to better health. The government has to now reach out to the businesses who sell the products to remind the public that both nutrition and exercise are strong determinants of one’s health.

With Manger Bouger, the announcement is usually very discreet. I believe that public information displayed is the health message intended, and not just an advertisement for food products. I believe that Manger Bouger shows what it means for media to mix well intended government messages with marketing, without it being propaganda.

The Bettencourt Scandal and Its Impact on France and L'Oréal

2011-05-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

By: Valentina Franco

L’Oréal is the largest cosmetics company in the world, a company that is currently owned by France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt. The daughter of the creator of L’Oréal, she inherited the company after her father’s death in 1957. Since then, she has served in the Board of Directors, and more recently her daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers has served as well.

Liliane Bettencourt and her daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers

Image Source: Women's Wear Daily

The Bettencourt family scandal started in late 2007 when Mme. Bettencourt’s daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers filed a complaint against François-Marie Banier, a celebrity photographer and close friend of her mother’s, for abus de faiblesse or abuse of frailty. She claims that Banier, who is 25 years younger than her mother, had abused their close friendship to obtain about $1 billion in the forms of life insurance policies, art work, and cash. At that point, a trial date was settled for July 2010.

Eric Woerth

Source: Mediapart

The scandal was stirred again in June 2010; about two weeks before the trial date, when a series of recordings made by Bettencourt’s butler were leaked to the press. These tapes, which were recordings of conversations between Mme. Bettencourt and her financial advisor Patrice de Maistre, included information about two undeclared bank accounts in Switzerland that amounted to $100 million, the undeclared ownership of an island in the Seychelles, information about tax evasion strategies, and conversations about privileged relationships with President Sarkozy and the Budget Minister Eric Woerth. The controversy worsened when Le Canard Enchaîné published information that proved that Mme. Bettencourt had received a $38 million tax return in 2008. Also, an old accountant that worked with Bettencourt’s finances declared that she had witnessed various cash donations to President Sarkozy’s campaign in 2007, one that was 20 times larger than the allowed amount for individual contributions in France.

Source: Le Figaro

The various developments that were uncovered in before Banier’s trial, transformed the Bettencourt scandal from a family issue to a controversy that pertained to the interests of all of France. The French people and the world questioned President Sarkozy’s government and its integrity, as well as that of the Budget Minister Eric Woerth. The media’s involvement in the scandal was crucial, since it was the platform and source of information for the whole world. All of France’s media outlets reported on the continual developments of the scandal, and the main news sources of the world did so as well.

L'Oréal's stock from May 2010 to April 2011

Source: Yahoo Finance

Mme. Bettencourt’s ability to be the head of L’Oréal was also questioned, as some saw her decisions regarding Banier as erroneous and potentially harmful. The CEO of L’Oréal, Jean-Paul Agon, said that the company had fallen sharply on a French poll on corporate image. However, the company’s stock did not plunge during the development of the scandal, most likely due to the fact that at that time Nestlé (which owns 30% of L’Oréal) was rumored to be purchasing a larger part of the company.

It is important to highlight the nature of the relationships that precipitated this scandal. The privileged situation of the Bettencourt family in society allowed for her closeness to members of the government, which a normal French citizen would not have. Perhaps in avoiding these kinds of relationships between the members of high society and the government members, corruption could be minimized.

Video: Bettencourt Scandal Summary and Analysis by France 24

http://www.france24.com/en/20101207-betterncourts-reunited

Video: Part of Sarkozy's interview to address the public's concern

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/France-Corruption-Allegations-Labour-Minister-Eric-Woerth-Quits-After-Nicolas-Sarkozy-TV-Interview/Article/201007215664267?f=rss

Global Media Seminar: A Study of Reality Television Through the Big Brother Format and its Reappropriations in France

2011-05-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Noone

Reality television is a fairly new genre of televiison which is sweeping across many countries and cultures, originiating in the Anglo-American countries. Big Brother (UK) began in 2000, and features approximately 15 contestants living together, isolated in a house, for a period of around three months. This show gives audiences a voyeuristic look and uses audience participation to determine the outcome of the show. The Big Brother format has been sold to almost 70 countries (Magder 145) and has become a prime-time success in most of them. According to Brian Briggs, a producer at Endemol, “the reason why Endemol is so successful is that we take a format that works in one country, strip everything cultural off of it, export it to a new country, and then, over time, add cultural aspects of that country to it.” (Magder 147)

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/110/33674347-big-brother-returns-on-channel-5-a-page-16.html

Loft Story, started in 2001, was the French interpretation of the Big Brother format. The France show voted contestants off gender by gender until only two remained. The remaining couple would then have to continue to compete, living together in Saint-Tropez for 45 days before they could win the money. Therefore, we can see that the French transformed the format into something distinguishably French: a focus on love, romance and intimacy. With changes to the title away from its totalitarian undertones, and a stylized cartoon eye as its logo, the French made Loft Story their own.

http://caterinaneisler.nm.ru/loft-story-5.htm

Premiers were met with great protests, which must be seen “in the context of the wide paranoia the French have about protecting their own cultural values.” (Brissenden) The Conseil Superieur l’Audiovisuel decided that the producers of Loft Story must not show anything which could “undermine the dignity of the human person,” (Brissenden) and also enforced a mandated two hours per day off camera, out of respect for human dignity. The CSA also ordered the voting mentality to be reversed: audience members would vote people to stay in the house, rather than the more negative voting people out. The case study of Loft Story shows “the difficulty of French attempts to establish a French television [program] with a wide appeal which does not betray the state’s higher aspirations for France as a beacon of civilization.” (Dauncey 97)

Beginning in 2007, Secret Story carried on from the tradition of Loft Story, technically the third season of French Big Brother. The main difference between Secret Story and Loft Story is that each contestant comes in withholding a secret and it is up to the other members of the house to figure out those secrets, for a monetary prize.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Secret_Story_logo.jpg

Though the format of Big Brother itself comes from Anglo media, the ideas of watching power struggles and studies of human nature is not something which can really be owned by any one country. Frau-Meigs states that the shows open up a discursive space, like a public sphere between countries, “some values, connected to money and individualism, enter the Southern European countries’ spectrum; other values, connected to seduction and collective idleness, cross over to the northern countries of the EU. It is, properly, a percolation process.” (39) Each country is able to take the basic format and add or subtract pieces to create something which better fits their perception of national identities.

We are told that “reality TV is profoundly political in its implications as it brings into the public space a marketplace of self-promotion while annexing the private sphere of intimacy and secrecy.” (Frau-Meigs 46) The showing of scandal on television can be seen as a “civic necessity” which opens up conversation about topics otherwise hidden away. (Frau-Meigs 47) A program called “Les accords de Marseille” brings Israeli and Palestinian teenagers into a house, asking them to find solutions to the problems of the Middle East. (Louarn) When used correctly, reality television has the capacity to use our shared humanity to bring together people of different cultures and create a collective European public sphere.

Written Citations:

Brissenden, Michael. "France Goes Mad from Loft Story." ABC Online - Correspondents Report. 27 May 2001. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. .

Dauncey, Hugh. "French `Reality Television': More than a Matter of Taste?" European Journal of Communication 11.1 (1996): 83-106. Print.

Frau-Meigs, Divina. "Big Brother and Reality TV in Europe: Towards a Theory of Situated Acculturation by the Media." European Journal of Communication 21.33 (2006): 33-56. Print.

Louarn, Anne-Diandra. "French Reality TV Show Brings Israelis and Palestinians Together." Le Figaro - Actualités. 10 June 2010. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. .

Magder, Ted. "The End of TV 101: Reality Television, Formats and the New Business of Television." Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture. By Susan Murray and Laurie Ouellette. New York: New York UP, 2004. 137-52.

Paris Tourism Advertising

2011-04-28T01:29:00.000-07:00

By Nicolle D'Onofrio

The Paris Tourism industry is the largest tourism industry in the world. Millions of visitors come from all over the world to experience the city that has been presented to them based on a series of advertisements, current event coverage, and popular media. The Parisian Tourism advertising industry, owned by the French government but also coexisting with out private tourism industries, uses these popular media as a foundation for which they build their campaigns. A majority of these campaigns are visual and follow three primary themes: History presenting Culture, Romance presenting Ambiance, and Innovation presenting Urbanity.

An example of the Paris brand of Innovation to present an urbanity to their audience.
(Les Arts Decoratifs, Mediatheque)

An Example of the Paris Brand as romance to present ambiance.
(Les Arts Decoratifs, Mediatheque)

An example of Paris presenting History as Culture.
(Les Arts Decoratifs, Mediatheque)

By presenting these three aspects of the "brand essence" of Paris, audiences are targeted with specific myths these advertisements visually create. As media has progressed, it has been more important than ever to adjust these advertisements in order to match the media consumption preferences of specific European nations. Current campaigns in various European nations in the North Atlantic, North Central, and Mediterranean regions of Europe not only build upon media trends in these regions, but also these nations' diplomatic relationships with France, and therefore Paris. While the digital sector is still relatively new to Parisian tourism advertising, great strides are being made to take these campaigns online.

The Globalization of French Electro

2011-04-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

by Sofya Gladysheva

The globalization of electronic music is closely linked to the globalization and commercialization of raves. The rave scene started in the 1980’s in the UK and Germany by catching the momentum of the disco culture’s affinity for dance and hedonism.The parties were very underground and held in warehouses. Slowly they gained a popular following and more massive events like Love Parade emerged.

Raves in 1980:

http://ucdhiddenhistory.wordpress.com/tag/ucd/

Raves Today (Electric Daisy Carnival 2010):

http://laist.com/2009/06/22/electric_daisy_carnival.php

Historical context played a large role in facilitating the spread of electronic music. The genre provided escapism in dance, and thus a way of coping when living under the fear of nuclear war at any moment. It was a liberating outlet separate of authority and even reality. The technological sound and the lack of lyrics made it relatable to everyone because it was "technology, not humanity, that was expressing itself."(Bunz, 401).

As they became more popular raves became commercialized, eventually reaching the status they have today. Nowadays, they are large scale productions with impressive light displays and stages. They are a hotspot for marketers trying to reach a specific niche of their target audience. Wolfgang Sterneck, an attendee and critical analyst of the Love Parade, foresaw its commercialization from the very start, compelling him to write a book called Cybertribe-Visionen. In an interview he covers some of the main points. “Along with the growing importance of the Love Parade grew the interest of corporations such as music, drink, clothing, and cigarette industries, who sponsored the Love Parade—that is, co-opted and used for profit the spirit of the Love Parade through their products and advertising”(St. John). Another example is the fashion industry trying to bring in profit by establishing a dress code associated with the rave scene. Thus, electronic music becomes just another business venture.

Rave Clothes:

cyberclubwear.com

In France, Daft Punk is a ground breaking duo of DJ's whose music has been used in all areas of business. In 2007, Louis Vuitton featured the two robots in their show for Paris Fashion Week. In America, Director Joseph Kosinski scored his entire movie Tron with a custom Daft Punk set. Most recently, Adidas used Daft Punk in their star wars themed ads that aired last year.

Durbin, Jonathan. "Human After All." PAPERMAG. 2011

Link for Adidas ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zd_khk6zXo

Daft Punk and their manager Pedro Willaims put French DJ's on the map, inspiring future artists like Justice and David Guetta to also infiltrate the global scene. Consequentially, the French government sees electronic music as a money making export, to no surprise since France has been exporting culture for decades. In 2001, the French government sponsored a poolside party in Miami Beach that highlighted French DJ’s (Hemlock). They have also backed a school exclusively for teaching disk jockeys called Ecole des DJ's. It is the first of its kind among Europe and America (Miller).

In conclusion, the globalization of French electronic music has shifted the tides. The export of American music is nothing new, and it was easy with large machines like Hollywood to facilitate that spread. However, now French music is entering the American scene, showing that despite popular belief, it is in fact a two way street. Globalization has legitimized electronic music in a way it never intended to develop. It has become a commodity and a resource. The genre has truly lost the anti-authoritative, anti-establishment sentiment that birthed it. It has grown from a counter-culture to simply a culture that hip industries can now tap into.

Written Citations:
Bunz, Mercedes. “Subject: 12” As Medium Techno:From Youth Culture to cultural Constitution.” Read Me! Filtered by Nettime ASCII Culture and the Revenge of the Knowledge. Autonomedia: Netherlands, 06 Oct. 1998: 400-402

Hemlock, Doreen. "France Takes The Lead In E-music Globalization." France Takes The Lead In E-music Globalization-Sun Sentinel. Sun Sentinel, 09 Apr. 2001. Web. 04 Apr. 2011.

Miller, John W. “French Jam: A School in Lyon Puts Formal Spin on DJ's Role --- State Backs the Art of Scratching; An 'F' If You Can't Define Funk”

St John, Graham. “Party, Love and Profit: The Rhythms of the Love Parade (Interview with Wolfgang Sterneck).” Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture, Vol 2, No 1 (2011).

Global & New Media

2011-04-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Above, it is true that there are unique technological capabilities to our historic era. Media communication has increased in accessibility and reach but it is also part of a larger transformation of globalization. Globalization is a process: the integration of economic, political, cultural and technological systems across the globe. Almost every historic era has an example of global expansion and aims but in our historical moment there is an emphasis on technological and economic unification by peaceful means.

Defining global media involves reaching the widest possible audience. The media formats above fulfill the following: multi-lingual, multi-platform, and global access (mainly foreign presence). Below the Coca Cola commercial uses almost no words in order to reach the widest audience but its use of faith based symbols is replaced with the corporate logo, suggesting people are now unified through products or more so capitalism.

Above Hallin & Mancini conclude their analysis of European media by suggesting a convergence of values and decrease of differences. The problem suggest the authors is that differentiation is important to media, not just in country of origin but in different value sets. The issue is complex because previously people used to get information from different sources and the source could suggest something about the reliability of the information, now with new media there is an abundance of information and less differentiation.

Below Jean Baudrillard felt the contemporary moment was a battle of the Global and the Universal. The global was a market driven, democratic capitalist agenda to unify the world through materialism that could be symbolized by something like Levis jeans, which are everywhere. The universal was the original value of existence, even beyond earth that unifies us all and is a mysterious and undefinable source of respect for one another. This second aspect is decreasing as the focus becomes more about life on earth and its improvements.

Baudrillard also suggested that with globalization, manufactured destiny was the opposite of culture as destiny, that we are born in a context that is forever who we are. Yet in our contemporary moment, globalization overrides differences between cultures and thus obscures individual purpose. Above left Germany at Epcot and right Germany. Kafka had a similar concern as he expressed that his grandfather told him, "I do not see how in one lifetime there is enough time to leave your village." Below 24 hours of contemporary global plane travel today. See it in motion here.

Above ancient telephones with recent history, the iPhone 3. New media is a growing category of media forms with: interactivity, interconnectivity between devices and global reach. Importantly this has changed information from going one direction to the receiver to being a shared dialogue among users.

Above the types of new media and their values. Below some of the European new media such as Skype from Estonia, Tuenti from Spain and Skyrock from France. Pikanews is a European based new media content aggregator that indicates how much new media activity happens in any topic.

New and especially social media appears to be having widespread consequences on daily behavior. Psychologists are now treating behavioral disorders related to new media, such as email checking anxiety. See the full story here and a academic lecture on the topic here. What psychologists believe is that there has always been a degree of privacy and discretion which no one could access. That private psyche is now becoming more transparent.

Above, Wim Wenders 1987 film Wings of Desire gave access to people's private thoughts, see full video. Now with Twitter we advertise them.

Above the strategic use of Twitter to advance corporate relations or network. Below the question of globalization and new media together is the increasing collective consciousness that is developing. However with only 20% online it is not a full picture.

Above many think of the aim of global new media as simply increasing our screens of entertainment while there is much greater potential for information and education. Estonia used new media forms politically for the previous election though some argues this favored votes by those with internet access, even though the country created public internet voting stations.

In looking back at the past century in France and Europe, the old ways of life, conflicts and machines developed more slowly than the US. The question is how France and Europe will continue to embrace developments and take part in the global digital community.

News Corporation Imperialism

2011-04-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

by JJR

The European Union, officially founded in 1993, unites 27 European countries under a common currency and acts as a unifying body for the greater Europe. Among their political duties, the EU strives to foster a European identity that complements the national identities that many citizens hold. Of course television is part of this formation of identity, and European television calls into question Habermas' Public Sphere. This concept speaks to the greater public opinion that is formed when individuals come together to reach a consensus on something. European television is a sensitive medium because Europeans, especially in France and Italy, have a very keen cultural awareness and do not like foreign media agendas proliferating their countries. Fortunately, Rupert Murdoch's giant media conglomerate, News Corporation, is aware of this and uses this idea to market to niche audiences in Europe, and uses a business model that is somewhat contrary to the framework of cultural imperialism that has been the norm for these conglomerates in the past.

France and Italy's populations combined is 122 million, about a quarter of the EU's total population, and certainly more than a fourth of the television viewing audience. That said, these are lucrative outlets for a company like News Corporation to take advantage of, but instead of pushing a huge American brand like Fox, they are very culturally specific. In France, the Voyage network features programs which center around French cultural activities, with two examples being Prenez l'Air and La Mer en Face (*see links below). In Italy, the Cult network provides independent films and series only in Italian. Cult is for a sophisticated viewer, and is reflective of Italy's history of elite media.

In conclusion, in is News Corporation's cultural sensitivity that has allowed them to be so profitable and expansive in the European market. Of course American content is available almost everywhere in Europe, but the availability of alternative media is what sets News Corporation apart from its competitors. In today's media climate, it may not be as appropriate as it once was to talk about media as completely imperialist, and maybe the conversation will start to adapt to new models of transnational media in which the cultures to which the content is being sold is really the key to success.

*Prenez l'Air: ›http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmjuCA_nadI

Le Mer en Face: ›http://www.voyage.fr/series/Lamerenface/videos/

›

French Music & Fashion Media

2011-04-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

France has long treated radio as a tool of communication, to inform citizens and provide news. Above the French sponsored RFI covers global issues and is available in other languages in other countries. Below the private owned Europe 1 is based in France and hosts numerous radio talk shows along with entertainment.

Above popular French radio FIP, NRJ, Nova and Skyrock and Radio Free Europe, an American initiative in Europe. Below the European Broadcasting Union is a private alliance of global participants. Eurosonic is their radio support network and contest.

Below the EBU's famous annual song contest Eurovision.

American musician Joel Cohen and France Music started the Fete de la Music on June 21 each year.

France's hip hop production leads the world, second only to the US. Below globally recognized French rap artist MC Solaar.

Above the French electronic musicians Daft Punk, Air and Dave Guetta. Air is from Versailles and were said to have encouraged the development of the French indie scene with Phoenix. Below also Curry & Coco and Pony Pony Run Run.

Below France now supports an official state school for training DJ's, more here.

Above French fashion media from magazines, to television to websites. Below the origin of the fashion magazine was aristocratic journals like Mecure Galant leading to the luxury Gazette du Bon Ton in the early 20th century.

Above the Lanvin Show in 1961. Modern media began to advance fashion. Slowly the world knew about the well known fashion circuit of shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Media helped build up fashion culminating in our postmodern moment when media is now an authority over fashion and style.

Above, the extreme surrealist and unusual fashion ads of Galeries Lafayette in Paris. Below the integration of fashion throughout French society as it is included in regular news, talk shows public ads and graffiti more commonly than in the US.

Above Fashion TV is the only network devoted to fashion 24/7. It was founded in Paris by investor Michel Adams and includes events and products. The channel shows instant broadcast of fashion shows but has been criticized for its other content being more about models than fashion. Below fashion journalists take the clothing more seriously. The world's most significant fashion journalist is based in Paris, Suzy Menkes. The rise of fashion blogging challenges established media. Center the Satorialist and right his French girlfriend fashion blogger Garance Dore.

FRENCH MUSIC AND FASHION MEDIA

2011-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

12" As a Medium Techno: From Youth Culture to Cultural Constitution

Lily Galef

This article, published in Nettime Magazine in 1998, attempts to trace Techno music from its origins as a 'fad' in youth culture to what the author, Mercedes Bunz, terms 'Cultural Constitution'. Bunz asserts that because Techno was regarded as a fad, it was not given attention and therefore was able to grow into a part of society. The most unique aspect of techno, which Bunz uses as evidence that it has become a cultural constitution, is the fact that the artists are insignificant. Techno music is not a medium through which individuals can express themselves, it is pure art, with "no perpetrator behind the art".

Key Terms:

"Hiding in the Light": termed by Dick Hebdige, referring to the phenomenon of Techno being regarded as a fad, which actually fostered its growth into a cultural constitution.

Cultural Constitution: Techno being a 'cultural constitution' implies that it has become a part of society. It bridges the gap between highbrow culture and subculture and "offers us a new view of culture".

Mallarmè and La Dernier Mode
Lily Galef

This scholarly book, written by P.N Furbank and Alex Cain, is a translation of the Fashion Magazine La Dernier Mode, which was written, edited by, and created by Stephane Mallarme. The introduction, which we read for today, gives a brief summary of Mallarme's literary career and then mainly focuses on La Dernier Mode. He is mainly known for being an ironic and enigmatic poet in search of "l'oeuvre pure, yet the focus of this book is on his much lesser known work with La Dernier Mode. The book poses the question of why, "such a work of genius has received very little attention". The only other scholarly work on this subject noted by these authors is Jean-Pierre Leclercle's Mallarme et la mode, published in 1989.

Mallarme was the main contributor for the fashion magazine, yet he wrote all of his articles under different pseudonyms. The authors here discuss his love of decorative art, yet his strong criticism of its inability to innovate in his time. One of the most interesting aspects of this introduction is the comparison the authors make between Mallarme's interpretations of fashion and those of his contemporaries. The three main contemporaries are Gautier, Bauldelaire, and Barthes. The most interesting contrast made by these authors is how the these three poets were simply critics of fashion, whereas Mallarme explored it from the inside.

The concluding paragraphs of this chapter discuss Mallarme's motivations for starting the fashion magazine. The authors analyze Lecercle's interpretation and conclude that it is half right in its assumption that he created the magazine to "create a desperate hunger for poetry". The authors also analyze Dragonetti's interpretation that Mallarme's creation of La Dernier Mode had nothing to do with fashion at all, but had deeper literary meaning. The authors conclude that this interpretation is wrong, and biased by Dragonetti's disbelief that Mallarme could possible be interested in fashion. What struck me most about this chapter was the implication that fashion is something modern and intellectual that is worth analysis by some of the greatest minds of the nineteenth century.

Key Terms:

"Paradox of the New": The concept that fashion changes each year, yet stays the same within that year.

FRENCH MUSIC & FASHION MEDIA

2011-04-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

by Jolie Spellacy

"The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg" by Lisa Robinson

The overused cliché “you either hate it or you love it” does not apply to the late Serge Gainsbourg. Not because people were impartial about the man, but rather he was just of those guys that everyone loved. Whether it was the local police, taxi-drivers, music-lovers, or his own family, everyone loved Gainsbourg. As a musician, he was a genius. His arresting lyrics and voice quickly made him an icon in the music world, but it was his do-good personality that made him an icon of French culture.

Graffiti scrawled on Gainsbourg's home

The Vanity Fair article “The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg” summarizes the iconic Gainsbourg’s personal life. Gainsbourg was a known womanizer and went through many relationships, the longest lasting 13 years with Jane Birkin. He was not particularly good looking, but made up for it in intelligence, sophistication, and wit. The man was one full of contradictions. He was shy, but very open, especially when he told Whitney Houston that he wanted to “f*ck” her on national French television, (for the Youtube clip click here). He was a sex god of sorts, but many of his lovers never saw him fully nude. He was “selfish in ways an artist can be, but there was no snobisme.” And unlike most other rich Parisian socialites, he did not evade taxes. The article depicts Serge Gainsbourg as truly strange, interesting, and exceptional man.

Gainsbourg and Birkin

Serge’s closest friends, who are, more or less, interviewed throughout the report, all told insightful stories of their lost friend. His daughter, Charlotte, hopes to turn his old apartment into a museum for people to roam around freely in and learn who her father really was. Charlotte’s mother, and Serge’s ex-lover, Jane Birkin, told a story of grandiose love and a truly stereotypically chic, Parisian lifestyle.

The article quotes Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunkle, two popular songwriters, as comparing the day Gainsbourg died to the deaths of President Kennedy and John Lennon for Americans, stating that the French will always remember where they were when they found out he had died. Gainsbourg reached his iconic status to the French collective through his portrayal in the media. As the article states, Serge Gainsbourg was one of the most loved people in France.

Click here to listen to his infamous song with Jane Birkin "Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus" which was banned by both the BBC and the Vatican for explicit sexual content. This also is the song used in the most recent commercial for Miss Dior Cherie staring Natalie Portman.

"Over to You: Writing Readers in French Vogue" by Agnes Rocamora

The April 2011 issue of French Vogue

In this article Agnes Rocamora analyzes the readers’ letters published in French Vogue between March 1996 and December 2001. Rocamora’s argues that through studying the readers’ writings she gains insight into the way Vogue defines itself. According to Rocamora, the letters page is a platform for Vogue to represent itself and convey its ideals as well as demonstrate how it would like to be perceived by its readership.

The letters section as a democratic platform for the public sphere:

Rocamora establishes the magazine as one of the mediums of the Public Sphere, arguing that the readers’ letters page encompasses the notions of the Public Sphere more so than any other section. Ideally, “La Parole est a Vous” (Over to You) segment would serve as a democratic platform for the readers to express genuine public opinion. However, the editorial process of choosing, editing, and allegedly fabricating letters challenges the validity of the magazine as a function of public opinion. Today, the press is no longer viewed as a “mediator and intensifier of public discussion” but rather “the medium of a consumer culture”.

Jurgan Habermas - the theorist behind the public sphere

Rocamora explains that women’s fashion magazines are considered low status because of the depiction of frivolous entertainment rather than serious, hard news. The letters page asserts the magazine as a platform for not only the discussion of material objects and appearances, but also as a stage for critical debate and public opinion. Through the letters’ page Vogue constructs its readership as active thinkers, masking its low status through encouraging “democratic energies” of expression. In addition, by publishing readers’ criticism Vogue shows that it is open to all debate, further emphasizing its democratic qualities.

While Vogue prints critical letters, it weakens their validity by juxtaposing them with letters of contradictory content. In other words, if a reader objects to the promotion of fur, another letter laments the absence of fur in Vogue. The magazine also defends itself against such objections by emphasizing its capacity to promote dreams among its readers. Vogue wrote in March 1997 that its vocation “is to show dream clothes on sublime women”. Rocamora argues that the readers’ letter section also establishes loyalty and intimacy between the readers and the magazine as well as continuity. In each issue “the past of Vogue is always present, carried from one issue to the other through the readers’ page”.

French Vogue promoting fashion as high art:

Rocamora explains that because fashion is generally considered to be a “minor art” rather than a high art, fashion magazines are deemed to be of low status. French Vogue combats this status through its endorsement of fashion as a high art. Vogue positions fashion as a high art through juxtaposing fashion images and writings with articles about high culture and “noble” subjects like the sciences or philosophy. In the letters section, this “melding of realms” is reproduced through the inclusion of letters on high culture topics like ballet. Through the insertion of high culture Vogue asserts itself as a serious medium. The readers’ letter page also demonstrates the readerships’ knowledge of high culture and its economic capacity to experience it. Through the inclusion of the “La Parole est a Vous” section Vogue bridges the distance between the text and its audience “through the enlightened discussion that takes place between the two”.

Sylvie Guillem, a world famous ballerina, poses for French Vogue

In French ideology high culture is deemed prestigious as well an indication of wealth. Vogue’s celebration of this concept of culture can be seen through the numerous readers who praise Vogue for its intelligence, further legitimizing Vogue as a serious magazine. Vogue also recognizes the importance of literature in French culture. The publication thus pays particular attention to the written text and promotes its reputation through its respected writers.

Vogue’s Parisian identity:

Paris is the location where “high culture, high class, and the high social classes meet”. Thus Vogue expresses its allegiance to Paris through addressing its reader as “la parisienne” rather than “la francaise”. Vogue strives to equate itself with Paris as a way to further establish itself as a serious publication focused on the high art of fashion. As Rocamora explains, “in Vogue ‘here’ means Paris”. Of the readers’ letters, the most represented city is Paris, further stressing the connection between French Vogue and Paris.

Carine Roitfeld, former editor of French Vogue and icon of "la parisienne"

Rebecca Leffler, French Correspondent

2011-03-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Rebecca with Polanski at Le Film Francais’ Trophees awards

Thanks to our guest Rebecca Leffler!

See Rebecca's blog here

See her blog for Premiere here

Watch her videos here

Follow her on Twitter here

French Sports & Tourism Media

2011-03-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sports and tourism come together above and below in ads for SouthWest France also know as Aquataine. The ads are in English targeting the widest possible tourism.

Above are the major media forms in European sports. In France, sports emphasize soccer throughout the year, the Tour de France in summer, Roland Garros in summer and skiing in winter. France invented tennis with the game "jeu de paume."

Below cycling has a French origin as well, dating back to the 1860's. Images below show the intense media coverage of the event.

Below Formula One has an enormous media following of 600 million viewers over the year. France no longer hosts races but participates.

Sports and travel share a combined active/passive use of leisure time.

Below, French travel has a post-colonial affinity for Northern Africa. Morocco was an especially popular location for French and Europeans in the 1960's, below Yves Saint Laurent.

La Vallee (1972) is a film by Barbet Schroeder that explores the idea of French post-colonial travel.

Les Bronzes in 1978 & 79 offered a comedic take on French vacation culture with package vacations like Club Med.

Below the Club Med ad created by Saatchi & Saatchi in 2002 referenced its sexy 1970's past.

Below tourism is at its best when unified for a nation. But promoting a nation is not so simple, according to Wally Ollins and his "Nation Branding" media strategies.

The nation promotions below show the green trend for Ireland and Portugal.

The Eurostar is a transnational alliance that promoted by France & the UK in its ads.

Renault's recent campaign "Get There Faster," promotes European care travel by featuring landmark destinations.

Dominique Marchetti: The Changing Organization of the Tour de France and its Media Coverage

2011-03-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

by: Shireen Cohen

The article was written in 2003 as part of the International Journal of the History of Sport. It discusses the nature of the Tour de France and how it adapted to different changes in media. It is an interview with former cyclist and journalist Jean-Marie LeBlanc.

Jean-Marie LeBlanc

LeBlanc begins by discussing what the Tour de France was like before radio and television coverage, when people relied mostly on the accounts of journalists for coverage of the race. He suggests that the accounts of the journalists may have been exaggerated and romanced. He continues to say there were three golden periods for the Tour, which were the introduction of three big phenomenons: text and photo, live commentary on the radio and television.

Television was pivotal to the Tour because it allowed for the Tour to also become an outlet to show the various landscapes and regions of France, which would be beneficial for tourism purposes. The coverage featured chateaus, bridges, cathedrals and more in the backdrop. Furthermore, television allowed for viewers to have some sort of emotional connection with the Tour. For example, when viewers see the cyclists splashing water on themselves to try and beat the heat or pushing themselves to cycle faster in the wet rain they feel some sort of empathy for the cyclists. Today, media coverage of the event has become much more advanced, thanks in part to the progress of technology. Today, coverage of the tour can be seen in 160-170 countries worldwide.

One of the most important events for the Tour was the selling of the exclusive rights to broadcast the event. With the sale of exclusive rights, came sponsorships for teams. The sponsorships had a positive economic impact for the organizers of the Tour.

As a result of the increased television coverage, the written press has had to change its strategy when trying to write about the Tour. Now the viewers have a better view of the race from their home TV-screens than the journalist would have from the sidelines of the actual event. For this reason, journalists need to focus more on analysis and explanation of the race and supplement the coverage with interviews, player facts, etc. Unfortunately, the general tendency of the younger journalists has been to avoid the explanations and analysis and stick solely to the supplements and facts.

LeBlanc also notes that the relationship between cyclists and journalists have changed as well. Now, the dynamics between the two are more “hurried,” considering the fact that “nowadays, there are more things to do, timetables are tighter and we’re more hurried.” To avoid misinformation and rumors from starting and spreading, the Tour organizers give material to different publications and journalists to incorporate in their writing.

1986 Tour de France Coverage, click here

2010 Tour de France Coverage, click here

Rudiger Theilmann: Brand Europe:Moves Towards a Pan-European Identity

2011-03-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

by: Shireen Cohen

In his article “Brand Europe: Moves Towards a Pan-European Identity”, Rudiger Theilmann discusses the role and expansion of “branding” beyond it’s intended consumer goods realm. One such new realm would be applying it to countries and destinations. Theilmann first poses a question asking “whether the application of branding strategies to places is well-grounded or merely a vague trend based on false logic.”

The reading aims to address three points: whether places can be branded the same way that tangible consumer products, defining the boundaries and features of place branding and whether the European countries can be branded with those features.

The article stresses that a distinction exists between destination branding and place branding. Destination branding focuses on attracting visitors and tourists. Place branding aims to “promote economic, commercial and political interests at home and abroad.”

Marketing is experiencing a shift from communicating to the consumer to communication with the consumer. This shift is a move towards more audience interaction with the product. In the place-brand situation, this is much more difficult since the place-brand has much less control over the experiences.

There are three main sources of audience experience: mass media, direct experience and brand communication strategies. Mass media is the creation of reality based on news and journalists. Direct experience involves perceptions which audiences themselves create with the object. And finally, brand communications is the most manageable and controllable by the place-brand. All three of these elements work together to create the audience experience.

Since direct audiences experiences is such a crucial role in place branding, there is a focus on trying to offer a “reality experience” to an audience. The diversity of audience-experience is also segmented by purpose of visit (ie. to visit family, for business) and the sources of their experience. The brand needs to clarify the message for each of these segments.

For the audience to seek the experience, the audience must have some sort of knowledge about the place. If the case is that the audience has no knowledge, a promotional campaign would be most useful. An example would be the 2006 film Borat, which was first created to bring Kazakhstan into the spotlight.

Countries use the concept of a “brand” to change or modify the established image or reputation their country might have. The author gives the example of the Eastern European countries that used to belong to the Soviet Bloc. Interestingly, the rebranding efforts of most of these countries are so similar that they defeat the purpose of creating individuality and uniqueness for each “brand”. At the same time, the similarity of their brands allows for the creation of transitional brands.

The challenge is for place-brands to focus on offering both “uniqueness within homogeneity.” One example would be the German campaign Deutschland- Land der Ideen (Germany- Land of Ideas).

French Sports and Tourism Media

2011-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Isabella Aballi

Screened Out: The Racing Drive and His Double – Jean Baudrillard

Baudrillard delves into the nature of Formula One racing and the ways in which the sport has morphed into a spectacle that is merely a performance. Baudrillard believes that we live in an “era of Performance” and that Formula One is a prime example of it. Formula One is a performance because “the heights achieved are the work of man and machine simultaneously” combined and essentially blurred because technology “pushes man to his limits and man
identifies with technology and projects his passions into it”—it is a “spectacular sacrifice.”

Competition does not take place in th
e actual circuit of the race it takes place “on the world car market, in the drivers’ popularity charts, in advertising and the star system”—it only appears to be a competition on television. Baudrillard says that the real pleasure of driving has diminished and is almost nonexistent because of the shift from movement to speed—the movement of the body to the screen of speed which creates only a passion for winning and nothing else.

Other than a passion for the winning, Formula One racing has created a passion for accidents and death. “Death is no longer anything but a virtual imaginary element. Only the cars die, only the engines are driven to destruction.” The abstract nature of racecar driving has attached spectacle to death—everyone is waiting for an accident even though showing it “live” on TV is unheard of; the possibility is what exites the public.
Baudrillard states that the “impact of Formula One lies in the exceptional and mythic
character of the event of the race and the figure of the driver and not in the technical or the commercial spin-offs.” According to Baudrillard, Formula One is a monster concentrated on technology, money, ambition, and prestige—it is purely an event.

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Tourism and Consumer Culture: Club Med - Ellen Furlough

Club Med is regarded as the “confluence of commerce and culture within commercial tourism.” It was founded by Gerard Blitz in 1950 who wanted to promote the idea of self-indulgence, physical pleasures and an escape from the real world and ones everyday habits. Club Med villages were originally founded as an escape from the war; the villages were low budget and extremely low key. People slept in U.S. army surplus tents and gathered to play improvised games and sports. Even the atmosphere at Club Med was very casual and the informality and relative lack hierarchy reflected the personality of the founder and the people who worked at Club Med.

In the mid 1950’s, Club Med began to expand rapidly and adopted a new approach to business thanks to Gilbert Trigano, “a former communist who became involved with Club Med because of his family’s camping supply business.” In the late 1950’s Club Med was already regarded as a commercial organization that started buying out competitors and increasing profits across its many sites.

In 1965 Club Med opened its first luxury hotel in Morocco and soon became a “large, multinational corporation and one of the major players in the commercial tourism and leisure industry.” One of Club Med’s major appeals was the spirit or “esprit du Club” that adopted three major elements:

1) To be diametrically different from everyday life and to provide ‘mental and physical detoxification—The Club Med villages were isolated from any kind of outside distractions and tourism. There was emphasis on the idea that you “entered” and “left” Club Med giving it a utopian feel that made the village more disconnected and a world of its own.

2) Erasing social barriers and distinctions—The Club Med villages encouraged the use of “tu” among the people to create a more familiar vibe; they also called each other by their first names and avoided any conversations pertaining to position, status or occupation outside of the village. Another aspect that erased social barriers was the relaxed dress code that made it hard to distinguish people’s cultures or classes through bathing suit and beach apparel.

3) An emphasis on leisure and play—Club Med sought to eliminate any traces or appearances of work in the villages in an attempt to erase the frustrations and anxieties that are brought upon people through work. Club Med provided ease and leisure.

Club Med also became quite famous for its relaxed encouragement of sexuality freedom among the people which made it a very attractive site for vacation in the 60s and 70s.

Although Club Med emphasizes its ability to eliminate social distinctions, "like other aspects of consumer culture, [Club Med] (re)invented social distinctions" because it was predominantly constructed by and for "white, economically advantaged Europeans and some Americans."

"Club Med also reinforced and in some cases re-invented social hierarchies between people in the villages and in host countries." Club executives chose locations for the different Club villages due to "exotic" locations that were low cost and evidently became "objects of a reconfigured colonialist adventure that could be purchased."

French Entertainment Media

2011-03-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

At the heart of French television entertainment is the round table talk show. This format dominates the networks with a total of 650 talk shows. Below are Le Grand Journal, On n'est pas couché, Toute une histoire and Bibliotheque Medicis.

The French talk show has even had some influence on American media. Apostrophes was a talk show hosted by Bernard Pivot. Pivot used a version of Proust's questionnaire with his intellectual and celebrity guests. The question format was later used for Inside the Actor's Studio.

Above are some of the broadcasters and media forms in French entertainment. Below Arte and Luxe TV are included in popular cable packages but are considered more serious, high culture entertainment aligned with more traditional European values than pop American media.

Vincent Bolloré has recently come to light in French entertainment with his takeover of Virgin in France. He replaced it with a new channel DirectStar. Bolloré also owns Direct 8, the metro journals Direct Matin and Direct Soir, London based Aegis and other media companies.

DirectStar was applauded for taking over UK Virgin but the content on DirectStar and also Direct 8 resembles anglo media like E Entertainment network as seen below in the use of pop English language titles.

Above Vivendi owns Canal+ the main name in French cinema. Canal+ pre-buys the majority of French film to help distribution. Below the French Cannes Film Festival is a global event that attracts more attention than the French national Oscars known as the César Awards.

Above historic images of Cannes with Grace Kelly and Jean Cocteau and below the American celebrities who launch at Cannes for its chic factor.

French celebrity media is somewhat limited due to privacy laws though it has been increasing. The main formats such as Paris Match and Grazia cover many American celebrities. Across Europe the biggest celebrity media centers are the UK, followed by interest in royalty in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Above Bridget Bardot who has received negative media attention for her comments regarding French immigrants and below support for Roman Polanski, a French citizen who has received negative media attention for fleeing the US court.

The question is if these individuals step into the media spotlight, if then they should be held to higher standards, such as appearance and morality. There is also a question is the spotlight brings undue pressure encouraging or even allowing bad behavior.

It could be argued that the French started reality tv with Le Prix du Danger in 1983. The film focused on a reality game show with a man competing for his life. A decade later, the UK show Big Brother became the dominant influence on French confinement scenario shows such as Loft Story and Secret Story.

Since Big Brother, France has created many American spin offs with reality game shows such as Taxi Cash based on Cash Cab. These are low cost shows as there are no actors and can be customized. Below a variety of French serial fiction shows have begun to resemble reality television, such as Plus Belle la Vie.

Finally the fate of French entertainment is like that of the rest of the world. New media and social networking have begun to pull people away from one directional mass media like film and television. Writing in 1996, French writer Jean Baudrillard stated: “What if information did not relate to the event or facts but to the promotion of information itself as the event?...this is where McLuhan’s formulation can be seen as absolutely brilliant: the medium has swallowed the message and it is this the multi medium that is proliferating in all directions.”

French ‘Reality Television’: More Than a Matter of Taste?

2011-03-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

By Jessica Noone

French ‘Reality Television’: More Than a Matter of Taste? was written by Hugh Dauncey and was published in the European Journal of Communication in March 1996. It takes an academic approach to the study of reality tv in France.

Reality programming started in France in the early 1990s, from American and Italian origins. Reality shows seem to be indicators of trends toward postmodernity in France. French sociologist Alain Ehrenberg divides reality TV into three different categories depending upon their content and style of presentation. These are the téléfilm, information-débat, and variétés. He states that the crucial ingredient in all reality shows is “the notion of authenticity or the obvious reality of the situations being presented to the television audience” (88) and studies Temoin No. 1 as an early example.

Resistance to cultural imperialism and importation of programming created “styles and forms of RP more in tune with national and cultural priorities.” (95) French reality programming tends to concentrate on topics of love, sex and family relationships and is divided into three main themes: everyday dramas of courage, talking about feelings and civic action.

Critiques: The French worry about the quality, not decency, of the programs in terms of their cultural value, stemming from French television’s paranoia about ‘cultural imperialism’. For critics, reality shows “represent the worst excesses of a lowest-common-denominator programming policy driven by audience viewing ratings”. (97) Shows tend to be criticized on political acceptability and ethical value rather than quality in a subjective manner.

Justification: Reality shows are viewed by some to be a healthy example of modernization in French TV and that they meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated audience, especially with aspects of interactive participation. The low cost of the production of reality shows is one of the main reasons for their increase in numbers. Arguments for these shows started by trying to fit into CSA guidelines, and has moved toward a ‘discourse of justification’, emphasizing the direct democracy and empowering effects of RP.

French reality television is popular, but shows the difficulty of “French attempts of establish a French television with a wide appeal which does not betray the state’s higher aspirations for France as a beacon of civilization.” (97) Reality shows are most likely to be found on commercial channels, however, Dauncey warns that “France should realize that by producing its own, inexpensive, popular and populist television in the form of reality shows, it is undermining its higher order ambitions to be the foremost purveyor of quality culture.” (101)

This article remains relevant as a study of early reality programming in France, but needs to be updated to include many popular programs which emerged after the time of writing, including Loft Story and Secret Story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Vwc5pl8QY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYarFGtkhYE&playnext=1&list=PLF2387CE2DF06ED1C

French Entertainment, Celebrities, & Reality TV

2011-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

By: Christine Lee

Bob Hawkins, “Cannes’ Early Days: Fest Was ‘Sheer Buff Heaven’” (Variety)

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The first Cannes events were held on September 1, 1939 as an attempt to “lure attention away from Venice, the granddaddy of all film festivals”, as well an effort to increase tourism in order to give France a more glorified cultural image. It initially took place in Cannes’ gambling casino until the first Palais was established in 1949, and even at the same time as the Venice events. After some confrontation, Cannes moved its dates to the springtime, around April or May.

While the New York Times waited until 1955 for its first story about Cannes, Variety was there from the start, therefore able to witness its transformation over the years. Then, Promenade de la Croisette was narrow and had two lanes, and beaches were near-empty and restaurants-less. Over the years, it has boomed into quite the spectacle and is now known as one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. But from the beginning, it was able to “unwrap a treasure chest of the best of the notable filmmaking countries and the oft-hidden talents that the event was able to lure into its international spotlight.”

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Films such as Emilio Fernandez’s “Maria Candelaria” (Mexico), Michael Cacoyannis’ “Stella” (Greece), and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s “Gates of Hell” (Japan), were given international fame as they became Cannes “discoveries”. Other countries include Hungary and Austria, but the most notable discovery was France and its New Wave, having to do with its rejection of classical cinematic form.

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The film festival was further popularized by “Cannes happenings”. One such example is when British startlet Simone Sylva whipped off her bra and embraced Robert Mitchum. Pictures documenting this scandalous incident hit international press, causing for an apology by fest boss Robert Favre-LeBret who feared conservative backlash. Nevertheless, many celebrities, or aspiring ones, such as Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly, continued to appear in the Cannes spotlight.

The author ends by stating that Cannes inevitably changed into a “bigger” event due to the “increasing importance of the local film market” and implies “loss” of the earlier days that are now forever lost due to Cannes’ popularity boom.

Chris Darke, “Radical Chic” (Sight & Sound)

The Cannes film festival has now been around for about 60 years and according to the author, “has always been a political affair,” in direct reference to its origins – as a counterweight to the Venice film festival in the pre-war years. It is also known to have frequently served as “a lightning rod for expression of political and aesthetic radicalism.”

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The location of Cannes on the Côte d'Azur allowed for a capitalization a regional association with the artistic avant-garde including Renoir, Monet, Cocteau, and Picasso. Yves Klein, an artist associated with the Ecole de Nice, executed one of his first neo-Dada acts by ‘signing’ the Riviera sky and calling it the “first and biggest monochrome”. All of this artistic expression and the “combination of the tuxedoed beau monde and artistic enfants terrible” proved to be combustible. During the fourth festival in 1951, Jean-Isidrore Golstein led shocks troops of the Parisian avant-garde, uninvited, into the festival to screen Isoul’s four-hour epic of anti-cinema Traité de Bave et d'Éternité. This directly influenced Guy-Ernest Debord to come back the following year as part of a ‘Lettrist commando team’, which lead to many arrests.

The enfants terrible continued to stir controversy as Francois Truffault, a open critic of the festival, was banned in 1958. Regardless, he still attended and his first feature Les Quatre Cents Coups went on to win the Best Director prize the following year. This demonstrated that one of the best ways Cannes could deal with its critics was to co-opt them into “the Cannes family”. Other shocking films are Marco Ferreri’s La Grande Bouffe and Jean Eustache’s La Maman et la Putain, selected as responses to the social upheavals of May 1968. They also reflected the rise of hardcore pornography. The most persistent and provocative of them all was Lars von Trier who called Roman Polanski “a midget” and did not even bother showing up to his own showing of Breaking the Waves.

In 1968, Cannes supported ‘champagne socialists’ and then was “caught up in the tumult of demonstrations and strikes that gripped France” and a group of film-makers even successfully shut down the festival, headed by Truffaut, Godard, and Louis Malle. Eventually, the festival was democratized and more open to world cinema as the protestors demanded. Quinzaine des Realisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) was created to maintain that change. One of the direct results of the protests of 1968 was a change in the way films were selected. From 1971 and onwards, the festival itself nominated titles instead of competitor countries. This responded to “third cinema”, post-colonial liberation struggles and life under dictatorial regime. In conclusion, the radicalism of the 1960s has greatly impacted the defense of human rights.

David Gritten, “The Hunt for Roman Polanski”

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Roman Polanski is probably one of the few film industry figures who polarizes opinions so sharply. He has had a tumultuous life since childhood. When he was eight, both of his parents were sent to concentration camps. Polanski managed to escape from the Krakow ghetto just before its liquidation and sought shelter with Catholic families in the Polish countryside. He was even used as target practice by a squad of German soldiers he unluckily ran into.

After the war, he decided to go to film school in Poland and directed a few shorts. His first feature-length film, Knife in the Water, made him an international star at the age of 29. He then proceeded to make a number of other notable films such as Replusion and Cul de Sac. His reputation for the films “were jarring and threatening; they seemed to match his view of the world.” His first American film was Rosemary’s Baby and it was a huge success. Hollywood openly embraced him.

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In 1968, he married Sharon Tate who became pregnant with their first baby. Another tragedy struck when she was murdered by Charles Manson’s “family”. Upon her death, Polanski headed back to Europe and obtained French citizenship. He shot Macbeth in Britain, and then headed back to Hollywood for the peak of his career.

Chinatown became a universally proclaimed, timeless classic. “The movie industry was delighted for Polanski in the wake of his tragic loss, and public sympathy for him was never higher.” However, his liaison with 13-year old Samantha Gailey cast him in the dim light. Polanski was arrested and pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse. Polanski then spent 42 days in jail undergoing evaluation, but then fled to France, protected from extradition as a French citizen.

The author of this article then proceeds to question whether Polanski was fairly judged. No one in California had served jail time for a comparable offense in the previous two years, and Douglas Dalton, Polanski’s defense attorney, had even secured an agreement with Rittenband, presiding judge, that 42 days was sufficient time served. Polanski’s fleeing was probably due to the fact that the judge would incarcerate him regardless.

Is he nasty as he’s cracked up to be? “The thought occurs that while Polanski’s crime against Samantha Gailey was utterly wrong, the 1970s were a different time, and his behavior was not aberrant by prevailing entertainment-industry standards.” The author concludes by questioning why Roman Polanski was arrested now (the time the article was written), after settling in Paris and living a quiet, blameless life, obviously sympathizing with Polanski.

"God may have created Bardot, but has she finally fallen from grace?"

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In this article, the author takes us through Brigitte Bardot’s life of fame, from its beginning to current day. She was born in Paris in 1934 to a Catholic, middle-class milieu. When she was only 15 she made her modeling debut in a fashion magazine. In the mid-1950s, she donned many magazine covers, including Elle, newspaper diary columns, and television in Europe and the USA. She was immediately set apart by her combination of eyes, pout, and attitude. In the 1960s, she made several hit records with Serge Gainsbourg, who was her lover. She also had affairs with Gilbert Becaud and Sasha Distel, other French singers.

“Every man deliquesced into a lather of sweat at just the thought of being in the same room as her.” Bob Dyland claimed his first song ever written was to Bardot, it was rumored that she and Jimi Hendrix had sex at Heathrow Airport shortly after their first meeting, and George Harrison reportedly married Patti Boyd because of her resemblance to BB. When she was only 18, she married Roger Vadim, a film director who wanted to get BB to the top. The film that jump started her career was “And God Created Woman”, which was previewed at Cannes, where Bardot caused quite a stir on the beach. “She became the embodiment of French minxiness.”

Her few good movies include Le Mepris (Contempt) and Vie Privee (A Very Private Affair). Regardless, she was stuck in a typecast life: “she was the timeless sex kitten, the much-married laspsed Catholic that brought men to destruction.” In 1973, she announced her retirement from the movies and became a strident supporter of animal rights. She also established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protectino of Animals, and funded it with three million francs by auctioning off her own jewelery. However, in the last decade, she has shown alarming signs of racial intolerance. She has been fined and convicted of ‘inciting racial hatred’ against France’s five million Muslim immigrants.

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The author concludes by stating that it is sad that a woman, who once represented “France’s dedication to liberty and republicanism has come to despise modern France and to symbolize race hatred and bigoted suspicion.”