Media Lang Theorists: Stranger Things and The Killing

Semiology-Barthes

Key Ideas:

• Symbols are giving context and have connotations which gives them context. E.g a ring on your fourth finger symbolises marriage. 
• Symbolic codes are so embedded in society that we now don't even notice the denotations.
• Symbols removed from their context remove their meaning.
• Connotations of signs have become so normal they are thought of as 'myths' e.g bulldog creates the myth of what its like to be British. 
• These myths then reflect dominant ideologies.

Barthes applies to Stranger Things

Hopper: In the scene which introduces Hopper, there are many signifies such as his badge, gun and uniform which all create ideological messages around power and masculinity as well as creating messages around him such as that he is a policeman and therefore has lots of responsibility. There are empty beer cans surrounding him which creates the connotations that he isn't very responsible which contrasts his job role. 

Wheeler House: The establishing shot of the Wheeler's house is another way that signs create myths. The shot shows that the house is big which creates the connotations of wealth and the family being of a higher class. The sprinklers show that they live in a warm climate so it helps to create the ideas of a family living in America. 

Scientist at the start in the elevator: The use of the lines and looking up on the scientist's face symbolises that he is scared as these are typical features of fear that we have got to know from society. By him looking scared this creates the myth that there is something evil going on.

Barthes applies to The Killing 

Opening scene: In the opening scene we see a young lady (Nana) running through the woods as she is being chased. Nana is wearing a white dress.White has connotations of purity and innocence whilst the woods has connotations of mystery and evil at night. This shows them to be binary opposites so you are able to see that Nana shouldn't be there. Nana crouches down by a tree which shows that she is hiding from someone and this allows for the reader to detect the myth of the dangerous atmosphere. By this happening it at night, it also adds to the danger atmosphere as it is an ideology that danger happens at night.

First view of Sarah Lund: The first time we see Sarah Lund, she is waking up wearing her fiance's top. The use of her waking up in his top symbolises that she is in love with him and cares deeply about him but also has connotations of him having power over her and Sarah's strong dependency on him.

Weather: There is a shot of heavy rain in The Killing which creates connotations that something bad is going to happen. This is because rain is symbolised as sadness and gloom, so by having the weather like this it allows for the viewer to pick up on the sad atmosphere. The weather is also misty and foggy during the episode which creates connotations of mystery happening.

Post Modernism- Baudrillard

Key ideas:

• Representations are being represented in an extreme way. 
• Hyper-reality is the idea that these representations are more powerful and feel more real than reality. Hyper-real representations don't represent reality, they are representations of representations e.g Irish Pubs are around the world and are shown as extremely Irish with stereotypical Irish features whereas in Ireland, the majority of pubs aren't like this but people would believe that they are as they have become the hyper-reality.

Baudrillard applies to Stranger Things

Stranger Things is hyper-real. The show represents 1980s America based from other media representations rather than a real representation of what life was like then. There is a strong use of signs throughout which may show the 1980s in an extreme way. It contains intertextuality which references the media representations that it is basing this representation from; such as: ET, Carry, Alien, The shining. These intertextual references have partly accounted for the shows success among an older audience as they may remember these popular 80s films. The use of having Stranger Things represented in a hyper-real way allows for the element of supernatural to be created all throughout the series as not even normal life is an accurate representation for the 80s.

Baudrillard applies to The Killing

The Killing has elements of hyper reality as it shows life in an extreme way. For example, the episode seems to feature no good news- Nana goes missing and ends up dead, Sarah was going to move to Sweden but postpones for this case and the mayor election features corruption. This shows nothing but gloom which real life isn't.