Recently in class we discussed product placement and Gender Roles in movies and television. I was Watching the new movie "National Treasure:Book of Secrets," when in a scene where Riley, the sidekick and tech wiz, is sitting in a bathroom stall in Buckingham Palace. He begins to take out a variety of technological gadgets that he will use to hack the security system of the Palace.
Although every one of the gadgets had its own use, there was one point when Riley takes out an Apple iPod. We didn't even see riley listen to music. At that moment, there was a ten foot tall iPod in the middle of the screen. Who knows how many people went home and thought about iPods subconsciously.
There was also a few scenes when you can clearly see the gender roles in the movie. the protagonist is a male. He has his sidekick, and his girl. This girl is needed for specific tasks where she uses her sexuality to exploit male obsticles in the predicaments that they find themselves in.
I used to notice these things in the movies and shows that I watch, but I never really thought about the meaning behind the product placement/subliminal advertising that I was watching. I see that these tools in the media are a lot more serious than I had previously thought.
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This entry is a great start. Your insights about the ipod scene are valuable... take them one step deeper. Does the inclusion of the ipod here compromise the film? In other words, is it obvious that the ipod is only there because Apple paid for it to be there, or does it seem natural?
I haven't seen "National Treasure," so I could have used some examples with what you were talking about regarding the sexism. No big deal, since I'm probably in the minority here. Sounds like the sort of thing the Austin Powers movies parodied so well... Seems like it will always be a formula or a successful Hollywood production.
Take care...