CSP - TV: Capital - Marxism + Hegemony

 Task 1: Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?
This is because "The hardest worker on the street was an illegal immigrant, determined to pay her way and not touch a penny of benefits. She was deported, though she did find time to teach English to some of her fellow saints at the detention centre." This shows that they are trying to make those of minority background seem as if they're 'heroes' while representing the white characters as bad people which shows their left wing ideology.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

• You can be certain it wasn’t the plot that attracted the BBC drama department in the first place
• Capital was as stuffed full with fashionable causes as Jeremy Corbyn’s function diary.
• But that concept went nowhere.

I agree as the plot wasn't really going anywhere and was quite repetitive and boring. No concept went anywhere and I highly agree with the criticism as there was absolutely no plot bar the "we want what you have" however it literally went nowhere and neither did the police do anything to solve it therefore they just left it at the equilibrium and never solved it.

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

• Quentina being worried about getting deported
• This suggests she doesn't want to go back to her third world country and just wants to stay safe in England which promotes the left wing view

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce right-wing or capitalist viewpoints?

• When Quentina gets arrested
• This is because she was an assylumm seeker in England and was later questioned as Roger thought she was the creator of all the weird mails the whole street got ("we want what you have")

Task 2: Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level or online here (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

• Society is run by the richest and they hold all the power whilst the poor people only have their labour to survive with.
• Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

• The Apprentice is a prolonged job interview where contestants compete against each other to be chosen for a job working for the entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar. 
• The fact that Sugar has all the power reinforces the ‘superior’ position of the capitalist elite.
• He has power as he has used the system to create wealth and he is shown using this power to provide a livelihood for the winner of the competition.

3) Come up with two examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.) Explain what meanings these texts communicate to their audiences.

• Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003: BBC) - when, despite the hardship and economic deprivation experienced by Del and his family, being working class offers a range of positive experiences. The characters are part of a close- knit family, a supportive community and can escape from the trials  of modern life via an active social life in the pub.
• Snog, Marry, Avoid? (2008-present: BBC)  - People are discouraged from dressing in a way that is deemed as ‘common’ or ‘classless’ and the ‘make-under’ provided creates looks for the young women that fit in better with ‘middle class’ social norms.

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

• Roger being shown as powerful due to his money and job
• The lack of questions and thoughts Roger has to all the letters they kept getting ("we want what you have")
• Arresting Quentina for being an assylum seeker and then investigating her afterwards because Roger thought she made those letters which reinforces capitalist views as they're not letting her work
• The shopkeepers son calling out the police for being lazy and not doing anything about the "we want what you have" letters which shows that the police have more authority which reinstates the capitalist views and ignores those of minority