OSP: Rashford & Kardashian - Language and Representation

Language

1) Make two lists - one of website conventions used on Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's official website and one of social media conventions found on their Instagram pages. 

Website Conventions:

• Link to homepage
• Logo / Brand identity
• Central Image
• Menu / Navigation tool
• Multimedia features: video, images

Social Media Conventions:

• Profile picture
• Background / Banner image 
• Multimedia features: video, images
• Bio
• Posts
• Verification Symbol

2) How does Marcus Rashford's website and social media promote his brand? Give at least three examples of different pages / posts / images from his website or social media. 

On Marcus Rashford's website, the mise-en-scene of his central image promotes his classy, sophisticated and powerful brand through the formal suit and strong posture, alongside the low angle, connoting confidence. On social media, his quote retweet of a post about helping young people promotes his identity, in that he supports good causes by encouraging his audience to like and interact with the original post. Furthermore, his profile picture of his logo acts as a form of synergy, linking back to his identity as a social figure. 

3) How does Kim Kardashian's website and social media promote her brand? Give at least three examples of different pages / posts / images from her brand websites or social media. 

On Kim Kardashian's website (Kardashian Kloset), the verbal code of her being an 'entrepreneur' and 'social media phenomenon' promotes her huge online presence and businesses, also done through the mention of her clothing brand 'SKIMS.' On social media, her profile picture promotes her brand identity of beauty and makeup through her own wearing of makeup, reinforcing stereotypes of women. Furthermore, her tagging of the accounts of her own brands (SKIMS, SKKN, SKKYPartners) acts as a form of self-promotion, further promoting her identity as an entrepreneur.

4) How does Marcus Rashford's online presence use the narrative of his childhood upbringing to create a positive brand identity?

Marcus Rashford consistently references his childhood upbringing through his identity as a footballer (inspired by his love of football as a childhood) and also in his perception as a 'working-class hero' through his campaigning work on food poverty and reading (inspired by his own working class background.) This is referenced in his promotion of a book club, inspiring children (specifically boys) to read more in response to the national age decreasing, and also in his work with food banks and food charities, such as FareShare.

5) How does Kim Kardashian's website and social media promote other media products or websites using the Kardashian brand (e.g. Keeping Up With The Kardashians TV show)? 

Kim Kardashian's website (Kardashian Kloset) promotes the Kardashian family through the top menu, which uses all of their names. Furthermore, the text references Kim Kardashian's brand 'SKIMS.' This is similarly done through her social media accounts, where she tags her brands' accounts (SKIMS, SKKN, SKKYPartners) and also links the website to SKIMS itself. Furthermore, her banner image / background on Twitter promotes 'The Kardashians' show on Hulu.

Representations

1) How does Marcus Rashford use different aspects of mise-en-scene (e.g. clothes/costume/ settings/locations) to create representations of himself on his website and social media? 

On Marcus Rashford's website, his central image utilises a formal suit, with strong posture / pose accompanied by a low angle, creating a more sophisticated, powerful representation of him. His homepage uses multiple luxury brands in reference to Rashford, through D&G, Burberry, and Range Rover, creating a rich, wealthy representation of him. Furthermore, the image of Rashford wearing a Burberry scarf mimics the silhouette of a superhero wearing a superhero cape, reinforcing his brand identity as a hero to the working class. This representation is exemplified through his inclusion of an online book club. which aims to get children, specifically boys, reading in response to the national average decreasing, promoting his representation in supporting good causes. This is also done through the inclusion of a newspaper on his website discussing his open letter to the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) on free school meals. On social media, his profile picture and banner reinforce his representation as a famous footballer, also done through his bio, which references the football club 'Manchester United.' His quote retweet of a post about aiding young people creates the representation of Rashford as a supporter of good causes.

2) What examples can you find of website pages, social media posts or aspects of his brand that create a positive representation of Marcus Rashford? You may wish to comment on his discussion of family or his campaigns - his page on the FareShare campaign website may help with this question.

On the FareShare website (a food-based charity), headline emphasises his charity work with FareShare, creating a positive representation of Rashford and fitting closely with his campaigning for free school meals. This is further exemplified through the image of him in a food bank, wearing a hi-vis jacket, emphasising his role as a working-class hero through the connotations of work and volunteering. This work also makes Rashford more attractive and marketable to mainstream brands, creating another positive representation of him. On his social media, his post containing self-promotion on his book promotes his positive representations, as it highlights his desire for children to read more.

3) How does Marcus Rashford's online presence challenge stereotypes? Think about gender (masculinity), race/ethnicity, social class or football here. 

Marcus Rashford's online presence challenges stereotypes of gender as, typically, women are seen as charitable care-givers who are more empathetic than men, subverted through his own charity work and campaigning. His mixed ethnicity (Jamaican and Saint Kittian) subverts stereotypes, as non-white people are traditionally seen as less capable.  

4)  What representation of celebrity is created by Kim Kardashian's website and social media? How are audience encouraged to view celebrity? 

On the Kardashian Kloset website, audiences are encouraged to be somewhat obsessive towards celebrities, as the premise and selling point of the website itself is that it allows fans to buy previously-worn clothes from the Kardashians themselves, heavily encouraging parasocial relationships. Through the navigation tool containing each separate name, audiences are further encouraged to create a parasocial connection with one specific Kardashian, promoting a 'super-fan' mindset. On her social media, audiences are encouraged to view celebrities as pillars and influential, powerful figures, seen through her inclusion of her own 3 brands and the SKIMS website, alongside her large following.

5) What gender stereotypes are reinforced or challenged in Kim Kardashian's online presence? 

Kim Kardashian's online presence heavily reinforces traditional stereotypes associated with women. For example, her profile picture of her wearing makeup reinforces the stereotype that women must wear makeup in order to elevate their appearance and be more beautiful, and her low-cut outfit in the picture reinforces sexualised perceptions of women. This is done further through the Kardashian Kloset website, encouraging a more obsessive perception of female celebrities, and by extension all women, through the premise of selling used clothing.