Mediated Messages
Asynchronous Session
Midlife Unfiltered: Rewriting the Script on British TV Women View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Margaret Tally
This research critically examines the evolving portrayal of middle-aged women in contemporary British television series, exploring the complex intersections of gender, age, and media representation. By analyzing a diverse range of recent TV productions, the research investigates how narratives either reinforce or challenge traditional stereotypes about women in midlife. The study employs a comprehensive qualitative content analysis, scrutinizing character development, storylines, and narrative arcs across multiple genres, including drama, comedy, and crime series. Key areas of focus include the professional and personal experiences depicted, the agency and depth afforded to middle-aged female characters, and the broader sociocultural implications of these representations. Preliminary findings suggest a gradual but significant shift in how middle-aged women are portrayed, moving beyond reductive tropes of invisibility, domesticity, or maternal roles. The research highlights emerging narratives that present nuanced, multidimensional characters who demonstrate complexity, professional competence, sexual agency, and personal growth. By critically unpacking these representations, the presentation contributes to broader discussions about media diversity, ageism, and gender dynamics in contemporary British television, offering insights into changing societal perceptions of women's experiences in midlife.
Cries and Whispers: Podcasting, Conspiratorial Spread, and the (Soni)Cultic Milieu
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Stephen Charbonneau
On November 7th, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter announced in a headline that President-Elect Donald J. Trump had "won the first influencer election" (Lorenz, 2024). Other commentators followed suit and observed that the second Trump administration would be the first "podcasting" presidency (Chap Trap House #880). With such developments in mind, this paper reviews the rise of podcasting's influence on social movements over the last ten years with a particular focus on the American right and the proliferation of conspiratorial discourses. More precisely, this essay aims to undercut the romantic connotations of DIY and other spreadable practices by homing in on how the podcasting medium and related forms contribute to the viral circulation of conspiratorial cultures. I demonstrate the specific contours of what has been characterized as a “cultic milieu” and how the podcast is an ideal form for the generation and circulation of stigmatized knowledge claims that have energized white nationalism in recent years. I further argue that the manner in which conspiracy theories of the Right have crisscrossed the dark corners of the web as well as the bully pulpits of popular influencers is indicative of the spreadability of digital media cultures in general and podcasting in particular. Ultimately, I articulate the emergence of a sonic cultic milieu in which “whisper media” lends itself to virality and appeals to alienated audiences whose experience of their social order is increasingly groundless, precarious, and contingent in a post-COVID environment.
Designing Emotion-Responsive Collaborative VR: A Conceptual Framework Informed by Emerging Media Technologies
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hang Yuan
Emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping digital communication and collaboration. This paper presents a conceptual framework for designing emotion-responsive collaborative VR environments that adapt to users' emotional states, enhancing empathy, inclusivity, and interaction quality. The framework draws from case studies at the intersection of AI, emotion recognition, and immersive media. Examples include the CUNY Affective and Responsive Virtual Environment (CARVE) Hub, which uses facial emotion classification to enhance virtual classrooms, and the Magic XRoom, which adjusts VR experiences based on users' emotional flow states. Other notable projects, like BeAnotherLab's "The Machine to Be Another" and AI-driven VR cultural sensitivity training, demonstrate how immersive environments can foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding. Studies on emotional contagion in collaborative VR further highlight how shared virtual experiences influence group dynamics. Grounded in these examples, the framework outlines four key design considerations: emotional data collection, adaptive system responses, ethical implications, and cultural inclusivity. Rather than offering a prescriptive solution, it encourages media designers and technologists to reflect on how emotion-responsive VR can shape more human-centered and culturally sensitive digital interactions in evolving media landscapes.
Using Metaphors to Strike a Balance between Commercial and Social Interests in Popular Music
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jung Chun Chang
This study employs metaphorical criticism to analyse how a singer unveils societal truth through lyrics. A popular singer, G.E.M., was the only Asian musician who got Forbes Under 30 in 2016, and was named “Taylor Swift of China”. Music involves emotional clues with happiness or sadness in a song and triggers listeners’ emotions. The puzzle of this study is: how do popular music lyrics, like G.E.M.’s works, represent societal issues with diverse stories, such as gender relationships and family love, with metaphorical usage of animal characteristics as a discourse method? The song “Grey Wolf” portrays the essence of the wolf as cunning. G.E.M. used white and black to represent good and evil so the public could easily understand the concept. However, the lyrics tell us that reality has no dualism or false dilemma; we are all grey wolves that have misunderstood or emotionally hurt others in relationships. The grey wolf (vehicle) means tolerance in this song and a warning to society (tenor). The song “Do not Force It” used a hedgehog to hint that people in love relationships always stab each other. The song “Mama” adopts a firefly that always lights people in the darkness as a metaphor for a mother’s love for her children. This album includes 13 songs that all use animals as a metaphorical strategy in the lyrics. Metaphors are a practical way to reveal societal issues for the public to reflect on and strike a balance between the popular market and the lyricist’s ideas about society.
