1. How does the ad glamorise violence? (Consider mise-en-scene, shot type, camera angle, use of sound, editing)
There are many techniques used in the 50 Cent video to glamorise violence. It start by showing a some shops on a main road and then all off a sudden a train goes past in the middle of the street very quickly, which is followed by an image of 50 cents face and then a back to the street this a flashing red tint and a girl screaming; this series of images and sounds are almost a reconstruction of 50 cent getting shot which is mentioned later on, the train connotes a vehicle 50 cents face connotes criminals and or “gangstas” and the flashing red screen and the girl screaming shows him being shot, just after the girls scream there is a news reporters voice saying “rapper 50 cent has just gone down in Jamaica queens”, which tells the reader that the previous events connote his attack . The fact that they used someone as well-known as 50 cent showing him getting shot glamorises being shot and shooting people and viewers who aspire to be like 5 cent may be encouraged to behave like him and do the same things as him. Later in the video it shows him sitting in on a box it a dark room wearing g-unit (gang) clothing counting from 1-9 (the amount of times the got shot). At the same time as him counting up there is news reports playing in the background talking about his attack one saying he is in hospital in a critical condition and another saying he was signed to shady aftermath (record company) which makes the viewer think that was why he was attacked which would have been from a gang. The last voice says “50 cent still has the game on smash, tell me who are you gonna massacre next” the reply which 50 cent gives is him laughing then a beat is played and the reebok logo comes on the screen. 50 cents reply connotes that he thinks of killing as a joke and funny.
2. Why would a global company like Reebok glamorise violence in this way? What do you think is their intention?
I think that reebok is not trying to glamorise violence at all I think it is trying to show the effects of violence in the form of talking about 50 cents near death experience and is trying to show that are involved in serious gangs can and will be involved in serious attacks such as shootings and people who think violence is funny and do it because they are involved in gangs will get hurt and possibly killed.
3. Who is the target audience and how do you think they would be affected by the ideology of the ad?
The target of the advert is young people as they are main group of people that are involved in gang crime and general violence like knife and gang crime and I think they intend on showing the target audience they dangers of the activities they are involved in and show they want the consciences can be and how serious something they find funny are.
4. In your opinion, should the ad have been banned? Why/Why not?
I do not think it should be banned because of how it shows the consequences of being in a gang and being part of a gang that is involved in violent activity. One the other hand I understand that some people watching the advert will think that 50 cent is cool for surviving and some kind of icon that the viewer should try and be like him and also another view could be that it shows that violence doesn’t have serious consequences and you will not die which is not a real representation of real life. So in conclusion I don’t agree with it being banned but understand the reason why it was.
