BIG ISSUE (CSP 2- BOBBLE HEAD SUNKA AND STARMER)) ANALYSIS Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is the (political) context of the issue?
Published during a general election–amid public dissilussionment, rising homeless, and cost of living crisis.
Economic context?
BI is an alternative press product meaning it is not beholdend to any adviser or coporate interest; which allows it to boldy criticise both political parties.
Intertextual references– ‘A cross between A Carry On Film and Being on the Titanic’
Carry On Film: Reference to a long-running British comedy series–known for its over-the-top, slapstick comedy.
Titanic: Metaphor for something that looks grand and impressive but doomed to fail.
Intertextual references; frame British politics as laughably chaotic and tragically doomed. Juxaposition creates polysemic reading–audiences can interpret it as satire, critique or a warning.
Bobble heads/ cariticure–lampooning of political figures
Sunak and Starmer are edited onto smaller bodies which ridicule and diminish their authority.
The unnatural scale of their expressions creates a cartoonish effect, further dinimishing their symbolic power.
Represented as mythic symbols of failure, incompetence, dysfunction or even narcissism.
Binary opposition between the vendor vs polician
Vendor- positive representation through non-verbal codes e.g. confident expression and body language.
Positioned within the center of rule of thirds- he is in the center of both politicans-represents grouded reality, balance, centrality, real labour and diginity (juxpaosed against two extremes in failure, etc)
Preferred reading- these political figures are at odds with the public and do not represent or service their interests
Costuming
Costuming functions as a visual shorthand for political critique and exploration of class conflict.
Sunak is dressed in a tailored suit—a caricture of elite privilige/ buisness class– a man of wealth and status insulated from gov decisions–part of the bougoise class-detatched (thus eyes are closed)
Starmer is dressed in a plain white shirt–associated with the working class or everyday man–suggesting he is simply a card carrying working class figure.
The Big Issue critiques the failure of both political parties to connect meaningfully with those they claim to represent.
Colour scheme- red, blue and white
Red, white and blue- evoke the Union Jack connoting British identity.
But the national symbol has become distorted, almost unrecognisable– BI trying to represent what Britain has become under current politics.
Binary colour scheme– reinforces a sense of political polarisation and conflict ( a conflict represented as performative and unproductive)
Coverline- Christmas kids cover competition returns’
Offers tonal and ideological counterpoint to the dominate political theatre.
Reaffirms the BI commitment to community engagment.
Juxaposition creates a Barthesian polysemic text where readers are invited to reflect the contrast between political dysfunction and innocence of youth.
Proppian character spheres?
Starmer and Sunak are represented as fools/ villians, whilst the vendor is represented as the hero of the narrative/ of Britain
His position at the base of the image symbolically holds up the nation, reflecting The Big Issue’s narrative that real change and value come from ordinary people, not elite politicians.
This inversion of traditional power roles challenges dominant ideologies and aligns with The Big Issue’s ethos: empowering the marginalised and giving voice to those failed by the system.
Non-verbal codes/ micro-expressions
Sunak–eyes closed–visual metaphor for his blind ignorance and arrogance.
Starmer—looking up–unwilling to face the situation/country/ political landscape for what is it is (perhaps a more optimistic representation as he may be forward looking)
