Media Contexts

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Waterfalls - Media Contexts

TLC's 'Waterfalls' relies heavily on cultural contexts.

Genre context

Many R&B videos in the 1990s focused on romance and relationships.
Many hip-hop videos often showed groups of men celebrating wealth, sometimes linked to crime.
- 'Waterfalls' references these genre conventions by showing the temptations of sex and crime.
The video delivers a more cautionary message than most music videos in its genre.

TLC and girl-group culture

TLC were the second-biggest girl group of the 1990s after the Spice Girls.
Both groups promoted messages of female solidarity and empowerment.
TLC's image was more “gritty” and socially engaged than many pop girl groups.

Socially aware hip-hop

The song fits into the sub-genre of “socially aware” hip-hop.
This type of music explores real-life issues with sympathy instead of glamorising harmful lifestyles.
- Many gangsta rap artists (e.g. Ice T, NWA, Notorious B.I.G.) also wrote songs about poverty and crime.
'Waterfalls' delivers a more emotional and nuanced perspective than typical “ghetto fables.”

Style: expressionism vs realism

The video communicates its messages through expressionism rather than strict realism.
Expressionism focuses on emotional truth, often using abstract or symbolic visuals.
The supernatural visuals (ghosts, water bodies, stylised disease symptoms) enhance the emotional impact.
- This artistic style makes the video’s warnings feel more universal and symbolic.

1Overview

1.1Media Language

1.1.1Media Language

1.1.2Media Language 2

1.2Audience

1.2.1Audiences

1.2.2Audiences 2

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Media Language & Audience

1.3Representation

1.3.1Stereotypes

1.3.2Gender

1.3.3Audiences

1.4The Media Industry

1.4.1Media Industries

1.4.2Ownership

1.4.3Funding & Regulation

1.4.4End of Topic Test - Representation/Media Industry

2Component 1: Section A

2.1Magazines - Vogue

2.1.1Magazines

2.1.2Vogue - Context

2.1.3Vogue - Narrative

2.1.4Vogue - Representation

2.2Magazines - GQ

2.2.1GQ - Context

2.2.2GQ - Narrative

2.2.3GQ - Representation

2.3Advertising & Marketing

2.3.1Advertising & Marketing

2.3.2Analysing Adverts

2.3.3Analysing Adverts 2

2.3.4Theories & Principles

2.3.5End of Topic Test - Magazines & Advertising

2.4Print Advertisements - Quality Street

2.4.1Quality Street - Context

2.4.2Quality Street - Narrative

2.4.3Quality Street - Representation

2.5Print Advertisements - (2026 Exams) This Girl Can

2.5.1This Girl Can - Context

2.5.2This Girl Can - Narrative

2.5.3This Girl Can - Representation

2.6Print Advertisements - (2027 Exams) NHS 111

2.6.1NHS 111 - Context

2.6.2NHS 111 - Narrative

2.6.3NHS 111 - Representation

2.7Film Posters (Marketing)

2.7.1The Man with The Golden Gun

2.7.2The Man with The Golden Gun 2

2.8Film - No Time To Die

2.8.1Context

2.8.2Narrative

2.8.3Representation

2.9Newspapers

2.9.1Ownership & Regulation

2.9.2News Selection

2.9.3Media Language

2.9.4Genres

2.9.5Newspaper Conventions

2.9.6Representation

2.9.7Audience

2.9.8Theories

2.9.9End of Topic Test - Newspapers

2.10The Sun

2.10.1Context

2.10.2Narrative

2.10.3Language & Images

2.11The Guardian

2.11.1The Guardian

2.11.2Narrative

2.11.3Language & Images

2.12(2028 Exams) The Sun

2.12.1The Sun - Context

2.12.2The Sun - Narrative

2.12.3The Sun - Representation

2.13(2028 Exams) The Guardian

2.13.1The Guardian - Context

2.13.2The Guardian - Narrative

2.13.3The Guardian - Representation

3Component 1: Section B

3.1Video Games

3.1.1Video Games

3.2Video Games - Fortnite

3.2.1Fortnite (2017) - Media Industries

3.2.2Fornite (2017) - Audience

3.3Film

3.3.1The Big Six

3.3.2Technology

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Video Games & Films

3.4Radio

3.4.1The Radio Industry

3.4.2Categories of Radio Station

3.4.3Technology & Radio Audiences

3.4.4Theories

3.4.5End of Topic Test - Radio

3.5Radio - The Archers

3.5.1Production

3.5.2Media Industries

3.5.3Media Contexts

3.5.4Audiences 1

3.5.5Audiences 2

3.6(2027 Exams) Radio - Desert Island Discs

3.6.1Media Industries

3.6.2Audiences

3.6.3Media Contexts

4Component 2: Section A

4.1Television

4.1.1The Television Industry

4.1.2Types of Broadcasting

4.1.3Media Language & TV

4.1.4Representation & Audiences

4.1.5Theories

4.2Sitcom

4.2.1Sitcoms

4.2.2Friends

4.2.3Friends 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Sitcoms & Friends

4.3Sitcom - Modern Family

4.3.1Media Language

4.3.2Representation

4.3.3Media Industries

4.3.4Audiences

4.3.5Media Contexts

4.4Sitcom - Man Like Mobeen

4.4.1Media Language

4.4.2Representations

4.4.3Media Industries

4.5(2026 Exams) Luther

4.5.1Context

4.5.2Media Language

4.5.3Representation

4.5.4Audience

4.5.5Industry

4.6The Sweeney

4.6.1Context

4.6.2Media Language

4.6.3Representation

4.6.4Audience

4.6.5Industry

5Component 2: Section B

5.1Music Video

5.1.1Music Videos

5.1.2The Music Industry

5.2Lizzo - 'Good as Hell'

5.2.1Context

5.2.2'Good as Hell'

5.2.3Media Language

5.2.4Representation

5.2.5Audience

5.2.6Industry

5.3Taylor Swift - 'The Man'

5.3.1Taylor Swift

5.3.2Media Language

5.3.3Representation

5.3.4Audiences

5.3.5Media Industries

5.3.6Media Contexts

5.4Stormzy - 'Superheroes'

5.4.1Stormzy

5.4.2Media Language

5.4.3Representation

5.4.4Audiences

5.4.5Media Industries

5.4.6Media Contexts

5.5Justin Bieber - 'Intentions'

5.5.1Justin Bieber

5.5.2Media Language

5.5.3Representation

5.5.4Audiences

5.5.5Media Industries

5.5.6Media Contexts

5.6TLC - 'Waterfalls'

5.6.1TLC

5.6.2Media Language

5.6.3Representation

5.6.4Media Contexts

5.7Duran Duran - 'Rio'

5.7.1Duran Duran

5.7.2Media Language

5.7.3Representation

5.7.4Media Contexts

5.8Online Media - Lizzo

5.8.1Media Language

5.8.2Representation

5.8.3Audiences

5.8.4Media Contexts & Industries

5.9Online Media - Taylor Swift

5.9.1Media Language

5.9.2Representation

5.9.3Audiences

5.9.4Media Contexts & Industries

5.10Online Media - Stormzy

5.10.1Media Language

5.10.2Representation

5.10.3Audience

5.10.4Media Context & Industries

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