Marxism & Hegemony: Blog Tasks :)

Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

This review suggests that Capital features a left-wing ideology due to the diversity of the ensemble cast- this is due to the diversity in gender, ethnicity, and race. The reviewer believes that the diversity of Capital was overly exaggerated and makes it clear that the representation of the upper class (Roger and Arabella) in comparison to the working-class characters from ethnic minorities is what makes Capital appear to be left-wing 

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

• "Honestly, you’ll get rid of your family after Christmas faster than this feeble drama departed" 
• "The crime was handed from one cardboard character to the next" 
• "You can be certain it wasn’t the plot that attracted the BBC drama department in the first place" 

I agree with the second criticism to a certain extent but I believe that this review are too harsh because it is unfair to describe the characters as "cardboard" because they all have been depicted for particular portrayals to get certain messages across to the audience which means that the characters are not as two-dimensional as this review suggests. I also believe that the writers must have had certain intentions for the ending of the show so the way that the show ended should not be criticised which leads me to disagree with this review. I don't agree with the final criticism because the plot of the show was well thought out- especially the mystery that coincides with the postcards that each character received. This criticism seems to be exaggerated and perhaps this is a political opinion based on how Capital is right-wing and the reviewer is offended by what is being portrayed in this show

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

Left-wing ideologies have been portrayed through the character of Quentina because she is seen as a hard-working illegal immigrant but she isn't getting paid what she deserves due to the large commission she must pay in order to receive her wages. The portrayal of Quentina allows the audience to sympathise with her and this reinforces left-wing ideologies because it promotes helping the less wealthy and reducing inequalities. Another way that left-wing ideologies are promoted is through Ahmed's family because they are the representation of a working class family in the show and we can see the importance of working to provide for your family as well as emphasising the importance of family values whilst they were seated around the table 

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

The status quo in capitalist London is reinforced by the character of Roger- this is especially portrayed through his reaction to the £30,000 bonus. Roger had severely struggled with the bonus of "only" £30,000 and this allows the audience to fully understand how insignificant £30,000 is to the wealthy people in London when in fact, that amount of money could have changed Ahmed and Quentina's lives- this further reinforces the importance of money in a capitalist London society 

Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Marxism suggests that power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth 

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

The Apprentice is a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies because the person who has all the power (Lord Sugar) has been put in a superior position to reinforce the idea of the capitalist elite. Due to all his power, he has the ability to create wealth and uses his power to provide a livelihood for the winner of the competition- all of the contestants are dependant on him for their survival. They must possess certain qualities that are rewarded with success and can be seen as part of the construction of false consciousness regarding the personalities if people who are valued within the capitalist system 

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)

• Daily Mail: The Daily Mail demonises the working class because they produce blatantly classist headlines online and in the physical newspaper. The Daily Mail are undeniably a right-wing tabloid so they naturally reject left-wing ideologies- this is especially done by criticising the working class in order to portray the upper class in a better light 
• Eastenders: Eastenders undeniably fetishises the working class by portraying the community as the standard for all working-class people which is entirely inaccurate. The show does not portray an accurate representation of East London at all but instead is just purely for the sake of entertainment 
• The Sun: The Sun is another right-wing tabloid that completely rejects left-wing ideologies because they tend to produce headlines in which they blame the working-class people in London for all the issues that the upper-class people have to face 

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet: When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

Capital subverts some Marxist readings as the mass is presented in a more positive light (Quentina, Ahmed's family and Petunia) than the power elite (the bankers, Roger and Arabella). In Capital, being a member of the mass has been viewed as positively- this is especially portrayed whilst Ahmed and his family were eating dinner. The Government having the ability to deport Quentina is a representation of the masses accepting the 'natural' values of the power elite no matter how unpleasant they may be