Wednesday 24 March 2010

Visual Communication blog 3

(Image taken from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/08/xinsrc_5821004090836953124696.jpg)

In contrast to the previous image, this image is taken from above MPs and thus reverses the "superiority" feeling as seen in the previous picture.

The previous picture was taken in the 1950s or 1960s, with this one being taken in 2007. Over that long time, the public's perception of politicians had changed dramatically. In the 1960s, the British public were much more subservient to their "masters", however by 2007, politicians were resented much more by the British public than they had been just 40 years earlier. Presumably this is because since then there have been a number of scandals involving MPs, not least through John Major's 1992-1997 Conservative government, which led to public distrust and, ultimately, his Conservative Government's downfall in May 1997.

The way this image reverses the "superiority" feeling seen in the previous photograph (a much younger Margaret Thatcher outside the Houses of Parliament) is by looking down on a packed House of Commons during a Prime Minister's Questions session. This makes the MPs look numerous and small to the public, which is helped by the fact that they portray themselves as grown-up school-children gangs in a make believe playground when they are debating.

The feeling of inferiority is also helped by the fact that many, if not all, of these MPs could lose their seats at any time during an election or a by-election.

The framing of the image, once again is done in such a way as to make the Prime Minister the central subject in the image. However, the wide-shot of the Government side of the House of Commons in session for PMQs makes a good impression that Gordon Brown is not the powerful political monster that his predecessor was, and the image of him looking rather small and insignificant among his fellow MPs makes him look like he has no power over his party, unlike Tony Blair, who had his party united.

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