Media Language and forms

There are many denotative and connotative levels of meaning within ‘Ugly Betty’. Firstly, the structure and character positions are very important, as Daniels father owns everything and this connotes a patriarchal society, as Daniels father has all the power and is at the top of the hierarchy. This patriarchal society is also connoted by Betty’s position as she works for Daniel and take orders from him. In the swag episode, Betty gets a Gucci bag, the denotation is that she just receives a bag, yet the bag is so much more than that, as it connotes high status and Betty gets respected and acknowledged due to it. This connotes that it’s not important who you are, it’s about what you own. As what you own is vital, the audience see that Betty is from a lower class in comparison to Wilhelmina, who is of a higher class, so has more material, giving the impression that she is better.
Meaning of facial expressions:
Amanda is usually shown to have a smirk on her face when she says something mean to Betty, which makes her seem almost childlike.
Wilhelmina tends to have a little smile and raises her eyebrows or even rolls her eyes, which suggest that she views herself as superior and she suggest that she disregards everyone because they are inferior to her.
Betty has a smile revealing her braces and this could be intended to reveal her ugliness yet it could also be to show she’s confident and doesn’t care what people think, as she’s happy with herself. Betty tends to give a look of disappointment when Daniel has done something wrong which again reflects her mother role.

Meaning of positional communications:
Amanda is shown with her hand on one hip and head held high whilst walking. This gives the impression that she is confident and comfortable in her surrounding. Her walk makes her seem catty, competitive and straightforward. As her head is high this suggests she thinks she’s superior yet she comes across as childish.
Wilhelmina usually has her head held high and her posture is straight, which connotes her superiority. However, she (in comparison to Amanda) comes across as much classier and elegant-this makes her seem covert and sly.
Betty stands with her hands in front of her together and waits for orders which make her seem like a good obedient worker. She also stands with both hands on her hips when telling Daniel off revealing her mother role. She tends to be rushing around completing endless tasks. In the swag episode, when Betty has the Gucci bag she doesn’t rush around-she even holds her head up high, showing she feels happy and confident. However, when she gets rid of the bag, she doesn’t feel so happy; it also in a sense makes her shrink back into the background.
Props: In the swag episode, Betty has a Gucci bag and the bag has much significance as the episode shows that it’s not about who you are, instead people gain status via their possessions. This is the case with Betty as she is acknowledged due to the bag.
‘Ugly Betty’ is set in New York as it’s viewed as a busy environment and the mise-en–scene is a working environment-it is the mode building and mainly Daniel’s office. This is important as this is where all the cunning plans are created and secrets are revealed or hidden. It is also almost like a school due to all the bitching and bullying. The other mise-en-scene is Betty’s home, as the program focuses on her lifestyle, so it shows all aspects of her life.
The sound is always parallel to what’s happening on the scene. The beginning often starts with fast music while different face features of Betty rearranged to match up with pretty models. The music is fast which connotes the pace of the environment as it’s shown to be busy. It also connotes that Betty’s life is like a whirlwind and that she is always rushed of her feet. The face is rearranged to show how ‘ugly’ Betty really is, as all her features make other pretty models look really ugly.
The dominant image which appears frequently is of Betty’s face, and this is because the program is about her so it has much relevance to the major themes, as she’s the main character and majority of the time the themes tend to include and revolve around her.