Age Representation Homework

Young people



The TV show 'Skins' is an example of a media text which represents young people in a negative light. The name of the programme itself is a reference to use of drugs, showing how the writer has used language to bring out these negative teenage connotations. In the video above we see the characters at a house party drinking large amounts of alcohol, taking drugs and having sex. This depicts the negative stereotype of teenagers entirely. In terms of visual codes, the characters in the video are all wearing clothes that would be considered trendy or fashionable by this age group. This enables the viewers to relate to the show and shows how the writer assumes that this is typical behaviour of all people this age, representing the whole age group in a negative light.

This article taken from the Daily Mail website is also an example of a negative representation of youth. It can be considered as a rich text as it also shows stereotypes of the male gender. The language and mode of address used in the headline has been included specifically to shock the reader and to create a negative light over the teenager. The fact that he is described as a student suits the stereotype in society today that students of around 18-20 spend their time drinking excessively and doing stupid things. Also in the second paragraph it says he was dared by his other friends to do the act, suggesting that this is a typical mentality of most teenagers, boys in particular.

Old people

This article has been taken from the website of newspaper The Independent. It represents people of an old age in a negative light through the language used by the writer. The specific age of the woman has been included in the title of the article along with words like pensioner in order to establish just how old she is. These words often have connotations of being settled and leading un-exciting lives. However this article challenges these ideas through the use of words like 'arrest', 'cocaine' and 'birthday bash'. These are words that are often considered to be negative and related to people of a much younger age. The fact that these words have been selected in this context creates a negative representation of the elderly woman and potentially this age group as a whole. It could represent them as out of control and wild.

Stereotypes of age in media

This is an article taken from The Independent website and creates a stereotypical view of teenagers in modern society. The language and mode of address used portrays teenagers and boys in particular as obsessed with drinking and being out of control. Also the use of social media in the text creates a stereotype as the majority of british teenagers are users of sites like Facebook, labelling everyone of these people as the same. 

Examples for Gender Representation Question

This article has been taken from the site of tabloid newspaper The Sun. We can see that the article has been constructed by the newspaper in order to create a specific representation of Amanda Knox. The fact that they have described her as 'Tearful Knox' makes me think that they are trying to represent her as sad about the events in the article and almost as innocent. In the first line of the article the word 'EMOTIONAL' has been used in capital letters to again re-enforce the fact that she has became unstable and sad after being re-convicted. This supports the common stereotype of women that they are emotionally unstable and possibly weak.

The Sun can be seen here objectifying women and their bodies for the C to D class, predominantly male audience. The story in between the two is a much more serious one which is being used as the leading story on the majority of other sites.

Stereotypes of Young & Old

In this article we can see a stereotypical representation of elderly people, women in particular. The age is included in the headline of murder by poor driving in order to emphasise her age, almost giving a reason for the driving mistake. If '79' was left out of the headline it would create a completely different story with the main focus being away from her old age. A lot of people would have the opinion that some people over a certain age are not suitable for driving and this article represents elderly people as error prone and danger. On the other hand, this could challenge the stereotype of old people settling down and living not so exciting lives. In this case, an elderly person has murdered three people.

                                

This episode of The Inbetweeners is good for representing the life of a stereotypical British teenager. The clothes that are worn in the programme could be considered as fashionable, most likely bought from shops like Topman. The main topics of conversation between the boys in the programme is sex, alcohol and being popular. In this episode in particular, a student house is visited where drinking games are played. This meets the stereotype of students as their lives are often associated with drinking.

Examples for Audience Task

Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents

The uses and gratifications theory can be applied to this TV programme. Firstly, viewers will look at this show for entertainment purposes. The events that take place on the show are often staged in order to create humour as well as drama. Secondly, it can be viewed for personal identity purposes. The programme is aimed at 16 - 22 year olds of both genders who are likely to be going on similar holidays themselves in the future. They will look at what goes on in the programme and relate to their own experiences in the past for future. Finally, Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents will be viewed for social integration. This is because it is a very popular programme with ages 16-20 which means it will be a popular topic at colleges and universities. People may decide to watch the show in order to fit in with others and engage in their conversations about the programme.

Improving my mock exam grade

Audience question

• Integrate more media language e.g. connotations
• Confidently use theories and language

Representation question

• Explain in more detail
• Use a wide range of examples e.g. TV shows, magazines, newspaper
• Integrate theories in more detail e.g. uses and gratifications 

Revision and study

• Pick out a wide range of examples to use when answering questions
• Look over notes at the end of the week, increasing in amount closer to exam
• Use time in free periods wisely by catching up on work and revising

Coursework

• Spend time improving work at home
• Hand all work in for the deadline
• Write drafts of report to be marked, enabling me to see how I can improve

Representation of Gender in The Wanted - We Own The Night

In this music video we see the male members of the band represented as alpha males. They are drinking in a pub and playing darts, something associated with being a male. The women in the video are sexualised as they are often shown in long shots exposing all parts of the body. They are all excited when getting ready to go out and see the men.

Representation of Women in Casualty

Throughout the clip women are seen as quite powerful. They are in high quality jobs and are in charge of organising major parts of the hospital. Later on in the clip we see the nurses keeping a man alive, showing they are trusted in control of a man's life. However it could be argued that the women acting in the program are not a true representation of women working in hospitals today. Those in the program are famous actors and would have most likely been selected for the way they look.