First Draft. . .

“I had the craziest dream. I was 17. I was back in high school. It was terrible. Mmmm.” [1]

An investigation into the representation of teenagers in Hollywood productions and how this has changed over the years.

The representation of teenagers has continuously known to change over the years within the media. Teenagers have been represented from positively to negatively which has created a moral panic in the media. This essay will be exploring the representation of teenagers in Hollywood productions through the three platforms broadcast, e-media and print. This will allow me to look at the different representations that are being created of teenagers in Hollywood productions as the contemporary texts that will be useful in my investigation are texts such as '17 Again' (2009) compared to other Hollywood texts. This shows that this essay will focus upon looking at the representation of teenagers in depth in Hollywood productions and see whether this stereotype is being reinforced or challenged continuously. Murphy believes that ideas become stereotypes that are "unrealistic" and "unsatisfactory" [2] which could be the case when looking at teenagers that will be explored in this essay.

"Today it is widely recognised that stereotypes are inaccurate, simplistic generalisations about a group of individuals that may lead to particular perceptions of the group by others" [3]. Is this the case with teenagers? Youths have continuously been represented in a “negative way thus creating folk devils” [4] within movies due to the personality that has been created. This representation is shown through films such as '17 Again' where teenagers are getting in to fights as the jocks and nerds are always getting in to fights and in the film 'Superbad' (2007) where the boys are obsessed over the girls. This shows that the stereotypes of teenagers are being reinforced in these films and Hollywood institutions are not challenging them but is doing what the media is concerned about as Hollywood has been “decisively juvenalized” [5] towards teenagers. However, in the film 'High School Musical' (2006), teenagers are represented as passionate towards their singing which is a positive representation of teenagers. This relates to the semiotics theory as different interpretations are being created in different films which has resulted to the audience having different views of teenagers. This relates to Lewis who believes that "teen films are addressing major issues like alienation, delinquency, rebellion, sex and gender" [6]. This connotes that different types of ten films are looking at different issues which results to many different interpretations of teenagers from the audience.

During the twentieth century in America, social policies and institutions began to treat those under 20 as "both distinct and separate from adults“ [7]. This connotes that over time the stereotypes of teenagers has changed in the media as in the 20th century, this representation of teenagers begun as they were stereotyped negatively which resulted to a moral panic. This representation is shown in films such as ’17 Again’ where teenagers are causing trouble within school by getting in to fights and more interested in ‘popularity’ and girls which is shown through the character Mike (Zac Efron) who has little interest in education. "In parallel fashion, Hollywood has always made films about young people (Considine, 1981) . They have also made films designed or presumed to cater for what it called 'the juve trade' - juvenile spectators” [8]. This was the case while comparing this contemporary text to a historical text, there was a difference in the stereotypes of teenagers from how it is now which was shown as the jocks in the film is continuously threatening to kill and stab their enemies whereas no violence as such takes place. These type of films have created a representation in parents minds too that every middle school student is “gossip ridden, hormone-raging and naive” [9] which shows the way in which parents are easily willing to “pin these stereotypes to their children, and then judge them accordingly” [10]. This connotes that even though the representation has changed of teenagers over time to an even more negative representation which shows that it is as if Hollywood is producing films on teenagers for fashion as if teenagers are a trend. This relates to the social factors as it connotes that the emphasise of these Hollywood films are resulting to teenagers becoming a social topic with the public and youth groups continuously being targeted as if they do not fit in to society which shows that teenagers representation has changed in the media negatively from a historical view. This has then resulted to an increase in the moral panic and a increase in the way that teenagers are being represented in Hollywood movies.

In addition, Martin Barker (1998) describes the concept of stereotypes as a “useless tool for investigating texts for misrepresenting the ‘real world’” [11]. This connotes that the stereotypes of teenagers are misrepresenting the ‘real world’ and allowing teenagers to be stereotyped in this negative way. This is shown in the film ‘Step up 2: The Streets’ (2008) as teenagers are being misrepresented due to teenagers taking part in street dance and dancing illegally. This connotes that this Hollywood film has portrayed teenagers in a negative way just due to teenagers wanting to fulfil their passion of dancing and as the film’s title mentions “the streets” it connotes that teenagers are trouble makers and hang around in the streets causing the audience to believe this representation of teenagers. Furthermore, is this negative representation of teenagers being created in to a moral panic due to the way that the media is portraying teenagers? The media is known to have “the power through selection and reinforcement to give us very influential portrayals of a whole range of groups” [12]. This connotes that due to the media and its texts, the audience is then being injected ideas in to their minds according to the hypodermic needle theory which has resulted to a moral panic on teenagers. This is also shown as the media organise power through stereotypical representations that “re inscribe social rules and roles” [13] which shows that the media plays a part in the view of teenagers. This has resulted to the way that teenagers are shown in the media and resulting to a moral panic then.

In a historical perspective, the representation of teenagers has changed over the years in a range of ways in Hollywood productions. Marshal Mcluhan he dubbed the media that they “rarely see by accident and never without interest” [14] which shows that the representation of teenagers may have been created continuously by the media due to them wanting to gain an audience for their benefit which has resulted to the historical change in the stereotypes of teenagers in Hollywood productions. This change has been shown as in the Hollywood film ‘Rebel without a Cause’ (1955); teenagers were not represented as negatively as they are now. This is shown as in ‘Rebel without a Cause’; Jim is continuously trying to prove himself to his friends by switchblade knife fights and dangerous driving. This connotes that in this film there is violence present but it is not as much as now as any murder scenes are shown or abuse towards peers whereas it is in contemporary films. Also, the basic stereotypes of teenagers within the 90’s were that teenagers are disrespectful towards teachers and immature whereas now teenagers have become a threat in the media. Barry (1999) believes that ‘Rebel without a Cause’ was “deeply alarming in their portrayal of teenagers willing to defy school teachers” [15]. This connotes that within the 90’s teenagers were not represented as negatively as they are now as teenagers were represented as disrespectful towards teenagers but now teenagers have been stereotyped in the media as a violent group of people.

Another historical media text that can raise awareness on the difference of the representation of teenagers is the Hollywood media text ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985). Tessa Parking (1997) believed that “we tend to make assumptions about stereotypes which can themselves be misleading” [16]. This could be the case when looking at ‘The Breakfast Club’ as this text looks at teenagers negatively whereas it is not largely negative. For example, the teenagers in the film are in a detention throughout the film in which they give death threats to each other and get in to fights a few times. This connotes that it is a negative representation of teenagers as they are in detention and are getting in to fights whereas the major different between this and contemporary texts is that in this historical text teenagers are not literally fighting and killing each other as there is only threats taking place. This shows that there is a large difference in the representations of teenagers in the historical Hollywood texts than the contemporary Hollywood historical texts. This is different to the representation of teenagers now as teenagers are now committing murders and getting involved in a large amount of violence. This historical text can also be evidence to show that adults have made “protecting and controlling the young as an obsession” [17]. This connotes that this text shows the way in which teenagers are being controlled by both teachers and their parents which may have been the cause of teenager’s delinquency behaviour.

In addition, the media holds a vital part in the representation of teenagers who can also be the reason for this representation. This is shown as the media is also known to find teenagers as “easy targets and plenty of materials for sensational journalism” [18]. This connotes that the media may be creating this negative representation of teenagers which has then resulted to Hollywood films also reinforcing this representation. Also, this shows that the media is in a way ‘using’ teenagers in order to gain larger audience who will be attracted to read an issue which will create a moral panic. “Youth has always provided the audience with ample opportunities for negative representations of young people” [19]. This connotes that the media is using this opportunity wisely and creating a negative representation of teenagers which will attract more customers and benefit the media. This shows that this relates to surveillance according to the Uses and Gratifications theory as the audience will be interested to know what is going on in the media. This will mean that the audience will continuously hear about teenagers which will result to the audience believing this too which will result in teenagers being represented negatively in the media which will be reinforced in Hollywood texts. Teenagers have also become a “source of titillation for the older viewer” [20] due to teenagers becoming an amusement topic for adults which is reinforced by the way in which teenagers are presented in Hollywood productions.

Overall by looking at the representation of teenagers in Hollywood productions from a historical and contemporary view, it is clear that the representation of teenagers has changed largely. This is shown as Hollywood productions before in a historical view used to represent teenagers as negative but they did not get involved in large amounts of violence whereas now Hollywood productions include teenagers getting pregnant, knife crime, abuse and many more. Also, Hollywood is known to create “unrealistic expectation for teenagers” [21] which connotes that teenagers are continuously being targeted by major institutions such as Hollywood. As a result, teenagers in the media and Hollywood productions are being stereotyped negatively thus creating a moral panic as teenagers are being seen as dangerous and a threat to the media. This moral panic has been created due to teenagers being a subordinate group who is being controlled by the dominant groups which shows that over time the stereotypes of teenagers is turning worse each year. This concludes that the representation of teenagers is continuously getting negative by year as they are being stereotyped in a way in which the public is afraid of teenagers too which connotes that by looking at the representation of teenagers in a historical and contemporary view, it is clear that the representation of teenagers is not improving year by year but is turning more negative. This shows that overall teenagers are being negatively as we as teenagers are misunderstood but “we’re people, just like everyone else” [22].

[1]. www.imdb.com/title/tt0974661/quotes

[2]. Nicholos, Joe, Price, John (1998): Advanced Studies in Media, United Kingdom; Nelson. p44.

[3]. Casey, Bernadette, Casey, Neil, Calvert, Ben, French, Liam, Lewis, Justin (2002): Television Studies the Key Concepts, London; Routledge. p229.

[4]. Sardar, Ziauddin, Loon, Boring (2000): Introducing Media Studies, UK; Totem Books. p77.

[5]. Doherty, T (1988): Teenagers and Teenpics: The Suvenlization of American movies in the 1950s, Boston; Unwinhyman. p124

[6]. Blandford, Steve (2001): The Film Studies Dictionary, London; Arnold. p238.

[7]. Neale, Steve (2000): Genre and Hollywood, London; Routledge. p119.

[8]. Cook, Pam, Bernink, Mieke Eds (1999): The Cinema Book 2nd Edition, London; BFI. p218.

[9]. www.teen-culture.suite101.com/article.cfm/teen_stereotypes

[10]. http://www.helium.com/items/1438882-teenagers

[11]. O’Sullivian, Tim, Dutton, Brian, Rayner, Phillip (1994): Studying the Media Second Edition, Great Britain; Arnold. p86.

[12]. www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/repsyouth.html

[13]. Curran, James, Gurevitah, Micheal eds (2005): Mass Media and Society, London, Hodder Education. p341

[14]. Bennett, Peter, Slater, Jerry, Wall, Petter (2006): A2 Media Studies: The Essential Introduction, Abingdon Oxon; Routledge. p77.

[15]. Carter, Cynthia, Weaver, C.Kay (2003): Violence and the Media, Buckingham; Open University Press. p52.

[16]. Bennett, Peter, Slater, Jerry, Wall, Peter (2006): A2 Media Studies: The Essential Introduction, Oxon; Routledge. p81.

[17]. Provert, David, Graham, Andrew (2008): Advanced Media Studies, Oxfordshire; Phillip Allan. p135.

[18]. Ibid. p135

[19]. Brignell, Jonathan (2004): An Introduction to Television Studies, London; Routledge. p240.
[20]. Brignell, Jonathan (2004): An Introduction to Television Studies, London; Routledge. p240
[21]. www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/05/18/hollywood_s_obsession_with_the_perfect_p
[22]. http://www.momaroo.com/696329679/a-teenager-speaking-out-against-teenage-stereotypes/