The representation of teenagers has continously 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 Hollwood productions through the three platforms broadcast, emedia 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 continously. Murphy believes that ideas become stereotypes that are "unrealistic" and "unsatisfactory" [1] 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" [2]. Is this the case with teenagers? Youths have continously been represented as delinquent, immature and illmannered 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. 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, consumption and nostalgia" [3]. 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 course of the twentieth century in America and elsewhere in the industrialized west, a series of social policies, practices and institutions have increasingly begun to treat those under 20 as both distinct and separate from adults, two key terms have emerged in America to mark it: ‘adolescence’ (term used by psychologist G.Stanley Hall in 1904) and ‘teenager’ (a term first used in the popular press in the 1920’s).” [4]. 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." [5]. 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 Andrew, the jock in the film is continuously threatening to kill and stab Bender, the rebel in the film whereas no violence as such takes place. 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.
[1]. Nicholos, Joe, Price, John (1998): Advanced Studies in Media, United Kingdom; Nelson. Page 44.
[2]. Casey, Bernadette, Casey, Neil, Calvert, Ben, French, Liam, Lewis, Justin (2002): Television Studies The Key Concepts, London; Routledge. Page 229.
[3]. Blandford, Steve (2001): The Film Studies Dictionary, London; Arnold. Page 238.
[4] Neale, Steve (2000): Genre and Hollywood, London; Routledge. Page 119.
[5] Cook, Pam, Bernink, Mieke eds (1999): The Cinema Book 2nd Edition, London; BFI. Page 218.
No comments:
Post a Comment