“You see us as you want to see us... in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a prince...and a criminal.[1]”
An investigation into the representation of teenagers in Hollywood productions and how this has changed over the years.
The representation of teenagers in the media has continuously evolved over the years. This is shown through programmes ‘Saved by the Bell’ in comparison to ‘Glee’ where the representation of teenagers has significantly changed when comparing to an older text and a contemporary text. In 1990’s programmes such as ‘Saved by the Bell’ for example, teenagers are represented as considerably more innocent and more like what today’s society would consider as ‘geeks’. The contemporary text ‘Glee’ emphasises the innocent representation of earlier programmes by depicting a group of more worldly “aspiring underdogs”[2] trying to get the best out of life. Other contemporary texts such as ‘Take the Lead’ also follow this idea of aspiring to be better, but only to an extent, as they also show that teenagers are involved in gang crime. Teenagers have been represented both positively and extremely negatively which has created moral panic in wider society. This essay will be exploring the representation of teenagers in contemporary mainstream Hollywood texts such as ’17 Again’ (2009) and ‘Glee’, compared to older mainstream Hollywood texts such as ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985) and ‘Saved by the Bell’. Murphy believes ideas become stereotypes that are "unrealistic" and "unsatisfactory"[3] which could be the case when looking at teenagers which will be explored in this essay.
Indeed, "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"[4]. Is this the case with teenagers? Youths have repeatedly been represented in a “negative way thus creating folk devils”[5] within movies due to the unbalanced image that has been constructed. This representation can be found in such films as ’17 Again’ and ‘Superbad’. In ’17 Again’, teenagers are shown to be continuously getting into fights and having sex. Similarly, ‘Superbad’ shows the teenage boys being sexually obsessed over the ‘hot girls’. This shows that the customary stereotypes of teenagers are being reinforced in dominant, high-grossing films and Hollywood institutions are not challenging ideologies but are pandering to the lowest common denominator so that Hollywood has been “decisively juvenalized”[6]. However, in the film 'High School Musical' (2006), teenagers are represented as passionate towards their singing which is a representation that is challenging stereotypes and therefore demonstrating the evolution of teenage stereotypes in mainstream Hollywood productions. This relates to Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiotics theory as different interpretations are being created in which is resulting to the audience having different interpretations of teenagers. Yet essentially, Lewis believes that, "teen films are addressing major issues like alienation, delinquency, rebellion, sex and gender"[7].
During the Twentieth Century in America, social policies and institutions began to treat those under 20 as "both distinct and separate from adults“[8]. This demonstrates that over time the stereotypes of teenagers have changed in the media as in the 20th century, this representation of teenagers began. This representation is shown in films such as ’17 Again’ where a medium shot is used when a fight breaks out in school. The use of close ups are used to help emphasise the feeling of each character involved in the fight which mainly revolves around Mike (played by Zac Efron). There is a clear opposition between the ‘jocks’ and the ‘nerds’ which relates to personal identity according to the Uses and Gratification theory as teenagers may find this film similar to themselves as due to the distinction between jocks and nerds. This may be as teenagers may face a situation where they are seen as the ‘nerd’ and may be able to watch these type of films and be able to relate to them.
Furthermore, in parallel fashion, Hollywood has always made films about young people. They have also made films designed or presumed to cater for what it called, “'the juve trade' - juvenile spectators”[9]. This was the case while comparing this contemporary text to a historical texts as there was a difference in the stereotypes of teenagers from how it is now which was shown the jocks in the film are continuously threatening to kill and stab their enemies whereas no violence as such takes place. These type of films have created a representation in parent’s minds too that every middle school student is, “gossip ridden, hormone-raging and naive”[10] which shows the way in which parents are easily willing to “pin these stereotypes to their children, and then judge them accordingly”[11]. This has resulted to becoming a social factor in the public mainly due to parental concerns. This demonstrates that it is as if Hollywood is purposely producing films on teenagers for fashion as if teenagers are a trend. This relates to 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 which creates the ideology that they do not fit in to society. This has then resulted to an increase in moral panics being generated about teenagers, and due to this, the representation of teenagers are also becoming even more negative.
Also, Martin Barker (1998) describes the concept of stereotypes as a “useless tool for investigating texts for misrepresenting the ‘real world’”[12]. This implies that the stereotypes of teenagers are misrepresenting the ‘real world’ and are exaggerated. 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 which creates the ideology that they are wrong. This refers to the reception theory as not all of the audience will watch this film and gain a negative view of teenagers whereas some of the audience may interpret this text in a different way depending on their gender, age, class and ethnicity. This implies that this film has reinforced the stereotypes of teenagers due to teenagers wanting to fulfil their passion of dancing and as the film’s title mentions “the streets” it reinforces the negative stereotype of teenagers being trouble makers as representations show teenagers hanging about the street usually as thugs.
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”[13]. This shows that, with reference to the hypodermic needle model, due to the media and its texts, the audience is then being injected ideas in to their minds which has created a moral panic. This is also shown as the media organise power through stereotypical representations that “re inscribe social rules and roles”[14] which shows that the media plays a part in the stereotypes of teenagers. This has resulted in teenagers being represented in the media as negative and violent groups, resulting in the evolution of moral panics.
In a historical perspective, the representation of teenagers has changed over the years in a range of ways in Hollywood productions. The theorist, Marshal Mcluhan, dubbed the media that they “rarely see by accident and never without interest”[15] which shows the media wanting to gain an audience for their benefit. This change has been shown as can be depicted in the Hollywood film ‘Rebel without a Cause’ (1955). The film shows that; teenagers in the 50’s were not represented as negatively as they are now as shown in ‘Rebel without a Cause’; the movie shows the protagonist, Jim, is continuously trying to prove himself to his friends by switchblade knife fights and dangerous driving. In this film there is violence present but it is not as much as now as no murder scenes are shown or abuse towards peers whereas it is in contemporary films.
In the 90’s, the hegemonic stereotype of teenagers was that they were disrespectful towards teachers and were portrayed as extremely immature. Throughout the years, this negative stereotype has developed into an even more negative stereotype and has now become a threat in the media, creating moral panics against teenagers. In earlier movies, children in education were shown to give their teachers an apple as a sign of respect (the apple being a symbol of knowledge which could either be reference to the tree of knowledge in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, or the fact that Einstein discovered gravity with an apple galling on his head). ‘Rebel without a Cause’ shows teenagers answering back to teachers and arguing with them instead of embracing the knowledge given to them by their teachers. The theorist, Barry (1999) believes ‘Rebel without a Cause’ was “deeply alarming in their portrayal of teenagers willing to defy school teachers”[16]. As previously discussed, the representation of teenagers seem to have become even more negative than it was in the 90’s, which now seems ‘innocent’ compared to the violent, threatening stereotypes we are not presented with which shows “youth have once again become the object of public analysis”[17]. This as a result has resulted to teenagers becoming a part of social interaction according to the Uses and Gratifications theory as the public now gain an insight in the circumstances of teenagers.
Another historical Hollywood media text that can raise awareness on the difference of the representation of teenagers is ‘The Breakfast Club’. Tessa Parking (1997) believed that “we tend to make assumptions about stereotypes which can themselves be misleading”[18]. This could be the case when looking at ‘The Breakfast Club’ as this text looks at teenagers negatively. For example, throughout the film, a group of five stereotypes, a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal are shown in Saturday detention. In one particular scene of the movie, when Andrew (played by Emilio Estevez) picks a fight with Bender (played by Judd Nelson) for making Claire (played by Molly Ringwald) feel uncomfortable. This immediately shows a negative representation of teenagers which is emphasised by Bender telling Andrew that he doesn’t want to get into a fight with him because “I’d kill you!” He then pulls out a knife which anchors the meaning even more. Although, it’s implied in ‘The Breakfast Club’, no one ever sees Bender do anything too bad, he seems to be all talk, when the teacher threatens him in the store room, he doesn’t attack him. In today’s society, if that had happened, a fight would have taken place which shows a large difference.
This historical text can also be evidence to show that adults have made “protecting and controlling the young as an obsession”[19]. This implies that this text shows the way in which teenagers are being controlled by both teachers and their parents which creates the ideology that they may have been the cause of teenager’s delinquency behaviour. Bender’s parents are said to be the kind of characters who beat their son up which shows that his parents made him who he is. Bender is seen to be confirming this as this is what everyone thinks about him even though it is not him and is all an act. This is similar to the 1986 film, ‘Stand by me’ which depicts the lives of four children searching for an adventure. Chris (played by River Phoenix) is assumed to be a ‘bad kid’ by everyone in the story, including the protagonist’s, Gordy’s father due to the fact that his brother, nicknamed ‘Eyeball’ if part of a gang, led by ‘Ace’ an ex-con. This idea of Chris being stereotyped is evident when Gordy’s father tells him that he doesn’t want him playing with Chris anymore because he’s a thief as everyone thinks he stole a kid’s milk money from school. This implies parents may also be wrong whereas an emphasise is only being made on teenagers as the dominant groups are also responsible for this stereotype which has been labelled on teenagers.
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”[20]. This implies that the media may be reinforcing this representation of teenagers which has resulted to Hollywood films using this representation. The media is in a way ‘using’ teenagers in order to gain a larger audience who will be attracted to read an issue which will create a moral panic. Youth is known to provide the audience with “ample opportunities for negative representations of young people”[21]. This connotes that the media is using this opportunity wisely and creating a stereotype of teenagers which will attract more customers. This relates to the Uses and Gratifications theory as the audience will be interested in what is going on in the media and therefore links to surveillance. Teenagers have also become a “source of titillation for the older viewer”[22] due to teenagers becoming an amusement topic for adults and that is reinforced by the way in which teenagers are presented in Hollywood productions. The stereotype that has been labelled on teenagers, the impression has been created mainly through “media coverage and alarming stories about high school shootings, property crimes and incidents involving so-called youth gangs”[23]. This implies teenagers are being a social factor due to the way the media is carefully constructing this stereotype.
Overall, looking at both contemporary and historical media texts, it is very clear that the representation of teenagers has changed in a very negative way. This is shown in the text, ‘The Breakfast Club’, which presents teenagers in a negative light and enforces this idea that all teenagers are trouble makers, which is emphasised at the very start of the movie by informing the audience that they are in Saturday detention. Their use of drugs, lack of respect for teachers, violence, damaging school property, and breaking the rules continuously throughout the movie emphasises this negative representation of them whereas in contemporary texts such as ’Superbad’ there is a more use of knives, guns and an obsession over girls and sexual activities. Hollywood is known to create “unrealistic expectations”[24] of teenagers, thus targeting the group, making them central to negative exposure by major institutions. This has been created due to teenagers being a subordinate group who are being controlled by dominant groups which refers to hegemony as no matter what teenagers do, their stereotype will not be removed. This could result to teenagers knowing that they have no impact on the changing state of their representation, they choose to conform to it and therefore cause the media to have more negative exposure on them and as Galtung and Ruge said, negativity sells. By looking at the representation of teenagers in a historical and contemporary view, a range of texts over a variety of years, it is clear that the portrayal of teenagers is not improving year by year but is becoming more negatively extreme. The stereotypes of teenagers overall is being reinforced but we as teenagers are misunderstood as “we’re people, just like everyone else”[25].
Word count – 2618
[1] The Breakfast Club (1985)
[3] Nicholos, J, Price, J (1998) p44.
[4] Casey, B, Casey, N, Calvert, B, French, L, Lewis, J (2002) p229.
[5] Sardar, Z, Loon, B (2000) p77.
[6] Doherty, T (1988) p124
[7] Blandford, S (2001) p238.
[8] Neale, S (2000) p119.
[9] Cook, P, Bernink, M Eds (1999) p218.
[10] Teen stereotype (website)
[11] Teenagers in today’s society (website)
[12] O’Sullivian, T, Dutton, B, Rayner, P (1994) p86.
[13] Representation and youth (website)
[14] Curran, J, Gurevitah, M Eds (2005) p341
[15] Bennett, P, Slater, J, Wall, P (2006) p77.
[16] Carter, C, Weaver, C.K (2003) p52.
[17] Valdivia, A (2005) p227.
[18] Bennett, P, Slater, J, Wall, P (2006) p81.
[19] Provert, D, Graham, A (2008) p135.
[20] Ibid. p135
[21] Brignell, J (2004) p240.
[22] Ibid p240
[23] Youth stereotyping and its impact (website)
[24] Hollywood’s obsession with the perfect prom (website)
[25] A teenager speaking out against teenage stereotype (website)
