Frozen Powerpoint

sexuality representation (queer as folk clip)

First of all from the clip we see the main character (who we later find out is homosexual) walking through a school corridor, he is not highlighted or made to particularly stand out between other characters walking in and around the shot. This shows how his general appearance does not segregate him from the other pupils at the school representing how at first many people cannot even tell when a person is gay, giving the idea to the audience that aesthetically gay people are no different.

The camera moves forward in a point of view shot towards another male character. The movement is slow representing that the homosexual boy is shy and hesitant when talking to others, he instantly feels judged because of his sexuality; this could link to how he has been treated in the past giving the representation that many gay people are made to feel unwanted or even bullied because of their choices and who they are.

The homosexual man is shown to be shyly smirking as he talks about having ‘a boyfriend’- he is trying to make the other character jealous and this is obviously working as his reaction is very aggressive as he storms away from the situation after a speed up in the editing of the shots between them increases in speed representing the increase in tension and conflict between the boys. His smile is instantly taken away but he still seems to be somewhat happy that his efforts to cause jealousy actually worked. This links to representation of sexuality as it shows how sometimes sexuality is used to create jealousy and overall conflict between people because of common misconceptions associated with the topic as a whole; not just in this situation but in general, everyday life as many people view homosexuality as unnatural or wrong.

A new scene is shown and a heterosexual woman is openly talking about her sexual life with a group of people at a social event. She talks in detail without hesitation and nobody else in the room or conversation react to what she is saying representing how as a heterosexual she doesn’t feel judged or abnormal because is it associated as being the ‘norm’ sexuality. She is also shown amongst many other people in the shot which represents, again, how she is seen as part of the crowd and isn’t shown to stand out or being an object or curiosity like a homosexual person could be.

A very camp gay character that is also sat at the table with the female is portrayed to have a strong accent that is very feminine in the tone and style in which he speaks. He is holding a cigarette delicately, pursing his lips when he blows out the smoke and is wearing an eye-catching animal print shirt. These are all points that add to the typical stereotype of a camp homosexual man as he acts, speaks and dresses very feminine. Many of the shots of this character are of him alone or only with a few others, this represents the opposite of my last point as instead of being shown to be ‘normal’ he is segregated from others in the scene and made to look different or abnormal from other heterosexual people.

Another male character that is sat at the table epitomizes the typical butch heterosexual character that is often represented in TV dramas. His clothing is formal, masculine and typically worn by men, he is also shown to be slouching and acting like a typical man through butch actions and having a deep voice.

The two gay characters are walking down a street pavement, the gay man although seeming to be very confident in his posture and loud speaking is shown to be lower than the other man, this shows how because of his obvious sexuality it makes him regarded lower than people that may seem more heterosexual than others. It could also show how although trying to put on a front of being confident and out there, he is actually shy and maybe even secretly anxious about how people perceive and judge him.

A shot is shown of the family, including the two gay males, sat together at a table with the little girls back to the audience. This could be because homosexuality and even sexuality in general is not perceived to be a topic that is appropriate for children to be discussing with parents at a very young age. The little girls face is not shown to the audience showing how she is segregated from the topic of sexuality as a whole, homosexuality is seen as a taboo topic that can be seen as unnatural, many traditional parents don’t want their children to be subject of homosexuality in case of influences, as if gay people are something to be scared of.

The feminine acting man speaks with a high tone in his voice; he speaks very quickly and seems to have a lot of energy and motivation for subjects he’s talking about. He is talking with lots of enthusiasm about acting in theatres and pantomime plays which is commonly a hobby associated with gay men as it’s seen as very energetic and feminine. He also wears tight costume adding to how the mise-en-scene makes him look like a show-off and trying to get attention from other men, this is also a common misconception and stereotype of gay men especially- the need for constant attention.

There are many stereotypes and uncivilised ideas that are associated with adding humour to those who are gay through props and even common saying that certain characters say. This next scene shows the camp man eating a sausage from a fork; this is represented as being humorous to the audience as the sausage simply associates with the male phallic symbol. Audiences can react to this in different ways as they can see it as light hearted humour or actually not very tasteful stereotypes. This represents to sexuality because it gives an impression of the gay man as being desperate or even animalistic because of the manner in which he eats the food type.

There is a mid-shot in the kitchen which shows the mother of one of the homosexual boys talking to her son with her back facing him. This may at first seem harmless to an audience as she is busy washing up and carrying out daily tasks however if you look into it more deeply it has a very strong meaning representing her as someone who turns her back on her son because of her sons sexuality. This is a very strong stereotype and representation that is associated with gay men; that their families often disown them or feel that they have failed as parents because their children are deemed unnatural because they are homosexual.

 

 

 

 

 

Essay Question (50 marks)

Essay Question Media, Media Products

editing clip analysis powerpoint

gender representation clip analysis re-written (sherlock holmes)

Gender clip analysis (Sherlock holmes)

Firstly, the camera follows the men down a narrow corridor at a fast pace. This intensifies the feeling of urgency of the characters and makes the audience feel tense because of the situation. This links to gender because men are often depicted to be included in serious situations like involvement with prison, as in this scene.

Mise-en-scene also adds to this tension and power. The policemen are shown to be in dark lighting and wearing formal, black clothes whereas Holmes is wearing lighter colors and is spotlighted throughout the scene; no women are present. This links to gender as the job of a police person is stereotypically carried out by males as they are represented throughout history and media to be the workers in a family and have power over jobs, especially when they are more violent or seen as risky. The fact that the policeman are seen to be in a darker lighting to Holmes signifies that although having politically more power over Holmes, he is actually represented as the more dominant character.

We see the powerful male character drinking an alcoholic drink from an expensive looking crystal glass through a close up shot. It represents how men are stereotypically seen to be heavy drinkers and the expensive glass shows how they can be seen as the wealthier gender because they are more business-like.

Holmes’ shoulders are slouched forward for a variety of reasons during this particular scene. Firstly, the literal reason is he is being held by another character with his hands behind his back which we can see through the use of a mid-shot. However, it could represent his calm mood throughout the situation that would normally be stressful as his body language isn’t tense or rigid. This links to how men are seen to be unfazed by stressful situations to portray themselves to be more masculine or dominant. It also makes the audience question what could happen next, keeping them engaged by his unusual neutral reaction. The audiences questioning is also emphasized by the non-diegetic sound of music in the background which has an intensifying beat similar to a heartbeat, signifying fear, and making the overall atmosphere tense therefore contrasting Holmes’ mood.

Violence is shown throughout the aggressive punch early on in the scene which is backed up through the lacerations effects created by makeup adding to the mise-en-scene. Cuts and bruises have been added to many of the men’s faces which are shown clearly through close ups and clear sightings through the clip. This links to gender as men are generally seen to be the more aggressive gender, the physical actions and subtle marks on their faces and necks also add to the idea of their violent nature as men.

Jumpcuts are used at a very fast pace when the Holmes reminisces on previous events. Each shot is at a different angle and dimension which adds a sense of confusion to the scene, representing a series of mental images that are quick to change. These shots have been edited to change with a flash of light representing a flashback or a sudden realization like a ‘light bulb moment’ in his head. This links to gender as it represents the idea that men are very practical and quick thinking in tense situations; that they are intelligent and logically think problems through to solve them.

There is also the use of jumpcuts in the next scene as the main character desperately scans the room for evidence from his previous flashbacks. These shots represent how his mind is working very quickly and erratically whilst he tries to put on ‘a front’ of being calm and contained. This links to gender as putting on a brave face is what men are typically shown to do as although they can be scared or critically trying to piece information together- they do not want to lose their masculinity or look vulnerable/inferior to other men so try to appear bemused by tense situations instead of showing their true feelings.

Non diegetic sound is used through the sound of a gun being loaded; this harsh sound attracts the audience’s attention whilst once again creating the idea that men are linked to violence and even murder. This representation could also link to current context that men are usually seen to be involved in illegal crime and illegal possession of guns or weapons.

A panning point of view shot increases tension as the audience feels like they are in the characters position so empathize or feel on edge by the situation. Objects are also shown to obstruct the view of the character make it even tenser because vision is limited and unclear. This links to gender as the scene shows how the man isn’t hiding from the situation or danger but instead using logical steps like moving slowly and scanning the area for risks, showing his masculinity by not shying away but instead acting with violent intentions.

The scene looks like a wealthy man lives there because of the detailed scenery, included golds and expensive looking metal wear and upholstered chairs. This represents men as generally being wealthy, as they are often seen as businessmen or professionals with little sympathy but a goal to be successful and rich.

The main character is smoking which is generally seen as a habit carried out by males. It also adds to humor as he holds it above the water- giving the impression that men’s priorities are the luxuries in life.

A woman is shown through the latter stages of the clip, she doesn’t speak giving the idea that she is stereotypically inferior to men as she feels she is not able to interrupt or become involved in a largely male conversation. She is shown to wrap a blanket around Holmes whilst we see through a range of mid shots that are focused on him. This gives the idea that females are compassionate and have motherly instincts whereas the other male characters are thinking more practically about their getaway from the situation rather than emotional concepts. The camera focuses on Holmes as he is male and the female character is shown to simply pass through the scene without the camera clearly showing her giving the idea that he has more power as a man because he is the focus of the shot, she is seen as a passing obstacle.

Skins clip- representation of class and status through mise-en-scene (hair and makeup)

Skins clip- representation of class and status through mise-en-scene (hair and makeup)

Firstly, the main male character has long hair which for a male could represent that he cannot afford to have it cut or doesn’t take pride in his appearance as he is shown to be lower class. It could also give the audience an insight into his occupation (if he has one) as this style of hair would generally not be seen to be working in a formal type of work for instance office work or as a professional businessman.

His hair is shown to be greasy, like it has been unwashed for a long period of time. This could represent how he is unhygienic which a stereotype of people who are lower class is. It could also show that he cannot afford the basic necessities of life like shampoo and cleaning products.

Makeup on this character is not obvious however it could have been used to give the effect that the man is old or tired or even that he is drunk which is how he is represented throughout the clip because of his slurred speech. Lower class people are stereotyped to drink a lot of alcohol, so this use of makeup also links into this idea.

The first young girl we see has a baby and this representation of stress is shown through how her hair is loosely tied back because it gives the idea to the audience that she is too busy with her baby to bother with taking time to enhance her appearance.

Her makeup is fairly simple again showing that she hasn’t got the time to bother with her looks. However, the makeup that has been used enhances her age to the audience and gives the impression that she, herself, is young. Again this is a stereotype of lower class people because by making the character look young it represents her as an underage mother.

Both of the teenage boys in the clip have simple shaven hair, which is typical to be shown through young people. It could show how they are represented to be lazy as it is a hairstyle that doesn’t need lots of work to keep the style. It is also a hairstyle that is typical to be used by prisoners or antisocial youths which again stereotypes the class that they live in to cause trouble or be unruly.

Analysing mise-en-scene through still image

Analysing mise-en-scene through still image

Throughout this still image there are many representations of the characters through the use of a variety of types of mise-en-scene.

Firstly the idea of how hair and makeup represent the specific characters- the older female character has hair that has been highlighted as we are able to see the contrast of tones in the colour of her hair, this shows how she takes pride in her appearance to actually spend the time and money to create a style to her hair. She also has a short cropped style that has obviously been styles to look volumised and neat, this is a style that lots of business women would have as it generally looks formal without losing her trend. Her hair doesn’t look in the best condition as it looks dry because the lighting in the room doesn’t reflect a shine of glossiness to her hair. This could represent that she is has a hectic or stressed lifestyle as it is common for women to take less time in caring for their hair, but also it could show that she is middle aged as the condition of her hair could reflect her age. Her makeup is fairly plain at first sight but as the light is shown to highlight her face it enhances the idea that she has used makeup to contour the bone structure of her face which could show that she is essentially trying to look younger than she is, maybe to impress the male also sitting at the table.

The man is not wearing any makeup or effects as he is represented as a stereotypical masculine figure so it would be seen as strange for him to wear a more feminine product. He has short dark hair, which is swept to one side through the use of a wax/gel which gives a formal look, as he is seen as a typical father figure this is a style that would give him a mature, formal appearance. Through the sides of his hair he is shown to have a receding hairline which could show how he is an older character or that like the woman he also has a lot of stress in his life that would cause him to have early hair loss.

The young girl has plain hair that looks natural in colour and style; she has also tied it into a low ponytail which is a typical style to be worn by a young girl and shows innocence or youth. The makeup she is wearing includes heavy black eye makeup and dark red lips, this shows how as a teenager she is trying to grow up fast, red is a colour symbolic of sexualisation which could be the dilemma that the family are discussing.

The woman’s costume mainly consists of a pale blue silk shirt which links to the idea of her being wealthy as silk is seen as a luxurious material. The shirt also has sexual references as the style and material choice makes it look like nightwear. The blue colour could have a hidden deep meaning as blue is generally associated as being a colour representing males rather than females so could show how she is seen as someone who is inferior to her male partner, or that she is dressing purely for the satisfaction of her husband, trying to impress him which links to the idea of the male gaze by Laura Mulvey. She is also wearing rings which could symbolise her wealth or that she is married, possibly to the male also seated at the table.

The older man is wearing a formal costume which reflects his age and makes him look like a father figure or business man as it consists of typical officewear: a shirt with a collar and a neutral coloured sweater.

The young girl is again wearing a costume that reflects her age as it is modest because of its full length sleeves and high rounded neckline and also consists of stripes and patterns which is a type of clothing that it usually worn by younger children as it is seen as more fun rather than formal or mature.

The woman’s body language seems to suggest that she is inferior to the other characters at the table as she is sat upright but looks to be hiding herself in a tense position and her hands are awkwardly hovering above the table. Her facial expression also adds to this idea as she doesn’t look happy at all, she looks to be depressed or annoyed by the situation that she is in, maybe a family argument or disagreement.

The older man’s body language makes him look to be explaining something or even interrogating the younger girl as he is lent forward over the table. He also seems to be tense as his fists are clenched showing that he is either extremely enthusiastic about what he is talking about or that he is aggravated by the situation. His facial expression is hard to tell as he is facing away from the camera towards the young girl- he looks like he is screwing his face up which could tell a variety of emotions from smiling to confusion.

The young girl is slouched disrespectfully over the table as if to show that she is not interested in the conversation that she is having with what looks like her father. Her facial expression shows despair at the situation, it’s a sarcastic expression that shows how her head is tilted as if looking down at her father’s thoughts.

The lighting is generally aimed towards the young girl as the candles and light reflecting off of the crystal vase is generally in her direction. This could mean that the man and woman are having problems with their relationship and she is either the main cause for this or that she is the light that is keeping their relationship together. The light coming through the windows also highlights the father and daughter but the woman is shown to be in the dark, meaning that she could be segregated from the other characters conversation or even relationship as a whole.

The framing of the image shows how each character is spread apart however the girl is central to the older characters as if representing that she is holding their relationship together but at the same time getting between them. The props are mainly in front of the girl showing how she could feel crowded or overprotected by her parents. The wide shot shows a large table which gives off the impression that the family are wealthy as it fits into the large room that they are in.

The props in the background of the scene are shaded out by the darkness behind them although on the table we can clearly see that the older characters are drinking wine from expensive looking crystal table ware. The flowers on the table are red which symbolises the idea of love and hate in the family, meaning that although they love each other it doesn’t stop arguments and hostility from occurring. The table ware is also blue like the woman’s costume which could indicate that although the woman would typically lay the table, the man’s influence in her life is shown through the colours used as blue is a typical masculine colour.

Although as an audience we do not know the exact occupation of these characters from the still image, through the use of costume and general style we can guess what type f work influences their appearance. The man looks like a typical businessman maybe working in a well paid office job in a city. The young girl’s skin is healthy and glows in the light showing that she is young so it would be expected that she is still a student at school. The older woman can be seen in more of a variety of ways as typically because of her clothing and how nicely the house is laid out it would be expected that she was a house-wife however her formal hairstyle makes her look like she works for a formal business maybe as a writer or office worker.

Regional identity in TV drama (our friends) clip analysis

The first scene of this clip involves one of the characters with a mild Newcastle accent jumping into the shot which is a mid shot, he is obviously trying to show to his other friends that are already seated at the table his fun and playful side. As they are both from Newcastle as well it gives a representation that the area and people are known to be stereotypically a lot more confident, outgoing and seen as jokers, however his accent seems to be toned down slightly as if the woman that he has arrived with and her regional dialect has influenced his speech. He is wearing a suit however it is made slightly informal as he is not wearing a tie and his shirt is not a high neck as would be expected at a formal meal.

 There is then a shot which includes all of the four main characters sat opposite from each other in pairs, this works as an establishing shot as we can see in the background that it is a formal restaurant style setting that is edited to look dark which is typical of a restaurant to create an ambiance or atmosphere that is slightly more romantic and warm especially with the use of candle lights and lamps on the tables. Another part of the mise-en-scene is the layout of the scene including objects being shown like the glasses of wine on the table and the fact that the characters are talking about possible meals they could have from a menu. This scene is also the catalyst of one of the representation that we can see through their regional dialect.

The woman who seems to be from London as she speaks standard English without using slang and is seen to be more upper class than the other characters is explaining a course from the menu in a French style accent to perfect her pronunciation however when the man opposite with the strong Newcastle accent struggles to say it and again makes jokes out of the situation that are not well received by the lady. This gives a representation that people from places that are seen to be upper class like London are less likely to take a joke, they are prim and proper and judge others who are seen as inferior to them, it also gives a representation that people from Newcastle and northern areas are uneducated and immature but also more likely to make jokes and not take life too seriously.

The lady from the midlands is wearing simple makeup and pearl earrings, her haircut is clean and simple and her outfit is modest with dark colours which are typically seen by someone from a richer or more upper class area as she obviously takes pride in her appearance and wants to appear to look classy which adds to the mise-en-scene created by costume and makeup. Another representation of the area in which she lives is that she seems to be permanently sipping from her wine class which is typically used in TV dramas to give the idea that the character is more mature or from a wealthy background whereas the other characters from Newcastle very rarely pick up their drinks.

An over the shoulder shot gives you an image from the characters perspective, and in this scene it is used to show the body language and facial expressions of the two characters with strong Newcastle accents. The man is seen to be fairly fidgety which could be seen as rude to the other characters, whereas she looks slightly intimidated by the woman she is talking too as she has her hands in front of her and her shoulders bent forward. He is also shown to be smoking which could be seen as rude as they are eating dinner and it’s often seen as a dirty habit and he interrupts the woman whose dialect is from a midland area which spurred more hostility from the woman who was very quick to correct him and make herself look superior, socially and morally.

The woman with the posh sounding accent also begins to talk about politics which is quickly changed by conversation started by the other characters; this represents her regional identity as being interested in social issues and topics that are generally seen as mature and upper class. Whereas the man from Newcastle is seen to say ‘how much are they then’ which gives the audience the idea that he is represented as ‘tight’ with his money or that he struggles financially maybe caused by his immature behaviour and general lack of knowledge.

Jumpcuts show the intensity of the situation as they begin to disagree, the sharp close up shots make the argument appear to be serious as it allows the audience to see their individual expressions to the situation, and in times of silence we are allowed to hear non diagetic sound of cutlery and plates in the background which make the scene feel awkward and tense adding to the mise-en-scene.

Task- stereotypes and TV dramas examples for regional identity

•    Scottish

Scotland is a nation with a big personality, they proudly display their heritage and preferences to outsiders this is why they are an easy candidate to build stereotypes upon. Many of their stereotypes include the clothing they were which usually consists of tartan patterns in red and green colors and kilts. These are outfits known to be worn by Scottish ancestors for centuries and of course there is the adjacent tradition that underwear is simply not in the question, whatever the temperature. The obvious foods that a stereotypical scot would eat would mainly include haggis (a meat made from sheep’s stomach and various other types of offal) and a wide variety of hearty foods like curries and vast amounts of seafood, washing it all down with 1 or 10 pints of beer. There are also, because of this large quantity of food and drink consumption, stereotypically seen as overweight and sometimes rude or abrupt. Their appearance is seen to also be very stereotypical; they are often represented in different types of media as red haired, pale, freckled, overweight men; which is obviously not 100% correct.

•    Liverpool

Liverpool and Liverpudlians have been stereotyped and Ostracised by middle and upper class inhabitants of London, South east England and much of leafy suburban and comfortable middle England for years as being thieves, violent, uneducated, uncultured and hopeless. This is partly down to right wing conservative ideologies combined with a contempt for the working class. As a result any media generalisations and stereotypes over the past 50 or so years portraying Merseyside and her people have been derogatory, demeaning and belittling to the denizens of Liverpool and its Environs. They are seen as fairly confident people that are not to shy away from conflict but are also friendly and willing to have a chat with anyone. Lots of liverpudlian women are stereotyped to wear very fake accessories, lots of make-up and dress up for every occasion no matter how overdressed they may seem

•    Newcastle

The stereotypical Geordie is drunk, brawling, red-haired, red-faced, and loud! Dressed in their Newcastle football kit, they trawl from pub to pub talking gibberish and getting drunk on Newcastle Brown Ale which they buy with their unemployment money. It's one of the ugliest stereotypes we have for the people of the UK, and one of most unfounded. A 'Geordie' is a person from Newcastle, UK. They have been named the nicest in Britain. Famous people such as Cheryl Cole and Joe McElderry are Geordies. Not all people from Newcastle have strong accents, there is a stereotype of Geordies that they are rough, common slobs who nest in council houses and suckle on 'Newcastle Brown Ale' and 'Guinness' all day. They are also seen as a region that is extremely well known for underage pregnancies and the tendency for people to have an abundance of children dressed in tracksuits and uneducated.

•    Yorkshire

The Yorkshire dialect and accent is distinctive, although use of dialect words is receding. The most common stereotype of a Yorkshire person is as tight with money: there is a British saying that "a Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out of him", which references how Scots are also stereotyped as being tight but not as tight as Yorkshire folk. Yorkshire people are often stereotyped as friendly but "bloody-minded", stubborn (also known as "Yorkshire-stubborn") and argumentative. Indeed throughout the history of the area, going back to the time of the tribal Brigantes, through the Norman period and the Wars of the Roses, the region has seen a number of rebellions against non-Yorkshire or non-Northern rulers. It is this stereotype which is referred to in the saying 'You can always tell a Yorkshireman, but you can't tell him much'. One social stereotype of a Yorkshireman had a tendency to include such accessories as a flat cap and a whippet; this alludes to rural life. The cuisine of Yorkshire and that of Northern England in general is known for its rich ingredients, especially in sweet dishes. Foods that are commonly associated with the Yorkshire region include: Yorkshire puddings, potatoes, Wensleydale cheese and gingerbread!below is a picture of Zac dingle from emmerdale farm, he shows the idea of the typical farmer, he has a broad accent and is a fairly stubborn character which links to the points I made above.

•    Birmingham

A study was conducted in 2008 where people were asked to grade the intelligence of a person based on their accent and the Brummie accent was ranked as the least intelligent accent. It even scored lower than being silent, an example of the stereotype attached to the Brummie accent. A common misconception is that everyone in Birmingham speaks the same accent. It could be argued Brummie is an accent rather than a dialect as in Black Country which is a dialect with unique words and phrases, as in owamya? For How are you? Which many comment is not used in Brummie speech. Similarly Brummies pronounce 'I' as 'oy' whereas Black Country uses the dialect 'Ah' as in 'Ah bin' meaning I have been. They are often seen as commonly British as they are seen to drink lots of tea and eat traditional pub curries! They are also often seen as lower class because of their unintelligent sounding accent and serious football fans supporting teams such as Manchester United, Birmingham city and Aston villa.

•    Welsh

There is one main stereotype associated with welsh people and that is that they are very close to sheep, the country is generally seen as having great farmland that is ideal for farming animals like sheep, they have become a kind of emblem to people all over the world to represent the country. The daffodil and the leek are national flowers of Wales. One species of daffodil, narcissus obvallaris, is found only in a small area around Tenby which explains how the flowers have become associated with the regional area. Wales is sometimes known as the land of song, and is famed for its singers for instance Aled Jones and Tom Jones. A sport that is commonly associated with Wales and the welsh people is rugby which they are known to be very good at, this creates the stereotype that everyone plays it, which is clearly untrue. The welsh have a very strong accent which again can be easily picked up however they also have their own language which is the main difference between this region compared to others.
This is a picture of some of the characters from 'Gavin and Stacey' which included lots of welsh characters which were often seen to be very confident speaking and have strong accents, also saying phrases that are common of welsh people like 'whats occurring?'

•    Irish

An assumption for Irish people is generally that they drink too much, this is a stereotype that could be proven true but after many polls it is unconfirmed. The area is linked to the popular drink Guinness that has come to Ireland as some kind of representative symbol. Along with the idea of eating habits, the potato has also become widely known through media as a foot type that generalizes the Irish people and there love for its different varieties. There is a main color that is highly representative of Ireland and its inhabitants and that is green; from the idea of lucky clovers to the outfits of fictional lepricorns, it’s a color that has been built upon the island for hundreds of years. Regarding the people living in Ireland and there general behaviors there is the typical view that every Irish home has a ‘mammy’ a woman that over protects her children and is essentially a housewife. This idea has been used throughout lots of TV dramas in the modern day. Religion is also seen to be a large part of the Irish peoples lives through the strong belief of Catholicism, many Irish people are seen to be vicars or holy people that try to empower non believers with stories of god and the bible. this is the cast of 'Mrs browns boys' which features the classic 'mammy' they are often seen to be drinking beers in the local pub and they are Catholics that keep very in touch with the local vicar.

•    London

There are different types of stereotypes for Londoners depending upon the area exactly that they live or are from. Chelsea and Kensington areas of London are seen to be the most upper class area of the UK; the houses are all marketed for extremely high prices worth millions of pounds each. The accent is also very easily recognized are they are very well spoken, polite and seen to be posh. This region is therefore identified as an area where the people have to be extremely ‘well-off’, wear designer brands and have a very formal or smart appearance, swept back hair and/or shirts and suit trousers. Because of the formal language and dress the people are usually stereotyped to be fairly intelligent with good education, possibly private school children and well paid professional jobs. They do not have a specific foot type that they are stereotyped to eat however it cloud be seen that they eat high quality foods such as good cuts of meat and often eating at acclaimed restaurants. The east end of London is seen as a lot more lower social class that the Chelsea, they are often seen to have very strong accents and are often seen as very confident, ‘mouthy’ and confrontational through the stereotypes created by media. They are known for their famous pubs and often live in terrace style houses in close knit areas. below is a picture of the cast from the reality TV show made in Chelsea, although this is not a TV drama it is a great example of how the people are stereotyped and represented as they are all extremely intelligent, rich and formal speaking and looking.

this picture is a great example from eastenders of people from the east side of London, they are dressed informally, are seen to be hard-faced and lower class because of their clothing and even their breed of dog. they live in a pub in a very social area of London.

•    Essex

Essex has been extremely popularized in recent years through media and its influences on the entire population. There has even been phrases added to the dictionary such as ‘Essex girl’ to describe women from Essex and the broad stereotype that its created. Essex girl, as a pejorative stereotype in the United Kingdom, applies to a female viewed as overly promiscuous and unintelligent, characteristics jocularly attributed to women from Essex. It is applied widely throughout the country and has gained popularity over time, dating from the 1980s and 1990s. it is primarily associated with variations of dumb blonde jokes and often sexualized. Some positive stereotypes have however came from Essex including the idea that women have a lot of entrepreneurial power in owning there own businesses and franchises. This however does not overpower the general image given to Essex women which consists of bright orange fake tans, fake white teeth, surgically enhanced features, fake hair and eyelashes and the extreme love for anything glitzy!

Cornwall/South West

Cornish cuisine is a regional variety of British cuisine, strongly rooted in a tradition of using local produce,^] which is used to create relatively simple dishes. Most prominent in Cornish cuisine is the pasty (sometimes known as the Cornish pasty) made from diced beef, potato, onion and swede (commonly called 'turnip' by the Cornish), enclosed within a pastry crust and then baked.One idea of its origins suggests that it evolved as a portable lunch for Cornish miners, the crust serving as a disposable handle that could be held by a miner's hand without soiling the filling. Fish was an important element of the Cornish diet, but international commercial fishing was also well established by the 16th century, and tons of pilchards were exported from Cornwall to France, Italy and Spain every year. Stargazy pie is an occasional festive Cornish dish with the heads of fish standing on their tails, originally pilchards, piercing a pastry crust. The saffron bun, also known as the tea treat bun, is a sweet bread with its origins in Cornwall.surfing was popularized in Cornwall during the late 20th century, and has since become readily associated with Cornishness.The waves around the Cornish coastline are created by low pressure systems from the Atlantic Ocean which unleash powerful swells eastwards creating multiple, excellent surfing conditions in some parts of the coast of Cornwall.

Clip analysis (hotel Babylon) ethnicity representation

Clip analysis (hotel Babylon) ethnicity representation

At the start of the clip there is an establishing shot which immediately sets the scene for the audience, we can see that there is a white man laying on a sun lounger in a bathrobe and a black man wearing a suit is serving him, this could be seen as a very stereotypical image that black people are lower than white people as he is seen to be waiting on him. It links to historical context that black people where seen as slaves. This scene is accompanied by the sound of water running giving the impression that the scene is set in a spa or hotel type accommodation and there is music playing in the background that is very soft and neutral creating a calming atmosphere for the characters.

There is then a long shot which pans following the movements of the black assistant, it shows the pool and surroundings including columns surrounding the pool which make it look more luxurious and palatial. The pool is giving off a blue lighting but the editing enhances this colour which is typically used by pools as It represents hygiene and cleanliness. The panning shows the man to be walking at a fast pace, showing that his job involves him to carry out jobs faster as he is seen as inferior to the guests that he is serving.

An over the shoulder shot follows the conversation of the black assistant and a younger looking guest that is also seen to be of afro/Caribbean origin. The younger man is wearing swimming shorts which appear to have the colours of the Jamaican flag, also hinting at his ethnicity. The language that they use is a representation of the speech used by this ethnic group, he uses a lot of slang including words like’bro’ and ‘man’. The older character shows how he is uncomfortable by the situation as he seems to have tense body language and puts his hands up to his face. He is trying to be someone that looks formal however he doesn’t want to offend his friend so try’s to play the role of a typical Caribbean man by imitating the stereotypical speech and humour.

There is then a mid shot of two women that seem to be eastern European from their accents, from this shot the audience can see that there is cleaning products in front of them and they are wearing classic cleaning maid’s uniforms. This is a stereotypical image of this ethnic group, lots of TV dramas use Latvian, polish or Romanian women as the basis for assistants or maids as they are usually seen to have emigrated to England for work, so they will do the less appealing jobs to earn little money.

When the women go into the room they begin to undress for an oriental looking man, this again adds to the stereotypical image that they will do anything for the money, he has offered to pay double so they carry out work that they are not allowed to do. Sexual upbeat music is playing as the women start to undress and a close up shot of his face is included; his mouth slightly open as if mesmerized by the women which links to the idea of the male gaze as he is using the women for there aesthetic appeal. The fact that he looks t be Chinese/Japanese links to a clear stereotype that he is represented to be intelligent as he has a lot of money, it makes the audience think that his ethnic group would have to be intelligent to acquire a job that is highly paid so that he can afford to pay these women to undress for him, he is therefore seen as superior to them as he is controlling their behaviour for his pleasure. The music picks up pace as one of the women is shown to obviously be very uncomfortable by the situation, it represents her heartbeat as it is increasing in speed and intensity.

A mid shot shows two white people walking through a busy atmosphere, through corridors and kitchens. The camera is all the time focussed on them whilst other ethnicities and people walk around them showing the bus atmosphere as tension between the pairs conversation also increases. The fact that the camera focus’s on them represents that their ethnic group is superior to others as the camera doesn’t focus on anyone else and they are seen to stand taller than others around them.

An Italian chef and a British chef are seen to be arguing, the Italian character is seen to be petite whereas the British one looks a lot taller and larger. These are classic stereotypes of nationalities and their sizes, people from America or Britain are seen to be a lot fatter than many other countries like France or Italy. The Italian chef is seen as very feisty and passionate as he is shouting and looks aggressive and the jump cuts between them also adds to the tense atmosphere of anger and insult. The portrayal of the characters and their appearance and behaviour could be caused by the influence of real life popular chefs that inspire the creators of the drama to exaggerate that common stereotype between them both.

Clip analysis (skins)- Status and social class represntation

Skins- class and status representation

The use of camera is the main focus on how the characters have been represented throughout the clip but also through the use of mise-en-scene, sound and editing. Firstly is a mid shot of the main character, this gives the audience a first off impression of him, his costume and his general appearance, which is stereotypically middle class, he is wearing scruffy pyjamas and has long oily looking hair, generally not looking in great condition.

There is then a over the shoulder shot which enables the audience to see the other characters from his point of view, we can see their body language and facial expression to what he is saying, in this scene they look disgusted but we can also see in the background that there are lots of empty beer cans/bottles and other drinks containers scattered around the windows and other surfaces, this gives us the idea that the character is a heavy drinker, we can also tell this by the slur that has been added to his voice. In the background is also grey cold-looking breeze block walls, and that the characters have not decorated, or been able to afford to decorate, so it looks harsh and not warm or homely. This sound and mise-en-scene allows the audience to see a representation of these lower class characters, it gives the impression that lower class people are heavy drinkers, careless and that they typically cannot afford comforts in their homes that other families may have.

 The sound in the background at this point is very different to the overall atmosphere of the scene; it sounds oriental which could be seen as totally random or that it has a hallucinogenic feel to it, as the main character already seems to be fairly intoxicated because of his speech and behavior it gives the idea that he is in ‘another world’ to the rest of the characters.

A close up zoom is used on one of the male characters as his mood changes; it zooms sharply as if a sudden change in the atmosphere as he becomes more frustrated by the older character. This gives off the idea that lower class people are easily wound up, and that they can snap quickly when aggravated.

There is a lot of swearing throughout this first scene which also gives a representation that lower class people are bad mannered or even uneducated as they haven’t learnt the more formal way of talking to each other. It can again make them also look aggressive as a lot of the bad language is used to express their anger or frustration.

There is a use of fast jump cuts where the main male character is shouting random sounds and noises that don’t make a lot of sense to the audience apart from the idea that his behaviour is psychotic probably through the use of alcohol. The jump cuts make the scene feel manic, that he cannot control himself anymore and represent his thought patterns. This again gives the idea to the audience that lower class people who have less status than others are left to make wrong choices in regards to alcohol which ultimately turns them into people without any sense of control especially seen as his movements and speech is so loud and abrupt that they actually become fairly scary.

The editing throughout the entire clip is quite a bright effect to the lighting and camera filter; this gives a cold atmosphere, which fits the scene well as it look to be a wintery day in England. The area that the clip is filmed in also looks uninviting, it looks like a council estate which is stereotypically where lower class characters and people are seen to live.

There is ambient sound at the end of this scene before the cast go outside which is emotional and sounds sad, it shows the main characters realization that his children miss him- it acts as a sobering tone as he seems to suddenly react and grasp control over his previous erratic behavior. In the next scene we also see that the sound picks upbeat and becomes more cheerful because the main character has been able to take control of the situation for the better.

A long shot that pans shows the entire range of characters reaction to what they are seeing, they all look unimpressed and this also allows the audience to take into consideration their costume and body language at the time. The girl who only looks young herself is holding her baby which is a representation in itself that lower class people are careless so have children underage that they cannot afford to look after. We can also see that the young boys are wearing very informal tracksuits and all have short haircuts that are very similar in style. Their overall appearance seems to be plain as if they cannot afford higher quality clothing because of their status and social class.

Finally before the end of the clip is an areal shot which shows not only all of the characters, but the area which looks to be a lower-class area because of the look of the house and objects that are around it including a scruffy old sofa sitting outside, this gives the impression to the audience for the last time that they are poor because the whole area looks informal and tatty.

Class and Status in TV drama

There are many different stereotypes for the area of class and status and many of these can lead to audiences judging characters or living people through other types of representations. Generally people of lower class are seen to be lacking intelligence and to not have much disposable income. They are generally seen to wear stereotypical cheap clothing, usually tracksuits or branded clothing that is specifically associated with lower class people. Upper class people are seeing to be clever and well spoken, living in areas that are upper class such as stately homes or property in the countryside. They are usually seen to be wearing smart clothing that is formal and modest, not to have tattoos or piercings of any type. Status is very similar in the way that it is perceived stereotypically as class only people with more status are generally seen as people to be fearful of because they have greater amount of power or control.

 

Regarding the four areas of textual analysis there are again many ways of representing class and status. Camera angles are usually shown to make a character with higher class and status to be higher or above people with lower class and status to show control. Editing can be used to make people with more status look more elegant or soft looking, using camera filters lighting can appear to make a character seem more subtle and blur out blemishes or fault in an upper class characters appearance. Mise en scene is very common to show how status and class is determined within TV dramas. Upper class people are usually shown to be wearing costumes that are very modest and look expensive using materials that look luxurious or jewellery. Sound is also used to create an effect with the idea of class and status; lower class people can be seen to talk under their breaths or change their volume a lot whereas upper class people are generally seen to be well spoken and keep to a stable volume of talking. There are also background noises that would show an area that a character may be living such as noisy cars and music or church bells and heeled shoes that could give the audience an idea of the class of the environment the character is in.

When linking this representation of class and status to age there are many different ideas that can be seen for example an older person is generally seen as having higher class as they dress fairly modestly and because of the era’s they are brought up in they can be shown to be well spoken and polite. However this can be shown negatively as older people in TV dramas can also be shown to be snooty or look down on other people. Younger people in TV dramas are generally seen as middle class with a low status but sometimes they can be shown to be higher class and in this case they are usually seen to own lots of expensive gadgets and be people that are working a lot in high paid jobs in cities wearing expensive looking clothing.

Concerning gender and class and status it is stereotypically men that are shown ot have more status in TV dramas they are usually seen as business men that own lots of shares or run various companies, however this is not to say that there are no women that have power as well.

Usually regarding ethnicity white people are seen to have more social status in TV dramas over other ethnicities; they are usually seen to have more power however this could be because they are generally the biggest population of actors/actresses in UK TV dramas.

 

Sexuality hasn’t got much connection with class and status as it is not usually specified in TV dramas and there is not usually a clear indication of the characters sexuality. However generally dominating this area of representation are heterosexual people although this would a lot of the time be a generalised guess as it isn’t specified.

It is not common to see a TV character that has a lot of class and status that is severely disabled this could be because it is generally seen that to have status and class you have to have a substation amount of money and this money has to be earnt; for someone who is disabled this could be very hard. Some characters gain status through their ability as they can use power and aggression to gain status from people in their environment even though it is not for positive reasons.

Lots of different regions have some type of lower and higher class people living within them. Cities such as London are a large example as there are many people seen to be living in these areas with very little money who are seen to be lower class because of their dialect and other characteristics they may have and then there is the idea of high paid business men that own large shares and are see to have a lot of authority over people like Alan Sugar. In the countryside you get the idea that there are many people who live in remote places such as on farms working a lot but never being widely known and earning very little money to receive education etc and then there is the idea that there could be people living in large stately homes, eating fine food and having titles such as lady or lord of the manor.

 

This is a picture of the characters and setting in downton abbey. Its characters are shown to be upper class as they are well spoken, polite, intelligent and rich. they are also seen to have a lot of status because of this wealth and because many of them are titles lady or lord giving the idea to the audience that they have a lot of authority in their environment. The setting of the drama is typical of the idea of upper class countryside living as they live in a very large stately home with lots of land and antique styled architecture. This also links to the idea of older people generally having more class and a higher level of status as many of the characters that have lots of status in the programme are seen to be older than middle age. they where smart clothing that is periodic and gives a sense of class. The suits are very formal usually dark colours with lots of tailoring and layers. The female characters wear light colours never showing much skin and wearing posh hats and accessories that look expensive for instance brooches and necklaces.


This is a family in waterloo road that are represented as being lower class and status. The children rarely go to school, they are seen to cause trouble and use lots of slang phrases in their speech which gives the impression that they are uneducated. Their clothing is typical of a lower class family, they wear cheap looking clothing including tracksuits and sports brands and lots of their clothing is tattered and marked to show that they cannot afford replacements. The mother is single and has lots of children even though she, herself, is fairly young.