Teen Reps In Uk Films

Uk Films Crystal Jagdev

Teens represented in UK Films • Teens are shown in films by stereotypes that exist in the media and ‘represent’ the minority of teens • Stuart price argues that representations reinforce dominant ideologies in society. • • The U.K tribes website is a great example of the ‘groups’ which teenagers fit into by society. • UK Tribes started in 2005, when Channel 4 commissioned Crowd DNA to run a project called TV Glue, which looked to measure how TV could remain a unifying force in the midst of media fragmentation. • The U.K Tribes website shows how teenagers fit into stereotypes, that in conclusion adults have made for them; such as emos, chavs, townies, smart urban and trendies. • In UK Films we see these stereotypes in action, the most controversial UK film recently was Kidulthood.

Kidulthood • A article in the independent • I’t promises to be the most controversial British film of the year. The Sun has already called for it to be banned and The Times has accused it of pandering to middle-class voyeurism in its portrayal of crime, bullying and sexual abuse. Set among a group of white and black teenagers in west London, from working-class and middle-class families, and based entirely on true stories, Kidulthood claims to be the first feature film to accurately reflect what life is like for urban kids.’

• In the film – kidulthood we see many graphic scenes of violence, drug taking and causal sex and crime. • This shocks the audience into realising what society is turning into. However many would disagree and say this film Is very exaggerated behaviour. • Kids these days are growing up too fast and this film shows this behaviour. You have a bullying storyline, young people coming up against issues of sex for the first time, taking drugs and dealing with a teenage pregnancy. • This looks into moral panic; where we del with issues of crime and pregnancies which we see in the news- shown in a U. K film • However the stereotypes and representations of teenagers are usually negative through all medias. This is due to the ownership and control issues

• Within the film we see how the character go through daily issues of bulling and crime and sexual behaviour. • A scene where we see how representation of hoodies are put upon teenagers is when two character go into a shop and looked at hats, immediately the security guard watches them and even chases one of the characters out of the shop believing he stole a hat. Even though he walked into the shop with it. • This representation in the film shows there is a unfair refection on teenagers because of a majority of adults would see this stereotype show in media products.

• This relates to the hegemonic Marxist theory. • Where its argues that media industries operates within a structure that produces and reinforces the dominant ideology via a ‘world view’ • I believe that teenagers are just accepting these stereotypes n following these youth subcultures as a trend. • This impacts society into the moral panic, almost contradicting on what ‘adults’ – who make the media industry that have put the stereotypes on teenagers. • Films such as kidulthood shocks an audience and makes people look into society a lot more.

• However…

• St Trinian's represent different girl tribes in detail a boarding school. Who all come together in the end and you get a good sense of British teenage culture • This positive representation shows how even stereotypes that are thrust upon teenagers can overcome this and work together with others • Although it shows teenage stereotypes, it shows them in a better way and how they overcome situations in the film