Have the representations of teenagers in the British Media changed for the better or have they become worse? With particular reference to the film, Adulthood.
The modern teenage culture emerged during the 1950’s, however according Maltby “Self-conscious Subculture”[2] actually developed between the 1920’s and 1930’s. Teenage representations within the media has progressed and developed over the years. It could be argued that the British media represent teenagers in a negative, unconstructive and degrading manner than any other media across the globe. Adulthood is one of the contemporary media texts that show how “the media labelled youth culture in a stereotyped and negative way”[3] thus creating “moral panic within society”[4]. As Adulthood is the most relevant and recent film text on teenage representation and shows how teenagers are portrayed within the Media, taking into account that it is a British made film, it is the most relevant film text to focus upon in this essay.
1950 films such as “Rebel without a Cause” (1955)[5], “Teenage Crime Wave” (1955)[6] and “The Wild One” (1954)[7], just to name a few, were about “juvenile delinquency”, “Juvenile wildness” and “Juvenile crime”[8] that went as far back as the 20’s and 30’s. These 1950 films represented teens as rebellious and conniving which then indicated, what they thought the authenticity of teenagers. Overall the above shows that the media’s negative and unconstructive representation of teenagers went further back than the 50’s. The Media and Films, named above, showed the “So called social problem”[9] that was wrong with the teenage generation. Stanley Cohen stated that “without Moral Panics, many forms of youth culture would never have taken off in the first place”, but does this really convey the truth about teenagers and really is this a way to introduce “youth culture” to the public?
Therefore, this essay will be referring to all the characters in “Adulthood”, although I will be focusing closely on four main characters within the film and look at how these teenagers are being stereotyped and represented. Characters such as Moony and Claire help to challenge these stereotypes given to young teenage males and females. Teenagers overall are being labelled as “Promiscuous, unhealthy and violent”[10] and other labels such as “drug abusers, aggressive and criminals”[11]. Studies show that “more than half thought stories about young people were negative”[12]. Moony has improved and changed a lot since “Kidulthood”, both mentally and physically. Moony challenges the teenage male stereotype given to them by the media as being “aggressive violent drug abusers and criminals”[13]. We saw Moony reinforcing this negative stereotype of teenage males in Kidulthood. For example, we saw Moony, Jay and Trife picking a fight with two guys in the street. Although, in Adulthood, we see Moony challenge this stereotype given to male teens by taking a different lifestyle by furthering his education by going to university and studying Law “I’m not on them things no more, we was all young, I’m just about my studies, money and my gal”. We also see him maintain to hold a stable and steady relationship with a female character within the film.
Moony’s physical appearance helps challenge this stereotype as through the use of clothing we see Moony dress smartly and more maturely, which connotes that he has matured and grown into Adulthood. This shows that the director of the film wants to break these stereotypes and representations and show that teens are capable to do the best they can and change their lifestyles. However, the character Jay tends to lean more reinforcing this stereotype as we saw him in Kidulthood as aggressive, sexually active and violent more than his friends. The character Jay seems to of gotten worse and fallen further into this stereotype than before. Jay helps to reinforce this stereotype of teenage males as he turns to the life of crime, by becoming a drug dealer and not pursuing or making something of himself. Although, the death of Trife could be the cause of his actions as he is not able to deal with the death of his friend very well.
Female teenagers are also stereotyped, as well as male teenagers. They are labelled as “Promiscuous, drug abusers and alcoholics”[14]. Characters such as newcomer Lexi help to reinforce and assist the media to continue stereotyping and representing them in negative ways. Lexi reinforces the stereotypical view of female teenagers as she is perceived as a drug abuser, promiscuous and seen as a sexual object of desire and “subject of the male gaze”[15]. We see Lexi prove Mulvey’s theory of “the male gaze” as she wears provocative and revealing clothing to show off her figure, this then pleasures the male audience. Therefore, Lexi then helps to support these stereotypes of teenage females as being “promiscuous, drug abusers and alcoholics”.
Although, female characters such as Claire help to challenge and argue against these stereotypes. As we saw her in “Kidulthood” fitting all these labels given to female teenagers, she changes and tends to challenge these stereotypes as she keeps hold and keeps a steady relationship with Hayden, played by Danny Dyer, and changing her lifestyle by doing what she wants to pursue in her life. This shows that Claire wants to prove herself and break these stereotypes given to young females. Overall, the characters in “Adulthood” have come a long way from their “Kidulthood” days as they are now breaking through these stereotypes and labels that are given to them by the media. We see this in characters like “Claire” and “Moony”. However, we still see some characters such as Lexi and Jay still do reinforce these stereotypes given to them by the media.
In “Kidulthood” we saw the social issues that arise within the teenage generation. For instance, the use of drugs, sex and alcohol and how teenagers associated themselves with these things. The media make out that British teenagers are constantly “drug abusers and alcoholics”[16] and “that teenagers in Britain are more likely to have taken illegal drugs than youngsters anywhere else in Europe”[17]. In “Kidulthood”, we saw characters like “Becky” and “Alisa” performing promiscuous things in order to get some drugs. This represents female teenagers in such a negative manner and presents them as “loose”, “Sexual” and “Immoral”[18] , representing them as “the Whore”[19]. This shows how women “prostitute” and “sell themselves” to get what they want to make them feel good about themselves. Studies show that “the media’s increasing tendency to portray very young girls in sexual ways”[20], this shows the media’s influence and on how female teenagers should act and undertake to these view, and the pressure and strain the media puts on female teens.
In “Adulthood”, the social issues are similar as these same views are put forward in similar characters such as Lexi however in a different way. Lexi provides Jay with information about Sam’s whereabouts with a deal of him giving her some drugs. This portrays how the same conventions are brought forward through the female characters, but in a totally different from. Although, throughout the film, we see some characters bringing out Lexi’s past with “Becky”, as they are cousins, making assumptions that they are both the same, placing them in the same “stereotypical category”.
We see “Lexi” having an argument with two girls from the salon, were the character Lisa says “go and find you’re fucking cousin and both of you get back to whoring yourselves”[21]. This shows how “Lexi” is out in the same category of her cousin, “Becky”, as performing sexual actions like “shiners for a fiver and fucking for a score”[22]. Overall it shows how the same conventions we saw in “Kidulthood” of the relationship of drugs and teens are reinforced in “Adulthood” showing how female teenagers are performing promiscuity actions to “score some drugs”, although we do see some difference in the actions they take on to score these drugs.
Although, we can’t see that this is an accurate perception of how teenagers use drugs and how they get them in both “Kidulthood” and “Adulthood”, this as the narrative plot is in the space of 24 hours of what these teens do and what they get up to. In addition, the audience can therefore chose to perceive and interpret these views and values how they chose to see teenagers and be an active audience, by choosing to go against the intended reading the text gives, or they could follow the views and values they are provided with and be “injected”[23] with these same views and values the media generates to them and be a passive audience and believe that all inner urban teenagers act this particular and specific way. This can then prove to show and allow the audience to make their own judgements on whether this is an accurate and fair view of teenagers.
The result of all these representations given to teenagers is due to the labels and stereotypes given to them through the mass British Media, especially the fact that all these stereotypes and labels given to them are constantly negative ones. A study carried by a teenager stating that “My generation never gets a positive thing said about them”, this then shows how it puts a strain on young teens, especially the ones that are well behaved, that they are constantly being represented in the mass media as “yobs” and “hooligans”, this then goes to show teenagers are not given a fair chance and are constantly in the negative “spot light”. “Stereotypes are labels that categorize people largely in negative terms...and can be applied to whole social or cultural groups”[24]. The stereotyping of British teenagers and the labels applied to them are continuously always negative. With labels like “aggressive, drug abusers and criminals” given to them by the media and “injected” to them by the media, it’s hard for the public to make their own perception of teenagers as they are constantly being “demonised”[25] by the media on a regular basis, is this giving them a fair chance?
Teenagers stated in an article that “they feel that adults attached the label to them simply on the basis that they were young and met up in a group, assuming that crime was their main purpose for meeting”[26]. This portrayal of teenagers shows just how the media ”mediate” their texts to create “unconstructive”, “degrading” and negative image of teenagers, assuming that all young people meeting up as a group are presented and seen as a gang and presume that their only reason for “meeting up” is to commit crimes. By mediating their texts in such a way, the media creates “moral panic”[27] in society “injecting” the public with the idea that all inner urban teenagers act this way.
Although we do see this representation and stereotype being emphasized by some characters within the film “Adulthood”. Omen and his crew do some criminal activities and use drugs as we saw in the opening scene of the film as they were smoking marijuana and beating up the man in the car. This then tends to go on throughout the film, which then helps to reinforce the ideas given by the media.
“Boys tend to form gangs with a hierarchical structure in which some members dominate others...”[28] this goes on to show how the “Hegemonic Model”[29] has an influence on even gangs, showing members of gangs can also be passive by believing and following others, thus creating the ideological state apparatus. This then conveys that others may be “influenced” and “pressured” by other peers to do things they may not agree with or may not even want to do. This theory is shown in “Adulthood” with “Omen’s” crew, as we see that each member of the crew has a higher position in the “gang” than every other group member.
When we’re talking about the media, it doesn’t just mean referring to the news; it means referring to types of media texts. Programmes such as “Skins” shows teenagers in a negative light as “they party, take illegal drugs and have lots of sex”[30]. Does this show really convey a true and fair depiction of teenagers and their lifestyles? Teenage portrayal in this programme is often exaggerated and takes the stereotype of teenagers to another degree.
The teenage actions we see in “Skins” is how the media sees teenagers and perceives them of what they act like, but in “reality” is this how teenagers in today’s society really are?
The near beginning of these negative representations of teenagers as “juvenile delinquents”, committing “juvenile crimes” and “juvenile wildness”[31] was in the media text “Rebel without a Cause” 1955, where we saw the main protagonist “Jim Stark”, played by James Dean, performs continuous crimes and acting like a “juvenile delinquent”. As well as the male representation, we saw female teenagers to be of the same acting of the same values rebelling against all things, this is due to the fact that she feels discarded and unwanted by her parents. This then raises the reasons of why they act the way they do and it also shows that teenagers don’t just rebel and act the way in which they do for no particular reason, they may be facing issues at home or even at school.
Representation of teenagers in “Adulthood” is also based upon the type of clothing these teens are seen wearing, as well as their actions. Male teenage characters “Jay” and “Moony’s” dress sense shows the difference between each character. We see “Moony” challenging the stereotype and representation labelled to male teenagers through his smart appearance connotes his mature attitude and how he has grown out of his childish ways. Whereas we see “Jay” supporting and reinforcing the stereotype as he continues to wear the same clothing he wore when he was in “Kidulthood”, which then connotes that he still hasn’t matured and grown into “Adulthood”. In “Adulthood” we see dominant ideology’s being perceived and portrayed as females are represented to be the “weak and victimised”[32] gender which shows them to be below the male gender. Whereas males were recognised and presented as “active and victorious”[33] which shows that they were to be the more powerful and dominant gender.
However, these dominant ideologies of males being more superior were being challenged by “Moony’s” girlfriend within the film. She helps to do this as she fights back and defends herself against “Jay’s” patriotic views. She clearly states to him “tell me what, listen this ain’t a dictatorship “blad” it’s a relationship, I’m a 22 year old women studying Law, he does not tell me nothing, we discuss things together yeah”[34]. She then goes on to explain and interrupts Moony before he defends her “Don’t speak for me, listen yeah on earth were I’m from men are supposed to treat women with respect”[35]. This shows how the representation of females has progressed over the years and how powerful and empowered they feel and become. This then shows them as being independent and also how they are “intelligent” and “non-housewifely”[36].
David Cameron goes on to defend the young generation and helps the public to understand why teenagers act out the way in which they do and asks them to understand teenagers a bit more. He clearly states that “Hoodies” are seen “as aggressive” and they are “the uniform of a rebel of young gangsters”[37]. He helps to defends young teens and shows how “hoodies are defensive than offensive”[38], he announced that hoodies have become “a symbol of social disorder”. He clearly states that people should look underneath the hoodies and ask ourselves what has caused these youngsters to commit such crimes and make them turn to drugs and reach out and help them rather than continuously slamming them for their appearances and their actions.
In conclusion, the contemporary society in which we live in will keep on conveying these negative stereotypes and representations of teenagers as “promiscuous, aggressive, violent drug abusers”. The media will then continue to generate and put across these negative values and ideologies of teenagers. Although, we do see how there are attempts to help change and challenge these representations, that all inner urban teenagers act this way through some media texts such as “Adulthood” and the help from politicians such as “David Cameron” to help change these views and ideologies given to young teenagers and attempt to help young teens to change and reach a helping hand to them. However, the stereotypical view of teenagers will never stop as teenage crime and violence is a recurring cycle in this modern society in which we inhabit. The media will continue to mediate teenagers in a degrading and negative light and won’t change their own biased opinions about teens.
This helps to show that the media will keep generating “moral panic” of teenagers, and will keep on “injecting” the audience with the view that teenagers are and will always be identified as a “threat to society”[39] and are classed as “Folk Devil”[40].
It is really how the institution creates a media text that shows the influence of these representations, what we see in the media is not reality, it’s merely a “re-presentation”[41] of reality. In addition, the continuous media that is generated about teenagers in such as negative and unconstructive way will always help to spoil and ravage these challenges. Therefore, in conclusion, these representations are becoming worse as every storyline or media text about teens is always negative and teenagers will continuously and always will be generated in a negative light throughout the British Media and will also be perceived as a threat to society.
Word Count: 3.248
[1] Adulthood, (2008)
[2] Maltby, (1988), “The Cinema Book, 2nd edition”, Page 213 (ibid)
[3] Cohen, Stanley (1972) “Folk Devils and Moral Panics”
[4] Cohen, Stanley. (1972) “Folk Devils and Moral Panics” (ibid)
[5] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999)” The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[6] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999) “The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[7] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999) “The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[8] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999) “The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[9] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999) “The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[10] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/behind-the-stereotypes-the-shocking-truth-about-teenagers-421295.html
[11] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/behind-the-stereotypes-the-shocking-truth-about-teenagers-421295.html (Ibid)
[12] http://www.kqed.org/w/ymc/empowered/stereotypes.html (Ibid)
[13] http://www.kqed.org/w/ymc/empowered/stereotypes.html (Ibid)
[14] http://www.kqed.org/w/ymc/empowered/stereotypes.html (Ibid)
[15] Mulvey, Laura. (1975), “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
[16] http://www.kqed.org/w/ymc/empowered/stereotypes.html (Ibid)
[17] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/british-teenagers-more-likely-to-have-taken-illegal-drugs-692692.html
[18]Sardar, Ziauddin & Van Loon, Borin, (2000) “Introducing Media Studies”, Page 84
[19] Sardar, Ziauddin & Van Loon, Borin, (2000) “Introducing Media Studies”, Page 84 (Ibid)
[20] http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_girls.cfm
[21] Adulthood, (2008)
[22] Adulthood, (2008)
[23] Sardar, Ziauddin & Van Loon, Borin, (2000) “Introducing Media Studies”, Page 72&73 (Ibid)
[24] Sardar, Ziauddin & Van Loon, Borin, (2000) “Introducing Media Studies”, Page 75 (Ibid-different page)
[25] http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/law_order/britains+teenagers+demonised/2278467
[26] Probert, David & Graham, Andrew, (2008) “Advanced Media Studies”, Page 270
[27] Cohen, Stanley (1972) Moral Panic “Folk Devils and Moral Panic” (Ibid)
[28] Stones, Rosemary, (1998), “Gangs and Bullies”, Page 39
[29] Sardar, Ziauddin & Van Loon, Borin, (2000) “Introducing Media Studies”, Page 72&73 (Ibid)
[30] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/17/television.tvandradioarts1
[31] Cook, Pam& Bernink, Mieke.(1999) “The Cinema Book,2nd Edition”, Page 213 (Ibid)
[32] Gunter, Barrie (1995) “Television and Gender Representation “
[33] Gunter, Barrie (1995) “Television and Gender Representation “(Ibid)
[34] Adulthood, (2008)
[35] Adulthood, (2008)
[36] Gauntlett, David (2007) “Media, Gender and Identity” Page 59
[37] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5163798.stm
[38] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5163798.stm (Ibid)
[39]http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/about/CI/CP/the_edge/issue26/young_offenders.aspx?ComponentId=24438&SourcePageId=24469
[40] Cohen, Stanley (1972), “Folk Devils and Moral Panics” (Ibid)
[41] Dyer, Richard (1985) “Taking Popular Television Seriously”
WORKS CITED:
BOOKS-
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WEBSITES:
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