A Grade

1. “Media representations are complex, not simple and straightforward.” How
far do you agree with this statement in reference to the collective media
group you have studied?
When focusing on media representations on youth, the collective group we
have studied, it can be argued that there is more complexity than
simplicity. Although similar aspects of youth can be identified between
media texts, there is more evidence to suggest that representations are
more complex due to two sides of youth being portrayed and a developing
attitude of the audience.
Althusser’s Ideological State Apparatus theory states that media uses
methods such as school, education and the government to maintain control
over youth. This is particularly evident across mainstream cinema during
the 1950s. Anti- establishment, disobedience and deviance were rare
amongst youth at the time. Youth were constantly being educated on how
to behave the ‘right’ way. However, the rise in consumerism given after
World War Two triggered a rise in independence and identity in youth
culture and therefore the ‘teenager’ was born. The growth in subcultures
and anti- establishment behaviour was grasped by the media and created
simple youth representations to create moral panic amongst the adult
audience. As the years have progressed, simple media representation of
young people as needing to be monitored and protected through their
violent and aggressive performance within film and television. This can be
evident through two historical case studies in the following paragraph.
Acland’s ideology of protection theory states that the media presents the
idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring. This is
particularly evident during the 1950s through the film Rebel Without A
Cause where youth is shown participating in knife crime and inflicting
aggression amongst adult. Similarly in Quadrophenia, the mods are seen in
huge numbers creating chaos by smashing windows and using bad
language. Through these examples, as Gramsci’s Hegemony theory states,
the media portrays the actions of youth as ‘not normal’ and by doing this,
creates moral panic. However, when looking at contemporary case studies,
we are able to witness a change of youth representations through the
media and how they have become more complex than simple.
The film The Selfish Giant, a contemporary case study we have looked at, is
a great example to demonstrate the complexity of youth representations in
contrast with the simple historical youth representations. Buckingham’s
theory states that the media do not just offer us a transparent ‘window on
the world’ but a mediated version of the world. The Selfish Giant’s
complexity counters this theory as both positive and negative aspects are
displayed through youth. Although we are presented with youths
committing crimes and inflicting corrupt behaviour towards adults, we are
also shown a sympathetic side to them, which pulls the audience closer to
the characters and develops empathy for them. The poverty-stricken
setting of Bradford and neglect of youth make their violent and anti-

2. establishment behaviour understandable- unlike in the historical case
studies. This is also shown through the relationship between adults and
youth. Although we identify strong conflict between the two, we begin to
witness that fading away as the film progresses and eventually, both youth
and adults unite. At the end of the film we are shown a scene where the
anti- hero embraces the mother of the fallen victim- demonstrating their
ability to come together in a time of sadness. After viewing this, the
audience is made to favour the closeness of youth and adults, which is the
purpose of the film- to teach people that there shouldn’t be conflict
between the two. It can be argued however, that youth are always shown as
violent and troublesome to an extent in the media as Hebdige’s theory
suggests, countering the argument that youth representations are complex.
This can also be elaborated by the fact that adults create these youth
representations, limiting its accuracy and objectivity. However, the fact
that the film is a social commentary assists its accuracy compared to Rebel
Without A Cause, which is an overly dramatic film with exaggerated acting
and theatrical music- feeding the moral panic of the audience.
Moving onto more contemporary media texts in the form of television
shows, Misfits further demonstrates that youth representations are more
complex than simple. The bright orange jumpsuits of the characters give
them an iconic criminal collective identity, supporting Hebdige’s theory
that youth are always represented as troublesome (and encouraging moral
panic through Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory). Each character within the
television show represents their own subculture e.g. the chav, the joker,
the introvert, the sportsman etc. The fact that these different subcultures
come together and cooperate as well as being defensive towards each other
demonstrates the complexity of youth representation within the case
study. Youth is also seen victimised to an extent through neglect: one of the
characters is kicked out of his own house by his mother and is forced to
sleep on the streets by himself. We see the stereotyped chav hurt when
reading people’s thoughts about her. Both of these examples make the
audience sympathetic despite their criminal identity. However, it can be
argued that Misfits is a comedy, limiting its accurate representation of
youth as it may be exaggerated for the audience to be entertained by.
Despite this however, the comedic actions and dialogue of the characters
make them likeable and not intimidating; relaxing the tensions between
youth and the audience.
Top Boy is another contemporary television show we have studied to
develop this argument further. Although the black leather jackets of the
gang members shown within the television show emphasises their deviant
subculture and defiance of the law, they are also shown looking out for one
another as if they were a family. When focusing on the students, we
sympathise with them as we witness their naivety through peer pressure to
take part in drug dealing. The fact that one of the students refuses shows
that some young people have the ability to make the right choices even
when being forced into something. The other student on the other hand
looks up to the gang members, supporting Gauntlett’s theory, which states

3. that ‘role models’ can shape someone’s identity- leading them down a path
they may not have anticipated. We also can identify a bond between adults
and youth. One of the adults is very protective over one of the students
whilst his mother is in a mental hospital, lessening the conflict between the
two. This is also demonstrated through the caring and considerate
behaviour of the students towards his mother- showing another side of
youth that simple representations in the past have failed to create. Even
though the case study still shows negative aspects of youth that can be seen
in simple representations such as being troublesome and violent, we still
identify moments of friendliness and compassion between youth.
Finally, the television show Waterloo Road supports the argument that
youth is presented in a more complex way than a simple way. The
scruffiness of the students and the smartness of the teachers immediately
demonstrate a clear contrast between adults and youth. However, one
teacher expresses her understanding for the students and their situation,
which creates a complex representation of youth. Their corrupt setting of
Greater Manchester also emphasises the difficulties of which youth have to
deal with which again, makes their troublesome and deviant behaviour
excusable. Even though youth are presented as being sexually driven,
disobedient and troublesome, we are also able to identify that adults are
represented as muddled and argumentative as well. Adults are normally
made to represent the dominant ideology of society as stated in Gramsci’s
Hegemony theory. However the stereotypical posh southern teacher is
negatively presented as extremely naïve and close minded. The affair
scandal between the grown-ups and the meltdown of the head teacher also
demonstrates that adults aren’t always able to live up to their position of
being a role model. This makes us favour some of the young characters, as
the adults are not presented, as perfect either- therefore there is a high
amount of complexity within these representations.
In conclusion, although it can be identified that youth representations
through historical case studies show simplistic youth representations due
to the height of dominant ideology and it’s attack of deviant behaviour,
contemporary media has become more understanding and explores a
wider range of aspects when focusing on youth. Therefore, youth
representations are more complex and as the audience, we are presented
with a bigger picture on the issue of youth and why certain young people
act certain ways. Although it can be argued that to this day, youth is still
seen as troublesome, as explained through Hebdige’s theory, that could
perhaps change in the future and young directors may occur a lot more to
create accurate television shows and films to demonstrate the actual
realities of youth within society.