1. “MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS ARE COMPLEX,NOT SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.”HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE WITHTHIS
STATEMENT IN RELATION TO THE COLLECTIVE GROUPTHAT YOU HAVE STUDIED?
TheoristHenryJenkinsstatedthatwe strengthenoursolidaritywithothersthroughhavingsimilar
taste in fashion,hairstyle,music,books. Therefore,we canunderstandthatyouthare a collective
identitybecause of the waytheyare presented. Forinstance,Hippiesoftenchoose towearbrightly
colouredoutfitsandunusual clothing suchas bell-bottompants.Iamgoingto attemptto argue that
mediarepresentationsare indeedcomplexandnotsimple andstraightforward.However,inthe
1950s, the representationof youthwasrathersimplistic.Iwill be exploringhow youth,asa
collective identityisrepresentedthroughawide range of mediamainlyfocusingonTV and film.The
1950s isa decade knownforconformityandrebellionamongthe youthpopulation. Forexample,
childrenwere expectedtobehave wellandnicelydressedwhilethe adultswere quitestrict.Buton
the otherhand,as yearswentby,youngpeople wouldstarttovoice theirownopinion,wearcertain
clothingandlistentodifferenttypesof musicthatreflectsuponrebellion.Introductionof ‘rockand
roll’musicledthe wayfor the rebelliousnessthatenergizedthe youthforthisdecade. ElvisPresley
was a role model forteenagersbackinthe 1950s where theywouldlistentohismusic.This then
leadstocreatingsubculture e.g.Rockers.
So thenwhyand howdidthe representationof youthbecomesocomplex?Rebel withoutaCause
was one of the firstfilmstorepresentteenagers;itisanAmericandrama filmaboutemotionally
confused,middle-classteenagers.The filmattemptedtoportraythe moral decayof Americanyouth,
critique parental style andexploringthe conflictsbetweendifferentgenerations.RestlessteenJim,
searchesformeaninginhismiddle-classexistence underthe indignity of hiscluelessparents.Acland
statesthat youthrepresentationsreinforce hegemonybyconstructinganideaof normal adultand
youthbehaviourcontrastingwithdeviantbehaviour;itisshowntobe unacceptable.Therefore,in
Rebel Withoutacause,representationhelpsmaintainadominanthegemonyof the middle-classand
how youthful representationisshownalongwithdeviantbehaviourandthe consequencesof their
actions.For example,whenJimrunstothe police andclaimsthathe ownedthe bullets,Platothen
appearsout of nowhere andgetsshot.Thisis a symbolicwaytoshow audience thatdeviant
behaviourwill face itsconsequencesandwill be punished.Quadrophenia(1979) is a Britishdrama
filmthatbroughtthe alienationof the 1960s Britishworking-classyouthtothe bigscreen.Angst-
riddenyouth,Jimmyescapesfromhispostal jobandrebelledagainsthisparentswhichisa
significantconflictbetweenadultsandyouth. Representationof youthwithinthe filmisseentobe
simple because of the typical “delinquentbehaviour”thatwe couldalsoidentifyfromRebel Without
a cause.StanleyCohenstatesthatthe mass mediaexaggeratesdeviantbehaviourwhichlabelsa
deviantgroupas bade.g.Mods and Rockers.Therefore,thisleadstoan encouragementof deviant
behaviourtowardsthatsocial groupinwhichthe mediareportsevenfurther. Thiscreatesamoral
panictowardsadultsand families.Forinstance,the Mods launchedanattack onthe Rockers,where
bothsubculturesclashedinBrighton;anumberof adultswere terrifiedwhile numberof police came
and attemptedtoclose the riots.Thisreflectsusuponhow the mediarepresentedboththe Mods
and Rockers,leadingtoanexaggerateddeviantbehaviourwhichledontothe audience intothinking
that bothsubcultureswere unacceptable.However,Ialsobelieve thatthere are possibilitiesthatthe
mediarepresentationsbecame complex.Forexample,inRebel Withoutacause,we see Jimasan
‘emotional,angstteenager’whohasbadrelationwithhisparentswhoisamiddle-class.Whereasin
Quadrophenia,we canclearlysee thatJimmyalsohasnopotential relationshipwithhisparentsbut
isa working-class.
2. Big social changesoccurredintermsof youthculture andthe way inwhichtheyare representedin
the media.Seeingthatyouthisrepresentedascomplex –‘The SelfishGiant’isanIndependent
Britishfilmwhichreflectsthe representationof youthinthe UK.It is also a great example of how
mediarepresentationonyouthiscomplex.Thisisbecause the filmisshininguponthe issuesand
societyonyouthrebellioninthe UKinsteadof portrayingwhyyouthshouldn’tbe deviant.For
instance,Arbor,the protagonist, isanAnti-hero;thisiswhereacharacter ina story,filmordrama
lacksconventional heroattributes.EventhoughArborisseenas‘deviant’,badlybehavedand
uneducated,we asthe audience feel empathyandhave a complex relationshipwithArbor.For
example,ascene isshownwhere Arborsitsdeterminedlyoutside of Swifty’shouseafterseveral
rejections,Arborallowshismumtohug himand share theirpain.Therefore,the representationof
youthisseenas ‘complex’becauseof the complex relationship betweenadultsandyouth.However,
I couldalsoargue that mediarepresentation couldstillbe simple.Inthe SelfishGiant,we couldstill
identifysimplisticareaswhere we rarelysee youthasbeingnon-rebelliousorenjoyauthority.
Instead,we are shownthe youthas mischievousandaggressive,someone whoisnotkeenon
attendingschool andverydisrespectfultoanauthorityfigure.
Representationof youthiscomplex inthe TV show ‘WaterlooRoad’.Itisa BritishTV show that
followsthe livesof WaterlooRoad,afailing,innercitycomprehensive school thattacklesawide
range of issuesthatare seenas tabooe.g.underage driving,teenage pregnancy,sexual harassment
etc.It is alsoa good example of complex representationof youthwithinTV shows. InWaterloo
Road,the relationshipbetweenadultsandyouthisverycomplex.Thisisbecause the parentsthat
are showninthe showare much ratherprotective overtheirchildren.Forinstance,ateacher,whois
alsoa mother,isportrayedasa caring, nurturingparent;despite theirfamilybeingbrokenand
dysfunctional,boththe motherandthe childrenhave averyunderstandingrelationship.Thistellsus
that the representationbetweenadultsandyouthhasbeenchallenged.Typically,youwouldidentify
parentsto be representedasstrict,harshandoppressive butinthe TV show WaterlooRoad,we see
a much more nurturingside of the adults,includingteachers.Itcouldalsobe arguedthat
representationisalsosimpleby;youthisstill shownasuneducated(useof foul language),
rebellious,confusedandhot-headed.Representationisstill fairlysimilarintermsof their
‘delinquent’behaviours.
In conclusion, itisreasonable tosaythatthe mediarepresentationsof youthare a varietyof
complex andsimple andstraightforward.Withthe use of differentmediatexts(TV andFilm) we can
clearlyidentifythatthe wayyouthrepresentationsare fairlysimilar overthe years – such as teens
beingshownas‘rebellious’andwouldalwaysbe inconflictwiththe adults. However,we couldalso
argue that there were a lotof changesas yearswentby.The mediarepresentationsof youthhas
become complex inthe recent years;forexample,inthe SelfishGiant,we couldpotentiallytell that
there isa reasonbehindasto whythe youthisshownas uneducated,impolite,aggressive and
confused. Whereasinothercase studiessuchasRebel WithoutaCause,youthisrepresentedas
rebelliousinordertopasson the message tothe viewerthatyoushouldnotbehave likeyouthis
showninthe film.Ibelieve thatthe representationof youthinthe upcomingyearswill mostlikely
become complex,thanbe simpleandstraightforwardbecause of the changesanddevelopmenton
howsocietywill viewyouth.
