The document discusses how social groups are represented in the media product. It represents women and racial minorities in stereotypical ways, following conventions of other thrillers where women are vulnerable victims and racial minorities are more likely to die. However, it subverts some stereotypes by having the killer be a girl, showing women can be strong. It also positively portrays young girls through their costumes and caring nature, rather than ignoring stereotypes of promiscuity. So while some stereotypes are followed, the media product also challenges conventions and represents social groups in a more positive light at times.

1. Evaluation Question 2
Q2. How does your media
product represent particular
social groups?

2.  My media product represents social
groups in terms of gender quite
conventionally.
 My thriller opening follows the stereotype
of women being vulnerable and naïve.
Many thrillers often include women rather
than men being killed or hurt, which is
shown in the thriller, Jaws, and also in my
thriller.

3.  However, my media product also subverts this
stereotype of women being weak and passive by
having the killer being a girl.
 This shows that women are not always weak and in
need of protection which challenges the stereotype
and makes my media product contrast with other
thrillers.
 So, my media product therefore represents women
in a stronger, more positive way as well as in a
stereotypical way.

4.  Social groups in terms of race is represented
in a stereotypical way in my thriller opening
sequence.
 This is because the ethnically diverse person,
(e.g. black or Asian) is typically more likely to
die or be the victim.
 An example of this in other thrillers, as well as
mine, is in The Hunger Games;

5.  Social groups in terms of age are represented
positively in my media product through costume.
 This is because even though Elise (girl being killed)
is young, she isn’t dressed promiscuously which
shows young girls in a more positive way and
subverts the stereotype of girls that age.
 Another way in which young girls are represented
positively in my media product is shown when Elise
helps the young girl rather than ignoring her,
despite the fact that she is late to
meet her friend. This portrays her
as caring and un-superficial,
which again subverts the
stereotype.

6.  Overall, social groups in my media
product are represented in a stereotypical
way at times through gender and race.
 However social groups are also
represented in a different and un-
conventional way through other aspects,
such as gender again and age, which
differentiate my thriller opening from other
thrillers.