Evaluation 2 - Media AS Studies

1. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR
SOCIAL GROUPS?
EVALUATION 2

2. TESSA PERKINS
Tessa Perkins constructed a theory that:
• Stereotypes arent always negative
• Stereotypes don’t always show minorities as less powerful
• Stereotypes arent always false
• Stereotypes can change
Our media product both conforms and challenges with Tessa Perkins’ theory and the
stereotypes of social groups in media.

3. ZOMBIE
Our zombie both challenged and conformed with the typical zombie image and their stereotypes in media. In
media products, a zombie is usually:
• Not intelligent
• Unattractive and dirty
• Middle aged
The zombie in our media product both conforms and challenges with this typical zombie figure. By challenging
this stereotype, we also represent social groups differently. Our zombie is an attractive, young female with long,
clean blonde hair. This challenges the stereotype of a zombie as well as representing teenage females differently
to their stereotype. Typically, they would be portrayed as innocent, scared and weak. However, having an
attractive teenage girl as the zombie in our production challenges their stereotypical representation – mirroring
Perkins’ theory that can change in media. Our zombie also challenges zombie’s representation as a whole. Our
zombie conforms with the representation of a zombie being slow and stiff in its movement, however, it also runs
for the two characters and we see the zombie catch the male and get into the mind of him – showing its
intelligence. There is an enigma in our production when the viewer views the zombie first hand in between the
short cuts of the close up of the zombie. At first, the zombie is turned to one side, so the viewer only see’s a
female’s face with no effect, however, as the cuts change, she gradually turns and shocks the viewer with this
zombie make-up. We also conformed with the zombie’s stereotype by having ripped clothing and traditional
zombie cuts, blood and complexion in the image.

4. TEENAGE MALE
The teenage male in the production we created is a mirror of what a typical teenage male is
stereotyped as. A typical teenage male is stereotyped as:
• Strong
• Confident and Courageous
• Curious and Careless
In our production, we challenge this stereotype and represent a teenage male as innocent,
weak and the binary opposition between him and the female zombie highlights these traits. In
the production, the teenage male acts scared and quiet throughout the film. He initially see’s
the zombie and is eager to leave and escape conflict in contrast to the girl who is curious. The
male teenager is also never really represented as religious. In our production, we challenge
this by having the male turn to religion when he see’s the zombie. This represents the teenage
male as innocent, religious and scared – challenging the stereotypical representation.

5. TEENAGE FEMALE
Teenage females are often represented in media as vulnerable, weak and in distress. We both
conformed and challenged this representation and represent the teenage female as a whole new
character rather than this stereotypical view.
One way in which we conform with this stereotype is by having the female run from the zombie and
having her as a victim of the zombie. We also conform to a typical teenage girl’s representation
through our mise en scene. The clothing of the teenage girl is fashionable and trendy – suggesting
she takes care of her appearance; this conforms to a stereotypical representation of a female
teenager.
A way in which we challenge the stereotype and create out own representation of a teenage girl is
through her confidence and curiosity. She immediately attempts to film the zombie and is curious to
stay close to the zombie. After this, she instructs when she feels the characters should run and she
takes control over the male character. The teenage girl also demonstrates her intellegence by
knowing to leave the male when he falls. Although this doesn’t show the female as the heroine, the
female in the film is shown as brave and intellegent. In some ways, this representation of our
teenage girl conforms with present media, as more and more blockbusters have females adopting a
major role in the film similar to this one (e.g. Hunger Games, Zombieland).