A2 Media Studies, TV Industry, Representation

1. Name the
face

2. Justin Ripley

3. Sol Campbell

4. Chantelle

5. Vincent

6. Erin Gray

8. Abdi

9. Gem

11. Jeremy Crook OBE

12. Martin Schenk

13. Bobby Raikes

14. Past Representation Questions
How stereotypical are the representations of gender in your chosen texts?
Explore the different representations of either women or ethnicity in your chosen texts
To what extent are the key representations in your three chosen texts stereotypical?
Explore the different ways in which people are represented in your three chosen texts
Explore the different representations of either men or age within your three chosen texts

15. To what extent are the key representations in your three chosen texts stereotypical?
Panorama is the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme. A recent episode, entitled
‘Jobs for the boys’, explored the discrimination faced by young black men attempting
to find work. The text broadly attempts to counter some of the negative stereotypes
concerning ethnicity, although some of these elements are re-enforced.

16. Sol Campbell
Presented as a positive representation of
ethnicity. Constructed by:
• His status as a successful and respected
international sportsman, ex Arsenal and England footballer
• His intelligent and informed mode of address. This is further developed by multiple
mid-shots of him sat at a computer conducting research.
• Use of settings. He is seen in various locations, and often on transport, representing
him as a ‘roving reporter’ figure – someone determined to search out the truth.

17. Abdi
Also presented as a positive representation of
ethnicity. Constructed by:
• Shots of him exercising outside – negate
the stereotype of laziness often linked to
unemployed immigrants.
• Mode of address, shown to be desperate to work – ‘I have applied for over 400 jobs’.
• Narrative conclusion – Abdi is employed at Buckingham palace. His smart
costume, and the setting, shows that this is a position of authority and significance.

18. Could also refer to:
Other positive representations
of ethnicity in Panorama

19. Blurred Face Man (aka individual who cannot be
named for legal reasons)
Presented as a negative representation of
ethnicity. Constructed by:
• Mode of address – admits to a former life of
crime, as he says ‘I’ve been in prison for selling drugs’.
• Costume – admits that his expensive clothes were bought from the profits of criminality
• Slouched body language – implies laziness

20. • Dushane is constructed
as a highly stereotypical
representation of
ethnicity
• While it could be argued
that he demonstrates
some positive qualities,
the simple fact that he
occupies such a
stereotypical place in
society, makes this
representation
ultimately a negative
one.
• In spite of the positive qualities that he demonstrates, the text positions us to
question what has gone wrong in society when the only opportunities seemingly
open to enterprising, intelligent young black males like Dushane are in the drug
trade.
• Constructed via costume and mode of address; willingness to use violence (though
more considered and emotionally intelligent than Sully).

21. • Psychiatric nurse Leon challenges
stereotypes of ethnicity.
• In a world defined by absent fathers
and father-figures, he acts as positive
role-model and takes responsibility for
Ra’nell while his Mum, Lisa, is
hospitalised.
• In having turned his back on crime he
offers a way out from the cycle of
criminality
• Constructed through his career, his
mode of address and actions.
• His subsequent fate in the series sends
a bleak message to the audience

22. • Ra’nell re-enforces certain stereotypical
aspects of ethnicity
• He is the product of a broken-home and
is eventually drawn to the drugs-trade
(albeit, by teaming up with Heather, a
far less conventional point of entry into
criminality)
• He is defined both by innocence –
usually depicted in school-uniform
rather than ‘street’ clothes – and
experience – acts as carer to his Mum at
start, we learn that he ‘shanked’ his
Dad, an observer of events that can only
damage the witness (looks down on the
robbery at the start of the episode).
• Constructed through costume, mode of
address, actions

23. In March of this year, actor and comedian Lenny Henry delivered the annual
Bafta Television Lecture. In the speech he called for new legislation to
reverse the decline in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people
working in the UK television industry, which he said had fallen by 30.9%
between 2006 and 2012.
During one section of speech, he said this.
“My point is, we are often told that BAME don’t have the marquee value or
star power to drive a feature or long-running series. That’s what we’re told.
These performers have demonstrated that this is no longer the case. I don’t
want to be too much of a downer – there’s been some change. Idris Elba
came back, didn’t he, to make Luther. Yeah boy. A crime series set in a
London-like metropolis. Idris plays the title role - an intellectual, troubled,
maverick cop who has no black friends or family. [Audience laughter] Not at
all, none. Have you seen this? He never has any black mates. You never see
him talking to his Uncle Festus or whatever his name is? He’s never down Jerk
City having a curry goat and rice with his bredrens. You never see Luther with
black people, what’s going on? And he never changes his clothes, what’s that
all about? It’s a great show.”

24. A key point to make about Luther, which
follows from Lenny Henry’s
comments, is that the character is not
defined by his ethnicity, he is defined by
his role of maverick cop. John Luther
just happens to be black, but this is
more a product of the fact the he is
played by Idris Elba.
In another sense though, his ethnicity is
of fundamental importance – for as
Lenny Henry acknowledged, it places a
black actor at the centre of major TV
drama and doesn’t force him to take on
a stereotypical role such as villain or
gangster. Relate this to the idea of
representation being about raising
visibility.
Think about how he deliberately rejects
certain stereotypical aspects e.g. tells a
suspect not to call him ‘blud’.
Constructed through costume, body
language, mode of address & actions

25. Ken Barnaby – another way in which Luther
presents itself as a show that is ‘beyond
ethnicity’ that just takes the diverse racial mix
of society as a given rather than seeing it as
something that defines individuals.
Worth contrasting with the absent father-
figures of Top Boy – here is an utterly stable
home (or was) and a father who is devoted to
his child, to the extent that he is driven to
murder to protect her reputation.