Critical Contextual Studies Task 5

1. The differentrepresentationsof peopleinThe MightyRedcar,BenefitsStreetandSkint.
I thinkthat the aimsof eachof these showsistomake the viewerwatchingwhoismostlikelygoingto
be in a higherclassthan the people presentedinthe showsandthisgivesthe viewerapositive feeling
aboutthemselvesandthisisthe aimof the show.It letsthe viewerlookatthe show andthe people who
are a lotworse off in life andthenlookatthemselvesandthenfeel alotbetteraboutthemselvesas
theycan go I mightnot be the bestoff,but I’mnot that badoff.The mainthingthatthese showsare
knownforis PovertyPornandthisis whenproducersanddirectorsof the showscut and show the worst
parts of the subjecttomake the viewerfeel betteraboutthemselvesandthatiswhatshowslike these
are made for.Some of these trynot tohave this theme asmuch as others,suchas The Mighty Redcar,
thisshowtriesto be lessbiasedbynotshowingthe worstof the worst of the town andactuallyshowing
the victoriesof some people sothatitsnotall bad.But thenthere are the extremeslike Skintand
BenefitsStreetwhichjustshowthe peoplesworstmomentsandseeingthemdownandthisgivesthe
viewerasense of higherself-worthbecause theirlifeisn’tthatbad.
I thinkthat all of these shows will alwaysbe biasedasthe producers,directors,filmingteamandeditors
will mostlikelybe fromahigherclassthan the people inthe showssotheywill wanttoedititto
make themselvesfeel better,theymightnotgooutof theirownwayto do thisbut itmightbe
subconsciousinthe waythey doit. One of the examplesof thisis a close up,confessionalstyle
shotin BenefitsStreetof apersontalkingabouttheirlife inthe pastandabout theirdruguse
and howit struckbetweenherandherfamilyandhertryingto get toand talk to the person
whocares for herson,there isalsoa scene lateronwhere the mothertriestoring the person
lookingafterhersonto say that she hasbeenworkingongettingbetterandhealthierandbeing
a betterpersonandaskingif she couldsee herson and the persononthe otherendof the
phone justhangsup and doesn’twantthe mothertosee herson or to talkto her.Then there is
the scenesof some of the charactershavinglow pointsbutit alsoshowspeople havinggood
timesintheirlivessuchasKaitlyn whogoesfromtalkingaboutherGCSE’sand worryingabout
college tohergoingto promand havinga great time.ItalsoDylanwho movedtoRedcar when
he was youngerandwas adopted,he talksaboutthe difficulttimesthathe’shadbuthe also
talksabouthow hismusichelpshimgetthroughall of the difficulttimesandhow makingthe
musiche makescouldhelphiminhislife andalsogettinghimtolive withhisadoptedbrother
and thenitshowshimgoingto Londonto talkto Universal MusicStudiostotalk aboutthe music
he is makingandthenon the train back to Redcarhe ringssomeone whointroducedhimto
Universal andthe personsaysthat Universal are 100% inand it cutsto Dylan sayingthathe has
hisbrothersback andhe will lookafterhim.