Stereotypes In Teen Films

1985 and 2004 may seem like two very different eras, with different problems and views of life. The films The Breakfast Club (TBC) and Mean Girls (MG) are quite different from one another, however, they seem to grasp the same concept and problems faced by youth. Although these films somewhat mirror one another, the films also have many differences such as, the topic of sexuality, attire, and ethics and morals. MG and TBC portray youth in similar ways, however are in two very different time periods. Characters in the films are portrayed very differently from one another, however some of these characters both share the same thoughts or morals despite being from two different eras. Generation change between these movies are very different from

He adopts an ambivalent tone in order to examine the conflicting views of high school genre films. Denby’s purpose in writing this essay is to show how the overuse of these stereotypes results in few original teen films. Original movies expose their viewers to a diverse range of people and ways of thinking. Adolescents often mirror or find inspiration in the characters they see in media, so it is important to depict a variety of people in media targeted towards them. People of various sexual orientations should be represented more prominently and truthfully in media targeted towards children in order to promote acceptance and provide role models for those exploring their identity.

FOA – Representation of teenagers rebelliousness and the stereotypes that are associated with them through the media?

When you picture a teenager you picture fighting, drinking, or answering back, am I right? However, this is simply not the case. Sure there is the minority of trouble makers. However this minority is exaggerated due to the news showing only this behaviour. This stereotyping has found its audience and crept into television shows and series. This has led to the creation of a mockumentary called “Summer Heights High” which has unfairly represented teen

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In the chapter “What is Popular Culture and Why Study It?” from the novel The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture, author Deanna Sellnow deliberates on the influential supremacy of popular culture in our current society. Sellnow wrote this passage to inform those affected by pop culture on a daily basis. Everyday individuals in first world countries are somehow impacted by pop culture. Pop culture’s influential power can often times mold our outlook on the world around us. It is important to realize when pop culture is trying to reevaluate your ethical beliefs so you can have a say in whether or not you want your morals to be altered.

Though there may be little to no exposure to these ideas in the classroom, students will encounter them as they consume mass entertainment media. Social class disparity has long been a reoccurring theme in film. Adolescents and young adults

Teen films are the definitive genre that captures the adolescent zeitgeist during the 1980s, and its popularity still hold cultural relevance in the present day. The teen films produced during the 1980s effectively represent youth concerns and the coming-of-age narrative, in terms of adolescent identity, the different roles characters play, sexuality, gender, relationships, class issues and the generational divide. Exploring these issues is essential for recognizing the cultural significance of this specific group of films and how they are important in addressing concerns of the adolescent coming of age narrative. The Breakfast Club by John Hughes is an exploration and reflection of the changing Hollywood industry, political, economic,

molding the minds of young viewers and showing them that the way a certain group of people

A concept of a stereotypical teenager in the 20th century was to grow up through childhood but not surpass the values, beliefs and attitudes of a typical adult. In the 1998 film, the audience is shown a great selection of characters, symbolism and setting which reinforces the idea of a teenage role that shows a new perspective that affects society.

In Rushkoff’s film, The Merchants of Cool, he rhetorically questions if “teenagers even have a culture to call distinctly their own.” In the late 1990’s when the documentary was made, the implication was that they do not. However, with the internet’s advancements and the accessibility of communication with massive amounts of people, teenagers today can form authentic cultures that are not contaminated by the corporate media.

Different age groups tend to be represented in different ways in the mass media. Children (up to the age of about 14) are often presented as consumers of toys and games, are generally presented in a positive light. However, the youth (from around the age of 15 to the early 20’s) are often portrayed as a ‘problem group’ in society, and as a major source of anti-social behaviour, particularly youth working-class, and especially African Caribbean, males. This is highlighted in Item C as it is encouraging the idea that the youth are being portrayed as a source of a lot of problems and crime in today’s society.

Durkheim writes that education of youth cannot be taught by the family nor the state because they are either too distant or too close to understand the child, therefore, there needs to be an institution located in between the two (Durkheim, 1991, 193). This institution is school (Durkheim, 1991, 191). School is one of the only places where social life is prevalent (Durkheim, 1991, 192). Secondary institutions like school aims to aid children in internalizing hegemonic ideals of the group (Durkheim, 1991, 192). The cinematic production “Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood, and Corporate Power” demonstrates this by showing how mediums like Disney movies teaches dominant ideologies of society. For instance, when looking at gender representations of females in these types of films, the ideologies implemented in this film is that girl’s appearance will get them what they want or that they need to be saved (Mickey Mouse Monopoly, 2001). These ideologies are internalized by youth without them noticing. Girls and boys will play with one another, and the former will play the role of the victim waiting to be saved by the latter (Mickey Mouse Monopoly, 2001). This contemporary examples signifies that secondary institutions has moved far beyond school and that education can be done through mass media. Interestingly, Mary Wollstonecraft (1993) states that women are taught to care for their appearances and

If “seeing is believing”, then how youth is represented in popular films is all true, right? Partying hard, drugs, promiscuity and sour attitude – wrong! The problem is not the unacceptable and risky behaviour, because it only applies to a minority. The real issue is that the way teens are represented on movie screens is unrealistic and over-dramatized which benefits film makers, not the reputation of teens. Right now all we’re seeing are the fictional teens and the false realities that seem to be attached to our popular films.

The BBFC has commissioned me to undertake research as part of a project to ascertain to what degree films can be regarded as powerful within contemporary society. In this assignment, I will comprehensively explain the relationship between audiences and films with well explained examples. I refer to the different sectors relating to the topic that include the following: