Aqeel Ali
“I want you to carve a "c" from the corner of him eye to the corner of him mouth” [1]
An investigation into the representation of male teenagers in contemporary urban dramas.
It is fair to assess that male teenagers are constantly being stereotyped in a negative way in the media. Yet this representation of male teenagers has changed in a variety of ways when considered from a historical perspective. This essay will be an investigation into how male teenagers are being represented specifically in urban dramas and if this representation is a positive representation or not. In order to consider the representation of male teenagers, the examples that will be considered at are popular contemporary texts as well as historical ‘classics’ to discover the ways that the representations have changed and how this reflects wider contexts. The films that this essay will focus on are 'Rebel without a Cause' (1955), ‘Alpha Dog’ (2006) and 'Adulthood' (2009). "Stereotypes come and go; they also change in the light of the shifting political cultural context"[2]. This would mean that the representations of males are always changing too which will also be considered. Finally, this essay will conclude as to how male teenagers are being represented overall in urban dramas and what effect this might have on the audience and wider society.
The media can be seen as providing the audience with privileged information that tells us what it feels like to “occupy a particular subject – position”[3]. This is evident in the vicarious pleasure audiences receive through identification with male teenagers who are being represented as aggressive, violent and irresponsible. This is shown in the films, ‘Adulthood’, ‘Kidulthood’ (2006) and ‘Bullet Boy’ (2004), with male teenagers being represented negatively in all films. With them getting involved in crime, taking drugs, getting involved in crime of all sorts (knife and gun crime) and demonstrating a lack of interest in education. Yet, ‘Bullet Boy’ is also considered as a film that has a “valid storyline which will resonate and reverberate with different communities throughout the UK”[4]. This shows that gritty dramatic films such as ‘Bullet Boy’ may show teenagers through a negative view but they may also depict the realities of ‘ghetto life’ in their almost documentary approach. This demonstrates that in these media texts, the male characters have similar roles because of them being shown as 'gangsters'. By this we can see that male teenagers are being given roles that would represent them negatively in the media which reinforced the representation that has been shown on male teenagers.
Male teenagers have been stereotyped in a way in which teenagers are shown to be portrayed negatively to the public that is also mentioned by the theorist Stan Cohen who has argued that the media labels youth culture in a “stereotyped and negative way”[5]. This shows that the media is increasing the negative representation of male teenagers which is shown in the film ‘Kidulthood’ which is a contemporary urban drama that has represented male teenagers in a very negative view. This was shown through the character Trife who is murdered in the film because of a dispute between the other male characters. By this we can see that male teenagers are being continuously represented in a threatening way that is leading to the audiences having the same opinion about male teenagers as it is being reinforced in moving texts and from that it is becoming a social and popular point in the media.
As a result of this stereotype of male teenagers created in the media has meant that “youths have suffered from a rather negative representation in the media”[6]. By this we can tell that this negative view of male teenagers has created a moral panic in the media that could result in the self fulfilling prophecy as male teenagers would believe that they are in reality in the way that the media is portraying them because there are “violent visions of the young teen rebel and delinquent”[7]. This would be because male teenagers would always see this stereotype of them shown in moving texts. By this we can tell that there male teenagers are being influenced because of movies and this is also shown because the theorist, David Buckingham, believes that “young boys make sense of what it means to be masculine partly from the ways they talked about videos”[8] and this would mean that male teenagers mainly get influenced by videos and that would encourage them to behave the way they are. Similarly, in the hypodermic needle model, ideas are being injected in to the audiences mind which is that situation with male teenagers as these ideas are being reinforced in their minds while watching films.
Over time there has been an increase in the change of the stereotypes of male teenagers in the media because in a historical view, male teenagers were not stereotyped as harshly as they are now. This is shown through the 1955 film, ‘Rebel without a Cause’ where it shows male teenagers being represented negatively but the male teenagers are not taking part in dangerous activities for example, the character Jim who is new to town is trying to gain popularity from his friends by taking part in activities such as car racing towards a cliff. From this we can see that this would be a negative representation of teenagers but it is not as harsh as now as it is not harming anyone else. ‘Rebel without a Cause’ was a film in the 90’s that was “accused of encouraging delinquency and driving a wedge between the younger and older generations”[9]. This demonstrates that this film is encouraging male teenagers to go on the wrong path and that would generate a moral panic in the society. By this we can tell that this contemporary stereotype of male teenagers is widely different from the historical stereotypes of male teenagers.
‘Rebel without a Cause’ may also be a film which is known to create a stereotype on male teenagers that is “inaccurate, simplistic generalisations about a group of individuals that may lead to a particular perception of the group by others”[10]. This shows that the way that male teenagers were represented in ‘Rebel without a Cause’ may have been to create a moral panic in the media of teenagers and encourage ‘delinquency’ which will become a social factor. However, by comparing this to a contemporary media text, it is clear that the stereotypes of male teenagers in contemporary urban dramas have changed to a large extent that is labelling all male teenagers in a harsh way.
‘Fire with Fire’ (1986) is another historical text that looks at teenagers in a negative way. The theorist, Tessa Perkins has pointed out that some stereotypes are based on “truth that can be observed”[11]. However, this is not the situation when looking at the representation of male teenagers that can be argued by looking at ‘Fire with Fire’ because this film stereotypes male teenagers as being immature and against their parents which generates a moral panic in the media. This was shown because the young woman and young man from the film are trying to run away from their parents together and from the law. This shows that this is reinforcing the typical stereotypes of teenagers which are that they are often described as “moody, argumentative, violent and causing trouble”[12]. By this we can tell that this film does stereotype male teenagers negatively but it is definitely not as negative as it is in a contemporary view but it is seen as negative against teenagers because of “dominant assumptions of our society”[13] that have been created because of dominant groups that have control over the subordinate groups such as young males. This is because this film does not have any murder taking place or dangerous activities but innocent love. This film could be known to become a social factor in the media because the audience would watch this and be influenced to believe what is shown in the film which comes from the hypodermic needle theory. By this we can see that this would mean that the audience would then be influenced to think that male teenagers are really like this that would mean that there would be a negative representation created in the media of male teenagers.
In addition, another contemporary film that looks at the negative representation of male teenagers is ‘Alpha Dog’ because this film looks at a variety of different crimes that male teenagers take part in for example, there are scenes with the male teenagers using props such as guns, drugs and getting involved in street fights. By this we can tell that films such as ‘Bullet Boy’ are leading to an “increase in juvenile delinquency”[14] because male teenagers are repeatedly being represented in a very negative way in urban dramas. This demonstrates that this is making the audience think that male teenagers are like this because they are shown this side of teenagers repeatedly and this would demonstrate a moral panic in society. Has this resulted to male behaviour being accepted in the media? This is because the theorist, Glen Lewis believes that within certain limits, “aggressive male behaviour is accepted as a normal part of everyday life”[15] because of it being shown in literally every male teenage film. This demonstrates that if this male behaviour is being shown repeatedly then why is this representation of male teenagers being created in to a moral panic because in a way it is being accepted by the audience when it takes place with adult males.
Furthermore, by looking at the film ‘Alpha Dog’ it demonstrates the effect of teenage gangs being created in this film because it is creating the impression that teenage gangs are a threat to the audience. Looking at films such as ‘Alpha Dog’ it is made clear to the audience that teenagers are a group to be afraid of and are referred to as ‘thugs’ that came around 800 years ago and means “a gang of criminals”[16]. By this we can tell that the media is repeatedly creating this negative view of male teenagers that has meant that the public is viewing teenagers negatively too and this would relate to the Uses and Gratifications theory because the society is using male teenagers as surveillance.
The institution of the urban drama films could be held responsible on the representation of male teenagers. This would be because institutions are repeatedly making this representation of male teenagers and making them be seen as a negative group in the media and allowing the audience to believe that male teenagers are like this in reality. This has been investigated by Ryall who looks at the influence of the production of gangster films in the media. This could be because institutions have organised to produce films that can be seen as “determining factors of the individual film”[17]. By this we can tell that the institutions and the media have the power through “selection and reinforcement to give us very influential portrayals of a whole range of groups”[18] because the media is representing male teenagers in this way to create such moral panics. This has been shown because institutions have the power to create this representation of male teenagers in films and influence the audience to think that male teenagers are in this way. This would demonstrate the effect that it would have on the audience because this would create a moral panic in the media and this would be a social factor because it would mean that a lot of people that have seen films of this representation would think that teenager males are like this and would become a social factor.
I conclude that by looking at the representation of teenage males in contemporary urban dramas, the representation is making teenagers be viewed negatively and that is shown in urban dramas such as ‘Kidulthood’ that view teenagers as getting involved in murder and violence. The representation of male teenagers has changed from historical texts such as ‘Fire with Fire’ and that would mean that the representation of teenagers is “not fixed for ever and is possible to observe changes over a period of time”[19] and this has happened with male teenagers as a group because now they are represented much more negatively. In addition, the theorist, Dyer also believes that re-representation involves “media language and the conventions that are used to represent the world to the audience”[20]. By this we can tell that the media could be held responsible for the representation of male teenagers because they are being viewed negatively because of their actions and personality in the film. This stereotype from institutions is being reinforced in society and is making the male teenagers also think that they are like this. This would show the hypodermic needle model because institutions are injecting ideologies in to the male teenagers and resulting to them actually behaving in that way. This shows that overall the representation that is being created of male teenagers is that they are being stereotyped negatively in urban dramas because of the level of crime used and this is then demonstrating that male teenagers are a negative group in the media.
Word Count – 2299
[1] Kidulthood (2006)
[2] Hayward, S (2000) p358.
[3] Woodward, K (1997) p64.
[5] Sardar, Z, Loon, B (2000) p77.
[6] Rayner, P, Wall, P, Kruger, S (2001) p68.
[8] Nicholos, J (1998) p45.
[9] Bennett, P, Slater, J, Wall, P (2006) p133
[10] Bernadette, C, Neil, C, Ben, F, Lewis, J (2002) p229.
[11] Rayner, P, Wall, P, Kruger, S (2001) p69.
[12] http://www.coursework.info/University/Mass_Communications_and_Documentation/Media_Studies/Film_Studies/kidadulthood_review___How_are_teenagers_L137186.html
[13] O'Sullivian, T, Dutton, B, Rayner, P (1994) p81.
[14] Carter, C, Weaver, K (2003) p52.
[15] Mackinnon, K (2003) p11.
[16] Gifford, C (2006) p9.
[17] Strinati, D (2006) p57.
[18] www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/repsyouth.html
[19] Phillip, R, Wall P, Kruger S (2002) p68.
[20] Lacey, N (1998) p131.
