IDS 400 American Intercontinental Cultural Inclusion and Representation in Media Discussion Review the module resources and overview, then select a popular

IDS 400 American Intercontinental Cultural Inclusion and Representation in Media Discussion Review the module resources and overview, then select a popular culture example. (It can be a television show, a commercial, a game, a movie, etc.). Analyze the representation and social message that is associated with the example. If you would like, you can select a particular episode of a show.

In your initial post, briefly describe the popular culture example you selected and address the following:

What is the composition of the primary characters, and what groups within diversity do they represent?
What is the latent (or unintended) social message or commentary about a particular group to society that is reflected by this example?
What are the social implications of this message? Briefly discuss any potential social impact or response to the example.

In response to your peers, provide feedback about the example used and the social message that was provided. Are there other messages being represented?

Make sure you support your response with the readings from this module, and any additional resources if needed. © Media Watch 4 (2) 192-208, 2013
ISSN 0976-0911 e-ISSN 2249-8818
Adolescents and the Media: Teenagers Talk about
Television and Negative Representations
DOROTHY HOBSON
University of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Young people are an elusive and exciting audience and user of all media. They
are both the most desirable yet indefinable set of groups and individuals who
must be attracted, intrigued and held in thrall if media organizations are to
succeed in their quests to keep in step with their ever moving interests, This
article presents the views of diverse groups of young people aged between nine
and nineteen in Birmingham, United Kingdom in the winter of 2010/11 and reveals
in their own words how they feel about the way that they are represented in
British media. They are avid watchers of television and even more active users of
new media. They reveal their eclectic and heavy viewing habits. While they are
diverse in their education, social backgrounds and ethnicity, they are united in
expressing their unhappiness and discontent about the way that they are
represented on British television both in news coverage, documentaries and in
dramas directed at them. More worrying is the fact that they feel and give evidence
that this negative view of teenagers, affects the way they are perceived by other
members of the public. While they are critical of British television they do single
out American television as being more aspirational and optimistic.
Keywords: Teenagers, UK television, US television, negative representation, drama, reality
TV, news, quiz shows, diversity, ethnographic research, social media
Young people are an elusive and exciting audience and user of all media. They are
both the most desirable yet indefinable set of groups and individuals who must be attracted,
intrigued and held in thrall if media organizations are to succeed in their quests to keep in step
with the ever moving interests of this potential audience. To represent them is almost impossible
and to succeed in delighting or even gaining an acknowledged interest from them, results in
rich rewards. For this group is attractive to advertisers and essential for public service
providers. The period in human development known as adolescence is the time between
childhood and adulthood. Children can have many different life experiences during this period
and their progressions to adulthood are disparate. However, one set of experiences are
Correspondence to: Dorothy Hobson, 100 Oakfield Road, Selly Park, Birmingham B29 7EG, United
Kingdom, E-mail: d.p.hobson@wlv.ac.uk. All rights reserved with Media Watch. For permission and
reprint, please mail to: mediawatchjournal@gmail.com.
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shared by individuals and groups, in that they consume, reject, subvert and create media in all
its forms. The relationship between the adolescent audience and the media, and television in
particular, and the way that adolescents perceive those media representations of adolescence
are the subjects of this article.
In December 2010, I began conducting research for a book about Adolescence and
the Media which will explore the programmes which are identified by young people as
programmes which they watch and also their views on the way they are represented in
television programmes. This article does not analyse the programmes but rather gives an
initial opportunity to hear the voices of the young people who were interviewed, as they
identified programmes which they watched. At the heart of this article is the dichotomy
between the love of media which is felt by young people and their disdain for the many
attempts to attract and represent them. Equally media providers need their young audiences
and are always developing ideas and plans to try to attract them.
Teenagers and Television
When Mark Abrams identified the teenage consumer, young people already existed1. Abrams
identified them as a special group who were not catered for by the commercial world.
American advertisers and creative cultural providers identified the teenager and both boys
and girls went on to dominate popular culture from the 1950s until the present. The teenager
has also dominated cultural developments across a wide range of global media. While American
culture dominates the world of media, it is necessary to understand its universal appeal and
its connection with young people of many cultures. There is an affirmation within American
popular cultural forms which creates and engenders a universal affinity with those forms. It
is not afraid to show emotions and to invite audiences to share those universal feelings.
Never is this more obvious than in its films and television programmes which are for young
people. Family programmes are at the heart of many American productions. High School
Musical 1.2.3 (2006, 2007, 2008 Disney) targeted at early teens but a success among
children as young as five, who responded to the music, dancing, singing and the positive
storylines. On closer analysis it is clear that this is also a series of films which gives children
and young people a story and a lifestyle which is not destructive or alienating.
The main thrust of British television for young people often reveals a different
perspective. Children’s programmes have traditionally been both educational and reassuring
beginning with the radio programmes, children’s dedicated television channels CBeebies,
CBBC and CITV. However, there is less output for adolescents and the themes are certainly
less aspirational. Some programmes have made an instant impact on their prospective viewers.
In the 1980s The Young Ones (1982 BBC) instantly connected with a young adolescent
audience and word-perfect episodes would be re-enacted in school playgrounds the day
after transmission. More recently, Skins (2007 Company Pictures for Channel4) and The
Inbetweeners (2008-10 Bwark Productions for Channel 4) are successful as programmes
for young people and a wider audience and Outnumbered (2007 Hat Trick Productions for
BBC) perhaps the nearest to a programme which explores the humour within family life and
which appeals to both adults and young people. Children and young people also watch
programmes which are not directly targeted to them.
The top rated soap opera EastEnders (1985 BBC) has a large audience of children
and young people and other soap operas also attract teen audiences. Channel 4, BBC3, and
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E4 also seek to attract young audiences and succeed in their aims. Equally, there are many
programmes which identify and criticize the behaviour of young people from early childhood
to adolescence. Rarely are programmes celebratory, save for young people who appear on
the hugely successful talent shows The X Factor (2004 Talkback Thames and SYCOTV
for ITV), Britain’s Got Talent (2007 ITV), and The Young Apprentice (2010 Mark Burnett
Production for BBC). Whatever their shortcomings, they do recognize young talent and they
appeal to some young people. The importance of this disparate group of audiences and users
is that they are essential for all forms of media, and while they lead the way with new
technology, social networking and other forms of new media, they still have a relationship
with traditional media forms. Their methods of viewing may not always be traditional, but
they still make up a considerable percentage of the audience for all forms of media. They are
also the future viewers which all providers need.
A Moment in Time
The interviews which are discussed in this article are selected because they had a
meaning in retrospect which was not entirely evident at the time of their recording. While
they are part of a larger study, it is appropriate that they are recorded in isolation as they
allow a glimpse of how these young people were feeling in their everyday life at the time of
the interviews. In December 2010 and January 2011, I conducted a series of interviews with
young people to find out their opinions on television programmes which were directed to
them and the way that they perceived how young people were represented in general in
television programmes. As I hope, I show in the selection of their comments, they were not
enamored either by the programmes which were offered and less so by the representations
therein. However, one significant view which came through was a general feeling of unease
and sadness both at the representations and at the way that those representations were
perceived by other members of society. They were also unhappy about politics. They
volunteered views of the political situation in the country and the way that the government
coalition was affecting their future lives. They were worried that they would not get to
university or get a job and when they brought it up in conversation, they feared for their
futures.
Eight months after I conducted these interviews, in August 2011 there were a number
of riots in London and other major cities in the U.K, including Birmingham. Young people ran
riot, looted and in some cases set fire to buildings. Various opinions were mooted about the
cause of the problems and those involved, not always young, were deemed to be out of
control, have no respect for or little sense of connection with the greater society. While not
wishing to become involved in this debate in this article, I would like to identify that the young
people whom I interviewed were feeling alienated from both society and television. Not all
television and not all aspects of the greater society, but enough for us to consider their
opinions and look for solutions not blame. Some of the views which they express in this
article may help to highlight their worries and fears. They were not the young people who
took part in the riots, but they were sufficiently disturbed about the society in which they
lived to express real sadness about their situation and the situation of others.
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A Diverse Set of Interviewees
The young people whom I interviewed were selected across a wide range of age,
gender, education, cultural and ethnic diversity. They were all from Birmingham and the
West Midlands, an area which has cultural and class diversity and which I know well.
Birmingham is my city and the West Midlands, my place of work, and the nuances and hints
and suggestions which the young people made are the stuff of ethnography and the sharing
of their opinions and views is both professionally informative and personally intriguing. The
initial groups were from a further education college, a direct grant girls grammar school, a
comprehensive girls school, a local authority youth project. They were aged between 13 and
17, with a few 20 year olds and one young 9 year old. They were ethnically and educationally
diverse. All were interviewed in small groups of between three and seven except for exceptions
which are indicated in the text. Some of them were studying media but most had no special
educational interest in the subject but deemed themselves to be average viewers. Ethnographic
studies must take account of the variations in results which are determined by the different
demographics of those who are interviewed. By the end of this article I will have revealed
the almost unanimous set of opinions held by these young people, regardless of their age,
gender, education and ethnic diversity.
It would be difficult to find a more diverse group of young people from such differing
backgrounds. They were united by their youth and their views were so similar as they identified
with almost resignation that the way that young people were represented and selected for
inclusion in programmes was negative. Programmes and channels were identified as being
seen as targeting young people, but their views of these programmes and channels were
ambivalent. They were aware of the restrictions and problems which programme makers
had and were under no illusion that programmes must entertain in order to engage an audience.
However, they had few positive feelings about the programmes which they were offered
and it was hard not to feel that they had every right to expect more from the productions
which were made for them. Their revelations of the effect which they felt that media
representation of them had upon other members of society was the most alarming and
disturbing and is discussed below when they identify their experiences and views.
Ethnography and the Ability to Surprise
One of the many fascinating aspects of conducting ethnographic research is the
ability to be surprised2. In socio-cultural ethnographic research the methods of interviews
and discussion will reveal different views and the analysis will attempt to explain why such
views are held. While there were different views about television programmes and different
choices of what was watched, there were unanimous views on representation of young
people in television programmes. The ‘surprise’ was in the unanimity of views. Different
groups, different ages but a shared experience and perception of the representation which is
offered of them on television. Young people are the most sophisticated watchers, users,
inter-actors with the media. They are aware of what is happening and knowledgeable of the
needs of the productions. However, while they had different choices of viewing, especially if
they were watching with members of their family, they still had the same negative experience
of the portrayal of their groups across a range of media.
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Who Are My Groups?
West Midlands Further Education (FE) College : The students at this college were studying
media. They were informed about programmes and had opinions which were partly
informed by their studies but also by their own experiences. Male and female aged
between 17 and 22. Diverse ethnicity.
Community Project, Birmingham : Young people and youth leaders- school, college,
unemployed, employed. Male and female 100 per cent black or Asian. Aged 9, 13-17
(youth leader 26) not studying media.
Girls Direct Grant Grammar School : Girls in two groups aged 12-13 and 17-18. Ethnically
diverse – mainly white and Asian. Not studying media.
Girls Comprehensive School : Girls in two three groups aged 12-13, 14-15 and 17-18.
Ethnically diverse, mainly white, black and Asian. Not studying media.
Eclectic Viewing–Similar Views
Before I began the interview, the respondents filled in questionnaires which asked
them their names, ages, employment/education status, living arrangements and family details,
where they watched, who they watched with, number of televisions, details of other media
related technologies, and how much time they spent on viewing and social networks. This
rich data formed the background to much which they then discussed and it gave them the
opportunity to relax and chat with each other about what they did, mostly in relation to social
media. This material is not discussed at length here but it is of interest to note the profusion
of television sets in their family homes, often 2, 3, and 5 or 6, and the average hours which
they watched television ranged between 3 to 8 and their engagement in social networking
ranged from a few minutes a month, four to five hours and an answer which many gave,
which was ‘too many hours!’ These are definitely children of new and old technology.
Interviews—Wild and Engaged
All the interviews began with me asking the young people which programmes might
be of interest to them. The general questions they were asked are included below with their
own responses. Some programmes were identified across the board as programmes which
they chose to watch. A number of these were expected and lists of programmes were
recited in all the interviews. Their collective taste was eclectic. Some were watched and
liked; Skins, InBetweeners, Family Guy (1999 Twentieth Century Fox Television) Shameless
(2004 Company Pictures for Channel 4) and others. An interesting observation was that
there were some genres and programmes which were as universally loved as they were
hated and avoided. Reality TV was the genre which elicited the most comment. Many young
people hated the genre while others loved it. A good example was The X Factor which was
admired because it did give opportunities to young people. I’m A Celebrity Get me Out of
Here (2002 ITV) was watched but was criticized for showing over dramatized and yet
under-achieving celebrities.
One young man, who was studying media at the FE College had some perceptive
comments to make on the genre:
You see I always try and avoid Big Brother (2000 Endemol, Bazal, Brighter
Pictures, Channel 4 2000-2010 Channel 5 2011) but every year I have ended
up getting into it. But anything else like that X Factor I can’t stand. I think it’s
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been on too long now and its just gone too far. And I don’t like what they do
with it now. Like Jedward3 last year and things like that. It’s just getting a bit
too stupid.
I asked if he was watching I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here or Strictly
Come Dancing (2004 BBC).
No, I don’t watch any of these. I think it is because of the celebrities. They
are not really…I mean you don’t really know any of them. I mean Sean
somebody – I don’t really know who he is. (Sean Ryder from the Happy
Mondays.)
Another young man had the same view in answer to the question of whether there
were any programmes which he would never watch, he replied immediately:
Yes, Reality TV. Anything that’s reality. Like Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity. I
hate that.
A 17 year old girl at the Girls’ Grammar School supported the view:
I would not watch Reality shows. They just seem boring to me. Everything
seems to be staged when it is supposed to be ‘reality’. Sometimes they are
interesting but most of the time they are just boring.
For some Reality TV was a favourite and one 14 year old girl at the Girls
Comprehensive School enthusiastically replied to the question seeking their views:
Yes! Yes! Dancing on Ice (2007 ITV), I watch X Factor, Britain’s Got
Talent, Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Strictly Come Dancing. I never vote.
I questioned that they had never voted:
I only vote on the last week.
In unison her friends joined in:
Yes! Yes!
She continued:
You vote for the final.
The eclectic nature of the viewing of the young people in this research can be
encapsulated in an opening discussion with a group of 14 and 15 year olds at the Girls
Comprehensive School. I am re-producing the transcription at length because it shows how
they quickly they move between subjects and also how they watch and with whom and what
they think of programmes. As this was a very fast moving interview, the girls are not always
named but the change of speaker is indicated together with my questions. They assume
knowledge of the programmes and shared opinions and they only make direct comments if it
is something about which they have a personal opinion.
I began by asking them which types of programmes, channels or programmes they
watched:
E4 (Yes! Yes! All agree).
I watched Glee (2009 20th Century Fox Television, Brad Falchuk. Teley-Vision, Ryan
Murphy Productions) (Yes! Yes!).
I asked them about a series which had begun the previous evening which was
targeted at young people:
DH : Did you watch the programme last night on BBC3 about drugs?
Grace: Yes I knew most of it.
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DH : I thought it was on too late to be of much benefit?
Grace : Yes, it was. I was falling asleep through most of it. I think the ones about
other drugs will be better.
They went on to discuss programmes which they would choose to watch:
I watch Friends (1994-2004 Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, Warner
Brothers Television) all the time.
I watch the Vampire Diaries (2009 Alloy Entertainment, Bonanza Productions,
Warner Brothers Television, CBS Television Studios, Outerbank Entertain…
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