Representation

In the media world different groups are represented differently as to how some people perceive them. As a group, teenagers are represented in the media world sometimes accurately and sometimes completely wrong. In the media teenagers are typically represented as cliches or stereotypes. Shows and movies represent girls as a constant source of drama and limit people by being in cliques. Another stereotype would be a dumb blonde in a friend group, the one who is always slow to understand and one who is more noticed for her looks rather than her smarts. Boys are also stereotyped in many shows and films. Boys are typically stereotyped as the jock, the geek, or the bad boy, but shows and films have created a combination of the jock/bully archetype. Archetypes, similar to this one, exist in the world but are not as cliched or dramatic as shown in shows and movies.

An example of where girls are represented as a constant source of drama is within the show "Pretty Little Liars" and the movie "Mean Girls". In the show and movie a group of girls are featured and are typically best friends and they have created their own little clique. These groups of girls would typically reject anyone from joining the group unless the "alpha" of the group wants to allow the person to join, mainly for bad reasons. Along with the movie "Mean Girls" the stereotype of the dumb blonde is utilized. The character Karen Smith is the blonde friend of the group and is portrayed as this character who is slow to understand and agrees with anything anyone says. An example of where boys are represented as a jock, geek, bad boy, or the archetype of jock/bully is within the shows "13 Reasons Why" and "Riverdale". The character Zach from "13 Reasons Why" and the character Reggie from "Riverdale" fit the archetype jock/bully within the shows. The show "Riverdale" dramatizes the archetype therefore exaggerating the thought of boys with this archetype in the real world.

I feel that these representation characteristics are unfair. As a teenager, still in high school, I don't see these types of cliques, stereotypes, or jock/bully archetypes at my school. Everyone has their own friend group and there is no one group, or group of girls, that is classified as the group that is a constant source of drama. Boys at my school may be classified as a jock or geek but there are archetypes at my school that are a combination of both. There are characteristics of a dumb jock or dumb blonde. Times have changed and because I go to a big school I feel that everyone doesn't have the time to meticulously shuffle through the groups at the school and classify one as certain stereotypical group.

I would retain the representation characteristics of geek (both genders) and jock. Although these characteristics are not directly classified to one person, they are still relevant to the real world. Someone may characterize a person as a jock, but that person could also be very smart which could also characterize them as a geek. This could create the archetype of jock/geek. I would challenge the representation characteristic of the dumb blonde. I would do this because no one is characterized as dumb and just because a person, a girl in this instance, is blonde does not automatically mean she is dumb. This stereotype could be offensive to blondes because there are blondes in the world who are quite smart and automatically characterizing blondes as dumb is wrong.

Genre Research - Comedy

1. Genre: Comedy

2. Genre conventions - content
In the film genre comedy, target audiences vary as it can be split into many sub genres. Comedies aimed toward children are typically slap stick comedy or crude humor (i.e. Shrek films, Monsters vs Aliens). These films are targeting 5 to 13 year olds. Other comedy films are spoof films featuring very crude humor but with a more adult humor (i.e. Scary Movie). These films are targeting 15 to 18 year olds, but more toward 15 to 24 year old boys because of its crude humor. Romantic comedies, on the other hand, have subtle humor for they are supposed to be "laugh out loud" comedy (i.e. Love Actually, 10 Things I Hate About You). These films are targeted mainly toward women about the age of 13 to 24. Comedy movies have a main emphasis of humor. They are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement and is most often done by exaggerating characteristics for humorous effect. They are light-hearted dramas, crafted to amuse, entertain, and provoke enjoyment. The genre humorously exaggerates the situation, language, action, and characters. The genre often observes the deficiencies and frustrations of life, providing merriment and a momentary escape from day-to-day life. Comedies usually have happy endings, even if the humor may have a pessimistic side.

3. Genre conventions - production techniques
Comedies usually come in two general formats: comedian-led (featuring impeccable timing with gags, jokes, or sketches) and situation-comedies which are told within a narrative. These comedy elements may appear together and/or overlap. There are also comedy hybrids which commonly exist with other major genres, such as musical-comedy, horror-comedy, and comedy-thriller. Sub genres have also been developed through comedy, such as romantic comedy, crime comedy, sports comedy, teen or coming-of-age comedy and military comedy. Comedy as a genre also has many different kinds, types, or forms of comedy: slapstick, deadpan, verbal comedy, screwball, black or dark comedy, and parody or spoofs.

4. Institutional conventions - how is genre marketed?
Just like any other film, comedy films are marketed through trailers or teasers or clips of the movie revealed. Another way film is marketed is by the posters that are held up in different places for people to see. Comedy films can be marketed by revealing certain scenarios where one character could be clumsy and start falling all over the place and exaggerate the entire situation including the character's reaction.

5. Film sample #1: The 40-Year-Old Virgin
This movie embodies comedy because the movie exaggerates the missing necessities of Steve Carell's character.

6. Film sample #2: Dumb and Dumber
This movie embodies the genre of comedy because the film includes crude humor with more adult humor revealed through Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels' characters.

7. Other film examples:
a. The Hangover (2009) - Comedy
b. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) - Comedy
c. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Drama/Comedy
d. Clueless (1995) - Comedy/Teen Film
e. The Big Lebowski (1998) - Crime/Indie Film