Representation of Race and Ethnicity

I would say that the representation of race in T.V dramas is fairly low. While there are many side characters that belong to ethnic minority groups, such as Ibrahim from Hotel Babylon and Xaro Xhoan Daxos From Game Of Thrones and some of these characters such as Xaro have a quite large role in the show, characters like Ibrahim have little to no screen time and bear no significance to the script.

However, there are some leading characters which belong to ethnic minority groups, Such as DCI John Luther from "Luther" and Will Smith from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".

Race - The concept of dividing people into populations or groups based upon groups of physical traits.

Ethnicity -  An ethnic group is a population or group whose members identify with each other based upon nationality or shared culture.

Alvarado's race theory - 1978

Four key themes in racial representation

-Exotic 

-Dangerous 

-Humorous

-Pitied

Cohen

Moral Panic -Described as a condition, episode, person or group of persons which emerge to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests. A recent example would be the media's representation of Asylum seekers.

Black Racial Stereotypes

• Musicians - particularly Jazz, Hip-Hop and Soul musicians
• Athletes
• Comedians
• Criminals
• Socially Dysfunctional
• Prostitute/sexually promiscuous
• The stud/ pimp

Representation of Age

Old People

Grumpy, conservative, stubborn, resistant to change., dislike technology and the modern world.

Nanna - The Catherine Tate show

In some ways, she is a stereotypical portrayal of Old people. For example, she is stubborn, as he tells her to stop saying the horrible things she is saying and she swears at him and carries on saying them. She could also be considered grumpy as she has nothing but negative things to say about people. 

The characterisation of old people

Enjoying a second childhood - reliving their adoloscence

Being a bit cheeky

Pitied, Dependant or an economic burden. They depend on younger members of family and society

????

Mise en scene
The staff are taking charge of the situation and leading the children - they are the responsible ones when there is a problem who help the children




Sound
Children scream - they panic
Adult staff are more responsible and try to organise
The older characters have authority - they are referred to as "Miss" or "Sir" (he's having an asthma attack miss)
"You should know the routine" - The staff have authority and this shows us that they believe that they have taught the younger generation well.
They talk about the safety of the children - they are responsible adults



Camera





Editing

Life's Too Short - Representation of Disability

This clip is funny because he went to a lot of effort in un plumbing the washing machine, pushing it along and dumping it, to find out that he's dumped the new one and not the old one.
In this clip, Warwick Davis is presented as pitiable, laughable and a burden.
We are meant to be laughing at the disabled person, but not because he is disabled, but because he was the one who got the worst of the situation.

The Inbetweeners - Representation of Disability

The clip is funny because Will, the character who threw the frisbee, was trying to impress girls by throwing the frisbee, but instead gets them in trouble by hitting somebody else.
The portrayal of the disabled girl fits into some of Paul Hunt stereotypes of the disabled being pitiable and unable to participate in everyday life.
I think in this clip we are meant to be laughing at the main characters of the show and how the situation
escalates for them, Therefore I don't think the disable girl is the butt of the joke.

Representation of disability

Breaking Bad - Walter Jr.
Game of Thrones - Tyrion, Hodor, Bran
The Walking dead - Hershel

777,000 disabled children under 16
1 in 5 are disabled (people of working age)

10 Stereotypes of disabled people (Paul Hunt, 1991)
- Pitiable or pathetic
- An object if curiosity
-Sinister or Evil
-The super cripple
-As the atmosphere
- Laughable
-Their own worst enemy
-A burden
-Non sexual
-Unable to participate in everyday life

Shakespeare - 1999
"Impairment is made the most important thing"
"objectified and distanced from the audience"

•Why is this clip funny?

•How is Warwick Davis represented represented?

•Are we meant to be laughing at the disabled person?

•Are they the ‘butt’ of the joke?

•How many of Paul Hunt’s (1991) stereotypes does this 

clip comply with?  

•In what way does the representation comply with 

Shakespeares  STEREOTYPE!

•Are we as society being cultivated to think that we should 

pity disability?