Media homework- Mr Hausely

1)      What representation of young people in London do we see in the opening of kidult hood?

2)      Is it a fair representation?

3)      Is it a good example of verisimilitude (think of realism or being true-to-life?)

4)      Has a process of mediation taken place with the filmmakers concentrating on one aspect of youth culture?

Throughout the beginning of kidult hood, the institutions condense many different representations of young adults, which not only reinforce negative stereotypical ideologies of the youth but depict the differentiation between the verisimilitude of the media and the mediation of reality. A few examples of this are represented through the use of cliques (groups), teenage moral dilemmas, sex, conflict and violence.

• Cliques are used within the opening of ‘Kidult hood’ to represent how teenagers seem to maintain their own covens depending on their personalities and hobbies. Although this is often used within American films to represent the status of the most wealthy to the less fortunate nerds, British filmmakers have opposed this by also representing a variety of groups representing all different journeys that a teenage audience will be able to relate too. During the beginning of the opening scene there are quite a few distinct representations of groups enveloping the students that are playing football. The close up and point of view shots of the boys playing football connotes a sense of realism as audiences will be able to self-identify with the stereotypical sport that plays a part in representing London’s youth culture. There’s then two girls watching the boys, who could be stereotyped as the stereotypical ‘chavs’, by their slicked back hair, use of strong ghetto/colloquial phrases and sayings and the overuse of makeup. Theirs a slight sense of binary opposition between the friends as instead of the black girl being stereotypically ‘loud and rude’, she seems more quite, whilst the white girl seems more loud-mouthed and open. The majority of their conversations seem to be about ‘getting hammered’, who they ‘f****’ up last night, and how they ‘cheated on their boyfriends representing them as being ‘slutty’ and common. This can also be reinforced as the black girl is pregnant but her ex boyfriend doesn’t want anything to do with it, further representing the females as vulnerable and desperate to be given attention by the way the white girl is always seen to be crowded over by boys (challenging Judith Butlers theories). This could then convey a negative representations of white ‘chavvy’ girls attempting to put on their ‘black masks’ and how the women are portrayed as being easy, whilst subverts the idea of all black females being loud mouthed. However, the way the black female is pregnant reinforces a negative representation of youths, as the Uk is know for its high statistics of teenage pregnancy, further creating the assumption that all girls are sex-crazed and used. This can then be emphasised as being reinforced as theirs a medium shot of a girl being in a sexually intimate stance with a boy that is not her boyfriend during the beginning of the opening scene.

The next group seem to be seen as the stereotypical ‘out casters’ who don’t entirely fit in to the schools regime. The stereotypical middle class white girl often gets bullied and abused within the whole opening of the scene. Her lack of ‘direct mode of address’ and the way she doesn’t stand up for herself also reinforces the vulnerability and degradation of some women within the opening scenes. The Asian girl within the ‘outcaster group’ is the only Asian girl represented strongly within the film, which institutions could have used as a way to create the sense of isolation. Whilst, the fact that she’s overweight further stereotypically reinforces how the bullies would have reason to bully her. This could then create an unfair representation of all youths bullying out casters because of their individuality or race, connoting intimidation and insecurity within London schools. Nevertheless, this also represents an unfair representation of youths today as they are represented as threatening and unsafe within their own schools.

The other main categories that are quite predominantly represented within the scenes is in the forms of popularity. The popular girls are conveyed as the school bully’s as they pick on the vulnerable individuals, whilst harassing the out casters for homework and humiliating them for being a virgin. This then further creates a negative representation of youth bullies. The fact that these girls are a mixture of white and black girls is cleverly used by the filmmakers as it makes the two different races seem equally intimidating and threatening (Alvarado’s sense of ‘dangerous’. The popular boys are mainly represented as all black boys with one white guy being represented as putting on his black mask by the way the use of his colloquial language and use of slang. The boys are mainly represented by the institutions as the ‘clowns’ of the school, rather insensitive, mucking about, and smoking weed. Whilst, also trying to act hard by getting themselves into situations involving drugs and becoming acquainted with  gun crime, further creating a bad representation of youth as they are connoted as being stringed along by their bad choices and the way this leads them to the wrong paths or death (in some of the characters case).

The last group are probably represented as the most ‘decilized’ and ‘dangerous’ as the black group are represented by wearing stereotypical hoodies, connoting a sense of intimidation to the audience. Whilst, the way they pick on the students and mug them reinforce a stereotypical representation of black youths in hoodies, also creating an unfair representation of all boys in hoodies being ready to break the law.

• Race is also represented as being a significant part in the structure of the scenes. The most predominant race that the filmmakers have stereotyped negatively is the black characters within the film as they are represented as intimidating and threatening, especially towards the teachers (as they seem to feel intimidated by them- school bell scene) and other students. The unfair stereotypes variety from being ‘promiscuous’ and getting ‘knocked up’. Whilst, getting into gun and knife crime (the boys uncle), getting themselves into fights and mugging people. However, although this reinforces society’s opinions of the black race within society, it also subverts some elements to this by the shyness of some of the black characters and the way the black girl and black boy seem to feel uncomfortable and want to help when the white girl gets beaten up by the bullies.

• Conflict and violence also play a distinctive part in representing youths in a negative light by the serious issues displayed in within Kidult hood. An example of the white girl being constantly abused and bullied, resulting in her hanging herself. The sensitivity of her death was lacked by individuals as they seemed happier about having a day off school. It’s almost as if the filmmakers are trying to connote the selfishness of youths, having no heart and being insensitive to every issue that doesn’t involve them. Whilst, the way theirs black on black rivalry leading to gun and knife crime, reinforce a reason for the audiences to feel intimidated by these individuals and how they have just been represented as being ‘decilized’.

All of these elements portrayed connote the differentiation of verisimilitude and mediation. Verisimilitude links in well with how the filmmakers wanted to target younger audiences by allowing them to self-identify with the youths of today. However, it seems the institutions have represented the hegemony of groups and some basic representations of people but have excluded some sense of realism. Its as if the filmmakers have packed in a few youths whole life experience into one short film. The idea of suicide, gun crime, teenage pregnancy and death seems pretty far-fetched even for west London. These events have occurred on the news, but it seems as if the institutions have tried to force the representations, making them less realistic as they try and target a teenage audience. Whilst also subliminally (and debatably accidental) representing a majority of youths in west London as aggressive and ready to harm, further connoting a sense of mediation. Without the mediation of the film, institutions would find it hard to target younger audiences, so by exploring the use of gun crime, suicide and other serious issues makes it more likely for the audience to want to watch the film.