Class and Status - Shameless analysis

The establishing shot of the first scene shows us a fairly minimalistic setting, where we are presented with an area of the house in which these characters live in. In this show all we can see is the door and staircase, however we can see that these items have shabbiness to them, and are not fully decorated. As an audience member the first impression we get of these people is that they are not of a high social class, we can see that there house is small and not decorated, linking to the fact that they could possibly be lower class. Once we have had a glimpse of the setting, we then see the main character, known as Frank stumble down the stairs. We can see from his appearance that he does not take pride in it. His hair is long and the clothes in which he wears reflects that he is not a tidy person, as he is carrying a pair of older trainers down with him.

The next scene we can see that there are 4 teenagers around a table, presumably Frank’s children with an over the shoulder shot so that we are able to see the other characters from Franks perspective. A panning shot is then used to scan across all 4 characters faces where we are able to get a better, in-depth knowledge of the facial expressions in which they are pulling. As Frank walks towards them we can see the discontent they have within him as a father, showing us that he probably isn't the best dad. In the background of the teens we can see that there is rubbish lying around them, especially beer cans, giving us the idea that Frank is a heavy drinker. This could link in with the messiness of the house, as he drinks throughout the day, and gets drunk, so is unable to spend his time during the day to do something productive. The amount of cans behind them also suggests that he drinks during the day, as there is a large amount visible, so probably doesn't go to work, this can also be suggested through his naturally slurred voice when he is speaking to his children.

We can see that the female teenager is holding a baby of her own yet we can see that she is not very old herself, this could link in with social class, how it is proven that lower class people, often have more children, this could also be money related, as people may see this as a reason to gain some money, in order for them not to work.

A lot of swearing is used in the first scene of the TV drama, especially by the younger actors, we can assume that they have gained this language either from their parents or with the people in which they choose to surround themselves with. We notice that there is no punishment for when they use disrespectful language, which could link in with the fact that they have received it from their parents so they both think that its ok to use it.

The next scene looks like it is set on a council estate as we can see that the area of the location is not particularly clean, with furniture and rubbish piling up outside the front of the house, this is very uninviting and the lighting used within this scene highlights these props to ensure that the audience do not miss it. A council estate, in England, is typically where the lower class would live as they are unable to afford to buy their own house, so in addition are provided with housing from the council.

In the last scene, this is where we can see the contrast in lower and upper class people. At the beginning we can see that a white man in a suit, approaches the family with queries about their house, his attire shows that his authority within the programme is important. Immediately we get the impression that he is well educated and proves that he is well spoken, in contrast with the family and their language. The white man looks down on the family. His important is shown through the height of the man, as we can see that he is the tallest of the crowd, we then see the realisation of how small the other characters may feel within his presence.

Ethnicity - Hotel Babylon analysis

At the beginning of the scene we are introduced with an establishing shot of a black man in a formal uniform (a suit). First of all this shows that this ultimately breeches the stereotype of black people being heavily involved with crimes, as his job is important, which is reflected through his attire. His demeanour to others proves friendly as he greets costumers. The shot then begins to pan, following the character as he is faced with another black man, who he has previously known. The second character, has a much more in-depth typical features about him, displayed through his actions and words. “Booze and ganja” are two of the words in which we hear him say, we connote these two words with the fact that black people stereotypically are linked with crimes, ‘ganja’ being illegally. We then hear the man link ‘girls’ in with the two words. We can link this in with the idea that society feel under threat from rape from different ethnic groups, as they objectify women and possess them as their own, for their own personal needs. We can see that the first man, feels uncomfortable around the presence of the second man, and tries to change the way in which he acts around him, however fails.

We also notice that he has his right ear pierced. Often in TV we link this with being gay. We also get this idea from the way in which the man looks at the other mans body. This is also another breech of the common stereotype of a black man, as we now longer feel inferior to his persona, as he shows that he has a much more feminine physique, than he is letting on to his ‘friend’.

The contrast of the two characters shows the difference in their personalities despite being of the same race. We feel the uneasiness of the first man, as he is shown through many over the shoulder shots, we are able to visualise his features as he talks to his ‘friend’. We notice his unease, through the worry expressed through his eyes and mouth.

In the next scene we are introduced with two women, who are not English, maybe, Russian or Polish. They have the typical job of a cleaner, which is a stereotype for foreign people, as they usually have pretty standard jobs. The music sounds intense and leads to the next scene, where they are enticed by an Asian man with money, to take their clothes off for his pleasure. There are 2 main stereotypes within this scene. One of them would be the fact that the Asian man is well off and is able to use his money for things he enjoys, as he has enough for everyday life. The two women show desperation, as they would demoralise and sexualise themselves for extra money.

The next scene shows us a close up shot of a white man; we can also see by his suit, that his attire is smart, which shows that he may have an important role in the hotel. When walking with the woman, who is also smartly dressed, we can see him looking at the workers who walk past him with discontent, as if they were not working to as high of a standard in which he wishes. He elongates his blinks to enhance the features of his eyes where he shows dissatisfaction with other workers. The angle of the shot is slightly titled upwards so that we as the audience feel inferior to this character as if we were another character within the TV drama. This links in with the common stereotype that white people are highly educated so therefore end up with jobs in which they are superior. However the next scene this stereotype is then breeched as we see two men arguing…

The two men are from different ethnic groups but are both chefs. These two chefs argue as the Italian man feels that he is better than the English man, they both encounter in racial slurs. Both people from the different ethnic groups think that they are better at cooking, however as an audience, from the stereotype we know, we would probably assume that the Italian chef is a much better cook, as Italy is famous for many different food, whereas Britain is not.

Exploration of Class and Status in TV dramas

Exploration of Class and Status in TV Dramas

Exploration of Ethnicity in TV dramas

Exploration of Ethnicity in TV Dramas

Disability/Ability research in the media

Disability in TV Drama Research

Disability - Secret diary of a call girl analysis

At the beginning of the TV programme we are presented with a female, who first open the door to two males, one of which being the person who called upon her (who is disabled) assisted by his dad. The first shot in which is shown in the scene is an over the shoulder, lower angle shot. This first sets the scene as we grasp the ideas behind the scene through the female characters position. We can see that the first stereotype in which is used, is that disabled people are weaker than able people. This camera angle shows this through the superior stance of the woman who is position higher than the male who is in a wheelchair. His dad also assists the boy who is in a wheelchair, also linking in with the idea that disabled people are feeble and need constant attention to ensure that they are ok, especially from close family/friends.

We first notice the appearance of both of the main characters. The woman is dressed smartly, and has quite a lot of makeup on, this suggests that she is a woman who is certain in herself, and comes across as confident, however not overly confident as her clothes may represent confidence yet do not breech over this line to show arrogance, how makeup and facial features are enhanced, so we connote this with sex and experience on her part. We can see that the boy in the wheelchair has all black clothing on, which is very minimalistic, he is also fairly skinny, we can contrast this with the woman as he is the opposite of her, as he is unsure in himself and comes across as shy.

When we first enter the room of the call girl we notice that the walls are red. This could link in with many different ideas within disability. We often link red with a sign of love, which could show that as disabled people are often not presented as being in a sexual relationship, they are desperate to find it. However could also be shown as danger, as the disabled boy steps into a new ‘fantasy’ for himself, which he has no idea about, this could also be another reason as to why he has his dad with him at all times, as he acts as a reassurance to his son, as he speaks highly of his father as if they were friends rather than family.

Unlike most TV programmes, there is no noise in the background, this adds to the awkwardness of the scene as we are solely focusing on the actions and words, which we hear through the characters. Though intimacy levels in the programme are trying hard to be reached, the awkwardness within the programme ultimately over rules this.

In the last part of the programme the call girl begins to caress the disabled boy in a caring manour, using her hand to swipe against his face in gentle motions, she is constantly reassuring him that this is ok, but as well as this she is also ensuring that he is ok with it. As a character she pities him, feeling sorry for his disability. During this time we begin to hear the first sounds of music, which sound French, this begins to rise the intimacy levels, however in contrast with this we can see that it is still awkward for both characters, as the female character is unsure how to act around him, as well as the male character being unsure of how ‘it’ works.

Overall these scenes put together ultimately breech the idea that disabled people aren’t sexualised, however elements such as the awkwardness which is present through out the whole of the programme goes along with Paul Hunt’s theory suggesting that no matter how intimate TV programmes attempt to portray disabled characters out of their stereotypical selves, the stereotypes of them in which we know as an audience will override in the end.

Inbetweeners - Disability in the media

Why is the clip funny?

The clip is funny as Will (who is the main character in this scene) accidentally throws his Frisbee at two women, one of which is disabled. All 3 characters react in a different way, Will apologizes repeatedly, the disabled woman cries and the other woman shows aggression towards Will. All 3 of these reactions then merge together, to set the scene. Will is generally an intelligent character, however in this scene, he panics and doesn’t know how to react, as unfortunately, out of the two women it hits the disabled one, which is unlucky. We then see Will attempt to take the Frisbee innocently, however to other crowds in this scene, it looks like Will is stealing the girls Frisbee, as the girl is portrayed as pitiable, this then gets Will into trouble with the local youths.

How is the disabled girl being represented?

In this scene, we see that the disabled girl is weak and pitiable, as she cries and moans as soon as the Frisbee hits her. We then see the other women with her, stand up for her, as she is unable to do so herself. At the end of this scene, when Will tries to take his Frisbee away from her, she refuses and holds onto it, this links in with the common stereotype that disabled people have an essence of evil within them, so in return makes Will look like the ‘bad person’.

Are we meant to laugh at the disabled person?

The reaction of the disabled girl adds to the element of humour in the scene, however, the main area of humour is generally focused at Will, as a bright, intelligent adolescent is faced with a tricky situation where he already looks bad and he has to find a way to apologise. Some people may be laughing at the disabled girl, however not in a malicious way, as her reaction is the main focus of the scene to lead up to Wills reaction, both tie in together to add humours elements to the scene.

Are they the 'butt' of the joke?

Depending on your own personal perspective of the scene, we could claim that the disabled girl is the ‘butt’ of the joke as she is the one in which causes all of the embarrassing/aggressive moments in the scene for the other characters through her reaction. However other members of the audience may think that Will is the ‘butt’ of the joke as ultimately, he is the one, which ends up looking bad.

How do you think disabled people respond to this?

This again depends on the perspective of a disabled person. Some disabled people may feel that this is offensive, as not only does it make them look weak and pitiable, but also looks like they make other people look bad, whether that be on purpose or accidental. However some others may feel that it is harmless and just a bit of fun, so that it appeals to the public in order to make them laugh.

Are we as a society cultivated to think we should pity the disabled?

I think that we as a society, generally do pity disabled people, but in a way of respect as we are able to see that they are not as lucky as abled people, as should be treated equal as if they were. We try not to patronize them, as this is also another way in which they may feel that they are not equal, instead with sympathise with them, and help them as we can, ensuring we are very respectful of their disability. TV Sports, such as the Paralympics allow disabled people to contribute to sport on TV, as well as feeling equal to those who are full able.