Question Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Social Groups.

• Many media products represent certain social groups within society. This need to be carefully thought about and represented to either challenge, accept or develop certain stereotypes.

• In our film opening ‘I can Explain’ we are representing three main social groups these are age gender and social class. However to represent these social groups correctly we have to research and carefully think about the ways in which we want to represent our characters.

Social Class• Upper Class

Inherited wealth, ascribed status. Owners of the ‘means of production’ e.g. landowners, titled gentry, aristocracy etc.

• Middle ClassThose in skilled non-manual and professional occupations (white collar workers). Middle class may be ascribed or achieved.

• Working ClassManual occupations, both skilled and unskilled.

• Under ClassExcluded groups, usually due to poverty and lack of employment. Often presented by the media as deviant – addicts/spongers etc.

• These Social Classes are often very stereotypical and represented by the media in a very particular way.

• Within our media product I believe we have represented very much the Middle Class as the area in which we filmed in is an upmarket rural village along with the costumes and the settings. I feel we certainly don't represent the lower classes however this is the opening first few minutes and I don't feel often romantic comedies have the right feel if it was to be set within the lower class environment as it doesn't have that fairytale setting or environment.

Young Couples.• Young couples are often seen as uncertain and not very stable

proper relationships. However this often isn't the case with some relationships and the fact they show commitment to one another by formally going to meet her parents. And throughout the movie they are keep strong and love triumphs over in the end and they end together.

• Lucy and Jay seem very confident about going over and meeting the parents and seem like well mannered young couple. This is a good representation of a young couple and shows independence from the parents.

• Jay has also dressed very respectively to go and meet her parents which shows he cares about their approval and the meal which represents him in a good light.

• Lucy is defiantly represented as the controlling one within the relationship and I believe this is well represented as young women seem to be more prepared and mature than the males. This is something we believe is very relatable for our target audience as they will be able to relate with the situations they are facing.

Young Females • Young females are represented generally as the mature

steady headed of the two genders and this is something we've developed within our media product.

• We feel representing Lucy as the more mature in the relationship is realistic and contrasts his silly mistakes he makes as funnier in contrast. This is something we have developed within our film opening.

• We carefully chose Lucy’s costume to portray her as a very mature young woman who also cares about her appearance but has kept that innocent look. Representing Lucy in this way was important as it shows she does care about taking her boyfriend home to meet the parents.

Older Females.

We have chosen to represent the older female withinour film opening as very stereotypical and we usethat stereotype within our film opening. We depictLucy’s Mum as a very motherly figure being the go

between Lucy and her Father. She is also doing the cooking wearing an apron and is seen as the home maker.

She is also quite in control within her relationship however her husband does challenge her within the film opening.

Older Males/ Fathers• We have chosen to represent and develop this

stereotype of the Older Male. • He is very grumpy and negative about meeting

Lucy's Boyfriend this represents the protective side of a father figure. This is sometimes represented and sometimes not we chose to have a very protective father figure within our film opening.

• This is obviously going to be a comical thing throughout the movie and will cause loads of problems for the young couple.

Younger Males• Younger males are often seen as immature

and relaxed compared to females of the same age. We chose to develop this stereotype and incorporate this within our media product.

• He refers to sex within our film opening and makes silly immature quotes or sayings.

• We decided to have him as a clumsy younger male with a lack of common sense as he uses Lucy’s lipstick to write ‘BJ’ on his hand.

• However I think we used this as a positive within our media product as a cute boy who supplies comedy aspects.

• However he does challenge the expectations towards the end of our film opening as he introduces himself to Lucy’s dad showing some sense of maturity.

Social class.• Our media product we believe does connote

middle class. The locations are in a small country village. And they are all dressed in quite nice expensive clothing. Lucy is also using an expensive iphone has an expensive handbag this connotes wealth.