MEDIA THEORY

• Queery Theory- Judith Butler
• Character theory - Stereotypes
• Uses and Gratifications
• Psychographics

Issues and Debates (Article)

The American hit show, currently showing on Channel 4 in the UK. Glee is the hottest property in showbiz right now. The show follows a high school glee club – a sort of amateur performing arts group, made up of various oddballs and outcasts – as they make their way through a national competition and, inevitably, grow as performers and people. It’s like The Breakfast Club with songs or High School Musical for slightly older kids.

At one point America’s Billboard 100 was occupied by 25 of the show’s songs: the most from any single source since Beatlemania hit the States in 1964. Even Gordon Brown claims to be a fan. Perhaps the show’s messages of tolerance (even for bigots) and being true to your ideals no matter what, along with its championing of the oddball outcast, struck a chord with the Clunking Fist.

In fact, the show’s broad appeal is fairly obvious. By having souped-up karaoke renditions of well-loved hits (a recent episode was devoted entirely to Madonna songs) sung by a cast of good-looking American teenagers, Glee neatly manages to snaffle both the t(w)eenage market and the ever-growing demographic of so-called kidults. Throw in its message of diversity and inclusiveness (everyone – gay or straight, wheelchair-bound or star jock – can be in the glee club) and multiply it with jazz hands, and you have the makings of a sure-fire hit.

But while it is easy to be cynical about the formula, it is nearly impossible not to be charmed by Glee. There’s no denying that it is cleverly written: for all its sugary schmaltz, it is interspersed with moments of witty, sarcastic humour and gentle absurdity. One of the show’s stars is the embittered cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester who is given a string of classy one-liners (‘Yes we cane’, she says in defence of corporal punishment). In being unafraid to take pot-shots at various idiosyncrasies of US culture – from abstinence societies (whose president gets knocked up) to hyper regulation of speech codes – while also being unafraid to mock its own genre conventions, the show’s writers have clearly learned from that other great US export, The Simpsons.

More importantly, however, Glee also manages to keep its heart. Where other teen hits, such as The O.C. or 90210, drift into self-referential and arch soullessness, and the likes of The Hills and Jersey Shore continue to mine the depths of ‘reality’ television, Glee is not frightened of dreaming of other things and offering a bit of magic. Realism gets ditched in favour of elaborate song-and-dance numbers while we’re never asked to dwell on the unlikelihood of every deadbeat loser suddenly discovering a talent for performance.

Even better, it takes this spirit of joyful camp abandon into the calling card of a teen-themed drama: The Issues. Where other dramas dwell on and draw out the stereotypes of teen life – remember how many teeth-grindingly serious series of Dawson’s Creek it took for Joey to lose her virginity? And then how many teeth-grindingly earnest series it took her to get over it? – Glee tends to take them up and spit them out with all the gravity of a sugared-up toddler. Gay teen with a macho, sports-mad father? It has them tearfully accepting each other in the space of an episode. Losing your virginity to someone who may not be The One? Dealt with in the space of a song. Being bullied? Your real friends will Stand By You.

It’s difficult to imagine a UK show aimed at teenagers displaying such joie de vivre. British teen soap Hollyoaks seems to be one long advert for helplines for viewers who might be affected by the issues raised by the programme. ITV’s homegrown equivalent to Glee, Britannia High, had the enthusiastic message of diversity, but lacked humour. Skins continues its depiction of the fevered dream of a paranoiac self-loathing thirtysomething: one where all teenagers are lithe, perennially on drugs and have lots of top-quality sex, while everyone over 21 is past it, deranged and totally screwed up.

In Glee the grown-ups’ lives – strewn with divorce, neuroses and disappointment – can be just as messy as the kids’, but at least there’s an assumption that with experience comes wisdom while, conversely, adult engagement with youth offers renewal and rejuvenation.

Watching Glee, you are inevitably reminded of the expression ‘bubblegum pop’ and the way in which it encapsulates the instant (and instantly disposable) pleasures offered by consumer society. At a time when pessimism and cynicism is the default setting of contemporary culture, Glee’s jazz-hand enthusiasm is almost revolutionary.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/8855/
David Bowden is spiked’s TV columnist

Ideologies Represented

• Being good looking seems to be important, Rachel Finn, Puck, Quinn, Santana, Brittany etc are all a beautiful cast who have good bodies and flawless skin, which could show that is important and that young people should be good looking.
  
• Glee also seems to celebrate the fact that it is multicultural, and it also has a gay character, a disabled, character and black character all as the main cast, which loads of people can identify with. Homophobia and racism are things that glee tries to abolish. So the ideologies of the show seem to be very positive and popular, especially in today’s society.
  
• Also glee ‘ditches’ realism in favour of escapism, which the audience seems to like- also explaining why the show is so successful
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Critcal Investigation- Introduction

How do contemporary American Teen Dramas construct ideologies of youth and why might this be so?

In all American teen dramas ideologies of teenagers and youth are constructed in a way that their teenage target audience can identify themselves with. Most American teen dramas acknowledge their teenage target audience my constructing ideologies that can offer them escapism, sexual gratifications or educational purposes that the audiences are attracted to, since they yearn for these things. And the audience receive this with the all important entertainment value- that’s why American teen dramas are successful. American teen dramas can be responsible for constructing negative and positive ideologies of youth, which can shape the overall ideology of youth in society as a whole.

Migrain

GLEE

Media language- Being set in an ordinary high school, the mise-en-scene isn't at all extravangant or expensive looking.

Institution- The show airs on 'Fox'. The creator of the show is Ryan Murphy who is also known for Nip/tuck. In the uk the show airs on E4, a broadcaster known for broadcasting teenage dramas and comedies for its big teenage and young adult audience.

Genre- Glee is a Comedy-drama- Musical, therefore it classifies itself as a hybrid genre.

Representation- The representations of character is this text challenges the well-known stereotypes of high school characters. For example the character of 'Kurt' is not fully represented through the 'Queer Theory' which states that gay relationships are much more unfortunate and unsuccessful compared to heterosexual relationship, however in season two of Glee 'Kurt', gets involved with a Jock, which challenges the stereotypes of both the Jock and Kurt.

Audiene- The target audience are can range from 12- 19 and the secondary audience can be older since there are adult character that have sub-plots which can attract an older audience. The show could be the reason for the uprise of the new term of audiece called 'Kidults', since the show as an odd audience of kids, teenagers and adults.

Ideolgy- The Ideologies of Glee are very positive e.g you can reach your goals and dreams no matter what. The ideologies of glee are the reasons for the shows feel-goodness and allows the audience to feel a sense of escapism.

Narrative- Linear Narrative- with the use of songs to help push the narrative forward and to also express a characters emotions.

90210

Media Language - Focusing on the promo trailer for season 2, The mise-en- scene that is present, is mostly materialistic, e.g expensive cars and pools. The scenery (Beverly Hills) is very beautiful and extravagant looking. The facial expression of the characters through the close-up and medium close-ups show that is a feel-good show and humorous, since the characters are smiling and laughing. A long shot a female character in a Bikini allows some of the audience to gain sexual gratifications.

Institution- It is produced by CBS Television Studios. In the UK it airs on E4, which is very well known for its teen dramas and huge teenage and young adult audience.

Genre- 90210 is a teen text that is a Comedy/drama.

Representation- The representation of characters follow the well-known stereotypes of high school (The Jocks, The Plastics, the girl/boy next door)

Audience- The audience for 90210 is a predominantly teenage audience ranging from 15 to 19 and can also attract an older audience since it is a remake of a famous television series and this can appeal to the shows ealier generation who were fans of the show.

Ideolgy- The ideologies in 90210 seem to be cliche of at drama that is set in a high school. Becoming popular within the school status and dating the hottest girl/guy is important.

Narrative- 90210 has a basic linear narrative.