How are teenagers represented in series 1 episode 1 of The Inbetweeners and series 1 episode 1 of Skins?

How are british teenagers represented in series 1 episode 1 of The Inbetweeners and series 1 episode 1 of Skins?

Teenagers are represented differently in the media, and stereotypes are made. Negative representations are shown with maybe a few positive characters included, the issues of the program often reflect this e.g. drugs, violence and school. The Independent discussed teenage representations in the media, two different opinions were included- 'It seems the endless diet of media reports about 'yobs' and 'feral' youths is making them fearful of other teens," it said. "Nearly a third said they are 'always' or 'often' wary of teenage boys they don't know"' the other opinion being "We found some news coverage where teen boys were described in glowing terms – 'model student', 'angel', 'altar boy' or 'every mother's perfect son' this shows opposite views on how the media can influence their audiences opinions.

The Inbetweeners [1] and Skins [2]are very similar as both groups of teenagers are both starting sixth form and they contain different types of characters, having different characters appeals to a wider audience. Another way in which they are similar is they are all from a normal working class background and all live in suburban towns meaning there are no major cultural differences. However there are some differences The Inbetweeners does not tackle major issues such as drugs, depression and death whereas skins makes this a main focus in each episode.

The uses and gratifications theory is important as it targets the audience effectively, whether they take a preferred, oppositional, or negotiated reading. The Inbetweeners [1] promotes passive text viewing as it is pure entertainment as the genre of the show is comedy and does not offer information, audiences are also able to personally relate to certain characters in the show, The Inbetweeners represents very common and usually characters that most ordinary people can identify with or have encountered during their school days [3]- each character has a different personality e.g. the geek, the idiot, the over confident, and the normal guy. In this episode [1]Will Mckenzie is new to the school and therefore feels like an outcast, many of the viewers might be able to personally relate to this character. Whilst watching the show we feel their embarrassment because we can identify with some of the situations they find themselves in. The show's friendships and situations feel real. [7] The Inbetweeners [1] is not informative but does integrate social interaction into the program but overall it is mainly consumed just to make the audience laugh, as the genre is comedy. We know this as The Guardian quotes‘it has two different gag ratios - the laughter one, and the urge-to-spew one. Both are high.’[4] For example its very humorous when Will tries to get served in the pub but in fact gets everybody else kicked out when he says‘everybody in this pub is bloody underage’ then goes on to insulting nearly everybody in the pub.

In comparison Skins [2] contains all four aspects of the uses and gratifications theory. Skins [2] also features a group of teenagers doing the same type of activities but characters with in ‘Skins’ are always successful and they never make fools of themselves (unlike the Inbetweeners)[3]. A review by Msn said‘the moment the school nerd is seduced by the willowy class hottie. This could only ever happen in Skins.’ This shows how the characters are often successful. [5] E.g. in this episode Michelle agrees to take Sid’s virginity.

The issues in the show such as drugs and violence can often inform the viewer about these scenarios and how people can act differently, e.g. in this episode [2]Sid visits a drug dealers house to pick up some marijuana. The cultivation theory is seen throughout the series of skins and relates to Gerbners theory of ‘second order’ effects  which shapes conceptions of reality e.g. on specific attitudes, such as to law and order or to personal safety[12]. All characters in the show have different personalities and problems, much like the Inbetweeners. The viewer may personally identify with specific characters because of this. The audience often then discusses storylines, as they can be controversial, shocking or interesting which creates social interaction. An aspect of entertainment is included in skins; the program is aimed at the same age range of the central protagonists in the text, so it is likely that they share the same humor.

The Male Gaze theory can be applied in both programs, the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire for male viewers. In the Inbetweeners [1] this is shown when Carly is speaking to Simon and she leans down revealing her cleavage so the audience can see part of her bra. In Skins [2] the first shot of Michelle is her legs, the camera follows them up to her towel as she is on the phone to Tony discussing helping Sid lose his virginity. The male gaze can be applied as they appeal to males as a form of ‘eye candy’. Laura Mulvey quotes “There are circumstances in which looking itself is a source of pleasure, just as, in the reverse formulation, there is pleasure in being looked at”[10]. This can represent women in two different ways, either a voyeuristic view or as a fetishistic view. Voyeuristic being about a person who derives sexual satisfaction from observing[11] and fetishistic being The displacement of sexual arousal or gratification to a fetish. This need for pleasure can often back up stereotypes of women and objectifying them. [6]

The storylines in Skins [2] can create and encourage the already negative stereotypes of teenagers, however usually the outcome is positive, which can change the viewer’s initial thoughts. Individuals characteristics also contribute to this e.g. looking out for their friends-Tony helping Sid lose his virginity. In Skins [2] two narrative theories can be applied; Propp and Todorov. Characters in skins are represented differently based on the roles in which they play in the storylines. Propp’s theory suggests that Tony is the hero, Cassie is the princess and Chris, Anwar and Maxxie are the helpers- this is shown in episode one as Tony is the most responsible for Sid losing his virginity as he helps him the most and Cassie is vulnerable and may be seen as the most desirable. This is useful when deconstructing the representations of teenagers in this text. Having different characters playing different roles (villain, donor, and dispatcher) makes it more realistic as not everyone in real life gets along and there are many differences, like in a traditional folk tale[10] Propp describes these character roles as “the building blocks of narratives” as without them the structure would not work. This shows a both positive and negative representations of teenagers as there are good and bad characters and the way they are portrayed shows this [6] e.g. Tony has a lot of friends, and try’s to help everybody making him the hero. Todorov’s theory is also included as the five stages are shown in this episode. The equilibrium is their normal, everyday lives. The disruption is that Sid has not yet lost his virginity, the realization happens when Tony talks to Sid seriously in the café, the attempt to repair it is at the beginning of the party and the restoration happens at the end of the episode when Sid has actually lost his virginity. This basic structure has made the episode interesting, but realistic and has allowed it to flow easily. [6] The Inbetweeners [1] narrative structure however is not as clear; the only one that is included slightly is Propp. The main characters, Will, Simon, Neil and Jay do not fit into this structure however other characters do. Carly is seen as the princess, and Mark is seen as the villain because he is the school bully who threatens Will [1]. The main characters do not fit in as they are seen as equal as none of them are more popular, more evil or more powerful than the other. The other characters have been included into the structure as they are then used as obstacles or an aim to achieving something e.g. in episode one Simon’s main aim is to get Carly (the princess) to like him.

Representations of teenagers in the media can have a negative effect on society, as they are not represented fairly unlike other age groups. Age is a huge factor in both The Inbetweeners [1] and Skins [2] and is part of the narrative. The age range is adolescent teenagers who are trying to live their lives to the full and show how they have control over their lives. One teenager says ‘We don’t get noticed for the positive things we do just the negative’ [7]. Neither of the programs I have chosen shows a completely positive representation of teenagers. They only show very few positive characteristics e.g. in the Inbetweeners [1] Will is a model student as he is hardworking and enjoys school, however this is soon influenced by the 3 friends he makes which are the total opposite. In this episode [1] you can see Will as a ‘perfect student’ as he sounds disappointed that he now goes to a state school and not a private school- this shows that he values his education- Neil, Jay and Simon influence Will as when they go to the pub and buy alcohol illegally- something that Will wouldn’t usually do but to fit in he feels that it is necessary. The positive representation is taken over by a much larger negative representation making it unbalanced. Some people think the negative representations add to the entertainment of the shows but many feel that these representations could have a negative effect on the viewers who might think that taking drugs and drinking alcohol is ‘cool’. America did a similar version of the show Skins [2], an article from the daily mail shows that many parents feel that it is the ‘most dangerous show ever to children’ [8] parents in the UK would share similar views to this. ‘Who can remember the horror of parents who suddenly had a glimpse into a teenage life of sex, drugs and cringe worthy moments?’[9]This indicates how shocked parents are, however this could be misleading as the negative representations in the show might make the parents think that this is how there teenage children act, when in fact Skins [2] is an over exaggeration of teenage life.