A Level Media Studies

Socrates  "Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."

Historical Context 1920s/1930s Films about teenagers focused on adult fears of youth rather than discussing problems and issues teenagers had to face. Moral codes of the time dictated that onscreen teens would be focused on their families, schools, and friends, rarely displaying any adolescent angst over their sexual development, alcohol or drug use, or rebellious impulses. Mickey Rooney – Andy Hardy films. 1940s/1950s After WW2 teenagers became a distinct social group. Producers realised this was the group to target if they wanted to make money.  Juvenile delinquency was the only teenage issue tackled.  EPHEBIPHOBIA (fear of teenagers) swept the country in the mid-1950s, in the midst of the appearance of rock 'n' roll music

Historical Context Many critics consider the post WW2 era as the advent of what is commonly referred to as the teen movie. Post war films like The Wild One (1953) & Rebel Without A Cause (1955) were some of the first to represent a generation of angry teens with different values to those of their parents...known as Inter Generational Conflict!The Wild OneRebel Without A Cause (1955) The parents are usually represented as conservative, boring and submissive to the status quo. Indeed, the transition between teenager and adult or the 'coming of age' has been a recurring theme of teen movies since the 50s.

Rebel Without a Cause  Nicholas Ray, 1955  James Dean  Spokesperson for an entire generation of teenagers.  Hayes Code meant restrictions  Up until this point teenagers had been seen as a problem to be solved  Dean as the ‘outsider’

The Outsider More recently The O.C. revisits this idea with Ryan Atwood playing the role of the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Inevitably the main protagonist will go through a painful journey of growth, which many teens can identify with. This can also be seen in films like Grease (1978) and Mean Girls (2004). The importance of individuality and how issues of identity are reconciled with the dominant groups in school are a mainstay of this genre type. (Stereotypical groups and stock characters would include nerds, school jocks, Class President, The Princess, Those destined for college, emo kids etc) Often themes of love are dealt with as part of the resolution acting as a form of mythical rites of passage before adulthood.

Carrie An interesting comparative text and variation on a theme is Carrie (1978). This is a revenge film in which the teen genre is combined with horror offering Carrie the opportunity to challenge the usual, 'new equilibrium' (Todorov) by reeking a terrible vengeance on her 'enemies.' Also note that the film begins in an explicit and shocking manner by showing Carrie having a period in the shower, thereby challenging the male gaze whilst foregrounding the importance of transition. The fact she discovers her 'monstrous powers' at the time of menstruation offers obvious links with feminism and this emerging movement in the 70s.

The Breakfast Club  1980s – seminal decade for teenage film  This classic teen movie still resonates with contemporary audiences.  5 typical teen movie characters – the princess, the athlete, the basket case, the criminal and the brain.

Heathers  Reflective representation – a spate of teen suicides in USA in 1986 and 1987 and Heathers is reflective of this.  A dark comedy about murder and suicide in a high school.  A new kind of teen movie – full of typical clichés but with a different view.  Instead of focusing on a teen who wants to be part of a clique, the teenager here desperately wants to get out of a clique.

1990s  Notable decade for teenagers  Kurt Cobain commits suicide  Columbine high school shootings take place  Filmmakers felt they had to be careful about the way they represented high school as teenagers are considered to be highly influential.  American Pie (1999)  A teen sex comedy that claimed to be a true representation of teenagers.

13  2003  Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reid  Oscar nominated  Autobiographical film based on Reid’s life when she was 12/13.  Controversy due to issues such as underage sex, drugs and self-harm.

Easy A  2010  Will Gluck  Teen romantic comedy  Influenced by The Scarlet Letter

Homework  Complete an analysis of representation of teenage girls on a broadcast platform.  TV or film  Wednesday 10th November