Safina Shaukat1

Using examples of Media text, explain how the representation of youth in film perpetuates a negative collective identity. Comment on what you think the effect on the youth and the general public is.Youth: A term most commonly used in this age to scapegoat all teenagers as feral, monsters and inhuman, as depicted in the Independent article Hoodies, louts, scum: how media demonises teenagers http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hoodies-louts-scum-how-media-demonises-teenagers-1643964.html . Youth crime increased by 9.5% from 2010 to 2011 and the Media certainly played a pivotal role in creating specific stereotypes of these young adults. As a result, directors Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood) and Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank) found a topic which would appeal to the youth, for its relatable aspects; and adults, for its sheer realistic portrayal of aggressive, menacing youths. Negative representations of youth are fuelled through their intimidating appearance: dark clothing, caps, and scarves which cover their faces, all serving to add mystery to their already threatening image. The majority of characters on all three posters uphold this image as they are shown in hoodies reflecting the wider societal clothing of many youths. Immediately audiences can relate to this depiction and the motif of hoodies is reiterated in all three trailers and prevalent in the films also. The colourful costumes in Adam Deacons and Daniel Tolands Anuvahood reject this notion challenging the conventional youth dressed in dark clothing, thus, emphasising the absurdity of the sweeping generalisations being made. The hoodies and dark costumes affirm the audiences negative connotations attached with the specific clothes, consequently they perceive all people who dress in that way to be dangerous and a menace to society.Through the mise-en-scene, weapons are illustrated as if they were a complimentary addition to the youth, so casually do they rest in the youths hands. Accentuated by the low angle shot, the youths are presented as a powerful and malevolent group prepared to resort to violence in unnecessary situations. This echoes the emphasis placed on youth crime, especially gang and knife crime, in the Media. The film posters of Attack the Block and Kidulthood depict Black aggression through positioning the Black characters in the middle of the group implying that the Black members lead the group and are the more violent as they are seen to be holding the weapons in the posters. The weapons are described as tools conveying how ignorant the youths are to the consequences of possessing an illegal and lethal item. Quick cuts in the Kidulthood trailer show characters holding and using drugs and alcohol, the speed of the editing is mimetic of the large scale at which these drugs are consumed. The stereotypes of youths being involved in drug dealing is intensified through the Media representation of working class gang members using drugs as a way to achieve economic success after rejecting the Education system. The school going youths which are illustrated in the Kidulthood trailer have an anti- school subculture which upholds the stereotypical perception of working class youths dismissing education and having a negative attitude to teachers and the educational achievement. The trailer of Attack the Block shows how the violent youths are corrupting innocent childrens minds through a scene showcasing two children eager to join the as if it were a game. The absence of positive role models and parents in all three trailers is emblematic of the stereotypical view that deviant youths are from broken homes with parents who lead troubled lives. This is particularly highlighted in the Fish Tank trailer where Mias mother fails to understand her daughters emotions and is seen shouting and hitting Mia whilst bringing home a new boyfriend only to complicate matters further. The lack of respect for authority is demonstrated in the Attack the Block trailer through the visual metaphor of the youths crashing into a Police van. This is heightened through Pests admission that youre better off calling the Ghostbusters than calling the Police; an almost accurate fact proven in the summer 2011 UK riots. These youths feel that the Police are not on their sides therefore seeking to challenge the rules by causing havoc and disruption. The working class youths disrespect the elderly and are a threat to the middle class: a portrayal in the films Harry Brown and Eden Lake. In both trailers, the youths seem to resort to violent and disorderly activities to fill their time and prevent boredom. Furthermore, in the Attack the Block trailer, a character desires to go home, lock [his] door and play FIFA showcasing the lazy and care free attitude of young people. The quick cuts mirror the fast paced lives of the youths echoing the fears of the elderly who find it difficult to defend and respond to the delinquents. Thus, the children are socialised into norms which do not value authority and the cycle repeats when these children grow older and implement the bad parenting habits of their parents to their own children. The difference in language of the inner city youths and the adults is accentuated by the tone card in the Attack the Block trailer: the deadliest species in the galaxy. Words such as bruv, tings, tools uphold the working class intimidating language attached to the working class youths. The non-diegetic and diegetic music, rapping, connects the youths with a music genre notorious for its violent and offensive lyrics. The council estates in the background of the posters are the focal settings in the trailers underlining the typical association of working class youths living in deprived areas. The addiction to mobile phones is prevalent in both Attack the Block and Kidulthood trailers.Overall, in Attack the Block, Kidulthood and Fish Tank, the youths are represented as violent, aggressive, disrespectful to authority, all of which perpetuate a negative collective identity.