1

Number 005www.curriculum-press.co.uk

Stereotypes: Simplifying the Complex

M tudiesSedia

This Factsheet introduces and defines stereotyping as a part of theconcept of representation. This Factsheet will:1. Look at what stereotypes are and why they are used by media

texts;2. Discuss how stereotypes and countertypes are used by media

texts;3. Identify some characteristics of stereotypes;4. Discuss how stereotypes are formed.

1. What are stereotypes and why are they used in Media texts?

Stereotypes are:Simplified representations which focus on certain characteristicsof the group and assumes these to be shared across all groupmembers. Inherent within a stereotype is a judgement on thischaracteristic (usually negative – but not always).

The media uses stereotypes to communicate complex informationabout a character, time period, location etc. as quickly as possible.They are able to do this as, they donot simply create stereotypes, theyreflect the stereotypes that alreadyexist within a culture. By using thesestereotypes, the media can be said tobe reinforcing the ideas behind themand consolidating the views theycontain. Often the media is criticisedfor creating stereotypes, but they areusually part of the audience’s way ofthinking about the world anyway.

Stereotypes are assumptions about all members of a particular group.‘All women enjoy to gossip’ is a flawed statement. There willinevitably be some women that don’t – or indeed some men that do.However, the theorist Perkins noted that stereotypes usually havean element of truth in them which makes them plausible. Some womendo like to gossip… women may also be more comfortable doing sothan men as it is more culturally acceptable for them as it is seen asa feminine trait.

What is often overlooked are the historical or cultural reasons forperceived shared traits within a group. Until relatively recentlyfemales were not encouraged to engage in discussions that werenot based in the domestic (family, home, relationships) and menwere not expected to show interest in these things. These were partof gender role expectations.

This may offer a cultural explanation as to why it is that gossip isseen to be a feminine activity and that the media products whichprovide gratifications based on imparting and speculating onpersonal details of celebrities lives, discussing ‘real life stories’ andfocussing on relationships, marriage and scandal are often seen asproducts for women (Heat magazine for example).

One look at the sports pages in a tabloid newspaper or the contentof a ‘lad’s mag’ shows how this is, however, not necessarily thetruth. Much of what is contained in these texts can be described as‘gossip’ but, because it is on a different topic and is an acceptablepoint of discussion for men in this culture, it is not perceived in thesame way.

AQA/OCR/WJEC?Stereotyping is part of the creation of representations and assuch is an important part of all forms of assessment in MediaStudies specifications. Stereotyping needs to be considered inpractical analysis assessments and may need to be consideredwhen planning and evaluating practical production work.

In the essay-based papers both AQA and WJEC require thatrepresentations are dealt with within the topics set. WJECexamines specifically on representations within given areaswhich are detailed in the specification.

Stereotypes are often assumed to be negative as:1 The judgement making the basis of the stereotype is usually a

negative one – gossip is a bad thing, a waste of time,2 They do not allow for individual traits to exist in members of the

group – some women may not be interested in other people’sdomestic lives,

3 They are created by those outside the stereotyped group andare often seen to be an exertion of power – the stereotypedgroup often has no way to answer back,

4 The stereotype gives a ‘complete picture’ about the group andimplies a knowledge and understanding that can be applied toall members of the group.

2

005- Stereotypes: Simplifying the Complex Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

2. Media use of countertypes and stereotypesHowever, stereotypes can sometimes attempt to create positiverepresentations. These are called corrective stereotypes orcountertypes where the representations are trying to create newideas about a previously stereotyped group. Contemporary culturehas become more aware of stereotypes and the effects they have –particularly negative ones. Many media texts have attempted toconstruct new approaches to old stereotypes.

Kat Slater/Moon (JessieWallace) from BBC’s Eastenders.Kat’s character was a soap operastock character: the ‘tart with aheart of gold’. (bbc.co.uk)

When creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer and producer JossWhedon stated it was his intention to deliberately rewrite the ideaof the young blonde female in horror. Prior to Buffy, this characterhad been represented either as a victim, princess or damsel in distress(Propp’s Narrative Roles) and the creation of the character of Buffycan, therefore, be seen as a countertype and is corrective of theformer use of this representation.

Buffy is the hero in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she is oftenrepresented rescuing male and female characters and leading hergroup into battle.

Sarah Michelle Gellar as the victim in Scream 2 (1997) and thehero in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).

In Scream she plays a stereotype

but in Buffy, a countertype as thecharacter was deliberately ‘rewriting’assumptions about the role of the small,blonde female in horror. She is no longer ahelpless victim who needs rescuing, butis the rescuer.

(www.phase9.tv (Buffy the VampireSlayer); moviepropking.com (Scream))

Countertypes or corrective stereotypes are those that areconstructed in such a way as to deliberately work against the usualand expected stereotype. Sometimes though, countertypes turn intothe new stereotype and can therefore be seen to be equally aslimiting. The heroic female who is skilled at fighting is nowcommonplace – Alias, Tomb Raider, Charlie’s Angels.

Stereotypes are often crucial for media producers who use them asnarrative shortcuts to get information about a character to theaudience as quickly as possible. Often stereotypical representationshave a whole ‘back story’ which does not need to be communicatedin detail as the producer can assume the audience will provide it.

Stereotypes in the Media e.g. Soap Operas: ‘The Tart with a Heart’She is often a woman who is depicted wearing quite garish andrevealing clothes.

She is often slightly over-dressed for the occasion she is in – somay be seen with heavy make-up, a complex hair-do and clotheswhich signify evening wear whilst going to work or the shops. Sheis depicted as a ‘straight talker’ and appears to have quite a hardedge to her character. However, this has been created by a series ofpersonal histories which have seen her trust misused and she hasprobably made a number of bad romantic choices which have brokenher heart. However, rather than just being ‘the bitch’, she retains astrong core of romanticism and tries to see the best in people. Thiscan sometimes leave her vulnerable to further heartache but she isalways there to support (fiercely at times) her family and often otheraround her who are going through bad times. She has had a lot ofhardship in her life but she retains a warm personality beneath thetough exterior.

The audience is very familiar with the details of this stereotype,particularly the soap opera audience as this is a stock characterwithin this genre – Kat Slater, Pat Beale, Bet Lynch etc. All of thesecharacters are based on the same stereotype and as such are part ofthe genre’s codes and conventions.

In this way, stereotypes are closely related to the narrative structureof a text and there may be certain stock characters that are associatedwith specific genres. For example, the ‘hero’ of an action movie andthe ‘hero’ of a romantic comedy may share the same narrativefunction but each genre uses a different stereotype to constructthe heroic character.

3. What makes a stereotype?Stereotypes can be formed around different characteristics of agroup:

Appearance-This can include physical appearance and clothing as well as thesound of the voice.In your own lives you may have noticed that people are judged onwhat they look like or what they wear. The news media has recentlyfocussed on the ‘hoodie’ and it is often used as an indicator ofyouth crime. This then confirms the idea that young people arelikely to be trouble makers and petty criminals and the stereotype islinked to a specific article of clothing. This stereotype assumes thatall young people who choose to wear a hoodie will have criminaltendencies. Clearly this is inaccurate.

Behaviour -Typical things that people in this group are assumed to do.It is, of course, a stereotype to show males as being interested infootball. Some men enjoy rugby, some hockey and some find allsports boring. The assumption is as flawed as the gossiping womenstereotype but evidence of this assumption can be found in manymedia texts, especially magazines like Zoo.

3

005- Stereotypes: Simplifying the Complex Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

Attitude -Closely linked to behaviour, stereotypes can be assumptions aboutthe way a group is perceived as thinking – the attitudes they holdtowards certain situations.

Again, gender is a good place to look for attitudinal stereotypes.Males are often depicted as trying to avoid serious romanticrelationships whilst females are often represented as being fixatedon the dream of a wedding. Monica and Rachel in Friends spenttime fantasising about being brides.

Stereotypes are often based around all three of these ideas. Whena group is stereotyped, we recognise them via their stereotypicalappearance and expect certain behaviours and attitudes to go alongwith the way they look.

The final feature of stereotyping is particular to the media:Stereotypes often fit the particular medium or genre. That is, thesame stereotype can be used in different ways depending on theform or genre of the media text.

Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (dir. B Wilder 1955)and Cameron Diaz in There’s Something about Mary (dirs. Band P Farrelly 1998)

Despite their different moments in time, look at the similaritiesin the images below. The stereotypical blonde is still recognisable– the differences in the construction of this stereotype are infact useful clues as to changes in culture between 1955 and1998.

The body language in these images is almost identical butMonroe is clearly being ‘caught unawares’ whereas Diaz isaware of the camera and is making eye contact with the audience.In addition, Monroe is displaying a modest attempt to coverher legs – the narrative within the image suggests the displayof flesh is accidental. Diaz’s dress is a revealing one and so,along with the images repeated behind her, the connotationsare that she is choosing to reveal her body and the overallimpression created is that she is more in control than in theMonroe image. Monroe’s character appears more naïve – eveninnocent. Diaz is more knowing and active in the creation of therepresentation.

These differences could be related to different attitudes towardswomen at these points in history although it is clear that theyare still portraying similar stereotypes that are expectationswithin the genre of ‘romantic comedy’. Despite the timedifferences, the roles the women play in the films are likely to bevery similar.

As we have seen, in horror films the blonde female is traditionallyexpected to play the victim or a character who needs protecting orsaving. However, in the romantic comedy she is a more sexualisedand often portrayed as a childlike character and an object of desireand is often represented as the ‘prize’ that is being sought by thehero of the romantic comedy text. There may be similarities betweenthe way these genres portray a group (both may represent theblonde as being unintelligent) but in each case the genre will usethe stereotype which its audience will find familiar and appropriatein that specific context and that is part of their generic expectations.Above is a brief case study looking at two images of the blondebombshell in Romantic Comedies from the 1950s and the 1990s.

Exam Hint :- In your written work it is important not to usestereotypes yourself. Try to avoid making generalisedassumptions about a group. You should, however commenton the assumptions that are made by the media texts you arewriting about.

Q1. Consider the analysis of the stereotypical blonde above.Clearly this is an appearance-based stereotype. Whatbehaviours and attitudes are also assumed when this stereotypeis used?

Q2. Can you identify other genres where stereotypes are dealtwith differently? Consider the stereotype of the ‘serial killer’as depicted in psychological horrors and compare this to theirrepresentation in factual or news programming. What qualitiesdoes a stereotypical policeman have in a drama compared to acomedy? Are young people depicted differently in newspapersthan in magazines?

4. How are stereotypes formed?The formation of stereotypes is part of acomplex relationship between theexperiences we have as part of our day today life and our cultural experiences interms of our interaction with other peopleand the media. Often the media are accusedof creating stereotypes and are blamed forconfirming stereotypical attitudes. It isdifficult to prove that this is actually thecase as media representations rely on the audience understandingthe references they make.

Media audiences need to be familiarwith the stereotypes used,otherwise they would be unable tointerpret the assumptions that liebehind them. If the concept of menbeing sports fans did not alreadyexist any media text that used thisaspect of masculinity to create easily recognisable characters wouldfail to communicate its meaning to the audience. Similarly, if theaudience did not understand the significance of the hoody, it couldnot be used as a narrative shorthand.

Identifying where this cycle above begins and ends is impossible.The media clearly has an impact on audience’s ideas aboutstereotyped groups but this is in conjunction with other influentialaspects of a person’s development of understanding the world –peer groups, families, social/religious backgrounds etc. The mediais just one of many ways the audience experiences life and learnsabout the world.

(www.mvps.org/st-software/Movie_Collection/images/12302f.jpg(There’s Something About Mary); filmforum.org/films/7year/7Year_2.jpg (The Seven Year Itch))

4

005- Stereotypes: Simplifying the Complex Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

Stereotypes are connotational readingsOur past experiences build the knowledge that influences how weinterpret the evidence before us. It’s often more influential than thefacts. It is seen to work like this:• When we interpret a representation as being typical this confirms

the validity of our knowledge and reinforces our ideas about thegroup.

• Our media experiences can also be part of this process so arepetition of the idea that women like to gossip (from soap operas,morning TV, adverts and magazines etc) helps to reinforce thisreduced view of the whole group.

• We use these assumptions to predict how a group will act orbehave.

• We make the associations about the group and when they arerepeated this reinforces the stereotype.

However,• If a representation fails to meet all the criteria we expect, we will

often ignore that or explain the failings to be ‘the exception tothe rule’.

• If we are proved inaccurate in our understanding – we keepwitnessing anomalies or the anomalies are too big to ignore –then we may rethink our ideas about the group. It is possible thatwe may reject a stereotype if our own experiences do not matchup to the created expectations.

• Our real life and media experiences can cause this to happen.

This process can be seen to be an important part of dealing withthe complexities of the world. It would be impossible to approachevery situation or person encountered as a totally unique one -in social terms this would be impractical. For stereotypes to workfor an audience there must be an element of truth in them. So,whilst it is easy to dismiss stereotypes as being limiting andreductive, it is also important to consider the relationshipstereotypes have with real experiences.

Ideas about groups are confirmed through therepetition of experiences. These may be ’real life’experiences, or experiences based on accessingmedia texts.

The media use stereotypesto create representations.

Life experiences (includingmedia representations),cause individuals to makeassumptions about wholegroups based on limitedinformation.

ConclusionThere are negative aspects to the media’s use of stereotypes. Themedia can be seen to be part of the repetition of common culturalassumptions about certain groups which cannot be wholly accurateand can confirm prejudices and division between groups. Manygroups have limited opportunities to challenge commonly heldstereotypes and the media can often be seen to reflect and supportideas which favour the majority’s views over those of minorities.However, it is important to acknowledge that stereotypes also actto aid the media producer in getting ideas across quickly andefficiently. Audiences’ ability to read stereotypes enables them toread and interpret representations and subsequently understandmedia texts.

Exam Hint: When analysing texts or writing essays it isimportant to question why a particular stereotype has beenused and consider the practical reasons that may exist. It isalso crucial to think about the effect that the stereotype mayhave. Does it create a negative representation that may havea wider social impact? Does it play on existing prejudices?Students often simply identify the stereotypes rather thananalyse them and this leads to a loss of marks in exams.

Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by Steph HendryCurriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Sociology Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students,provided that their school is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in anyother form or by any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136

Image web referenceswww.phase9.tvwww.moviepropking.comwww.bbc.co.ukwww.mvps.org/st-software/Movie_Collection/images/12302f.jpgwww.filmforum.org/films/7year/7Year_2.jpg