Regional Identity By Beth Braine and Sam Craig

Stereotypes• Essex• The North• Welsh• British• Newcastle • The Wire• Other stereotypes

Essex• TOWIE (The Only Way Is Essex):

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01yWP2pqqMU

This programme makes out that Essex boys are:• Unfaithful, ‘lads’ and wear posh clothes to un-posh places,

e.g. We over exaggerate a lot to make ourselves seem better than we are.

..and it makes Essex girls look:• Mouthy, rude and unfriendly. They are also over-dressed

in big heels, sequinned dresses and fake tan.

• Essex- often shown as being glamorous but cheap, footballer's wives, lots of partying and being quite stupid.

The North• Waterloo Road:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi95VKPMH74

• The ‘rebellious’ kids have untidy uniform, their shirts aren’t tucked in and their ties aren’t done up, they are trying to add to their reputation of being ‘hard.’

• The ‘clever’/ ‘normal’ kids have the complete opposite, this is a generic stereotype at most schools.

Welsh• The Valleys:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYN2hxFH5rQ

• They all enjoy drinking, a lot. The girls were revealing clothes and the ‘lads’ enjoy one night stands. Their is a lot of bitchy-ness and fighting, and ‘sexual references’ made.

• Countertype:• Welsh- often shown as living in the middle of the

countryside, comically simplistic and rugby fans. Symbols such as leek, dragon or daffodils are associated with the country.

British• Eastenders:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo-C2xRHczw

• This clip makes the British look a lot more friendly and ‘normal’ than programmes like The Valley’s.

• It highlights a generic problem (alcoholism) and is discussed in a light hearted way.

• London- there are two stereotypes:• 1) Often shown as rich, posh, snobby, upper class, Hugh

Grant types from central or west London.• 2) Often shown as being from north, east or south

London, poor, common, lower class, criminalistic, violent 'Kidulthood' style.

Newcastle• Geordie Shore:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D8xJAAa_00

• This clip also sets very bad stereotypes for the Geordie’s, similar to The Valley’s:

• The ‘lads’ are in competition to ‘pull birds’ and the girls use compulsive swearing.

• This stereotypes Geordie’s in a bad light, and generalises them, much like The Only Way Is Essex generalises people from Essex, we aren’t all like that.

• Manchester/Newcastle/Liverpool- often shown as being 'chavs', wearing fake designer labels or tracksuits, drinking a lot, being aggressive, uneducated, criminals.

The wire• The pit:• One of the scenes of biggest focus in series 1 it is

a place of drug trade and agreements. The pit also shows us the hard nature of growing up in West Baltimore and the challenges that people living here face. The picture below shows the 4 main characters involved in transactions in the Pit. The picture shows the 4 men are all very similar they are all dressed in heavy black coats and wanting to be quite intimidating.

Challenging regional identity• However, also in the pit; 3 of the characters

pictured in the first scene are also shown below participating in a game of chess. This challenges the Regional Identity of people living in West Baltimore. The characters shown playing chess allows the audience to relate to the characters and feel empathy towards them. I also highlights that the men are not obsessed with drugs or violence.

Other stereotypes• Scottish- often shown as being money obsessed, won't pay

for anything, drinks a lot of alcohol, loves the outdoors, wears kilts, eats haggis, quite aggressive and violent.

• Irish- often shown as living in the countryside, working in rural areas such as farms, being very religious. being good at dancing and singing, very friendly but less intelligent.

• Yorkshire- often shown as living in rural countryside, with rolling hills and cobbled streets, being quite old fashioned.

• Cornwall/Somerset- often shown as being 'backwards', living in rural areas, working on farms.

• South England: center of culture, modern, classy, clever, sunny, richer, doing middle class jobs e.g. managers

• North England: poorer, bad weather, lower class, aggressive, less culture, less clever, doing working class jobs e.g. builder