Representation Disability in the Media

You will research texts dealing with the issue of disability and comment on how they have been represented in the media. The Street. Hollyoaks.

• Key words:  Stereotypes, cliché. Representation.

DISABILITY ON TV

Disability tends to still be represented in terms of stereotypical characters.  

For example:

·       Physically Disabled / Disfigured – often shown as outsiders, unable to do normal things

·         Mentally disabled – Often shown as strange, odd, childlike, outsiders

·         Able Bodies / Minded – often shown as “normal” and “ideal”.

Characters with disabilities are often portrayed in TV Dramas as being outsiders, strange, unable to do everyday activities, immature, weaker than “able bodied, able minded” characters, less attractive etc.  

Traditionally in films, villains were often given a disability or deformity to make them seem scarier or more evil.  Although our association of disability with “evil” has since declined, society often still links disability to weakness and makes disabled characters objects to pity.

   If you are asked to deal with disability when analysing a media text, you should be thinking about the following things when watching the clip:

•       Can I identify who is able bodied / disabled in the clip?
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•        Are people with disabilities shown as having different interests, personalities, attitudes,      behaviours from people who don’t have disabilities?  If so, how?
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•      Is their disability represented as being important in their life?
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•      Are people without disabilities represented stereotypically as being normal / better / more
•     powerful?  If so, how?
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•      Are people with disabilities represented stereotypically as being abnormal /weak/ pathetic?  If so, how?

•       How do other characters in the clip treat the characters with disability?
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•      What is the message the clip is trying to portray about disability?

How have visual and technical codes and conventions been used to portray the disability?

   

             Don’t ignore the able bodied characters as they need to be analysed too in                                                                                               comparison!

Examples of disability in TV drama that you can analyse for practise:

Secret Diary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auSAGvpM7W8

Touch Of Frost http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gl8jVX9WWM

The Street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80K5P1qqQOI

Coming Down the Mountain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIcVhqcKukw&feature=related

Hollyoaks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm9utEQTdts

Cast Offs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em4Z0jfOExA

Task 1: 
Write 200 words on how disabled characters have been portrayed in one of the clips above.

A whole collection of film and tv clips that feature disability

          http://www.youtube.com/user/thsmediastudies#p/c/BBC935847FFC4878

Relevant links of interest

Review of BBc programme dealing with disability and the media: 'Are you having a Laugh?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29988940

Victoria Modesta