LFTVD Essay

How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed? What role does the use of media language, signs and signifiers have in constructing and presenting these representations as real?

In Stranger Things, teenagers play a big role in the story line. The social group of teenagers are represented strongly throughout ST and are the general basis for the serial. The episode follows the story of four pre-teen boys, Mike, Will, Dustin and Luke, playing dungeons and dragons in the basement, which contrasts to the older teenagers, Nancy, Steve and Jonathon, who all have their own stereotypes in which they support. The four pre-teens are represented as nerdy and pubescent in the second scene of episode one. Media language plays a significant role in allowing the audience to create this representation of the boys through the use of mise-en-scene. The boys are all wearing clothing typical to the age ST is set, the 80s, giving the episode a cultural zeitgeist, and have a real passion for the game they are playing, one that doesn’t appear to be played by the rest of the characters or teenagers, evidently setting the boys aside as young and naïve. The boys use derogatory terms to one another, such as “pussy”, which further communicates their age, as this type of language is not used by other characters in the first episode as well as signifying a close comradery between the characters. In addition, the use of the word “pussy”, used by Luke, could support a stereotypical representation of the social group of teenagers as offensive to one another, yet as we see later on the episode, they actually support a representation of teenagers as loyal and faithful to each other as they drive the force to find Will.

In addition, the older teenagers support stereotypes that appear to be attached to their age bracket. For example, in the scene with Steve and Nancy, Steve is presented as a charming, promiscuous character, which is shown through the kissing scenes with Nancy and when she reels off all the girls he has been with in the past. This could support a stereotypical representation of popular teenage boys as sex-driven and riddled with libido. This is then contrasted with the representation of Nancy who holds a ‘girl-next-door’ narrative as we see her find her way out of chastity with Steve. This is supported by her clothing as very neat and proper along with her hair purposefully clipped back, giving her an overall sweet and innocent representation. Both Steve and Nancy’s are represented differently between themselves and once again differ from other characters of the same age, like Jonathon, showing an adverse range of character types under the umbrella of 'teenagers'. All of these characters when considered together create a varied representation of teenagers and creates typical stereotypes that the audience can easily identify with as they have seen them many times before.

Furthermore, a representation of the social group of single mothers is showed evidently within the first episode. Will’s mother, Joyce, is one of the most important characters within the serial and a huge part of the main story line. We jump to her point of view often through episode one and follow her journey through finding her son. Joyce is represented in many different ways in episode one and we see a distinct contrast. At the beginning of episode 1, she is presented as a flustered and disorganised and we see Jonathon cooking breakfast for himself and his younger brother, which also shows a countertype of teenagers as caring and considerate. Joyce’s house appears to be cluttered and messy, supporting her disorganised stereotype, as she looks for her keys. However, it is evident that she wasn’t always like this as we see part of the fragmented narrative of flashback to a year earlier where the lighting is much brighter showing better times at Castle Byers, which contrasts to the present day, where it is grey and gloomy, showing pathetic fallacy. We then see another representation of Joyce as strong-willed and determined to find her son. Joyce is presented as loving and to have an unconditional love for her two boys. This therefore creates an ameliorative representation in the end for Joyce and single mothers and we venture through seeing her stressed and disorganised to a caring and determined woman, who is fighting for her son’s freedom.