Textual Analysis & Representation: Luther- Sexuality (Christmas 50)

This extract is from Luther and focuses on sexuality.

The use of dialogue in this extract emphasises how sexuality is represented in tv dramas. Ian begins by talking about Zoe 'washing sheets' which reflects the gender stereotype that women belong in the kitchen and should clean the house. He then continues and begins using language and phrases such as 'whore' and 'strip her down' which are incredibly harsh and rude; reflecting on how women used to be treated and viewed. This idea that women are whores still goes on in today's society. The phrase 'strip her down' links with the male gaze theory as he clearly viewed Zoe Luther in a sexual way; immediately sexualising her. Non diegetic sounds like music are added in to build tension, and the song played at the end of the clip could be seen as a juxtaposition as the scene itself is quite sad as Ian has been shot; but there is a sense of happiness for Mark as he finally gets revenge. As this happens, Luther is the only character in focus and it shows his pained facial expressions. This shows that he is suffering which men don't like to be seen as, as stereotypically they are seen to be strong minded.

This extract follows a linear narrative and includes continuity editing to show the realism of the piece. The extract cuts from one person to another; especially in conversation. This is where we see the camera work of shot reverse shots to help the audience see the facial expressions of the characters. A close up is used to capture the moment when Luther strangles Ian to show his anger; which links with the stereotype that men are physically strong and violent. A low angle is used to show Luther on the floor after being stabbed which could be seen as him being weak which men, ideally, don't want to be viewed like. A mid shot is used when Alice shoots Ian which lets the audience know that she is the one who did it. This shows Alice as some form of hero in the sense that she helped Mark put an end to Ian; which goes against the stereotype that men are usually the heroes.

All of the characters wear formal clothing which reflects their professional jobs. Luther is in dull colours which could suggest his distress over Zoe's death. Ian wears a suit which links with his job as a DCI officer, however his top button of his shirt is undone which could imply his scruffiness and as a way to catch the female attention as he could think it is cool. Mark also wears a suit and wears darker colours than Luther which suggests he is suffering more than Luther, which is evident by his pained facial expressions. Alice wears minimal makeup, but enough to highlight her natural beauty; especially her eyes and lips- this could be seen as a sexual thing as it emphasises her beauty which men would enjoy. Her outfit is professional and conservative which she may feel is important when dealing with Ian as he sexualised Zoe and used her in a sexual way; initiated by her clothing choice.

Textual Analysis & Representation: Hotel Babylon- Ethnicity (Christmas 50)

This extract is from Hotel Babylon and focuses on Ethnicity.

The use of the non diegetic sound of up-tempo music beings to build tension as panic is spread throughout the hotel. The fast beat could be seen as a reflection of the heartbeats of those who are trying to escape from the immigration services. The panic is further shown by the diegetic sound of the overlapping voices. The vocal collage helps to build the tension and emphasises how scared the workers are. A sound bridge is used from the moment immigration leave to when Jackie is cleaning out Ibrahim's locker. The beat is still present however a soft melody is placed over the top to emphasise the mood of sympathy and devastation. The dialogue used also helps to reflect ethnicity. The moment the male from the immigration services mentions his job title it is evident that they are searching for illegal immigrants. When Jackie is informed of their arrival she immediately rushes to the kitchen and yells out 'immigration' in multiple languages. This automatically confirms that there are multiple ethnic backgrounds present.

The different ethnic backgrounds are also shown when the camera pans across the dining room where all of the cleaners, chefs etc are having their meal. They are seen to be separated into groups of people who share the same background and are chatting away in their own languages. This is different however for the black male and female. It is evident that they come from different backgrounds as he is saying Grace before eating whereas the female is patiently waiting for him to finish before she eats; showing her respect for his beliefs. This shows that she could have sat with others who are similar to her in the sense that she has no beliefs, but she sits with Adam as they look similar. Close ups are used to show the panic on Jackie's face as she realises Ibrahim is not in the cupboard with the rest of them. A mixture of close ups and mid shots are also used to capture Adam helping the woman who is having a hypoglycaemic attack. This is where he reveals that he hasn't always been a cleaner; which reflects the stereotype that immigrants, such as those with an African and European background, take the jobs which are looked down upon by the majority of the white British population.

Continuity editing is used to show time moving on and adds a sense of realism to the narrative. Cross cutting is used to show the contrast between the immigrants who are safe in the cupboard and how exposed Ibrahim is to the immigration services; showing his capture. The extract follows a linear narrative and uses a shot reverse shot when the head of immigration is talking to the manager as they both have a sense of authority so are separate on screen instead of using a two shot.

Costume contributes to the representation of ethnicity as all of the immigrants are shown to be in workers uniforms and the other characters are in suits and professional uniforms to highlight authority. Stereotypically white people are seen to have the better jobs and earn more money such as managers and high roles within services like immigration so they are represented to have posh clothing. The red uniform of Ibrahim could be interpreted as a way of portraying the danger he is in as red has connotations of danger and trouble. The change in lighting from the bright lively hotel to the dark dim cupboard emphasises to the audience that they are in hiding and don't know what could happen next.

Representations of Age in TV Dramas:

Representation of middle aged people:
Middle aged people (30-50s) are seen as hard workers who have full time jobs as well as managing families and a house. They are seen as less in touch with technology and the younger generations.

Patrick Jane- The Mentalist:

Patrick Jane, although being around the age of 30, is shown to be traditional through his love for tea, his wisdom in areas about life, and his lack of interest in technology. This is similar to an older person, as they don’t understand technology as much as the younger generation, and in an episode he asks Van Pelt to "bigify" something on the computer which the younger generation would know as zoom in. He doesn’t get involved in police chases, and tends to stay away from the violence (until killing Red John).

Ashley Marin- Pretty Little Liars:
Ashley Marin, Hanna's mother, is shown as a workaholic during the first few seasons of PLL. She worked at the bank of Rosewood before getting fired for stealing as herself and Hanna ran into family financial issues. Ashley and Hanna's father, Tom, got a divorce which goes against the stereotype that middle aged women should be in a committed relationship and running a well functioned family. Middle aged women are stereotypically seen as unattractive, however this is proven wrong as Ashley spends multiple nights hooking up with multiple men.

Representation of Sexuality in TV Dramas.

American TV Dramas:

Heterosexuality: The Vampire Diaries: Elena and Damon.


In this clip we see heterosexuality being represented by Elena and Damon. Heterosexuality is seen as the preferred form of sexuality as it is the most traditional (involving a male and female). The use of camera angles such as two shots show the couple in the frame together; representing their relationship. The uplifting rhythm further emphasises their relationship by suggesting it is happy and healthy. Damon supports the idea of the stereotypical male in a heterosexual relationship by dressing in a suit with this hair slicked back; along with the direct eye contact he has with Elena to create romantic chemistry between them. The dialogue between them is about marriage and how Damon loves Elena so much that he would turn himself from a vampire to a human to be with her.








Homosexuality: Pretty Little Liars: Emily and Maya.
In this clip we see homosexuality being represented by Emily and Maya. Homosexuality is a form of sexuality involving two members of the same sex in a relationship. Emily has been openly gay for a while, whereas Maya hasn't. Maya's parents aren't supportive of her being in a relationship with Emily as they are very traditional and expect her to be in a heterosexual relationship. This causes them to move away from Rosewood. In this clip we see the effort Maya has gone to so Emily can see how much she loves her. The lighting in this clip is done by candlelight which gives off a romantic and sexy atmosphere. The camera angles of two shots show the couple in the frame together as they slow dance and over the shoulder shots represent their facial expressions (mainly Emily) as Maya expresses her feelings and also by decorated the room; so they have alone time with no one interrupting.




Bisexuality: Pretty Little Liars: Emily and Paige/ Emily and Ben.
When the show first began, Emily was represented as a confused character. She was in a relationship with a boy named Ben, however she had kissed her friend Alison. After that, Emily became confused as to which sex she prefers. She ends up fully Lesbian after being in multiple relationships with other females. The music in this scene provides a lively energy to reflect on Emily and Ben's relationship. They are making out in a car which is seen as romantic by American teens.

British TV Dramas:

Heterosexuality: Skins: Effy and Freddie.






































A low angle is used when Freddie first opens the door for Effy. The music in the scene is romantic and lively suggesting she has gone there to express her love. The low angle could have been used as a way to show how in a heterosexual relationship, the male is (stereotypically) dominant over the female and the female looks up towards him as females (stereotypically) find taller men more attractive. This is further emphasised when the angle switches to a high angle so the camera is looking down on Effy to show the dominance of Freddie. A close up is used during the sex scene between the couple to show the intimacy of their relationship and to emphasise the sexual tension.




Homosexuality: Coronation Street: Sophie and Sian.
















































In this scene we see Sophie and Sian together. Sian has just been dumped by her boyfriend and goes to Sophie for comfort. A close up shows the two girls as they hug; showing the intimacy between them. A close up is used again when we see Sophie leaning in to kiss Sian. This is done slowly to build tension between the characters and for the audience to feel tense as it is unexpected. The lighting in the room is dim which gives off a romantic vibe which Sophie is clearly feeling for Sian. However, after the kiss, Sian leaves in tears; implying she is confused as to what has just happened. A medium shot shows Sophie sitting down on her bed with guilt written across her face as she feels bad for kissing Sian after her breakup.

Casulty - Representations of Disabilities:

Luther Representations- Annotated.

Luther Representations- Annotated.

A little bit of narrative theory from MrsCmedia

Representations of disability- Donna (Eastenders)

In the first clip, 'the morning after', we see a close up of Donna reaching in her draws to get some pills. If you watch the show you will know that Donna has a disability, so the dominant ideology would be that she is taking prescripted medication to help her. However, the negotiated reading of this could be that she is reaching for a 'morning after' pill as she just had a one night stand with Fatboy. This goes against Paul Hunt's identified stereotype that disabled people are seen as 'non sexual' as she has been sexually involved with Fatboy; representing her as a countertype.  Also when Fatboy enters bringing her breakfast and sits down talk to her, multiple two shots and shot/reverse shots are used to capture the conversation. They are set as a mid shot which shows Donna and Fatboy to be equal and on the same level; minimising her disability.

The second clip, 'in public', we see Fatboy walking awkwardly away from Donna as they enter the square, showing his embarrassment/awkwardness of people staring at them and speculating about their night together. One of Donna's friends comes along and begins speaking to her as if she is a child and look down on her which is shown by the low angles behind Donna's shoulder; enabling us to capture her friend looking down. By Pam looking down, it is suggesting she feels dominance over Donna and is more of an adult. Donna's represented to be like a child by the camera angles and the way Pam slightly bends down towards her, and speaks in a soft warm tone like mothers speak to their children.

Soon after this, Donna ends up talking to Nancy and makes comments about her being a pretty blonde; offending Nancy. It soon becomes clear to Donna that Nancy is disabled too as she has Epilepsy; which causes Donna to regret ranting at Nancy. Later in the program we see Donna apologising to Nancy in the café, and the two of them begin making jokes and telling stories about their disabilities as a form of comfort and support. This is shown in a two shot where they are both on the same level, showing how similar they are because they both have disabilities; even though Nancy's isn't noticeable like Donna's.

In the final clip, ‘mate or date’, the diegetic sound of the radio helps to eliminate the awkwardness between Donna and Fatboy, as well as it showing the normality and realism of the scene. The upbeat track on the radio suggests that Donna is getting ready for her ‘date’ and is overly excited about it. This subverts the stereotype that disabled people are unable to help themselves and are always in need of care, as she is shown to be getting ready by herself. This is further stressed by the mid shot which only shows Donna waist up, which makes her seem equal to everyone else and eliminates her disability. After Donna falls, Fatboy enters her bedroom to find her lying on the floor. The low angle from behind Donna emphasises how Fatboy looks down on her, portraying the stereotype that they are inferior in society to ‘normal’ people. He bends down to help her after she asks him to get down, and a two shot of the characters helps to eliminate the differences between them. They end up on the same level which balances the power as well as demolishes her disability.

Representations of Disability.

Representation of disability from MrsCmedia

Representations in American Horror Story.

Representations in American Horror Story

The represention of men and women in TV drama's.

Representations of TV Drama's.

Representations in TV Drama's.

Representations of me.

Representation of Me.