Disability in TV Drama

Disability in TV Drama

Stereotypes of Disability:

The first stereotype of disability is that disabled people are represented as pitiable and pathetic. This the most common stereotype that is applied to disabled people as it persuades the audience to feel sorry for them as they are less able than able bodied people. This allows the audience to feel more compassionate towards disabled people as they can be portrayed as needing assistance to continue with life. In TV Drama, this stereotype is used as a shortcut due to it being common and is then applied to many disabled characters.

An example of a pitiable and pathetic disabled character is the disabled girl from The Inbetweeners. This is because she is pitied due to her state of being in a wheelchair and the audience are not aware of here condition. However, when the character is hit by a frisbee, the character produces a reaction that is viewed as an over exaggeration and pathetic.

A countertype to this is Donna Yates from EastEnders. A strong market trader who declares war on stall holders Bianca Butcher and Kat Moon. Despite her condition, she continues to be a competitive market trader who has a darker side to her outward appearance. She is not pitied and she does not act in a pathetic way.

Another stereotype is that disabled people can be viewed as humorous. Humour can be generated through the type of disability the individual has and be turned into jokes that can have a positive or negative outcome. This is used in the misfortune of others so can be used as an element that van target a specific individual or a group of people that have a similar disability.

An example of Leslie "Rem Dogg" Remmington from Bad Education. A pupil who uses a wheelchair and constantly wears a pair of headphones and baseball cap. He came across as a cheeky chap who poked fun at Alfie.

A countertype to this is Jimmy from Degrassi. Jimmy's paralysis was a huge turning point in Degrassi and Jimmy's character development in general. The audience saw as Jimmy struggled to maintain his passion with basketball and turn to art for solace, which led to some pretty powerful moments. His overall character is taken very seriously.

A final stereotype is that disabled people can be presented as sinister or evil. Through scarring and disability, TV Dramas can use these elements to represent a character as either evil or sinister. Supported by this, these elements are also used to signify violence and anger. This is from either within the character or actions exerted onto other characters in the TV Drama.

An example of a sinister and evil character is Nick Calshaw from The Street. Nick is a character that returns to the TV programme after fighting the war in Afghanistan with half his face terribly scarred due to a female suicide bomber. After attempting to return to his former job, Nick grows angry after his peers treat him differently due to his scarring. He then enters an army recruitment building and pitches the idea that he can be of assistance to the army because of him looking ugly and intimidating.

The countertype to this is Artie from Glee. Artie is a pretty endearing character. Not only was he in the Glee club, he also got involved in a passion for film direction. He's the definition of a go-getter, too. Plus, he's got a good heart. Thus countering the idea that disabled people are sinister or evil.

 

 

How Disability is Represented Through the 4 Areas of Textual Analysis

Camera Shots/Angles/Movements:

Establishing shot – This shot is used in the first second of the clip so that the audience are introduced to the scenery and the two main characters. This shot shows a typical camping area for tourists, including a lake and being surrounded by mountainous terrain. The two main characters appear to be walking towards their hospitality which are the tents set up by the lake.

 

Close-up – This shot is used to capture the facial expressions of the two main characters as they converse about female friends and whether they would have the opportunity to have sexual intercourse with them. The large amount of close-ups used suggest that the conversation between the characters is serious and that the relationship between them is strong.

Long shot – This shot is used to capture the scenery at night, this includes the characters from a distance and the objects to support them. The objects are lit up to place emphasis on the focus of the characters with in the shot.

Editing:

Jump cut - This transition is used when there is a conversation between characters in a scene. This I used in this scene to ensure that the following scene begins immediately without any details being lost. The quick reactions of the transitions allow the audience to capture the expressions of all the characters in the scene as well as what the conversation is about.

Sound:

Sound Effects – The main sound effects used on the clip is the crackling of the camp fire. The quiet cracking of the flames create a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere over the scene. Additionally this creates a warming gathering of the characters to extend their closeness.

Mise-en-Scene:
 

Clothing –
The characters appear to be wearing thick coats and clothing. This suggests that the setting is a cold environment and warm clothing is needed to prevent the characters from becoming cold. One character is wearing a blue coat whereas the other is wearing a red coat. This suggests how the characters are opposites. Just as red and blue are opposites, an able bodied character and a disabled character are opposites.

Lighting – Throughout the clip, a pitch black lighting is used to place emphasis on the two main characters and the objects in the scene. This allows the audience to primarily focus on the characters and the conversation rather than the background scenery.

How Disability is Represented with the Other 6 Areas or Representation

Age – Differences in behaviour can occur in disabled characters. Typical stereotypes of age can be applied to the characters. For example, disabled children are more pitied and innocent compared to older characters who are either slightly pitied or sinister and evil.  

Gender - Behaviour and actions of disabled people can all depend on the gender of the character. Typically, female characters that are disabled are considered to be more pitied than male disabled characters. This depends on how the audience think that the characters are represented.

Sexuality – Paul Hunt’s representation of disability shows that most disabled characters are viewed as non-sexual and therefore are not very sexually active. The sexuality of disabled characters differ in representation in TV Drama such as a disabled character who appears to be in a wheelchair is not associated as being homosexual.

Ethnicity - Characters that are disabled are represented in both genders. However, there are a more white disabled characters in TV Dramas compared to coloured. This is used to portray real life issues in TV Drama in which there is no link between ethnicity and disability.

Class and Status – Disabled characters commonly occur in middle and lower class society. Middle class disabled characters can differ from the typical pitiable or sinister and the lower class disabled characters are viewed to be just as pitiable. But this depends on how the character is represented in the TV Drama.

Regional Identity – Differences in regional identity are not impacted by the disability of the character. This shows that there is no clear link between the disability of the character and their regional identity.