Representation

Representation is the way in which people, events and ideas are portrayed to an audience - the media uses representation in a way so they often stereotype people, leading the audience to possibly become comfortable/lazy with the image that has been created and use this representation as a stereotype.

The two types of stereotyping are:
Archetypes - The most extreme stereotype possible (for example, a French man named Felippe who wears a string of onions and a beret).
Counterypes - Something that goes against the stereotype (for example, a French man named Greg who hates onions and only wears a fedora)

The film "Mean Girls" is a good example of stereotyping - the students are sorted into (direct quote): "Preps, J.V Jocks, Asian Nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity Jocks, Unfriendly Black Hotties... Desperate Wannabes, Burnouts...the Plastics".

Each clique is only shown for a couple of seconds, however we can easily establish who is who just by seeing them for that short amount of time. For instance, the Burnouts are slouched over and giggly, as though high (which is clearly implied by their given clique name), and the Plastics are sitting upright, dressed in light colours and looking pristine and pretty, and very separated from the other cliques.
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