1. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT REPRESENT Question 2
PARTICULAR SOCIAL
GROUPS?

2. T YPICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF SOCIAL
GROUPS WITHIN HORRORS.
 Males within horror movies are usually seen as either
heroic or villainous. They usually take on the active role.
 Women usually remain in passive roles. They are either
the supporting role or made an example of by the villain
(victimized). This is through being captured or tortured.
Women are also depicted as the prize of the hero, also
known as ‘the princess’ when applying Vladimir Propp’s
theory of film narrative.
 When a woman does adopt the dominant role she usually
ends up as what is known as the ‘final girl’ – confronting
the villain or surviving the predicaments.

3. EXAMPLES OF T YPICAL GENDER
REPRESENTATION IN HORRORS.
‘Hero’ – Tony Janekowski in Devil.
‘Final Girl’ – Nancy
Thompson in Nightmare on
Elm Street.

4. REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER WITHIN MY
MEDIA PRODUCT: FEMALES
Jeneba (The Girlfriend)
Jeneba is represented as a subtle, calm and humble individual.
Emphasis on her passive inferior persona is displayed as she is
threatened in the opening sequence which suggests she is the
prey.
As she is by herself when threatened, this presents the idea of
her being in a vulnerable state as there is no one to protect
her, thus reinforcing the idea of a damsel in distress.
By having Jeneba demonstrate these traits suggests that her
character conforms to the typical representations of females
within the horror genre.

5. REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER WITHIN MY
MEDIA PRODUCT: FEMALES
Tshani (The Ex)
She is portrayed as the villainess: aggressive, dominant, and
fearful. She has issues with her temper and holds grudges. These
traits and characteristics are usually represented in the media by
the male gender.
By having Tshani demonstrate these traits suggests that she is
represents a subversion from the typical representation of
females within the horror genre.
She may also be noted as a representative of deformed femininity.

6. TO WHICH EXTENT DOES MY MEDIA PRODUCT
CONFORM TO T YPICAL REPRESENTATIONS .
 Jeneba being the victimized conforms to the typical
representation of females in horrors as being the
damsels In distress. Women are usually portrayed as
vulnerable.
 Also, Tshani being hysterical over the break up of
herself and her ex boyfriend represents the typical
assumption of women being the emotional gender.

7. TO WHICH EXTENT DOES MY MEDIA PRODUCT
CHALLENGE T YPICAL REPRESENTATIONS.
 Tshani being violent, hysterical and a villain within
the sequence subverts from the typical
representation of females within the horror genre.
Usually females are considered to be victimized and
helpless. However, in the opening sequence – Tshani
is in control and is the dominant force of the
sequence.
 Having both Tshani and Jeneba as leading roles
challenges typical representation of women within
the horror genre. It is usually males who dominate
the genre as the heroic or evil figures.

8. INTENTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
What did I intend? Did I get desired effect?
The sequence was created with the intent of subverting from the
typical representations of social groups within its genre.
I believe we fulfilled this intent to some extent as we had both
lead roles as females with the male being inferior to the
narrative.
However, it could be argued that our intent of subverting from
the typical representations of social groups within the genre was
unsuccessful as the root of the problem in the sequence was the
male. Which thus causes the narrative to be
centered/surrounding the male gender.

9. EXCLUDED SOCIAL GROUPS
I have realised after completing the opening sequence that the
absence of certain social groups still is a form of
representation.
 Lack of representation of elderly people within the opening
sequences suggests that they are incapable of villainous
behaviour.
 Lack of representation of disabled people suggests lack of
romance.
 Lack of children suggests that the themes and ideas explored
within the sequence are directed at an older audience as the
children may not be able to comprehend such situations.