Youth are often represented in accordance with popular notions of adolescence
· In A Room for Romeo Brass –the notion that youths steal- Romeo’s bedside table is a static traffic cone, most likely stolen.
· In Shameless they all steal, however it is not just the children but the adults too and they do not punish them for it and therefore having no sense of right or wrong. (Could also come under being let down by adults?)
· In This is England the young boy is shown to be innocent. He makes friends with Milky, the main black character, and is confused when Milky gets badly beaten for being black and does not understand why.
Youth are often demonised in the mass media
· My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Vs Snatch (TV Vs film) -typical gypsy thieving stereotype Vs traveller children who contradict generalisations. In Snatch the traveller children try to steal and con money out of the people that visit about going to buy a new caravan. The traveller adults then end up conning them themselves so they gain a new caravan instead. This is not directly youth but is that where they learn the behaviour? Contradicting this, on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, the travelling community is shown as well brought up people with morals and beliefs.
· In Hot Fuzz the youths are demonised to be the trouble makers with minor graffiti that is instantly assumed to be their fault. They are prevented from going into the village shop in large numbers because of the assumption that they steal. Not directly demonization by mass media but if it was a bigger setting it is likely that it would be. They also get labelled as “hoodies”.
Youth are let down by adults
· In Billy Elliot his own father mocks his passion for dance and is unsupportive.
· In A Room For Romeo Brass even though the parents are present it is not always for the best as they often yell at them unreasonably. Romeo’s mum yelled at him and told him to go pack his bags as he ate some chips and then lied about the portions, the mother claiming that he is “as greedy as his father”. Gavin’s mum then yells at him for not talking and slaps him. Also Morell being an adult, not necessarily a parental figure, threatens both Gavin and Romeo fairly strongly, at one point threatening Gavin with a knife. Another point in the film when Gavin has his back operation and his dad comes to visit and he is more interested in watching the TV than how his son is after his ordeal. A similar scene after the operation when Gavin is bed ridden and his father is required to spend an hour visiting him, he is impatient and bored, constantly asking how long he has been there. He is almost childlike himself- slight role reversal?
· In London to Brighton, when Kelly first meets Joanne, we learn that Joanne has often been let down by her abusive and alcoholic father which eventually caused her to leave and is the reason for her living on the streets at such a young age.
Represented as part of a subculture
· In Billy Elliot the dancing/ballet is the subculture. It let’s Billy escape from his life to feel a part of another community that accepts him without judging.
· The dancing in Fish Tank is also a type of subculture. It gives Mia independence and time away from her uncaring family and irresponsible mother.
Alienation- youth are estranged from part of society
· In Fish Tank the main character Mia feels alone, like she has no place she belongs. A strong reoccurring theme to her is the horse- possibly sees herself reflected in the horse and could be a reason into why she constantly attempts to set it free. She feels restricted.
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