The American Teen
Crowded
and loud corridors, the smell of sweaty gym socks and mass-produced hamburgers,
the sounds of pencils and chalk being used on paper and boards. All of these
things come together to form what we know as the All- American high school
setting. However it wouldn’t really come to life with out the help of millions
of adolescents and young adult’s ages 13 to 18. The film industry makes
millions of dollars each year from movies based on this period of time. In all
of these films you can find numerous stereotypes but I’ve discovered four of
the main concepts that you can find in almost any picture.
1.
The
Popular Ones- everyone knows their name even if they don’t know yours, and
they run the school. There are sub-cultures in the popular clique such as the
jock, the cheerleader or the party kid. In essence they are the kids that everyone
strives to be in high school.
2.
The
Overachievers- these teens have their life completely mapped out from their
4.0 G.P.A, to their admittance into Harvard or Yale to when they walk into
their office on Capital Hill. This student is involved in all of the clubs, and
activities and every teacher and parent knows them. They are the students that your parents want you
to become.
3.
The
Misfits- the Goth girl who sits in the back of the room that everyone talks
about, the gay drama member who struggles with coming out of the closet, the
overweight kid, the band geek or the stoner. While all of these students are
different they all share a common fact that they are either overlooked or
talked about by almost everyone.
4.
The
Troubled Ones- these are the teens who face daily struggles all while
trying to simply survive high school. They or their parents have addiction
issues, they’re depressed or have mental and health issues.
These are the main
stereotypes that portray the struggles and lives that are commonly shown in
teen themed movies. An aspect to remember as well is that these stereotypes can
also be interchangeable. The drama nerd may also have troubles and be popular,
but almost all of the characters can be illustrated by one of these main four
characterizations. The film High
School Musical is a fantastic example of these stereotypes and the
intertwining nature of each of them. The main character of Troy Bolton is the
school’s basketball star, yet he also has a hidden passion for singing, another
member of the team Zeke wants to cook, and Martha one of the overachievers has
a love of hip hop dancing. Each one is first placed into one of the main four
stereotypes used by mainstream film to classify them.
Now we have the
types of students that fill the halls on a daily basis but what about the
situations and experiences they are bound to face. This is where the heart of the story comes
from. What type of obstacles and challenges do the main characters face? There
are numerous themes, but I will be focusing on four that I feel are the heart
and soul of most teen centered films.
·
How teens
deal with adult situations and problems- As we have stated teen films focus
primarily on the ages ranging form 13 to 18, yet in most films they’re dealing
with distinctly adult situations such as pregnancy (Juno), alcoholism and drug
abuse (The Spectacular Now & Kids), extreme mental health issues such as
depression and suicide (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower) and a plethora of
other problems. Adults have enough difficulties trying to deal with many of
these issues when they arise, how are teens supposed to deal with them, when
they don’t have the same resources and life experiences.
·
The
widespread use of drugs and alcohol (both in recreational and excessive
manors)- this can range from drinking at parties, to drinking and driving,
cigarettes to joints and even more elicit drug use like acid. Teens are shown
doing all of these things in many of the movies that are produced and mass
marketed across America.
·
The
oversexed American Teen- This theme is a little bit different than the
others. Not all films are so overt in what they show in regards to sex or
sexual acts and this theme may not always mean sexual intercourse either. It is the idea of teens pushing their
boundaries for some may be set at making out, others it can be numerous sexual
acts and in others it is the concept of love.
·
Finding
oneself, one’s place in life, graduation and facing the reality of the future-
from the time a teen starts school to when they are set to graduate the notion
of a path in life and direction is shoved down their throats. What college will
they go to, what will their major be, and what do they want to be in life. They
are also struggling with trying to find themselves. Who they want to be in life
just not what they want to do. What kind of person do they want to turn out to
be? Are they popular, a jock, a bully or the caring selfless one?
American Media follows a specific method and
pattern when creating a story line. They choose one of the four major
stereotypes for the main character. Then they decide what themes the main
character will have to delve into during the plot. As noted they will not limit
themselves to one of the stereotypes or one of the themes but rather knit many
of these concepts together. From the article Self-Absorbed, Dangerous, and
Disengaged: What Popular Films Tell Us About Teenagers, “Shary (2002) is more
nuanced in his critique, arguing that films in the past 20 years generally
depict a positive view of teenagers that is more in step with real teenagers’
lives than ever before.” (Stern, 2005) This shows us that these stereotypes and
themes have real world validity, and at times can actually produce a positive
light rather than just the negative aspects many of the films focus on.
The film The
Spectacular Now follows Sutter Keely, a senior with no discernable path in
life other then drinking and having a good time. Three of the four themes
mentioned above play a prevalent role in this film. Sutter drinks to excess, to
cope and to escape. This concept is nothing new, “Substance use among American
youth continues to be a major public health concern, despite decades of initiatives
aimed at educating young people about the risks involved with cigarettes,
alcohol, and drugs.” (Stern, 332, 2005)
Sutter has no true direction in life other than finding the next party
or fun adventure and is slapped with the reality of not only his own
alcoholism, but that of his absent fathers. In the supporting role you have
Aimee, Sutter’s new girlfriend. She is also learning her place in the world,
realizing that she can escape the small town they live in for the big city to
peruse her dreams. She also is learning about love, with her growing feelings
for Sutter and the eventual loss of her virginity to him.
One of the best
examples of not only just the stereotypes of the American teen but the
situations thrown at them is The Perks Of Being a Wallflower. The clear-cut
nature of the stereotypes is prevalent and it shows how interwoven the themes
and stereotypes are. Charlie is dealing with serious mental health issues,
while starting his freshman year in high school. He has no friends and doesn’t
truly know who he, himself is other than an outcast. He slowly starts to make
friends with Patrick the gay, outgoing senior and his stepsister Sam, the
overachiever who is striving to make her own dreams come true by being accepted
into Penn State. They are the outcasts or as they label themselves “the
wallflowers.” Charlie experiments with drugs and alcohol, he struggles with his
intense feelings for Sam while also learning about relationships with his first
girlfriend, and then has to overcome the horror of finally remembering his own
sexual molestation by a family member when he was younger.
Struck by
Lighting again uses the method of choosing to use one of the stereotypes
for the main character of Carson, and then selecting some of the main themes to
craft their movie. He is the overachiever who wants to go to Northwestern
University, and then become the editor of The New Yorker. He runs the schools
newspaper, and is the president of the literary club. He is dealing with very real problems outside
of school as well. His mother is an alcoholic and prescription drug abuser. All
Carson wants to do is escape his life for this small town. The supporting cast
is made up of many of the other types of characters such as the head
cheerleader who is having sex with the school football coach, the closeted gay
couple, and the Goth girl. Carson knows what he wants out of life but the
others are the ones struggling with who they are and what direction they are
headed.
Lastly the film Easy A is another prime example of Hollywood’s method
although they don’t use the typical order most films use, they still follow the
basic concepts. Olive doesn’t really fall into a set stereotype at the
beginning of the film, yet using the over sexual concept after the rumor of her
escapades with a college guy make their way around the school she can be seen
as popular, troubled and even a misfit at the same time. Olive goes on to lie
about numerous sexual encounters, many of them firsts for the supporting
male. “Whether as dramatic turning
point, adolescent rite of passage, or political state, the teenage loss of
virginity in American cinema will likely retain its value. Even as social
trends in virginity fluctuate and conservative groups continue to promote
chastity – as with the popular Silver Ring Thing group- young people will
always be eager to explore sexual practice and will always find some level of
profound feeling when they do.” (McDonald, 66, 2010) This concept of losing ones virginity in Easy
A is metaphorical as many of the males who use Olive just want the illusion of
losing it rather than actually giving it up.
Olive knows who she, because she is a virgin is but doesn’t really have
the tools to deal with the overwhelming troubles she finds herself in, yet by
the end of the film she is able to deal with the very adult themes of cheating
and breaking up a marriage along with her own growing feelings for a boy. In
the closing scene Olive has planned to reveal the truth behind the lies, by
tricking her classmates into watching what they perceive to be her “stripping
and revealing it all.”
Not every movie
will use the same stereotypes listed, and the themes may change but the idea of
a specific type of teen, and their specific problems will be a method that
works throughout time. Conflict fuels mainstream media from teen dramas to
comedy’s and is also seen in adult themed films. However as taken from the book
Teen Film: A Critical Introduction by Catherine Driscoll. She solidifies these
ideas. “ Genre is popularly understood as a checklist in which few components
are absolutely required but others are very common indeed. So teen film
requires adolescents, but it is very likely to include high-school, parents,
popular music, peer groups and sexual or romantic interest. It will often
include less central components like drug use, virginity, parties, dances or
makeovers.” Even as the conflicts that teens face change the idea of conflict
that is specific to teens will always remain.
Bibliography
Driscoll, C. (2011). Teen
film a critical introduction (English ed.). Oxford: Berg.
McDonald, T. J. (2010). Virgin
territory: representing sexual inexperience in film. Detroit: Wayne State
University Press.
Stern, S. R. (). Messages
From Teens On The Big Screen: Smoking, Drinking, And Drug Use In
Teen-Centered Films. Journal of Health Communication, , 331-346.
Stern, S. R. ().
Self-Absorbed, Dangerous, and Disengaged:What Popular Films Tell us About
Teenagers. mass communication and society, , 23-38.
Chbosky, S. (Director).
(2012). The perks of being a wallflower : Lionsgate.
Dannelly, B. (Director).
(2013). Struck by lightning : New Video.
Devine, Z. (Director). (2010).
Easy A : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Ponsoldt, J. (Director).
(2013). The spectacular now : A24Films.
Schain, D. (Director).
(2006). High school musical : Walt Disney Home Entertainment :.
