Research Investigation Project

With detailed reference to My Mad Fat Diary [1] and Some Girls [2], discuss how the gender of teenagers are represented in contemporary British television programmes. 

BRIEF SUMMARY FOR CLASS:

• look at specific episodes
• how 1996 teens are represented, how 2013 teens are represented
• how representation of gender has changed, 
• how people treat the genders, 
• so far i have 15 items in my bibliography, including quotes about certain characters, statistics on teenagers and information on how the two genders are represented

MY MAD FAT DIARY
[3] (ABOUT RAE) "kind and insecure and loyal and rude and over-dramatic and angry, all at the same time"
[6] (ABOUT CHLOE) "Rae's attractive, popular best friend from childhood."
[7] (ABOUT FINN) Finn is everything that Rae dreams the perfect guy could be – fit, handsome, and a loves music as much as she does.
[8] (ABOUT CHOP) the joker of the group. Generally crude and uncaring of others' opinions, he is the object of Izzy's affections for the entirety of the first series.
[9] (ABOUT ARCHIE) "Archie is so hot I literally want to wrap myself around his face like an angry, horny octopus. I don't even care that he likes to recite quotes from dead historical figures, I could watch his mouth move forever. When he plays the guitar I cry ACTUAL sex-tears." - Rae
[9] (ABOUT IZZY) happy-go-lucky 16 year-old. She isn't the brightest human to have ever lived though.
[9] (ABOUT LINDA) isn't the best parent in the world, but she really does love her daughter and puts up with a lot
[9] (ABOUT KARIM) He is from Tunisia and is in the country illegally. He hardly speaks a word of English, but that doesn't stop him having noisy sex with Rae's Mum which keeps Rae awake at night.
[9] (ABOUT DANNY TWO HATS) Danny Two Hats is sweet, generous and loves to dispense dating advice. He wears two hats to stop people interfering with his brain waves. Unsurprisingly, a long-term resident of the crazy-ward. - Rae
[9] (ABOUT KESTER) "Kester is moderately cool. On the scale of Damon Albarn to the Spice Girls, he's a Thom Yorke. It's encouraging to have a therapist whose life is as fucked up as yours. The kind of guy who would punch a pigeon in the face for shitting on him." - Rae
[9] (ABOUT TIX) "15 year-old Tix was the girl that Rae hung out with at the psychiatric ward" - Rae
[16] ‘there aren’t enough scripts out there for people who don’t conform to the stereotype’ - Sharon Rooney

SOME GIRLS[17] bumpy journey through adolescence taking in boys, sex, cliques, teachers, heartbreak, fun and even some football along the way.


INFO THAT CAN BE USED FOR BOTH

[4] Statistics also show that hospital admission rates for 5-19 year olds for health problems linked to obesity quadrupled between 2000 and 2009.

[5]In the 12 months to June 2013; there were 13,400 hospital cases where 15-19 year-old girls received treatment for an external cause of intentional self-harm

[10] Many teenagers are tempted to try drugs at some stage in their life, with research showing that as many as 45% will be tempted to dabble in drug-taking of some sort during their young lives.

[11] Meanwhile, teenage pregnancies, though not necessarily teenage sex, have decreased by 13.3 per cent between 1998 and 2008

[12] the proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds that have ever taken illicit drugs has fallen from 54% in 1998 to 38% now

[13] The number of young people aged 15-16 with depression nearly doubled between the 1980s and the 2000s

[14] "Stories, when they appear, portray women in stereotypes, emphasising the importance of women looking attractive and of being a good wife and mother, sometimes backing up support for traditional roles or for promotion of deemed attractiveness with dubious science."

[15] The average woman wears a size 12, the average model wears size 0... 95% of people who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] My Mad Fat Diary, television programme, Tom Kirkby, Benjamin Caron, Anthony Philipson, Luke Snellin, Vanessa Caswill, Alex Winckler, episode ...., 45 minutes.
[2] Some Girls, television programme, Adam Miller, episode ....., 30 minutes.
[3]Cayford, Scarlett. "Have you been watching … My Mad Fat Diary?."theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/13/have-you-been-watching-my-mad-fat-diary>.
[4] "Diet health centre." Overweight teenagers. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.webmd.boots.com/diet/guide/overweight-teenagers>.
[5] "Hospital statistics on teenagers: girls predominate in self-harm cases, boys in assaults." - Health & Social Care Information Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/3579/Hospital-statistics-on-teenagers-girls-predominate-in-self-harm-cases-boys-in-assaults>.
[6]"My Mad Fat Diary." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 June 2014. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Mad_Fat_Diary>.
[7] "Ladies Who Need More Love: Rae Earl (My Mad Fat Diary)." Fandom for Equality. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://fandomforequality.com/2014/04/05/ladies-who-need-more-love-rae-earl-my-mad-fat-diary/>.
[8] "My Mad Fat Diary." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 June 2014. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Mad_Fat_Diary>.
[9] "My Mad Fat Diary - Character Guide - British Comedy Guide." My Mad Fat Diary - Character Guide - British Comedy Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/my_mad_fat_diary/characters/>.
[10] "Teenagers: Smoking and drugs."Netmums. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.netmums.com/teenagers/teen-safety/smoking-and-drugs>.
[11]"Teenagers: they don't drink, they don't smoke. What do they do?." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 28 Nov. 1928. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/9101222/Teenagers-they-dont-drink-they-dont-smoke.-What-do-they-do.html>.
[12] "Is the teen rebel a dying breed?." BBC News. BBC, 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19786264>.
[13] "Mental health statistics." Mental Health Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2014. <http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/policy/mental_health_statistics>
[14] "Five things about women in the press."BBC News. BBC, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 June 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20554942>.
[15] "Portrayal of Women in the Media."YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNIihfK18Ro>.
[16] Woodall, Victoria. "Rising star Sharon Rooney returns for a second season of Mad Fat drama." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 June 2014. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2544582/Rising-star-Sharon-Rooney-returns-second-season-Mad-Fat-drama.html>.
[17]"Some Girls - BBC3 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide." Some Girls - BBC3 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. <http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/some_girls/>.