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1. An exploration into the representation of
teenagers in contemporary TV in relation
to crime and violence; with close
reference to ‘Misfits’ (2009) and ‘The Get
Down’ (2016)
In a studyabout howAmericanyouth’spasttimeshave changedinthe lasttwentyyears,F.Thomas
Juster,Hiromi OnoandFrank P. Staffordfromthe Institute of Social Researchinthe Universityof
Michigan(November2004) discoveredthat time spentdoingsportsandotheractive pasttimesby
people aged6-17 has declinedsignificantly,allowingformore time doingmediarelatedactivities
such as gaming,watchingTV or goingonline.Theirstudyconsistedof atable thatshowedthe
comparisonbetweenchildrenof ages6-17 and how theyspenttheirtime in1981-1982, and how
theyspentitin 2002-2003. Withthe suddenintroductionof computeractivities,teenagersand
childrenhave startedtobecome MUCH more versedinMedia.Some companieshave even
dedicated theirentireproductiontocreatingwebseriessuchasNetflixandRoosterTeeth.
Due to thissuddenincrease inyouth’sbecominglessactive andreplacingthattime onthe
computer,manyTV showshave startedtoexpandtheirhorizonswhenitcomestothe
representationof teenagers;however,aheavilydiscussedtopicishow negativemostof these
representationsare,usuallyportrayingthe teenagersaslazy,troublemakers,criminals. Forexample,
Sarah M. Coyne isan assistantprofessorof humandevelopmentatBrighamYoungUniversity.She
has done extensive researchonmediaviolenceandadolescents,withaparticularfocusonrelational
aggression.She statesinherchaptertitled‘ContentEffects:Violence inthe media’(March2017)
“Exposure toaggressionandviolence inthe mediaincreasesaggressive cognitions,affect,and
behaviourwhilesimultaneouslydecreasingempathyandprosocial behaviour”.The paperalso
mentionsthatoversix decadesof researchcanstand forthispoint.Takingthisintoconsideration,
alongwiththe reflexivitysocial theoryinwhichanaudience will reactandadaptto a text,causing
the textto react and adaptto the audience,we cansafelyassume teenagerswillreacttothe
contemporaryincrease inviolentandcriminallyseasonedmediatextsbybecomingmore violentand
criminallyinclined…howevernotall aggressive representationsare necessarilynegative andthis
reportservestoexplore whatdefinesanegative violentrepresentationfromapositive one.
There are several differentstereotypesthatseparate certaintypesof teenagers.Forexample,the
stereotype of ablackteenage male isthatthey’re simplyacriminal withnohope forthe future,or
the stereotype of ateenage girl isthatall theycare about isthe reputationandhow they’re seenin
the eyesof theirmale counterparts.These stereotypesare somewhatchallengedin‘Misfits’where
the onlyblackmale of the maincast is actuallythe onlypersoninthe maincast whoappearedto
have hope of the future anda goal.While he isa criminal,a huge pointinhischaracter development
ishow muchhe regretshismistake of carryingdrugsand wouldtake itall back if he couldto get his
olddreamback of becominganAthlete.The female stereotype isalsochallengedtoa certainextent.
The two female charactersinthe maincast both contrastand follow the stereotype.One is

2. extremely‘tomboy’like(whichisanotherfemaleteenagestereotypeinwhichafemale typicallyacts
more like a stereotypical male),bybeingviolent,ill-spokenand aseeminglyaloof criminal. She
happenstoalsobe one of the mostreadilyviolentcharacters,contrastingArcherJ’spaperon‘Sex
differencesinaggressioninreal-worldsettings’(2004) whichsupportsthe ideathat menare much
more likelytobe have aggressive andharmful intentintheiractionsthanwomen. However, the
othermainfemale castmemberisa lotmore in tune withthe more common stereotype of being
verysexuallyactive and doesn’tseemtocare aboutmuch otherthan whatthe malesof the show
thinkof her. It’s noteworthythatshe hasa huge character arc whichleadstoher becomingmuch
more challengingof the stereotype.
‘Misfits’ isquite originalinitssetting.Ittakesplace ina youth’scommunitycentre thathosts agroup
of criminalspunishedwithcommunityservice.Thisensuresthateverymaincharacterisa criminal
one way or another,whichmakesitperfectfor thisexplorative report.All the charactersare quite
different,despite beingsohugelylinkedintheirhistoriesbyall beingcriminals.Thismakesitappear
as thoughcontemporarymediapresentsall teenagersascriminals,regardlessof exactage orrace.
Comparatively, anotherthingInoticedaboutall the maincharactersistheyall come fromseemingly
poor andlesseconomicallystable upbringings.While thisisonlyatheoryconsideringwe only
actuallysee the familylifeof one of the original maincast,wheneverthey’renotoncommunity
service,they’re usuallysocializingaroundanestate ormeetingina run-downbar.Aside fromthe
previouslymentioned‘Nathan’who’sfamilylifebecomesabigpart of hischaracter,we neversee
the parentsof anyof the maincast. It’srare we evensee where theylive,althoughwe know that
anothercharacter bythe name of ‘Simon’livesalone.Thisleadsustoassume thattheyhave no
financial supportfromtheirfamilyormaynotevenknow them.Theycouldevenbe the cause of this
crime-riddenpath,suchas the case withNathan. Viridiana R ́ıos’ paper on ‘The impact of crime
and violence on economic sector diversity’ (July 27, 2016) can be used to credit Misfit’s
authenticity in it’s characters, as it also suggests that financial situation is coherent with an
individual’s likeliness to be criminally inclined and vice versa.
So,withthisnewlydiscoveredtheorythatmoderndaymediapresentsteenagecriminalsasmostly
violent,uncaringandpoor,Ididmore researchand foundanotherseriesthatfollowsthese same
guidelines.Netflix’s‘The GetDown’seriesstars 5 maincharacters (muchlike Misfits),mostof which
are relatedasbrothers.The showissetin ‘The Bronx’AKA 1970’s Brooklyn,one of the mostcriminal
settingsinhistory.The immediate difference InoticedbetweenMisfitsandThe GetDownis that
financial statusisveryrarelymentionedinMisfitsanddoesn’tplaymuchof arole.A couple of the
characters are homelessbutitneverstemsintoanimportantplotpoint.Quite incontrasttothis,
The Get Down isverycentralizedaroundthe maincast’s livingconditionsandtheirattemptsto
escape the ghetto. The Get Downisalso a lotmore justifiableinitscharactersactions.A lotof the
criminal activityinThe GetDown isarguablyforsurvival,whereasalotof the main charactersof
Misfitsdopettycrimeswithoutasecondthoughtbut aren’testrangedtobeingforcedinto
situationsthatrequire violence.Infact,the stormthat adds the super-poweredelementtothe show
setsinmotiontonsof eventsthatforce the maincharacters to kill people.The GetDownisn’tquite
as extreme andmanyof the main charactersare veryhesitanttobreakthe law,exceptforShaolin
Fantasticwhodoesfitthe stereotype of ateenage blackmale. A specificinstance of thisisinthe 3rd
Episode of the firstserieswhenShaolin’shouse issetablaze duringaninsurance scam.Thisalso
resultedinthe demise of all hisrecordsandhisturntable,bothof whichwere essentialtohisDJ’ing.
He isthenforcedto turn back to ‘FatAnnie’amaliciouscrime boss,afterhe hadjustlefthercriminal
employment,muchtoherdisdain.He arguablyhadanother,lesscriminal approach,butitcertainly
has understandablemotivebehindit.

3. So far,all the showsI’ve mentionedportrayteenagecriminalsasvictimsof circumstance toa certain
extent.Icontinuedmyresearchfurtheranddiscovered‘Skins’(2007).Thisis a show witha very
expansiveteenagecastthatchangeseach season.The narrative usuallyfollowsthe structure of
havingan episode dedicatedtoeachcharacter of that seasons’maincast anda final episodethat
wrapsup everyone’sindividual andcooperative stories.Thisteenage dramaisvastlydifferenttothe
othertwo showsI’ve mentionedasit’saveryweakargumentto saythey’re victimsof circumstance.
Most of the characters are quite privilegedwhenitcomestolivingconditionsandthe few that
aren’t,seemtobe the mostmorallyupheldcharacters.It’salsoevenlessextremeinitscriminal
activity,stickingnearlystrictlytopettycrimessuchas druguse,underage drinking,theft,etc.A good
metaphorforthe difference betweenSkinsandThe GetDown andMisfitsiscomparingthe
characters whoare arguablythe protagonistsof theirrespective series.TonyfromSkinshasevery
advantage he couldwant.He’sgood at everything,extremelytalented,handsome,livesinanice
area where ‘nothinghappens’ ashe says,yet,inthe firstseason,he constantlybreaksthe law and
manipulateshisfriends.Inquite the contrastisEzekiel fromThe GetDown.Born withnexttono
advantages,minimal education,poorupbringing,surroundedbycrime withonlyhislingual talents
to helphimandhe’sone of the mostreluctantto commitcrime inthe show.Andfinally,onthe
middle ground,isNathanfromMisfitswhowasarrestedforstealingcandyata bowlingalley.His
familylife isterrible,withnexttonofatherfigure,abrotherhe neverknew anda motherwhocuts
himoff.But he didn’texactlygrowuppoor andhe showslittle remorseforkillingsomeone.
In conclusion,many of the representationsof teenagersinrelationtoviolence andcrime canbe
summedupwitha small exchange fromMisfits:
Nathan:We mayhave done sod all withour powers,butat leastwe neverabusedthem.We never
rapedor murderedanyone!
Curtis:She rapedme,and we killedloadsof people.
Nathan:…Okay,but we’re the goodguys!