I feel it is relevant to use a structured interview/ discussion group to gain primary research, because I feel that my statement requires qualitative data in the form of opinions, to find out the comments of film watchers on the social climate of American youth as opposed to the commentary offered in the films. Also, retaining a structure would be more practical in gaining information from American teens themselves, as the internet would allow me to question them through various websites, which i could then compare to the British teen response. ultimately, it will help me establish if there has been a breakdown of the American dream, did it exist in the first place and importantly, how valid is the representation of youth in my focus films?
* Write five words that you associate with American youth.
* How do you feel American youth is presented to you as a British audience member?
* My focus films show an alternative view of American youth, how far do you feel this is more
realistic than mainstream cinema such as High School Musical?
* What do you understand to be the American dream?
* How far, if at all, do you feel American films present the American dream?
* How far do you feel the American dream applies to only certain groups within
American society?
* Do you feel the American dream is over rated?
The ResultsI had a small discussion group of four girls which lasted about 15 minutes whilst recording on a dictaphone.
Words that they associated with American youth:
-dramatic
-baseball caps
-"three bitches" popular
-American football
-cheer leaders
-drugs
-sex
-fashion
-popularity
-Harvard
-Cheerleaders
-jocks
-highschool
-prom
-soccer
-lockers
-high school
-cheerleaders
-sorority
-fast cars
How do you feel American youth is presented to you as a British audience member?
SOphie: Perfect, the Americans show a perfect perception of America, rich
American women
Dannielle: prettey
Grace: Cheerleaders, three popular girls main leader, popular boy, geeky girls,
they never show the school work its always about the social side of it,
about the cheerleaders, soccer
Dannielle: happy and smiles
Grace: dramatic over the top
ME: Do you feel like they are selling you soemthing?
Grace: yes the American dream in the way,the idea of the prom
Sophie: It's a bit to perfect
Dannielle: but its not real
Grace: Its not, everyone wants the prom, you think i wish i could be like that
Claire: It seems like they do no work and they just go through with their social
life
Dannielle: and none of them are poor theyve all got money
ME: youve got a middle class representation
Dannielle: but sometimes its not even just middle class they're rich
My focus films show an alternative view of American youth, how far do you feel this is more realistic than mainstream cinema such as High School Musical?
Dannielle: I think its more realistic because it shows the negative side for once
not alot of films do in America, like High school musical its all happy
and smiles and breakiing out into song every five minutes its not
realistic thirteen is probably more realsitic
Sophie: And even something bad happens in high school musical its not that bad
Dannielle: She called me ugly
Sophie: exactly Oh my god
Grace: In the thriteen trailer it looks so dark with the lighting whereas high
school musical has reds and bright lights, one sides the negative its not
going to make you happy there is more thought behind it whereas h s m
basically what you see to the character is what they are like whereas in
thirteen it looks like you have to analyse the characters theyve
obviously got serious problems HSM has no depth, what you is he is the
basketball player he likes to dance, none of them are going to fail
miserably
Sophie: They are all going to graduate there is nothing that little bit wrong
with them
Dannielle: Thirteen might not even be that realistic but its more realistic than HSM
because everyones got problems but you never really see that in HSM or if
they do It's like I cant go out the weekend
Grace: Its nothing damaging or life threatening
Sophie: Even in thirteen the problems aren't that bad its like almost restricted
Claire: theres social influences
Sophie: yes social influences
Dannielle: Its something every teenager go's through maybe not as dramatic as what
goes on in thriteen but its part of growing up
ME: So would you say thirteen is a bit extreme
Dannielle: Yeah I spose
Grace: its like anything generally if you touch on an area you emphasise it
anyway, you dont just do it subtely you kind of push it their face that
this can will happen, thirteen is probably a bit over dramatised not
everyone goes for it but you need to to get your point across
Dannille: I think it shows a side of America that we dont see
Grace: Its not the way they want to be represented, from the film trailer i dont
feel i want to go america now theres all drugs and kids
Dannielle: there are places in America that arnt middle class and they need to show
that more, and the fact that thriteen is overdramatic and probably isnt
very realsitic but its showing a side that we dont see and a side thats
important for us to see
ME: Like an alternative view
Dannielle: Yeah because its not all smiles
Sophie: because in every film usually you see like masive houses and you think
how can they have houses that big, but theres extremes you get masive
houses then really small houses. They dont get houses like us
ME: They live in trailers for god sake
Danniele: we never see the ghetto unless its in a music video
Grace: Is Thirteen a low budget film, I get the impression that maybe its a bit
more like a Ken Loach film like sweet sixteen, so basically again its
down to the
Dannielle: Its gritty isnt it
Grace: And hsm has turned into profit now it started with disney channel its got
so much merchandise with sweet sixteen you never see all merchandise with
that but then hsm have got the budget which is more realstic
What do you understand to be the American dream?
Sophie: I dont no what the American dream is
Grace: No I dont its a fanatasy
Dannielle: Going from nothing to something, thats what you said the other day but i
never new that before
ME: A definition is the idea that you can be wealthy, successful and
famous through sheer hard work
Dannilee: but thats not what we see, in these films what we see is that they are
born into rich families they dont work for it they just
get it
Grace: Yeah but were still saying they focus on the social life not the actual
school work in HSM its fo cusing on basketball how are they going to pass
their exams if they are always out, doing nothing theyve obviously all
done well because the thirds one when they graduate, at what point did we
see them studying hard and not singing and dancing
Sophie: And wernt they doing a summer job all summer the whole summer there was
no studying involved
Dannilee: you dont see them working hard you see them born into money they just go
to daddy daddy to rely on
Sophie: And the parents are like i dont mind what you do as long as you are happy
Grace: But realistically university you have to pay for and take out a loan and
get in debt and you have to work your arse off to get up but they just
seem to sail through it and graduate
Dannielle: the thing that we see more is the person with their boyfriend all ahppy
and settled down
Sophie: you see them kiss why do you only see them kiss in hsm
ME: its not really seen as a social thing
Grace: Its back to the audeience thing, they want little kids to nag their mums
to buy the merchandise if your a fifteen year old your not going to buy
the hsm pencil case and it would all just be because they showed a little
more and it would limit them.
How far, if at all, do you feel American films present the American dream?
Sophie: It's sugar coated
Dannielle: I think they do show the American dream that people assume is the
American dream like having everything that you want but they dont show
the working part, to get to where you want to be, they show once your
there not how much youve got to work to get there
Grace: Its sugar coated, going back to hsm they show just the graduation, but if
your saying the American dream is going from nothing to something they
dont represent it actually because if you look at a poor person in a
caravan and you show there life when theyve got to this big house so no i
dont think they do
Dannielle: I think some films they but then if you look at the films they do do that
in they are not as big as the other ones
Grace: Then again its like our films sweet sixteen he finds it hard to get a
caravan its realistic
Dannielle: people like the thought of not having to work for what you have
Grace: Its just a dream thats what it is the American dream its not realistic it
might happen its not something anyone can do
How far do you feel the Amercian Dream applies to only certain groups within American society?
Dannielee: Yes its those people who are born with it who can get a job from their dad
Grace: Some people can make it from nothing but there making out like anyone can
do it but i dont think they can because there is so much hard work like
money and setting up the business youve got to fund the money there is so
much involved anyone could attempt it but not everyones got the patience
or happy to be in debt
Dannielle: Or the qualifications to do it
Grace: and alot of people are happy to settle for basic I know i dont want to
Dannielle: If you had to qwork that hard you wouldnt have the social life you
wouldnt be out partying all the time youd be working youd be struggling
to keep your money
Grace: struggling to pay your rent
Dannielle: You wouldnt be in designer gear everything about HSM is to me like fake
and it applies to people who are born with money
ME: Do you think mainstream American films represent the middle class as
having the good life? I didnt want to put it in your head that its a
class issue but thats what i believe, because they dont want to show the
poor
Dannielle: It is a class issue
Claire: In thriteen she is a really hard working person but she gets caught in
with the social thing but she ends up with nothing
Garce: Thats just proof that youve got to balance it out
Dannielle: Theres never a time when everythings perfect
Do you feel the American dream is over rated?
Claire: Yes very much so
Grace: I havnt really thought about it before, but yeah
Dannielle: I think its completely misinterpreted by people so i think people have
the wrong idea about it
ME: I feel like they are trying to sell it to me, sell me the american dream
like ever since i was younger ive always wanted to live in America, but
now not so much
Grace: Yeah because they are aloud to carry guns its just like over here with
crime so yeah. You always get people who say i want to move to America,
ive never visited America in my life, its just im going by what they are
selling to me. Yeah
Here you can find my Message board post on IMDB to find out the views of American teens.
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000007/thread/122573658
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