Thriller Opening - Re-Submission

This is the re-edited version of my thriller opening which I hope is an improvement on my 'Final Edit'.

The Stereotypes of Immigrants

Stereotypes:
They immigrate into a country merely to 'steal' the potential jobs of the native people
They engage in a lot of criminal activity
They claim a lot of benefits, a lot of which they have no right to receive
They immigrate illegally


I think people's opinion that they come to the country to 'steal' jobs just stems from the fact that it is currently very difficult to find employment and these people are angry that a lot of jobs are occupied by people whom have immigrated into the country. People also think that the majority of immigrants are illegal, despite the fact that this is untrue, many come to the country legally and train hard to gain high professional jobs such as doctors. This also dispels the stereotype that immigrants are lazy.


In my opinion, the main cause of these views being held is the media, and in particular, newspapers. They often focus on features that have little relevance to a story, for example, the ethnicity of a person involved. Also, they sensationalise stories which may give the image of someone being highly dangerous when in fact the incident was relatively small. Here is an example of this..

Ethnic Representation

Alvarado et al 1987
 Four key themes in racial representation
Exotic - character who is racially different to the main characters is done because it is unusual - exotic
Dangerous
Humorous
Pitied - evoke sympathy from fellow characters and the audience


Changes in Representation over time:
Slave - Blaxploitation - Clown - Rising Middle-Class Figure


The attitudes towards the involvement of ethnic minorities as changed a lot over time. This is partially due to the fear of being accused of falsely representing the ethnic minority concerned. This causes awkward situations when people recognise that producers fear to create storylines for characters of ethnic minorities.
'Albert Square's previous Asian family, the Ferreiras, were criticised as boring and unrealistic - their first names were a mixture of Muslim and Hindu, their surname was Portuguese. "We admittedly came under the spotlight with the Ferreiras," says John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production. "We played safe with them and ultimately didn't give them good story lines. We're certainly not doing that with the Masoods, but the devil is in the detail and now pretty much everything we write for them that has a cultural or religious aspect is checked."' http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/22/masoods-eastenders-bbc


Current Ethnic Representation
An example of a humorous character whom is of a different ethnic group to the majority of the other characters is Fat Boy from EastEnders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/




A character who is racially different to the main characters is Neil Cooper from Hollyoaks. This is an example of the key theme of a character being 'exotic'.

http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks/cast/boys/index.html

Ethnicity

This is a group of people that share a similar heritage and culture. They usually have a common language and religion. People are usually conscious that they are a member of an ethnic group.

Shifting Attitudes Towards Mental Illness

Television dramas have a lot of influence on the attitudes of the public towards mental illness, a subject shrouded in ignorance and misunderstanding.


What responsibilities does the industry have with regards to the shaping of people's attitudes about mental illness?


Some see an opportunity for old stereotypes to be turned on their head. An indication given by some television dramas is that mental illness is experienced by very few people, when in fact it affects many. 


Key findings of content analysis:

• 63% of references in dialogue were pejorative or unsympathetic, including 'crackpot' and 'basket case'.
• 45% of programmes featuring mental illness storylines portrayed those with mental problems as dangerous.
• 45% of programmes had sympathetic representations.
• Key themes in the characterisation of those with mental illnesses include representations as 'dangerous outsiders' and 'tragic victims but deserving of sympathy.

The industry feels a responsibility for producing authentic and responsible drama on this topic. Writers claim to be stuck in a 'cul-de-sac' while trying to balance a dramatic pace and realism. The consultation by programme-makers with people with experience of mental-illness and experts varies enormously.

Some believe that multiple portrayals of mental illness have led to exaggerated public fears of people with mental illnesses. These portrayals have upset many people with mental illness and those close to people with a mental illness.

Conclusion

• Television drama has enormous potential to challenge stigma and improve the public's understanding of mental illness.
• Unsympathetic portrayals and references are still predominant.
• Professionals, charities and people with mental illnesses are keen to help the industry to create authentic programmes.