Eastenders Whitney Dean has been featured in Eastendersover a long period of time and we have seen her grow up throughout the soap.

Mise en sceneThe costume and props associated with Whitney have always made her appear chavy and working class; for example her large earrings and hair style. Additionally she is often seen wearing tight fitting low cut tops and tight jeans which could reiterate Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ as this image of a teenage girl may appeal to men.

CameraworkIn a lot of close up shots Whitney is shown to look down after she speaks which could represent her as shy thus representing young people as having a false exterior.

EditingThe use of shot reverse shot additionally supports this representation of Whitney as we are often able to see the way she looks down at the ground. This represents her to be vulnerable, therefore portraying young people to be conscious of themselves.

The character of Whitney additionally supports the theories of both Baudrillard and Dyer. For example her costume legitimises inequality as it portrays women to be an object for a man to look at. Additionally her image appears to be hyper-real as the image of young girls in provocative clothing has now become our idea of real as it is seen on TV so frequently; however this isn’t a real representation of young females as some do not comply in this way.

Representation in soaps

Eastenders Cindy at 15 years old is new to this soap and therefore unlike Whitney we have not as an audience seen her grow up.

Mise en sceneCindy’s costume represents her to be quite a respectable youth- she does not wear provocative clothing and she has long natural looking hair. A lot of the time the audience see her as quite moody as she is rarely shown smiling- this could represent teenagers negatively as a moody exterior could be threatening to other members within society. Her costume is usually dark and sombre which could connote a troubled lifestyle or evil within the character. Cindy does not fit the theory of Laura Mulvey as her clothes are not revealing and she dresses appropriately for her age.

CameraworkClose up shots are often used on Cindy to emphasise her facial expression. The close up shots of Cindy represent young people to be moody and irresponsible as we have seen a relationship developing between Cindy and another character which resulted in Cindy becoming pregnant and giving birth to a baby at the age of 15 named Beth.

EditingSimilarly shot reverse shot has been very effective in representing the character of Cindy to the audience as we have been able to see her develop in her teenage years for example friendships and relationships with boys.

Dyer and Baudrillard are relevant to the character of Cindy as the stereotype of Cindy is a vulnerable girl who got pregnant at the age of 15. EastEnders have legitimised this stereotype over the years and there have been other storylines including teenage pregnancy for example Lola. Additionally this stereotype has given the audience the impression that teenage pregnancy is extremely common and has now just become a natural development within society.

HollyoaksNico Blake aged 14 has recently been reunited with her birth mother after Sienna had found out that she had not died as an infant.

Mise en sceneNico’s mid-length brown hair represents her to be very innocent as she clearly has not dyed it and she usually has it natural. Lack of cosmetics on this character portrays young people to be innocent and selfless. Additionally her costume is simple and casual which represents young people to be respectful.

Camerawork The use of a high angle looking down upon Nico represents her to be weak compared to other characters who are adults. Her facial expression is often shown to be worried and anxious and therefore Hollyoaks is representing young people like Nico to be subordinate within society.

Editing Face pace editing helps the audience to understand Nico better as she is often seen to be looking scared. The fast pace editing emphasises this and allows the audience to see that Hollyoaks is portraying young people as insignificant as they are not able to defend themselves.

Dyer’s theory is relevant to the character of Nico as she is stereotyped to be weak and vulnerable as she is not able to stand up for herself. This give the audience the impression that young people can be taken advantage of by adults and they will just accept this.

Coronation streetSophie Webster aged 19 has always felt like an outcast in her family and when her sister goes missing she demands attention from her parents by sending them cards saying ‘Sophie’s next’.

Mise en sceneSophie wears fashionable casual clothes and is often seen to be playing with her hair. This could portray young people as vain and self-obsessed (in particular females). On the other hand it could prevent stereotypes of laziness as Sophie has obviously taken her time to try and look her best. Additionally her facial expressions and body language appear to be generic and therefore this does not represent young people in a negative way. Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze is relevant here as Sophie likes to be fashionable and therefore can wear clothes that appeal to men. Additionally she is stereotyped to care about her appearance which is Dyer’s theory of legitimising a stereotype which then influences females viewers to do the same.

Camerawork Mid-shots and close up shots are used frequently on Sophie. This additionally could make her seem vain as she appears to have confidence which may mean she feels as though she is attractive.

Editing Shot reverse shot allows the audience to see Sophie’s facial expressions and body language whilst she is talking to other characters. Through doing this Coronation Street has represented Sophie to be conscious of her appearance and confident when talking to others.

Coronation street David Platt born on Christmas day 1990 has recently been featured in a storyline where he has tried to kill his brother due to an adulterous affair.

Mise en sceneHe dresses casually and styles his hair which represents young people in a positive way. His facial expression is often evil and smug which could portray young people negatively as they could be seen as selfish and militant. Similarly his body language represents young people to be lazy and carefree as he often has his hands in his pockets and slouches.

Camerawork Mid shots are often used to show his evil eyes and facial expression. Additionally a focus pull is frequently evident as he is often listening in to the conversations of other characters. This enables the audience to believe that young people are sneaky and dishonest.

Dyer’s theory of ‘stereotypes legitimise inequality’ applies to David from Coronation Street as his character is negatively representing young people. The stereotype David portrays is allowing the audience to think that young people are out of control and cannot deal with their emotions and problems and therefore need to result to violence.

Emmerdale Belle Dingle aged 16 born on Christmas day. She has recently been involved in a murder storyline involving her killing her best friend.

Mise en sceneBelle still attends school and therefore she is often seen in her school uniform. This could represent young people to be studious and hardworking as she is gaining education she will need in further life. Additionally as she appears to wear her uniform correctly it shows her dedication to her school. She may be viewed as a stereotypical teenager as she is often seen drinking and disobeying her parents. On the other hand she is shown to be a murderer after she has an argument with her best friend. This could represent young people to be out of control and emotionally unstable.

CameraworkThe use of close up shots when Belle is confessing to the police represents bravery as she is giving the information freely; however the shot additionally allows the audience to see how guilty and vulnerable she looks as she gives herself up to the police.

Emmerdale’s Belle supports Baudrillard’s theory of hyper-reality as she comes from a lower class family. For example she lives on a rundown farm. She therefore is enticed to break the rules and drink underage. This represents young people to be inconsiderate and troublemakers.