Representation - Gender

In UK TV drama there are mainly 4 different types of men. These are:
The geek:- For example in Eastenders there is Tamwar Masood who is a high achiever and is always studying.

The wise old man:- In Eastenders, this is Patrick Trueman

The lad:- this can be Phil Mitchell

The labourer:- This can be seen as Minty.

These are 4 stereotypical types of males. The geeky one is always quiet and does well; the wise old man always gives good advice; the lad is always getting into fights and is a hit with the ladies and the labourer is normally a mechanic. This can be seen as The Male Gaze for it can be on how males view each other and the typical stereotypes they see of themselves. These stereotypes can also back up Leon festingers theory saying on how our views on someone don't change until there's drastic evidence against our views. This also supports Tessa Perkins' idea that stereotypes aren't always negative for the wise old man is a positive stereotype to have. The geek in these TV Drama's are normally Asian; the lad is normally a white middle-aged male and the labourer is normally a slightly overweight white male, these are how different types are people are represented in our culture. This means that the cultural code for these TV Drama's would only be understood in our society.

Tamwar fits the typical stereotype of young Aisan boys. Stereotypically, aisan boys wear glasses; study alot and get good grades - all of these Tamwar is, this is also an example of the cultural code for only people in this culture could see aisan boys like this.

Narrative Theory - Roland Barthes.

According to Roland Barthes, there are two types of narrative:

• Open narrative is like a soap opera in which the narrative (story) is on-going. This means that there could be multiple story lines going at once, one problem may be solved but another one will start so there will be an unlimited amount of episodes.
• Closed narrative is like a single programme. This normally means that at the end of the programme all problems will be resolved.

Although sometimes both of these can be present at once. For example in series and serials. In both of these there is a closed narrative within a long-running open narrative.

• Series is normally running over a long period of time. Soaps are a good example of a series for they run for years.
• Serials are normally over a short period of time. Normally a few weeks or months. Most programmes shown on tv today are serials.

The 5 Codes.

Throughout any media element, the 5 codes are present. These are:

• The Action Code - this applies to any action that suggests further action is necessary. For example, if someone produces a ring to propose, we wonder what the action of the other person will be and what the outcome will be.
• The Enigma Code - this is anything in a story that hasn't got an explination which raises questions to the audience which makes them demand an answer. This normally runs throughout.
• The Semantic Code - anything in a text that connotates to the audience.
• The Cultural Code - this is anything that points towards our shared knowledge about the way our world works and things in our culture that we see as normal.
• The Symbolic Code - this is only explainable if you understand binary opposites.

Binary Opposites

Levi Straus believed that to every one thing there must be something making it so. For example, for something to be black, there must be a white and for something to be good there must be something bad to oppose it.

Ideology

This is an organised collection of ideas. It can be a belief that helps explain the world around us. For example, people have different ideologies about what happens after we die. e.g. we are re-incarnated; we go to heaven etc.