The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes is a movie made in 1985, about a mixed group of teens who all have to attend detention on a Saturday in their school library.
'The Breakfast Club' is movie that definitely relates to how teens are all stereotyped, and looks at the different stereotypes there are.
'The Breakfast Club' is movie that definitely relates to how teens are all stereotyped, and looks at the different stereotypes there are.
In 'The Breakfast Club' we are shown the athlete, the brain, the basket case, the princess and the criminal.Two of these characters are teenage girls. 'The basket case' is a girl named Allison Reynolds, who wears clothes that don't really match and are very mono-toned. She also has hair that she hides behind as it falls over her eyes and face and also isn't styled. At first Allison doesn't talk much, but instead does things 'out of the ordinary' that attract the other characters attentions, such as compiling mountains of sugar and cereal into her sandwich and biting her nails loudly. When Allison does talk she is very blunt. Everything she does goes hand in hand to go with the stereotype of being a 'basket case'.
The other teenage girl being represented is Claire Standish, who is being portrayed as 'the Princess'. Claire, unlike Allison, wears quite a bit of pink and is dressed quite stylishly with a stylish haircut also. She is also known to be quite popular within the school. The fact that Claire who is being portrayed as 'the Princess' wears pink whilst Allison does not, shows the audience that Claire is then more feminine and 'girly' than Allison.
These are two very different representations of teenage girls, yet they both have an affect on teenage girls within society.
Why these two characters and how they have been represented may affect teenage girls within society is due to the influence they have. For example, because of the fact that both of the girls, especially Claire, are often asked and associated with the question of 'if they have or have not had sex yet', teenage girls may then believe this to be a big deal. It being made into a big deal then gives the idea to teenagers and also to society that it is unusual for a teenage girl to be a virgin at their age. This specifically affects teenager girls as some may then feel as if they aren't like all the other teenage girls, are completely left out and stand out, when in reality they are in the same boat as many other girls their age. Yet in this part of the movie, when Claire is embarrassed to admit she is a virgin, it makes it seem as if that is very unusual for a teenage girl. This also affects how society looks at teenage girls, making it seem as if all teenage girls concern themselves with this subject.
Allison at one point also points out how girls are always judged on whether they have had sex or not. She says; "If you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have,you're a slut. It's a trap". This sends the message about how girls are always going to be judged on this subject. This then affects teenage girls by making them feel insecure and judged. Although Allison, after she admits that she has not had sex either, says that "that's alright" and it should be ok if you love someone. This scene and portrayal of what Allison believes, then sends across the positive message and values to teenage girls that it isn't actually something 'everyone' has done and you shouldn't be at all ashamed or embarrassed about anything. Another value and message the movie is trying to get across in this scene, is also that when you do have sex, especially if you are a teenage girl, it should be with someone you love. This has is a positive affect on teenage girls as it is getting these messages to them through these two very different teenage girls that are being represented.
A way stereotypes have been used to get these messages across is that is shows the audience that these completely different people who are all represented differently, still actually have the same values as they are the right values to have.
Another influence the two girls have with the way they are being stereotyped and represented is actually showing teenage girls and society that not all teenage girls act the same way or worry about the same things. It also shows that no matter how different people are, they still have problems are all just trying to fit in which is something all of them can relate to.
In conclusion, the way these two teenage girls have been represented within the movie 'The Breakfast Club', has both positive and negative affects on teenage girls within society, and also on how society then views teenage girls.
These are two very different representations of teenage girls, yet they both have an affect on teenage girls within society.
Why these two characters and how they have been represented may affect teenage girls within society is due to the influence they have. For example, because of the fact that both of the girls, especially Claire, are often asked and associated with the question of 'if they have or have not had sex yet', teenage girls may then believe this to be a big deal. It being made into a big deal then gives the idea to teenagers and also to society that it is unusual for a teenage girl to be a virgin at their age. This specifically affects teenager girls as some may then feel as if they aren't like all the other teenage girls, are completely left out and stand out, when in reality they are in the same boat as many other girls their age. Yet in this part of the movie, when Claire is embarrassed to admit she is a virgin, it makes it seem as if that is very unusual for a teenage girl. This also affects how society looks at teenage girls, making it seem as if all teenage girls concern themselves with this subject.
Allison at one point also points out how girls are always judged on whether they have had sex or not. She says; "If you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have,you're a slut. It's a trap". This sends the message about how girls are always going to be judged on this subject. This then affects teenage girls by making them feel insecure and judged. Although Allison, after she admits that she has not had sex either, says that "that's alright" and it should be ok if you love someone. This scene and portrayal of what Allison believes, then sends across the positive message and values to teenage girls that it isn't actually something 'everyone' has done and you shouldn't be at all ashamed or embarrassed about anything. Another value and message the movie is trying to get across in this scene, is also that when you do have sex, especially if you are a teenage girl, it should be with someone you love. This has is a positive affect on teenage girls as it is getting these messages to them through these two very different teenage girls that are being represented.
A way stereotypes have been used to get these messages across is that is shows the audience that these completely different people who are all represented differently, still actually have the same values as they are the right values to have.
Another influence the two girls have with the way they are being stereotyped and represented is actually showing teenage girls and society that not all teenage girls act the same way or worry about the same things. It also shows that no matter how different people are, they still have problems are all just trying to fit in which is something all of them can relate to.
In conclusion, the way these two teenage girls have been represented within the movie 'The Breakfast Club', has both positive and negative affects on teenage girls within society, and also on how society then views teenage girls.