Sub-genre conventions - storyline/characters and social groups

post your analysis and storyline/characters and social groups introduced in teen drama films.

Teen Drama films have very specific and most of the time stereotypical portrayals of characters so the audience can identify with them.


1. The Jocks / Jerks / Popular Males
This is the most used character representation, the 'Jocks / Popular Males', They are almost always in sports team such as basketball or football, such as in GLEE and HSM. A lot of the time they are brought across to be arrogant, vain heartbreaker and unintelligent,

Role in the storyline?
All teen dramas involve a Unrequited love interest or some dilemma in love, which the 'jock' is almost always the love interest, or the 'bully' as they are brought across to be rude.
 

2. The Nerds/Geeks

Another highly important character in teen dramas, the nerds are the polar opposites of the jocks, unathletic, highly intelligent and into academic work, unsociable, shy and the victims of the jocks/jerks bullying

 

Role in The Storyline?

 

Most teen dramas involve a character overcoming some sort of personal drama, alot of them may involve a nerd character overcoming their shyness or standing up against one of the other powerful characters such as the jocks, however in scenarios, as teen dramas involve the everyday issues of a teenager, the nerds may transition throughout a drama into a different character, such as a popular/fashion girl.

 

3. Popular girls/cheerleaders/rich girls

The female alternative to the jocks, most of the time athletic, arrogant, vain and sometimes unintelligent. Very stereotypically dressed to seem 'girly'

 

Role in the storyline?

alot of the time follows the same role as the jocks, however they may face some sort of issue such as a 'nerd' overpowering them, and/ or losing there high status in school.

 

 

 

4. Musically influenced characters such as emos and hiphop lovers.

 

A lot of the characters in high school dramas are influenced by music, such as the emo kids who are seen to be 'sad and emotional' kids, who wear black are influenced by rock music and you have the hiphop kids who are influenced by 90's hip hop music, who dress like rappers, it is easy to identify which music group a musically influenced character belongs too because of their costume.

 

Role in Storyline?

They donot usually have a bigger role than the jocks or nerds but they are still important characters, sometimes used in dramas to show a clash between two cultures and how teens learn and embrace other teens intrests through music, this was shown in high school musical.