Toy Blocks Assessment

BEFORE

 

AFTER



Representation in 'Gavin and Stacey'

The Representation of Gender and Region in episode 1 of “Gavin and Stacey”

In ‘Gavin and Stacey’ the representation of gender and region is executed in many subtle ways, ways in which you generally do not think about: music, sound effects and clothing for example. Other key parts in this representation are camera angles and movement.

The clothes the characters are wearing are significant. Stacey’s mum is shown in an apron and her uncle comes home wearing a shirt and tie. This is representing the idea that woman do the housework and cook and that men go out and earn money. Another idea is represented with Gavin’s parents. His mum is wearing a pink tracksuit and his dad is wearing a blue, stripey shirt and blue tie. This is representing the idea of pink being the girls colour and blue the boys colour.

Camera angle is used for the representation of gender. In Barry, when Stacey’s uncle comes in, all the shots are at a low angle, looking up at him. This makes him look more powerful and by using slight high angles on the women at the table this effect is further emphasised. Some may argue that this is because he is standing up and they are sitting down but the director had the choice to use the high and low angles.

Colour is a strong way to represent region. Barry, in Wales, has much bleaker colours (brown, white, grey) whereas Essex has a lot of blue and yellow and is much more vibrant. This is representing the homely, comforting feel of Barry and the built up, city life in Essex.  The different regions are also represented by the use of sound and music. In Wales, as Stacey sits at work, you hear seagulls making noise in the background and in Essex, as Gavin sits at work, you can hear squeaking breaks and a city bustle. This is representing the remoteness of Barry and the business of Essex.

Props play the subtlest part of representation of region in ‘Gavin and Stacey’. In Barry there is HP sauce on the table and in Essex there is Worcester sauce. This represents the difference between the modern and more prosperous life in Essex and the more old-fashioned life in Wales.

Representation of gender in ‘Gavin and Stacey’ is executed by using stereotypes, just not using them to extremes.