Using_Examples,_Discuss_the_Ways_in_Which_Any_of_the_Following_Can_Be_Analysed_Either_in_Ideological_Terms_of_the_Construction_of_Gender_or_Race

Using examples, discuss the ways in which any of the following can be analysed either in ideological terms of the construction of gender or race' A) Children’s television B) The crime series C) Lifestyle D) The situation comedy E) Other The crime series genre has been noted as one of the most popular and most masculine genres on television ‘as it tends to focus on the public sphere, professional roles and the male world of work’ (MacKinnon 2003:69). This essay will discuss the role of masculinity within the crime series. It will look at Jack Bauer and Dexter specifically. Masculinity can be described as a sense of who you are as a man. Being masculine is a quality characterized by physical and behavioural features, emphasising your male attributes. Society today proves it is not enough to just be male you must show off your masculine aspects, like a deep voice, aggressive behaviour and strong muscles and be a ‘real man’. 24 is a crime series which focuses on the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) in Los Angeles, which is a direct result of the 9/11 attacks in the USA. It follows the life of agent Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) as he tries to safeguard America from numerous terrorist threats, such as nuclear bombs and assassination attempts. Even though Jack works for the government he doesn’t feel they are doing enough to protect the public, so he continually puts himself in situations where he bends and breaks the rules of law and order to do what he thinks best in order to protect society. 24 can be compared to ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ as they both show characters which are working purely for the good of society and not for self gain. Also it is similar to ‘The Sweeney’ because this man is seen to have a very troubled home life and will bend and break the rules to protect society. The series ‘Dexter’ also shows similarities to the masculine world within 24. Dexter is another television crime series which is a direct reaction to 24. It focuses on a blood splatter analyst, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), who works for the Miami Metro Police Department however he has an urge and passion to kill. At the age of 3 he was adopted by a Police Officer who noticed this passion and taught him how to constructively direct his tendencies into good use, by killing those who have escaped the legal system and, as he says ‘deserve it’, such as child molesters , rapists and killers themselves. Similarly to Jack Bauer, Dexter is the main figure of authority, and has the same intention of safeguarding America from criminals. However they just do this in very different ways. Even though he breaks the rules, Jack Bauer tends to try and stay within the law until he feels it necessary to break free and help, whereas as Dexter breaks the rules from day 1 by killing. The crime series in general can show a great deal of realism. It can either reflect or represent reality. But who can say what reality is being represented and from the eyes of whom. It is very common that the reality being represented is from the director or producers own ideology of what police life actually is, and what is to say that their reality isn’t formulated from that of other crime series and films. This can very easily be seen in 24. Jim Carafano expressed that ‘the dramatic events and scenarios depicted in 24 are highly unrealistic and bear little resemblance to the often mundane work necessary to win the real war on terror’ (Joseph J Foy, 2008). Verisimilitude can be seen in 24 and Dexter. Cultural verisimilitude “Refers not to what may be the case but rather to what the dominant culture believes to be the case, to what is generally accepted as credible, suitable and proper” (Gledhill, 1997:360) 24 can also show generic verisimilitude as it explores with fantasy whilst staying within the genre boundary. For example the amount of action and torture in 24 differs substantially to real life crime fighting, whilst staying in the boundary of a crime series. Then there is Dexter which also pushes the boundary. Dexter is more realistic than 24 as the police department don’t have to deal with as extreme crimes. ‘Jacks life is dedicated to the public sphere, to his work and to the good of society. The way in which Jack is routinely seen to work such long hours and gruelling days without comment or complaint makes it clear that this man will prioritise his working life over domestic arrangements.’ (R. Feasey 2008:85) This shows how committed Jack is to his job and won’t let fatigue get in the way of it. As we learn more about him we see how he doesn’t let other personal issues, like his relationship with his family get in the way of his job. Jack has a family but is far from being a ‘family man’. Even though he is trying to make an effort with bringing up his daughter, we see Jack make many apologetic phone calls to his wife and daughter for not being at home, and many phone calls dismissing talking to them completely throughout the 1st series of 24. ‘We can talk about this when I get home……look I really can’t talk right now, let me call you back’(1:01 ’12:00-01:00’) This shows us how Jack is just like any other man with work commitments and struggling to commit to his family. He is the pinnacle of masculinity and is constantly shown as a hero and is praised for is unselfish attitude and bravery for putting other people’s safety and needs first. However his lack of commitment to his family shows him as somewhat of an emotional coward. This is shown when he volunteers himself without hesitation, for a suicide mission, even though they were looking for someone without any family or commitments. 24 is dominated by men, every woman represented in the series is made to feel unwelcome in his world. His wife for instance, gets killed in the first series, his daughter captured and his trustworthy female colleague Nina, turns out to be a traitor. ‘Masculine genres have been said to foreground the status of hegemonic masculinity by excluding women or else representing men’s importance as far exceeding that of women’ (R. Feasey 2008:86). This shows that 24 is no exception. The quote above speaks about Jack Bauer however it can be linked to Dexter as well. Dexter also has ‘long gruelling days without comment or complaint’ and it is very clear in near every episode that he will ‘prioritise his working life over domestic arrangements’. Whether this be working for the Police Department or doing that of a serial killer, he will make sure his job is complete before seeing his girlfriend. In the pilot episode Dexter’s girlfriend Rita calls him while he is at work and asks ‘What are you doing right now' I want you to come over’. He has just committed another murder and is cleaning up when she asks this, so he replies with ‘I’m just finishing up a little project but I will come by later’. He finds it difficult to show emotion and connect emotionally with another human being. Dexter’s stepfather insisted he needed to be ‘normal’ in order to hide his alter-ego and fit in with society. Knowing this it seems Dexter believes he must have a ‘normal’ heterosexual relationship in order to fit in with the norm and to resolve his attraction to murder and dissection. In saying this Dexter’s relationship is very awkward, uncomfortable and limited with his girlfriend Rita, who is a victim of rape and abuse by her ex husband. Dexter regards her as the perfect partner as he doesn’t need to have any sexual involvement with her. “Dexter’s placid, competent exterior makes him a perfect mate for her, and her fluttering femininity and goopy sweetness make her a perfect beard for him, since his sex drive is sublimated into his executions of evil-doers.” (Dolan, 2007) This shows a great contrast to Jack Bauer in 24. Jack doesn’t feel he needs to fit into society at all. He has a family and a very masculine job and is regularly considered a hero. He doesn’t need to pretend or act more masculine as he is what a ‘real man’ is considered to be. He is very broad and muscular and doesn’t care too much about his appearance, his hair unkempt and clothes comfortable and practical. Where as we see Dexter putting pride into his appearance. Even in the title sequence we see Dexter shaving, flossing and having breakfast. There is not one point through 24 where we see Jack Bauer grooming himself, or eating for that matter. This suggests he is too busy for grooming and once again he is putting society before himself. Dexter isn’t as rugged and muscular as Jack, and doesn’t seem to want to ‘get his hands dirty’, unless it involves murder. This shows two very distinct and different forms of masculinity. Jack being more stereotypical where as Dexter is more the everyday man, only with a predisposition to kill. Here are two different examples of the crime series which shows great similarities to each other within the genre, for example, the male lead with an exclusion of female superiority and importance. Both examples show the problems that the main characters have with relationships and emotions, as well as showing a ‘heroic’ nature to want to help and protect society. Saying this, even though they show great similarities within the genre they are miles apart from each other as a crime series. Word Count: 1582 Bibliography Dines G & Humez J (1995) ‘Gender, Race and Class in Media’ Feasey R (2008) ‘Masculinity and Popular Television’ Creeber G (2001) ‘The Television Genre Book’ Foy J (2008) ‘Homer Simpson Goes to Washington: American Politics through Popular Culture’ Andersen R & Gray J (2008) ‘Battleground: The Media’ Dexter Series 1 24 Series 1