Friday, November 15, 2019

REPRESENTATION: CUFFS


REPRESENTATION: CUFFS

PREP How does Cuffs represent changing attitudes towards masculinity and femininity?
Pick two examples.

Cuffs represents changing attitude towards femininity and masculinity as it attempts to give equal status to men and women. Also, in 2010 many laws to make discrimination against people because of their gender, race, disability and sexuality illegal. Cuffs, which was made in 2015, was able to use this to their advantage which allowed them to include many characters of different genders, races, disabilities and sexualities to introduce a new and improved era of British television.

Jo Moffat is a good example of gender and women equality as she has an important status as an investigator. Although people argue that her independence is weakened by her affair with Chief Superintendent Robert Vickers, she is represented as strong when she orders the police raid on the party in order to arrest the racist criminals. She also bosses her co-workers around by making them get her tea and food (although this seems to be in a friendly joking manner). Jo has power because of her status in the police force, reflecting the number of women in positions of authority in 2015.

Jack Vickers is a good example of masculinity and gay rights. Because he is the son of Chief Superintendent Robert Vickers, he has been taken onto the police force without completing all the required training. This results in him making a number of mistakes. This initially does not display many traditional male qualities of physical and mental strength and shows him as weak and lacking in dedication. However, by the end of the episode he proves himself as physically tough and shows traditional masculine qualities when he saves Ryan from a knife attack.

1 comment:

  1. Mark: 10/10
    Good introduction to frame your comments. You pick examples that you can use to support your views.
    Jo: you draw attention to her courage, leadership and status as well as her emotional vulnerability.
    Jack: as a representation of the gay community, his inclusion shows the programme's diversity. He is anti-stereotypical as you say because he is not all that a policeman is expected to be to start with.

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