By Karen Neill
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With the duty to prepare us for our futures, the older generations have always made their expectations clear: “make the future better.” They might have tried to lead by example, but because their stage in life is nowhere near ours (the frustrating and confusing transition of high school teenagers to real world adults), it becomes lost on us. The movie and television industry is a perfect outlet for providing positive role models from our generation, but too often that outlet is used to portray characters in that age group as irresponsible “partyers” absorbed in trivial problems. Perhaps they don’t believe that we would actually follow the leads we see in movies, but whether or not we’re meant to, they still affect us and how we see the world. The best way to guide and help us become successful members of society is to give us better examples, even if they aren’t real life, to counteract the effects stereotypes can impose on us.
As of now, movies and T.V. shows are in the habit of perpetuating stereotypes because it has always sold. Movies like “Mean Girls” are prime examples of this. Although stereotypes can be entertaining, they aren’t usually what we aspire to be like.
A lot of movies aimed at younger children tell us we can be whatever we want, but as we grow older and watch things like “Mean Girls” and see those stereotypes, those ideas are shot down. Enough with the smart, responsible person who becomes cool and all of a sudden starts going to parties and ignoring classes. We need role models who show us that we can be who we want to be socially and yet, still achieve the goals we want. It could save us years of figuring that out ourselves.
Take “High School Musical” for example. In the movie, Troy (Zac Efron) is dealing with a conflict manifesting from the judgement of others. There is even an entire song about never deviating from what you know. Although in the end everyone comes together and realizes that differences and diversity is cool, throughout the majority of the movie people are judged for doing anything not relating to who they are perceived to be by their peers.
With a plethora of movies sporting this theme, it’s likely that by the time we get into high school we have internalized so much of what is “lame” and fear that we will be judged (worst of all by our friends) that we don’t dare step out of our comfort zone. Trying to change our entire school and every mind in it is, at best, doubtful. Trying to change ourselves would just seem easier.
Fortunately, the very same movies that make us afraid of breaking the status quo have proven that entertainment can change our perspectives along with our expectations. Since the pilot episode of “Glee,” the fear of joining/starting a glee club or another performing art has diminished significantly. If we were to consistently create movies and TV shows using themes similar to this, and create characters who willingly try new things with no fear of judgment of who they are, then maybe people’s default mindset would finally be the truth: Almost no one cares what you do in high school.
Every so often we will get a jewel or two, where the lead character doesn’t need to change who they are to show a different side of themselves and the plot shows us that we are more than a stereotype.
One day we will be the ones who create the expectations of a new generation and telling them to make it better, but for now the current media industry is left with the responsibility to create better examples for us to emulate.
