nArRaTiVe

..N..

Sugar Rush explores the world of Kim and her earth-shattering lust for the gorgeous and sassy Maria Sweet, otherwise known as Sugar. If Sugar wasn't enough to blow Kim's mind, there's also her dysfunctional, embarrassing family - a mini-freak for a brother, an obsessively house-proud dad and a mum who's behaving as if she's the one who's 15 years old.

Each episode is a different journey inside Kim's world as her wry observations take us into the mind of a screwed up, loved up, lustful adolescent experiencing the bright lights of Brighton and the rush of forbidden love for the first time. Sugar Rush, the riotous exploration of what it means to be young, horny and queer in 21st-century Britain, returns for a second series.

It's 18 months later and Kim is 17, out, proud and living life to the full on the Brighton lesbian scene... in her dreams. In truth, she's holed up in her bedroom with only her A Level revision and an electric toothbrush for company. Her best friend Sugar isn't getting any action either, but she's got a good excuse: she's serving time in a Young Offenders Institute.

AuDiEnCe

..A..

As its a teen drama with 2 female characters who play the main roles in the programme, the primary audience are tennage females probably 15 years of age and older. The reason why they are more likley to be no younger than 15 is because it is shown at 10.50 after the water-shed anyone of a younger age wouldnt be watching the tv after this time and it wouldn't be appropriate as it contains a sexual reference and swearing. Also because the chatacters are 15 and older ( with the acception of kims brother) therfore a younger audeince will not be a ble to relate. All ethicnities are targeted as their is a range of ethnicities in the prgramme...

IdEoLoGiEs & VaLuEs

..I..

Feminism VS Patriarchy...Family Values VS Independence...

RePrEsEnTaTiOn

..R..

Sugar rush focuses alot on female characters, so the representation of women is important. Most of the females characters are very atypical, for example kims mum doesnt play a very maternal role in kims life as shes more concerned with her own. The women in sugar rush are also represented as being sex obsessed females especially in the second series.

There is also alot of role reversal in Sugar Rush. For example kims mother acts like the teenager whilst kim acts mature for her age and kims father takes the maternal/housewife role, concerned with kims problems and cleaning after the family.

women are represented as stronger, more powerfull individuals especially in a relationship. This reflects the change in society...less patriarchal.

iNsTiTuTiOn...

..I..

Sugar rush is shown on Channel four and is based on Julie’s Burchill’s novel Sugar Rush. However only the first series was based around the first novel and the second was produced due to its success...

GeNrE

..G..

It’s a teen drama and can be compared to other shows in the same category such as Bad Girls . The two main chracters are Sugar and Kim, the programme is based around these two teenagers lives. as a teen drama it presents the audeince with extraordinary behaviour, puzzling dilemmas and real life situations many teenagers may go though which grabs the audeinces attention.

MeDiA LaNgUaGe

Sugar Rush Title sequence

UsEfUlL LiNkS...

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/S/sugar_rush/index.html
This link is for channel four, which is the institution of my text. It also gives usfull information i need to kno about the text for example summeries of each episode etc.

http://theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm
This link is an extract from a book about gender and identity, this will be usful when im looking at women and how they are represented also how these representations have changed in the media over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Rush_(TV_series)
This link gives usful information about the characters and episodes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,1795472,00.html
although this link is an article on lesbians i think that it involves representation of woman too and will be usueful even if not included in my final draft.

http://mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/womenrep.html
looks at the way in which women represent women as a women wrote the story of sugar rush it willprove useful when tlkin about the representation of women

WiDeR CoNtExT

WiDeR CoNtExT...[S.H.E.P]...

SoCiAl.. In sugar rush, like many other tv programmes gay/lesbian relationships are more accepted in society and the media. The women are also represented as having equal oppertunities to men and in some cases the men switching to stereotypical roles which women would usually play. For example where stella's husband takes up the role of the housewife. This is now seen as acceptable in society.

HiStOrIcAl.. In the past women were seen to be inferior to men, where as the men were seen to have power and controll expecially in a relationship. Women were represented as housekeepers, they were expected to look after the house and children whilst the husband was at work.

EcOnOmIcAl.. Sugar rush is low budgeted, unlike series such as friends etc. Its shot in brighton which moves away from typical settings.

PoLiTiCaL..

KeY WoRdS

KeY WoRdS...

Representation This is the process where by the media construct versions of people, places and events in images, words or sound for transmission through media texts to an audience.
Representation is one of the main focuses of my independent study..'the representation of women' so therefore i will be exploring in in depth for my independent study.

Stereotype The social classification of a groupof prople by identifying common characteristics and universally applying them in an often oversimplified and generalised way, such that the classification represents value judgements and the assumptions about the groups concerned.
As im looking at the representation of women in sugar rush, the stereotypes of woman and teenage girls is also somthing i will need to explore in my study, looking at if they are callenged. If so, how and why?

femme fatel a female character that uses her sexuality often in devious secretive ways, to acheive the ends she desires.
I think that alot of the female characters in sugar rush are femme fatels, especially sugar who can be very manipulative. This is something i aim to look at as it fits in with the representation of women.

Male gaze Male gaze a term used by Laura Mulvey in her essay ‘Visual pleasures and narrative cinema’ (1975). This is what she used to describe what she saw as the male point of view adopted by the cinema for the benefit of an assumed male audience.
My title also questions the way in which the audience interprets the text, this will look a great deal at a male audience. Looking at if they conform to the male gaze and are intrested purley in the woman and sex.

Feminism This is political movement to advance the status of women by challenging values, social constructions and socioeconomic practices which disadvantage women and favour men.The movement emerged from the liberations culture of the 1960’s, although individual feminists argued for women’s rights from a much earlier time.
Feminism is relevent as i will look at the way female characters have developed over the years in film and television. Also how women are represented as stonger individuals playing bigger and more important roles.

CoMmEnTz

CoMmEnTz :

Priya... http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=31196888&postID=115851004251084394
Kelly...
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33528288&postID=115853812873281044
Nav...
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34031519&postID=115841502304470508
Bush..
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33650214&postID=115712902364824325

PrEsEnTaTiOn..!!!

"How are women represented in sugar rush and in what way do the audience interpret the text?"

dsfdgdgffdh

BrOaDcAsTeD: channel 4 - 10:30 pm

WhAT'S iT AbOuT?: Sugar Rush is set in brighton and explores the world of kim and her lust for Sugar. However sugars not the only thing on kims mind, there's also her dysfunctional not to mension embarrassing family...a mini-freak for a brother, an obsessively house-proud dad and a mum who's behaving as if she's the one who's 15 years old.

WhY i ChOsE ThE TeXt AnD TiTlE?: Sugar Rush focuses on alot of female characters which i thought would be a good focus for representation. Most of the females characters are very atypical, for example kims mum doesnt play a very maternal role in kims life as shes more concerned with her own. They are also represented as being sex obsessed females especially in the second series.

Ive also chosen to focus on the way in which the the audience interpret the text because i think that although its primaraly aimed at females, a male audeince may also be interested. However they may watch it for different reasons for example while females take more intrest in the characters and whats goin on in there lives, a male audeince may be more interested in purley the woman and sex.

REPRESENTATION...

REPRESENTATION

Who is being represented? The people that are being represented in Sugar Rush are female teenage girls. Althought other characters also play a strong part in the program, the most strongly represented people are female teenagers!
In what way? By whom? Sugar and Kim (the lesbian one) represent the two teenage girls that indulge in just about every single thing a teenage girl might have tried doing. e.g drinking, smoking etc.

Why is the subject being represented in this way? There are not many representation of young female lesbians in the media, therefore opening up a new type of representation one can either try and understand or relate to.

WhAtS gOiNg oN?

EPISODE 10

In the last episode we were faced with many different dilemnas...most are explained breifly below...

Kim is freaking out. Saint asked Kim to move in and she said yes but now she's having major second thoughts. She's 17. She should be binge drinking and having reckless sex... shouldn't she? It doesn't make it easier that Sugar has finally got her act together and is loving the independent life she's living in her new little flat. With Kim keeping Saint waiting for an answer, she goes out with Sugar for an unforgettable night on the town. But at the end of the night, it's time to decide: is she ready to grow up, or not?

SuGaR RuSh?

Sugar Rush explores the world of Kim and her earth-shattering lust for the gorgeous and sassy Maria Sweet, otherwise known as Sugar.And if Sugar wasn't enough to blow Kim's mind, there's also her dysfunctional, embarrassing family - a mini-freak for a brother, an obsessively house-proud dad and a mum who's behaving as if she's the one who's 15 years old.

Each episode is a different journey inside Kim's world as her wry observations take us into the mind of a screwed up, loved up, lustful adolescent experiencing the bright lights of Brighton and the rush of forbidden love for the first time.

Sugar Rush, the riotous exploration of what it means to be young, horny and queer in 21st-century Britain, returns for a second series. It's 18 months later and Kim is 17, out, proud and living life to the full on the Brighton lesbian scene... in her dreams. In truth, she's holed up in her bedroom with only her A Level revision and an electric toothbrush for company. Her best friend Sugar isn't getting any action either, but she's got a good excuse: she's serving time in a Young Offenders Institute.

"How are women represented in Sugar Rush and in what way does the audience interpret the text?"