Television drama often draws upon the codes of realism. With reference to
Queer as Folk (1999) and Sugar Rush (2005), one shall explore the
ways in which issues of gender and sexuality are represented in dramas using
realist strategies. Realism is an ambiguous term when analysing television
drama. One way of interpreting realism is to start with how the places and
people are represented rather than imagined as a fictional character. The second
meaning of realism refers to the representation of a common contemporary
experience and the believability of the character and the chain of events that
occur. Therefore these meanings rely on the codes and conventions which
represent reality. The dominant form of realism that is seen in television is
classic realism which coincides with the period of modern industrial society
and can be seen in most fictional television programs. The characters of the
television dramas determine their own choices and actions “and human nature is
seen as a pattern of character-differences” (Bignell, 2004, page 188). This
allows the viewer to identify or sympathise with a wide range of characters,
sharing their emotions, hopes and fears. Bignell argued that
The
comparisons and judgements about identifiable human figures represented on
television are reliant on a common code of judgement, a notion of ‘normality’,
which is the terrain on which the viewer’s relationships with characters occur.
(Bignell,
2004, Page 188)
The television text allows for identification with the images in the
drama and it represents psychologically consistent individual subjects and
classic realism addresses the viewers with this same subject. These television
texts and pre-existing reality underlies the process of the television text
being constructed as a whole which is intelligible and significant. This is
done by making sure the image shown is representative of a recognisable social
space. Caughie stated that
The terrain of
realism, in other words, cannot be contained within a single definition, but is
continually fought over by contending aesthetics, each informed by its own
ethics and its own politics.
(Caughie,
2000, page 131)
Bignell argued that “the category of the rational perceiving subject is
the connecting assumption shared by the viewer and television, and by his or
her world and the world represented on television” (Bignell, 2004, page 188).
Narrative is crucial to classic realism due to the varied identifications,
point of views, sound and speech used which produces the communication between
text and audience. Realism in a culture depends on the cultural codes of that
society “so ‘reality’ is always already encoded. It is never ‘raw’” (Fiske,
1987, page 4). Fiske continued that
Some of the
social codes which constitute our reality are relatively precisely definable in
terms of the medium through which they are expressed – skin color, dress, hair,
facial expression, and so on.
(Fiske,
1987, page 4)
In the case of this investigation, the medium of gender and sexuality is
analysed. A semiotic analysis reveals the layers of encoded meaning which are
presented to the audience in the form of television programs. Fiske argued that
“realism is not a matter of any fidelity to an empirical reality, but of the
discursive conventions by which and for which a sense of reality is
constructed” (Fiske, 1987, page 17). He continued to argue that realism on
television is expressed through transparent or reflective metaphors, acting as
a window or a mirror reflecting the viewer’s own reality or world. These
metaphors enable an impersonal medium of reproduction in which the cultural
agency is naturalized, appearing as a natural process and not a cultural
process.
The homophobic conservative backlash of the 1980s assisted
and enforced the “confrontational ‘queer’ politics of the 1990s” (Arthurs,
2004, page 113). Television drama took on this highly visible political issue
of homosexuality and using these cultural forces, television drama addressed
the contemporary concerns that were present in society and are still present to
an extent today.
This was
characterised by a suspicion of state legislation as a means for achieving
sexual liberation on the grounds that the state is too deeply implicated in a
heteronormative model of citizenship to which the family is central.
(Arthurs,
2004, page 113)
Arthurs argued that in order for homosexuals to be accepted as ‘good’
citizens they must imitate the same expectations and have the same rights as
heterosexuals, for example, marriage and legal adoption. Now these previous
problems have been eliminated and homosexuals are able to live in a family
unit; the homosexual relationship is no longer a cause for uproar and
complaints. Arthurs argued that now this boundary has shifted it is now the
unrespectable homosexual citizen who indulges in public spectacle and
promiscuous sex and who is now the cause for cultural discourse around
homosexuality. In some television dramas ‘queers’ refuse to conform to the
model of the good homosexual and show the Transgressive abilities of the
homosexual and the embodied sexuality which resists the conformities of desire.
‘Queer’ politics has been criticised and it has been argued that it is also
“sexual politics for young, white, male, urban trendies” (Arthurs, 2004, page
113) and he continued to argue that it is a “flight from identity […] leaving a
hedonistic individualism in its wake” (Arthurs, 2004, page 113).
Cooke argued the most radical series of 1990s was Queer as Folk as the representations
shattered the view of sexual taboos.
With the tag-line “there’s nowt as Queer as Folk” (Cooke, 2003 page 187)
and the radical representations of the homosexual lifestyle there was uproar. Collins
argued that Queer as Folk brought
together elements that “produce[d] a collective subject and/or bounded space
with which identifications can be made” (Collins, 2006, page 210). The plot of Queer as Folk relies on the sexuality of
the characters. They are read and identified through their sexuality. “The
series beg the abjectival description ‘unapologetic’” (Munt, 2008, page 93).
The first episode showed intergenerational sex between the older Stuart and the
schoolboy Nathan, which was a brave move for Britain in 1999 as “the Houses of
Parliament voted on the equalisation of the homosexual age of consent (the
motion failed)” (Munt, 2008, page 93). Due to the legal age of consent for
homosexuals being 18 at the time of airing, there was widespread controversy.
But in 2000 the law was passed and now
The law means that for the first
time in British legal history, the age of consent for heterosexual and
homosexual men and women is now 16 in England, Wales and Scotland and 17 in
Northern Ireland - equalising the age for all.
(BBC, 2000, Online)
So when Sugar Rush was aired in 2005 the law had
been passed, so there was not a lot of controversy surrounding it. For Example,
Kim meets an older woman in a nightclub and is taught what she needs to know
about being a homosexual. The teenager who is still at school has discovered
that she is definitely a lesbian and is encouraged by the older woman to dress
in her uniform, when her parents walk in on her being spanked. Her father
suffers mentally after seeing this and his masculinity is crushed. The plot in Queer as Folk highlighted gay
paedophilia and corruption of young men and one can say that six years later in
2005 the same idea was implemented for young women but was not complained about
or taken seriously as now the law says that 16 is legal for any kind of sexual relationship,
so there was no cause for concern. The Independent Television Commission
suggested that future episodes of Queer
as Folk should be enhanced with responsible messages about subjects such as
safe-sex and sexuality.
Queer as Folk
did not challenge any stereotypes as all the gay men wanted to have continuous
sex whilst the lesbian characters wanted to have children. These stereotypes
still have the power to maintain hegemonic meaning and provide pleasure for the
viewers, “by offering reassurance and knowingness; the consumption of them can
also sometimes be satiric, even if the intention is not” (Munt, 2008, page 93);
this criticism relates to earlier debates about realism. Queer as Folk was ground-breaking in gay representation as it had
become the first gay authored text that knowingly used realism and
Was indeed a
celebration not only for Manchester’s gay scene but of its more radical and
confrontational elements. This radicalism was indicated by the provocative use
of the word ‘queer’ in the series title, the radical reclaimed meaning of the
word signifying a more overt and politicised expression of gay politics and
identity.
(Cooke,
2003, page 188).
The word queer and also the acknowledgement of the homophobic euphemisms
in the scene in which Stuart comes out is shocking for both the rest of the
characters in the scene and also the audience as he uses a range of offensive
remarks about homosexuality to describe himself as a homosexual as he calls
another character’s bluff who had been blackmailing him about being gay.
A coherent and convincing fictional world is supported
by codes of realism, which is the basic demand of the viewing society in which
these television representations are shown. Holland argued that “It is a regime
of ‘unified portrayal: every criterion of realism aims at the same objective,
to combine all the elements of the representation at any one point into a
harmonious whole’” (Holland, 1997, page 124). This sustained equivalence to the
real world is not the only level that realism operates. There is “a complex
network of conventions of audience expectation alike” (Ellis, 1982, page 9).
The conventions of realism should remain invisible, so in order to understand
realism one shall explain five codes that Holland had provided. Firstly in
television drama a surface accuracy should be present, with the place, setting,
correct fashion of the period and the right props to aid in the realistic
representations. For example, the homosexuals are all portrayed as “trendy,
city-types” (Cardwell, 2005, page 133). Both Queer as Folk and Sugar Rush
abide to these guidelines and the representations are varied and correct. Queer as Folk makes great use of
Manchester’s Canal Street as a geo-ideological space for “gay, lesbian and
queer formations” (Billingham, 2003, page 119). Billingham continued to argue
that
Within these
spatial locations, there lies the possibility of the disruptive play and
exhibition of sexual identities and activities which have historically been
marginalised in terms of silence and/or absence […] Therefore, Canal Street,
[…] is the defining location and site within Queer as Folk.
(Billingham,
2003, page 119)
With Queer as Folk’s defining
location being Canal Street in Manchester, Sugar
Rush used another location known as a geo-ideological space for
homosexuals, Brighton Pier, Brighton. Holland argued that if the surface
accuracy is not right then the credibility will be lost. The second code must
explain to the audience what they are viewing and must abide by the laws of
cause and effect. It must be consistent with what is being viewed; if the
character is on Brighton pier, then the actor needs to be on Brighton pier,
which is covered by the shooting on location to ensure realistic representation
of the setting in which the drama is based. This consistency also applies to
the third code, “it should conform to expectations based on psychology and
character” (Holland, 1997, page 125). The character’s personality should remain
consistent throughout the drama as a change in the character’s psychology can
confuse the viewer. For example, in Queer
as Folk the character Alexander is very ‘camp’. If Alexander was to start
talking with a different accent and a more ‘butch’ voice, the viewer would be
confused (unless it was made aware that the character has a mental illness).
Fourthly, the fictional world must be controlled by spatial and chronological
credibility to enable a smooth transition between the viewer and the text. The
fifth code of realism is that the plot must be realistic and “obey the laws of
physical and natural science” (Holland, 1997, page 125). The realistic
expectations must also operate at an ideological level and show the
requirements that the spectators desire. The representations must show common
sense and can include stereotypical expectations. For example, the way
homosexuality is portrayed
The diegetic
world [must] appear self sufficient and unbroken. Everything that we need to
know in order to understand it must be included, and everything that
contradicts or disturbs the understanding must be excised. The diegetic world
must not require the viewer to turn beyond it to find the means to understand
it, but it must, like the real world, appear to make its own sense according to
the ‘laws of nature’ not the conventions of culture.
(Fiske,
1987, page 131)
Fiske argued that these conventions or codes of realism must cohere to
common sense and not confuse the viewer, but assist them in unravelling the
plot. For example, Sugar Rush presents
the viewer with flashbacks in order to guide them and help understand what the
characters are going through and how they came to be the way they are.
When Queer as Folk was advertised it was
specifically aimed at not just a gay audience but a young audience in general
“and the [program] reflects this not just in its explicit content, its themes
and concerns, but also in smaller details of image and sound” (Cardwell, 2005
page 131), for example showing the main area for homosexuals to party, on Canal
Street in Manchester. This reaffirms the “importance of free, youthful spaces”
(Cardwell, 2005, page 132). The characters all experience their own fears and
have different issues to contend with. Sugar Rush is the female equivalent of Queer as Folk. Originally a novel by
Julie Burchill in 2004, Channel Four commissioned Sugar Rush to be aired in 2005. Becket stated that “the novel has been turned
into a television drama series which first aired in 2005. The lesbian theme has
put the book on lists of crossover works that appeal to the gay community”
(Beckett, 2009, page 170). The drama revolves around a teenage girl who
discovered that she was a lesbian at 15. Kim Daniels is experimenting with her
sexuality in a society which is slowly accepting homosexuality. Each episode
shows a different journey for Kim and allows the viewer to see the viewpoint of
a confused, lustful, adolescent girl as she discovers her sexuality in one of
the most homosexually orientated towns in Britain, Brighton. Channel Four not
only aimed for a niche lesbian audience but an audience who can relate to
issues of sexuality in general and not just lesbianism. Also present are issues
of gender, adolescence, cross-dressing, marriage, adultery and bisexuality.
The
show primarily targets a teenage and young adult audience due to the explicit
material and the scheduled time, which was way after the watershed. A female
audience is captured also due to the protagonist being female and the issues
not only with her love life but also family issues. With the main protagonist
being a female lesbian, it is evident that society has become more tolerant to
homosexuality and that it is no longer seen as immoral or unacceptable. Sugar Rush does not portray a typical
nuclear family, but they represent realistic characters that are troubled and
confused. The mother, Stella, refuses to take on any responsibility for her
adult life, such as being a stay at home parent and a wife, shown by her
infidelity. The father, Nathan who is a passive character, troubled by his
daughter’s actions, the fact that the male is the passive character is also
interesting as it is usually the female character, yet in Sugar Rush the women are all very much active. Kim’s Younger
brother Matt is a confused young adolescent who likes to dress in women’s
clothes or as a Goth and along with Sugar, the confused and man hungry best-friend,
the drama gives the viewer a range of realistic characters and these characters
had been constructed to show realistic personality representations and not just
stereotypes. This in turn allows the young audience to relate to the issues
shown. Sugar Rush concentrates on
real-life characters and not stereotypes and it rejects the “’Vladimir Propp
Theory’ about character roles and functions” (Furzana, 2007, Online), instead
of the stereotypical hero or villain. The flashbacks give the viewer background
information on the issues presented. Kim does not conform to the stereotype of
the lesbian, but she is shown as a troubled teenage girl.
Women in Sugar Rush all want different things;
Stella wants companionship and great sex, so she has an affair whilst her
husband is at work. This shows the powerful role of women in today’s society as
Stella provides an interesting turn around, as women should be able to enjoy
sex the way men do. This challenges the typical stereotypes of women and
sexuality. Stella and Nathan’s relationship represents the heterosexual
relationship. Sugar Rush allows women
to break the traditional stereotypes and “role reversals are seen as Nathan is
at home taking on the domestic role and Stella, his wife is portrayed as the
home wrecker by having an affair” (Furzana, 2007, Online). Sugar Rush caters for all audiences and both dramas investigated
show
a conscious
extension of dramatic material to areas of life which had been evidently
excluded even from majority drama. And television was often conceived in this
way as the site for a particular dramatic extension, since it had already a
fully socially extended audience.
(Williams,
1977, page 67)
Sugar Rush and Queer as Folk both show different
representations of homosexuality, sexuality and gender. The women are free of
conformities, stable and independent; they do not depend on men. An article by
Michael Collins (2000) which was published in The Observer, praised Queer
as Folk for its “positive representation of gay sexuality” (Cooke, 2003,
page 190). Cooke continued to argue that “British television attempted to
revitalise old genres and ‘reinvent’ television drama by offering new
representations of gender and sexuality” (Cooke, 2003, page 190). These
representations have been successfully portrayed in both dramas investigated.
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Filmography
Queer as Folk
(1999) Sarah Harding. UK: Red Production Company.
Sugar Rush (2005)
Katie Baxendale. UK: Shine.
By Lea Weller BA
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