'One Size Fits All'

This video highlights the impact of the stereotypical 'perfect body image' in Western society as it proves that the expected body size for these clothes is unattainable for most women. In this video women from size 0-18 try on clothes labelled as being 'one size fits all' and the results, as expected, show that only the smallest sized women could fit comfortably into most of the clothes given to them. This supports the Western ideal of having to be skinny to be attractive and shows the unrealistic standards set for women in the beauty/fashion industry. A lot of the clothes, especially skirts, were too tight for most models, including women size 6/8 which is already a below average clothes size. The average size for women is 14 and almost all of the 'one size' clothes shown in this video wouldn't fit anyone larger than a size 0, which is the typical 'model' size. When asked about the sizing, one woman who wears a size 6/8 claimed 'When I didn’t fit into it, it made me feel like something was wrong with my body' which highlights how this unachievable body image can affect the self-esteem of most women and make them feel like it is their fault that they don't fit into the stereotypes of the 'ideal' woman.

Lost Boys - Theoretical Perspectives

Feminist Perspective:

• Only 2 female characters - predominantly male
• Mother dependent on males - becomes single mother and has to rely on living with her father and having her children to look after eachother
• Her storyline revolves around finding a male companion and being a mother
• Caring persona - gives money to teenagers looking for food in bins, helps child looking for mother
• Perceived as weak - chased by dog and relies on her son to help/save her, plays no role in helping fight vampires at end of film - male characters have to protect her
• Relies on males throughout the entire film
• Star also dependent on males - returns to vampires when they call her away from Michael
• Male Gaze 
• 'The Lost Boys' - no mention of girls or focus on missing females
• Plight of females is neglected
• Mother is loser in divorce, finds a man  to solve her problems
• Sons need male role model - mother's fault sons weren't under control due to them not being given a male role model
• Star has to be saved and looked after by Michael and plays no part in fighting vampires
• Both females' only purpose in film is to find romance - Star doesn't kill Michael because she loves him

Post-Modern:

 

• Blurred genres
• Challenges generic conventions of vampires - mode of address/discourse
• Teenagers as vampires - identity
• Signifies the breakdown of marriage
• Entertainment as surveillance
• Troublemaker image
• Negative representation by the adults - represent the adult audience - mother allows them
• Shop owner/grandad/security guard dislike the teenagers
• Portrayed as 'cool' - aspirational image - role models to teenagers watching the film - media
• Amplification spiral / moral panic
• Generation gap - fighting eachother not the bourgeoisie
• False construct
• Lost boy represents fear of teenagers

Marxist:

 

• Zizek - police officer 'I told you, not on the boardwalk'
• Suggests not in public - amplification spiral
• Do not affect the tourist dollars - effect on the tourist industry - choosing profit over people
• Teenagers a threat to capitalism
• Capitalism needs a scapegoat - teenagers in this film
• The other is a fear used to create scapegoats for capitalism
• Lost Boys represents lost in society/lost in capitalism
• Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat

Lost Boys Notes

• Fairgrounds - environment of young people - negative representation
• generally a place for family entertainment
• Rejection of authority - on the boardwalk
• Post-modern - teenagers as vampires 
• Graffiti - no respect for the law 
• Punk representation - fits stereotype of being a violent/aggressive genre
• Poverty - kids eating from bins
• Protagonists represent audience
• Foreigners/homeless represented as the strange - empathise with song (people are strange - The Doors)
• Stereotypical teenager image - motorbike, weightlifting, unruly, ignore authority
• Protagonist - divorced, single mum - social taboo in 80s
• Aspects of horror genre - taxidermy, blood / texas chainsaw massacre
• 'Wild Kids' - 'They're just young' - protagonist accepting towards teenagers 'unruly' behaviour
• Film represents a fear of teenagers in our society - consuming popular culture
• troublemaker image - Edward Said the 'other'
• Changing identities of vampires from rich, white count to teenagers
• Stereotypical teenagers (smoking weed listening to Jim Morrison) which challenges the usual stereotypes of vampires
• Teenagers given obvious negative vampire image - causing mayhem, motorbikes, fangs etc, whereas adult vampires only have subtle hints towards them being vampires (e.g. grandad wearing sunglasses indoors, putting stake in the ground, having his section of the fridge) - teenage vampires are the only ones represented as troublemakers 
• Girl called Star - hippie name
• Mother 'hey, aren't we friends anymore?'
• Test parents patience - biological need
• Male bond between grandad and Michael mentioning sexual conquests
• suggests you need to be afraid of people in power - city hall
• Head vampire represents bourgeoisie and other vampires represent proletariat - need to kill head vampire in order to change the other vampires back to humans
• Stratification - social division
• 'The American way triumphs'
• Agreed narrative conventions - vampire needs to be invited in
• Certain vampire conventions - garlic, holy water, stake through the heart, mirrors, killing people, immortality, drinking blood
• 'Kids Sam's age need discipline' - Bourgeoisie
• Their rebellion challenges the people in power
• Edgar and Allan Frog - play on Edgar & Allan Poe