Media Response 1: “Remember…Remember…Remember…”

My oldest daughter (6 years old) has been desperately requesting the 2009 “Fame” (PG) remake of the 1980 “Fame” (R) and I finally gave in on Saturday evening (I include the ratings because that could be an interesting look at filmmaking rational). We sat in my small living room and all watched as teenagers auditioned and went through graduation at the New York Performing Arts high school. The story arc is mostly the form represented with each year of high school, only pointing out moments of time that apparently shape the characters’ futures or vignettes defining that specific year for the individual student. All this happens with the background of singing, dancing, and music production of apparently talented teenagers. To be honest, this is a hard example to discuss because of its nature, but I’ll take a stab at it (since it was the only media I was able to consume this weekend).

Because of the multiple students being watched in the ensemble, it is a surface film, skimming over lives and never getting deep into any one character. Instead, it is a basic (if not stereotypical) exploration of the lives of a-typical teens. The surface theme may be worth looking at and perhaps the stereotypical approach to the characters is, in fact, meant to be a representative slicing of “common” teens’ true aspirations battling against the world’s expectations. For instance, one young lady has been practicing for years to be a concert pianist with the urging of her father. She is given opportunities to do something different than what her father considers “conservatory” work and she is forced to give up the opportunities; that is, until she finds a way to explore a new realm of experience as a hip-hop singer. The context of the character’s experience may or may not be something that teens can relate to because (as the stereotype dictates) “our parents will have expectations for us that we don’t necessarily have for ourselves.” This could be used in teaching as a way to explore media’s representation of the students’ own experience: Do they feel it accurately expresses their own relationship with parents? Do they feel that it could have, or should have been explored differently to be more accurate to their experience (if not accurate already)? Etc.

This exploration of identity representation may be of use in understanding the media’s portrayal of “how” their identities should be formed, of what experiences are truly “meaningful” in being a teenager, and this can easily branch into a discussion of the reality/fantasy regarding romantic relationships. There are two specifically romantic relationships present; one is based in the idea of friendship (which is one that endures its own trials) and a more superficial relationship because the boy is attracted to the girl, but the girl’s priorities are focused on him as being “not boring” and only a pastime from which she grows beyond as other life opportunities present themselves. Both relationships present very little depth, but each is worthy of some degree of exploration in a teaching setting, looking at their own expectations in romantic relationships and if the media is (again) an accurate representation of their own identity development.

Ultimately, I believe that the most interesting class discussion can be about the young man (and there is an entire voice over of his teacher's commentary with him) who essentially "fails" because the teacher point-blank tells him she will not write him a letter of recommendation because he simply is not nor will he ever be good enough to be a professional dancer. The idea is: What is failure and how should we react to it? I believe that subject alone can have great merit for school and out-of-school life.