Royal Family Task- Ideology

How are they represented- dress, actions, speech?

The royal family are represented as common people who just sit around and watch T.V. It seems that even the slightest thing will annoy the man, supposedly the father (Jim), dressed  in a yellow and black stripy top with scruffy unkept hair. Jim's particular actions are all over the place especially when he is yelling to a slimmer man, Dave (in a similar stripy top) and a black leather jacket. 

They all have a northern accent who don't articulate there words so it all sounds slurred into one whole sentence. 

What are their values?

At the moment in this clip, it seems like Jims values are only based on batteries for the TV remote which he believes his "wich of a wife"stole them for her own use.Then when his wife Barbra tells him to get some from the shop, he throws a tantrum like a four year old who hasn't been given the chance to get his own way. Ridiculous and pathetic really. The way the family are acting seems like they don't care about first impressions, I'm getting this from the end of the clip when the blonde girl is sitting next to a young man who is suppose to be her boyfriend, "Are you alright love? It's not easy on the first date is it?" well you wouldn't expect a date to be crowded with a family who have there eyes glued to the TV and the older man yelling about batteries. you would normally expect the first date to be romantic and possibly at places like:

• Cinema
• Restaurant
• Night walks

not sitting around watching T.V, so it seems like the lady who is going on the date doesn't value her relationship. 

What do they do?

It's not exactly clear on what they do for work, Jim looks like he hasn't worked since he was in his early twenties, now he looks like he just watched his life go by. I suppose his wife works, but it isn't mentioned, but she seems like the typical shop worker. The rest of the family look like they have a job, but again it would be a stereotype of the younger man Dave working at a pub or shop and the younger woman looks like she works at a beauty parlour. 

How do they behave?

They all seem ridiculous and unnecessary. For starters, the fact that the oldest man is throwing things, waving his hands around and yelling at the top of his voice just to be heard is pathetic. He is the oldest man in the family therefore he should be responsible, supposedly role model and looking out for others instead of everything revolving around him. Dave, the man who tries to see whats wrong with the father is just used as a messenger between Jim and Barbra, then he gets yelled out by Jim: "I know what she said! I'm not deaf." The way they all act is almost like they are used to the behaviour from this father figure, that just tells us what kind of family they are really. 

Are these characters stereotypes?

If you consider the stereotype for the family who are living on benefits and don't have any ambitions to move forward, then yes this is a clear stereotype of a common family. The woman dressed in blue is represented to be a bit of a chav with her bleach blonde hair which is finished off with hair extensions, she also represents the typical pregnant lady who has probably slept around others just to get pregnant. 

The fact that she is on her first date, tells us that the man next to her isn't the father and will probably ditch her soon. Typical.

Jim is represented as the typical man in comedy who can't do anything right, they are suppose to be the people who are made out worse than they actually are, mainly to make the audience go: "I don't want to be like that." 

Are the representations fair?

Is the representation of state benefits confirmed or subverted?

I would say there fair, like I said above, they are all represented this way to tell and question the way the audience is. It makes them think without them really noticing. However not all families who live on benefits don't always act like this, most of them know how to speak properly and they know how to treat people in the correct manner. I would say that the state benefits are confirmed in this clip, you can tell by the way the house is treated, with everything cluttered, but they manage to buy a big T.V (I never understand that), by the way they are dressed and many more.