To what extent do you agree with Tessa Perkins?

Tessa Perkins (1979) identifies 5 such assumptions;
• Stereotypes are not always negative (e.g. 'The French are good cooks').
• They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful ( e.g. 'upper class twits').
• They can be held about one's own group.
• They are not rigid or unchanging ( e.g. the "cloth cap worker of the 1950's became the
1980's 'consumerist home-owner who holidays in Spain').
• They are not always false.


To extent do you agree with Tessa Perkins? Explain your answers and refer to stereotypes in TV drama.


First of all, I agree with Tessa Perkins on the basis that stereotypes are not always negative or perceived to be degrading to a certain group or race. For example, most of the time women are seen as being the more faithful partner when being in a relationship with their male counterpart, who is deemed less faithful to their relationship. Although it is a negative for males, it is a positive for females as they are then seen as more trustworthy and this is usually a popular dynamic in TV drama or Film. 


Again, I would have to agree that it is not usually minority groups or the less powerful that are a popular choice to be singled out and stereotyped. A common stereotype is of "posh snobs", those who live a higher class life and look down upon their social inferiors; this often gives them a ignorant and hateful characteristic about them. However, in modern day TV dramas this stereotype is seen less of as the social barriers between different classes have since broken down. But in TV dramas such as "Lark Rise to Candleford" the lower class are in an entirely separate village (Lark Rise) whereas the higher earning class are situated in the thriving economics of Candleford; which sets the scene for the drama as it focuses on the differences in their lives and thus there will no doubt be a "posh snob" character who does not like to affiliate themselves with Lark Rise residents.


Stereotypes held against your own group opens a more varied debate. For instance, modern day teenagers may think that the majority of themselves are trouble makers even though they are not trouble makers themselves; but they see the stereotype placed upon them and may agree or disagree with it. Another example would be of a British citizen seen by other countries, that the typical British person would drink tea and eat fish and chips; and some may agree more with this positive stereotype as it is a common tendency among British life to do these things. 


However, I would disagree with the fact that stereotypes are not subject to change. For instance, before WWI women were not seen as the breadwinner of the family but instead this role was left for the man of the family to go out and work whilst the woman cares for her family and does house duty. But since then that social barrier has changed, when it was made compulsory for men to go out fight in the war it was left to the women to earn wages in factories and take duties that men would normally take. This stereotype collapsed again after WWII and it was acceptable for women to go out and work; which leaves us with present day, where it is the norm for women to earn their own wage as well as the man. 


On the last assumption, I agree that all stereotype are not always false. For instance, old men are stereotyped into being grumpy and upset with their unfulfilled life. This example is portrayed in school based BBC TV drama 'Waterloo Road', where Mr Grantly Budgen is a teacher of older age and is always depicted as being angry at fellow students and having a pessimistic outlook on life: 

Mr Grantly Budgen of Waterloo Road

In contrast to this, older men can also have the opposite stereotype where they are seen as cheerful and bubbly people; this typical stereotype is seen in the myth Santa Claus (although not a TV drama) this is the main cause for the opposite stereotype and thus incorporated in other characters.