Leon Festinger.

Stereotypes shape the public opinion. They are narrative shortcuts which orientate the audiences expectations. Some people argue that stereotypes are fixed and unchanging. (Mass audience and hypothermic theory).

Festinger believes we resist changing out opinions unless faced with overwhelming evidence against what we believe. Cognitive dissonance is when our 'brain' encounters new ideas and rejects them because they don't match our expectations. (Reflective/two way flow).

Age

• Babies - cute, target (aspirational) audience is children mainly.
• Children - child characters act more mature, making children want to be more mature than they actually are.
• Teenagers - cool characters with an action packed life, not realistic, kids look up to them,everyday aspects of life (such as school) are ignored, older teenagers are seen to be put into categories (chavs, geeky guys/girls, ditzy blonde ect).
• Skins - druggies, drop-outs, have over exaggerated lives, seems more glamorised.
• Young adults - good looking, perfect people, the 'ideal' age that people want.
• Older women - sophisticated, glamorous.
• Older men - glamorous, powerful.
• Old people - weak, old, war heroes, crazy.

Ability/Disability

• Clothing - 'house wear' because they are supposedly spending a lot of time indoors, comfortable, warm.
• Setting - run down bungalows that need work, untidy, dirty because they can't clean up after themselves.
• Camera angles - looks down on the disabled characters making them look small and powerless. There is normally also a helper in the shot.
• Programmes focus on the disability rather than the character.
• Personality traits - stupid or supremely evil characters. People also assume that they have a mental deficiency.

Gender

• Women - seen to wear dresses (ladies sign), long hair, weak, house wife, small, less responsibility than a man, prone to crying/overreacting.
• Men - wear trousers (mens sign) short hair, strong, more money, working, big, patriarchal, more supportive/protective, stoic.
• Men do more fighting, more aggressive/violent than women.
• Because men film and create TV programmes they understand what it is like to see things from a men's point of view, rather than a women's, so all programmes and such are filmed in a 'male gaze'.
• Representations of men: strength (physical and intellectual), power, sexual attractiveness, physique and independence of thought/action.
• Representations of women: beauty, size/physique, sexuality, emotional and relationships.