The Representaion of Gender and Region in episode 1 of Gavin and Stacey

Toy Blocks Assessment

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The Representation of Gender and Region in episode 1 of Gavin and Stacey

In the first episode of Gavin and Stacey, men are represented as untrustworthy, dirty and rude. First is Gavin, when he walks into the room, not caring about his mum being asleep, and talking all the same as if nothing was wrong. He also drinks milk straight out of the carton, which, as we all know, is a dirty habit. Another example is Gavin’s father, Mick. One of the things he does is trick his wife into thinking he was at work, when actually was playing golf with a few friends, Mick also has a go at his wife, Pam, for being fat and eating “half a cow”, being rude.  Another example is when Bryn buys a rape alarm for Stacey because she was going to London the next day and for all they knew, Gavin was a paedophile.

Women are represented as being weak (emotionally and physically) and unintelligent, with Stacey having a job that doesn't seem very profitable and that she smokes, promising to "start giving up when I'm was 28, and definately stop when I'm 30". Also the women in Barry Island are shown to be thick, domestic and not very strong- emotionally and physically for when Stacy’s uncle Bryn asks Stacey to attack him, she gives a week punch causing no harm whatsoever. Gavin's mum, Pam is an example of someone who is soft and weak, crying after she saw a badger mourning after all it's litter died.

Welsh people are represented as unreliable over cautious and unfasionable, shown with thick, welsh accents, and being poorer than the people of Essex in general-Gavin drives home from work into a nice home, whereas Stacey has to use public transport to get to a shabbier home. Another example is when the camera paned towards Stacey’s massive luggage compared to Nessa’s, even though she was only going to London for one night.

People in Essex are represented very differently from the Welsh, seeming more upper class and fashionable, also shown with accents, and being noticeably wealthier, yet the people of Barry think that  Essex is full of people wanting to hurt or rape you-Bryn giving Stacey the rape alarm.

Overall, episode one if Gavin and Stacey uses a lot of representation of gender and region to make a successful and entertaining series.