In media, specific characters are usually represented in specific ways according to the stereotypes of that character. Representations in media usually conform to stereotypes that are seen in everyday life, this is so the audience know what to expect of certain characters. I have taken clips from two other zombie films and analyzed how different social groups have been represented in them and whether they conform to the common stereotypes in media.
I have chosen clips from Resident Evil: Apocalypse and I am Legend because they both show characters that do not conform to their social stereotypes, and pose the question; if in the event of a zombie apocalypse, would these stereotypes have changed?
The portrayal of females in this clip is against the popular media stereotypes of females being the damsel in distress, the clips show females wielding weapons and even saving a male character in a threatening situation, this is a complete role reversal of the usual horror cliche where females are the weak and usually victimized character. On the other hand there is also an example of the cliche female character in this scene (the news reporter) who is being protected by the other characters.
The main character in this is male, this enforces the idea that males are the 'stronger' gender as he is surviving alone (with the exception of his dog) he is also shown as strong through how he jumps through a window to try and escape the threat. On the other hand he is also shown as frightened when running from the threat which would be against the conventional strong, 'fearless' male character. He is also black, this does not conform to the racial stereotype of black males always hanging around in groups and gangs as he is alone throughout the scene, with only a dog as his companion.
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