Character Profiles

'The Gay One'







Stereotypes of Homosexuals:

• highlighted hair
• physically fit
• bitchy
• hairdressing
• dancing
• feminine
• concerned with appearance
• gossip
• high pitched voices

The character of Maxxie in the first and second series of Skins conforms to the stereotype of gay people, we are first introduced to him tap dancing in a dance studio. He has quite a high voice and is wearing tap shoes and a patterned beret on his head, this adds to his femininity.
He is presented as very feminine, as a dancer and performer. We also see him high five his 'coach', however it is clear that the coach is also gay, by his posture and outfit as well. The audience assumes something is going on between these two characters. These conventions allow the audience to recognise Maxxie as 'the gay one' in this programme.

Most of the storylines attached to Maxxie's character are about Maxxie having homosexual relationships, falling for his straight friend Tony, arguing with his Dad about leaving college to become a dancer and getting agro from some gay-hating, ASBO boys on his estate. Although some of it may be exaggerated and unrealistic, these storylines are also very typical of a gay persons circumstances, falling for straight people and getting confronted by homophobic people and a traditional society.

'The Geek'








Stereotypes of Geeks

• Clever
• Outcast
• Poor at sports
• Awkward and weird
• Glasses
• Video games and computers
  
• No social life

The character of Sid conforms to some of these stereotypes of geeky/nerdy teenagers, we are introduced to him when he is lying in bed surrounded by an extremely messy room and he is presented more as the typical teenager at first, than the geek, with his Dad shouting at him as well. However when he's on the phone to friend Tony, he puts on his glasses and we hear that Sid is a 17 year old virgin and will even go as far to sleep with his best mate's girlfriend. His glasses and virginity add to the geeky stereotype represented by Sid.

The storylines attached to Sid however, reverse his geeky character label, he is connected with more than one girl and eventually finds himself a girlfriend, who is also very weird. He has many family issues, like divorce and the death of his Grandad and Sid finds himself failing college. As geeks are supposed to be academic geniuses, this goes against the typical geek label, also being associated with girls shows him as much less of a geek although the relationships he has are very awkward and he finds it hard to show his feelings.