Who is the target audience for the show?

Gameface is a documentary focused on LGBT athletes and their acceptance in society, but also the daily struggles they face of being an “outcast” compared to the social norm. Although a film revolving around sports, I feel the target audience was everyone and the purpose of the film is to educate those on the topic of being transgender or homosexual in the heterosexual dominant field of athletics. I believe it was eye-opening to the discrimination and backlash that those who identify as LGBT face while trying to pursue their passions.

In Jane the Virgin, I also do not believe there was a specific target audience. If anything, I think this show would be more targeted to females because the main character was a female dealing with relationships and pregnancy. Some women may find the situations that Jane encountered relatable. There were many references and depictions of Latin culture, but I felt as if the show could appeal to anyone. It was entertaining and contained an enjoyable story line, although it may have been unlikely and not very realistic.

What stereotypes (if any) did you find in the show/characters/theme? What harmful stereotypes did you find (if any)?

I feel that Gameface did not embody any stereotypes because it was a true following of two people in the LGBT community and unique to their experiences. It did show how some male athletes were uncomfortable with their peers being homosexual in the locker room, as if they were sexually deviant individuals, which is unfair and not true. I think it comes down to those irked people being uncomfortable with their own sexuality.

Jane the Virgin portrayed virginity as being “pure” as it is commonly associated with. The show used a symbolic white flower to show virginity and it died away as Jane approached adulthood. The show also portrayed homosexuality, specifically lesbians. I think the depiction of lesbians in the show was very inaccurate. These women were portrayed as very feminine and sexual, sleeping with both men and women, and cheating on everyone. This is a very damaging stereotype. It showed lesbians as also sexually deviant and manipulative.

 

Discuss the potrayals of any racial/ethnic/lgbt audiences in the sitccom. Where they realistic?

In Gameface it showed the public reaction to those who are transgender and gay in sports. Many were opposed to Fallon Fox competing with females and booed her every time she walked out into the ring. Terrence Clemens did not come out to the public until the end of his college career. This showed society’s discomfort with athletes having “unconventional” sexuality. It showed where we are as a society and the inequality that is existent in our world today.

In Jane the Virgin, there was much portrayal of Latin culture. I am not knowledgeable to know if this was accurate of this culture, but it did not seem to be threatening or misleading. As I previously stated, the portrayal of homosexual characters in this series was poor. The women were very one-dimensional while the diversity of real lesbian women is broad. It is important to portray the variety of traits of individuals in the LGBT because the majority of the public cannot relate the experiences of those in this limited community.

 

What did you like/dislike?

I really liked Gameface because in class we discussed the topic of Fallon Fox and whether it was fair for her to compete as a female MMA fighter. I did not know much about the topic previously, but they documented that she was licensed and approved by professionally to compete in her field. After following her story in the documentary, I felt as if I had a more personal perspective of her lifestyle and viewed her as nothing but a woman. I believe she deserves to compete as a female MMA fighter against other females.

I liked how Jane the Virgin had a strong female lead and that she was not a typical white girl with cliche problems as many American television series follow. I think the show included a strong, independent female theme and I think that is a critical message to young women.

 

What was missing?

In Gameface  I think they could have included race topics in addition to the focus of sexual orientation. Fallon Fox is not only trans, but a woman of color. She did not discuss once about her ethnicity or culture and the way it played into her life. Terrence Clemens was also black and they did not discuss any race topics associated with basketball or the relevance of race in the sport. I think he could have had a lot to say about his experience of being a black, homosexual male.

In Jane the Virgin I think they could have gone more in depth about the topic of her virginity and her choice to do so. I feel as if there are many stereotypes regarding “virginity” and I think the producers could have gone more in depth with this topic without creating the usual pure image.

 

How valuable do you think this show is for the target audience and the group represented in the sitcom?What evidence can you provide to show its value or lack of value. Give your overall opinion (grade) for the show/shows you watched. )

I think Gameface conveyed a very valuble message to viewers. I think it showed that regardless of their sexuality, Fallon Fox and Terrence Clemens were completely normal people. They had the same passions and ambitions, but faced discrimination based on solely one aspect of their lives. I think it is important for athletes to see this and to be open-minded about their teammates and competitors. Acceptance is key.

Jane the Virgin created a sense that women were in charge of their lives and their bodies. This is valuable information for young women. Jane made her own choices about what she wanted to do with her body, kept her job despite her boyfriend asking her to quit, and overall made the choices that would make her feel comfortable regardless of what others’ expected of her.