Representation in Media!

 

   

 One of my favorite TV shows is One Tree Hill because they touch on many serious topics and social issues. The show is known for the quantity of emotional rollercoasters, heartbreaks, grief, and strong personal conflicts. Although all the characters have powerful stories, one that sticks out to me is Haley James'. She got married, toured the country as a famous singer, and even gave birth all during high school. Even though she left her parents' house at a very young age, she was still very close to her mom. Her mom passed away on Season 7 due to cancer, this broke Haley and led her towards a bad path. She became severely depressed, shut out her entire family, and even lost her love for music. In the past music had always been her outlet, but during this depressive episode she was totally and completely numb. These events led to a suicide attempt. After spending some quality time with family and in therapy, she finally started to get better and even volunteered at a Crisis Hotline to help others that were also struggling. 

    Another heartfelt story shared on One Tree Hill is Brooke Davis'. Brooke is a beautiful, talented, successful, and selfless character who struggled a lot growing up. During her time in high school, her parents abandoned her, left her alone in their big house and only showed their love with their credit cards. She constantly felt unworthy of love and therefore searched for love by messing around with countless guys. She was very misunderstood and had amazing character development. Once she joined the big friend group with all the main characters, she was finally valued as a person and not just her body. She started a multi million dollar clothing company and reconnected with her mom. Brooke faced many obstacles and never let them change her. She was attacked one night in her store, robbed, and got bruises all over her body. She struggled silently to help support her friends and their problems. She always put others first and defended them endlessly. 

    Speaking of Brooke Davis, she was portrayed as your classic popular high school cheerleader in the first seasons. As the most popular girl in school, she was friends with everybody and was every boy's crush. When she wasn't in a Ravens cheerleading uniform, she was always in bright colors, tight clothing, and even a little bit revealing at times. She always had her brunette hair done just right and wore refreshing makeup. On the other hand, her best friend Peyton Sawyer was illustrated to be the complete opposite. Peyton wore darker colors and had messy golden curls. Peyton typically completed her looks with her iconic black leather jacket. Along with her grungy style, Peyton was seen as more of a loner who expressed herself through music and drawing. 

        This show follows many stereotypical views in regards to the character design. The popular girl wore sexy, bright, attention grabbing clothing while the loner best friend wore darker, grungy, timeless clothing. The show also reaches audiences who can relate to the character's struggles and heartfelt stories. Releasing relatable story lines fosters a connection between the creators, characters, and audience as well as enhances the authenticity of the film. Relatable content also allows for the audience to truly tap into their emotions and intensifies the overall entertainment value of the content.