In this paper I will examine a show called Pretty Little liars and the influences it can have on its target audience, which are teen girls. I watched episode 1, 2, and 3. Eventually I watched the first two seasons. Just from the first couple of episodes I saw that the show repeatedly portrayed a lesbian teen figuring out how she was going to come out to everyone. It seemed that the show was trying to bring to light the issue of teens coming out to others. Ultimately, it seemed that the show was targeting this specific issue as well as targeting the age group in which this issue comes up the most. Pretty Little Liars is widely watched by young women. According to TV by the numbers it is the highest-rated TV series on cable for women within …show more content…
They gave websites that teens could go to as well as blogs to read how others came out and had success in the way that they did so. They also had a campaign to stop cyber bullying. In one episode, Emily tries to get the girl that she is dating to go and talk to a peer mentor. This is a person who has volunteered to meet with teens questioning their identity or struggling with the process of coming out. Millions of people watch this show and I am sure that teens struggling with this issue could possibly take note of these blogs and resources which actually do exist in real life. Creating awareness of resources available to lesbian teens can influence them to go and get help on how they should deal with this situation. One major stereotype that I saw come up was her parents thinking that her being gay just means she is confused and doesn’t know the difference. That part could definitely be a dangerous thing to do. I see the show’s intent because I am sure some people react that way, but it can really make that stick in a teens head. They can start to question and ask themselves what if they are right. What if I really am just confused? As I said that’s how some people react towards this situation, what makes it a stereotype is not everyone reacts this way. It gives the impression that parents will react