Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Eric Haley

Committee Members

Dwight Teeter, Ron Taylor

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is a disease which has penetrated all aspects of society. But for many years, it still was characterized simply as a gay, white male affliction. Perhaps for that reason, various media were slow to react. Perhaps they discounted HIV/AIDS as having little newsworthiness or concluded that the general population would not care about this disease. Perhaps Hollywood was just following suit.

Between 1985 and early 1996, Hollywood had produced only 25 full-length feature films which dealt with some aspect of HIV/AIDS. Of this total, about one-half is comprised of movies produced exclusively for network and cable television release. The remaining half can be classified as movies produced for first-run theatrical releases.

This study examined twelve first-run theatrical releases which dealt with HIV/AIDS. Genre analysis was the foundation of this study. The study explored how HIV-positive characters were portrayed in these movies. The analysis revealed that HIV- positive characters in these films either have been "mainstreamed" for the dominant culture of society or else they have been assigned to one of the subcultures of society.

Essentially, HIV-positive characters in the dominant culture were portrayed as likable, non-threatening, and palatable to the audience. Often, they were "fighters" who handled this disease with dignity. However, in most cases, the more "real" physical aspects of HIV/AIDS were not considered. Also, gay issues were downplayed.

For the most part, HIV-positive characters in the subcultures of society were portrayed as being distanced from the general public. Primarily, they were gay men who deliberately chose to exist in gay surroundings, such as gay bars and clubs. Therefore, HIV-positive characters usually were strongly connected to gay issues. These characters were portrayed as people who are willing to believe they are victims rather than face reality.

The study revealed that major studios tend to portray their HIV-positive characters in the dominant culture. Probable rationale behind this type of representation is that the people in Mainstream, U.S.A. will buy a ticket to one of these films because the characters will likely be somebody to whom they can relate. Conversely, the study revealed that independent studios are willing to take more of a risk with their HIV- positive characters. Many films produced by independent studios cater to specific segments of the population. Therefore, their characters can be more "cutting edge" and less traditional. But, as a result, these movies may not gross as much at the box office as those produced by major studios.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS