use of wide angles and loose framing represents Yorkie as isolated and alone
her silence and lack of interaction suggests she is lonely and not socially confident
her glasses act as an easy to understand archetypal geek signifier
her order of coke suggests she is quite immature and naïve in comparison to those around her
her trying on different outfits suggests she is trying out different identities but isn't comfortable with them
eventually decides to be herself
men are generally shown as far less important than women
Men
Wes regularly harassing Kelly reflects issues of toxic masculinity and the way women are often subject to unwanted attention
men are generally shown as far less important than women and this may reflect the modern production date, but also targets female audiences
Women
women are shown as emotional, caring, romantic and nurturing which are fairly conventional representations of gender
however, they are also seen as emotionally and mentally strong, angry and independent which is far less conventional
the representation of women could be seen as diverse and complex rather than one dimensional
a female led/centric episode may have been created to be unusual in comparison to many previous episodes which were much more heavily focused around male characters
it could be argued that the episode still suggests women's lives centre around finding love
Kelly
Kelly is seen via group shots, representing her as social and popular
her outfits, hair and makeup suggest she is glamorous and confident
shot reverse shot editing helps to emphasise their differences creating opposition and drama
mise-en-scene frames them separately too, really helping to illustrate the differences in their personalities
Kelly is propositioned by several people suggesting she is seen as attractive
she tells Wes she isn't interested in commitment and that she doesn't "do feelings" creating a suggestion of independence
her character evolves though as she clearly develops deep feelings for Yorkie by the end
LGBTQ+ characters, particularly bisexual ones, are often very underrepresented in the media especially in romantic dramas
may help to engage LGBTQ+ audiences
Colours
bisexual representations are emphasises through the pink, purple and blue colour palette throughout
conventionally and stereotypically, bisexuals are often represented as promiscuous (having many partners) and non-monogamous (open relationships)
this episode creates a far more romantic representation of a bisexual relationship
Sexuality
bisexuality is represented as taboo in the eyes of some with Yorkie feeling uncomfortable to begin with
suggests that some people feel uncomfortable being "out" about their sexuality for fear of ridicule or discrimination
Diversity
the interracial relationship reflects the "timeless" nature of the virtual world, as well as the ultra modern reality seen in the show, as well as the fact that this was produced in 2016
the producers may have included this ethnic mix to appeal to modern diverse audiences
the young versions of the characters are shown as full of energy, enthusiasm and life
the older characters are seen in binary opposition to this, as dependant on others, infirm, in poor health and tired of life
the representations of age are therefore fairly stereotypical and conventional
adds to the themes about life and love and how fleeting these things can be
although Black Mirror episodes are often set in the future, they often contain elements of realism to help ground the audience and help them recognise the world created by the show
the producers include references to real video games and films to help create an easily identifiable "virtual world" from particular time periods
mise-en-scene and CGI helps to make the futuristic scenes feel real and recognisable, albeit based on fantasy technology
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