Intersectionality and the politics of media representation : Falling down (1992) and Flawless (1999)

This thesis investigates the complicated nature of media representation, elaborating upon two points. One is to question the notion of minority in media representation. By investigating representations in two popular films—Falling Down (1992) and Flawless (1999), it demonstrates the limitations of the universal notion of minority in media representation. The other point is to illustrate the complicated nature of media representation resulting from multiple identities of social groups, drawing on the theory of intersectionality. Through demonstrating the intersectional conflicts of the two texts’ representation of sexuality, class, gender, and race, this thesis argues that media representation should be explored in a holistic and inclusive way in which dynamics of power relations in representations are articulated more accurately and subtly