Page 64 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

FORMULAIC ANALYSIS

Stock Characters

Every genre is characterized by its own set of stock characters. Stock
characters appear so frequently in a genre that they are instantly recogniz-
able. The appearance of stock characters enables the audience to become
involved in the story immediately.
Even unscripted reality shows employ stock characters. Casting direc-
tors audition potential participants in reality shows with an idea of filling
stock character roles from among the applicants. The challenge for the
casting director is to find “real” people who fit into the following stock
character roles for reality shows:

• The Good Girl
• The Bitch
• The Pot-stirrer (someone who fans the flames of controversy)
• The Groovy Guy

Applicants face an intensive selection process: six rounds of cuts,
two extensive questionnaires, a medical exam, an intelligence test, and
the kind of background check to help them identify cast members who
“authentically” fit into these preconceived roles. Several producers have
hired psychologists, who participate in the casting process to make sure
that the finalists fit the psychological profile they are looking for.
In 2005, Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich of The Amazing Race
emerged as reality television’s premiere villains (see earlier discussion).
During the competition, they showed no compunction about trampling on
others in their efforts to win the competition. In one episode, the couple
stole a cab from another team to get them closer to the finish line. The
couple became so celebrated in their designated role of villains that CBS
broadcast their wedding in the Bahamas as a two-hour special, simply
called Rob and Amber Get Married.
Every genre is characterized by its own set of stock characters.
Westerns, local TV news, and soap operas provide examples of their
assemblage of stock characters, along with their characteristics (see
Table 3.3).
The designation of stock characters can provide insight into interna-
tional attitudes toward particular groups of people. For instance, in 2006,
Valley of the Wolves, an action/adventure film in which Americans fill the
role of the stock villains, was released in Turkey. The plot of the film in-

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