The Influence Of Stereotypes In Little Britain

Televised comedies has often relied on stereotypes, ridiculing both the lower and upper classes, the elderly, the disabled and many more. Whether done in good taste or bad, stereotyping remains one of the most popular comedic devices and a group that receives a lot of this attention is that of the “chavs”. This refers to a specific typecast; a group of lower class white youths, stereotypically dressed in sportswear and branded clothing, adorning large gold items of “bling”. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the meaning of the word as
"a young lower-class person who displays brash and loutish behavior and wears real or imitation designer clothes" and on the popular cite for slang words, Urban Dictionary, one of the definitions is as such;
Chavs are part magpie, evidentially supported by their love of all things shiny…’’
This essay will look at one of the most famous “chav” characters; Vicky Pollard, from the hit television show, Little Britain. In looking at this character, one can discuss the media’s involvement in national identity and the effect the media (specifically television) has in reinforcing stereotypes on the lower classes.

Little Britain first began as a radio show on BBC Radio 4 in 2000, before transitioning to television in 2003. Written by David Walliams and Matt Lucas, it is an immensely popular television show broadcast by the BBC that, like many others of its kind, on stereotypes and crude humour. Due to this, the show has received criticism for its offensive nature and the way that Lucas and Walliams rely on targets, such as the elderly and the