dynasty is an American drama series based on the 1980s soap opera. the show follows the lives of a family whose main goal in life is to be successful and continue the family's dynasty whilst balancing the unusual everyday mishaps as Carrington billionaires. writers josh Schwartz and Stephanie savage say we now live in an age of family dynasties, and they believe that the 1980s version was progressive for its time and that they had to push it further for the 2017 reboot.
for this particular media product i have chosen to relate David gauntlets representation theory as he believes that today's media offers a diverse range of icons and stars whom we may pick and mix ideas. this relates to the reboot of dynasty as the show features a range of characters from different backgrounds, race and sexuality. For example, one of the main characters Blake is portrayed as a stereotypical white man who has a passionate desire and hard work ethic ultimately disregarding other people, whilst being the main 'man of the house' however the show quickly breaks down the stereotypes of the rich American white family as his wife, crystal, is Hispanic and portrayed as strong willed and is all for representing female empowerment whilst battling main character Fallon who sees her as her competitor and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Gauntlet would suggest that this is not so straight forward and that the show has done a good job in representing different kinds of people and cultures helping us as viewers to gather our own thoughts and opinions on them as individuals and somewhat relating to them on a certain level, not so much the materialistic one. likewise, viewers could share the ideologies of having a hard worth ethic and standing for female empowerment without the relation of being a billionaire.
another character in the show whose portrayal is particularly interesting is crystals nephew Sammy- Jo. known as Sam, his character is heavily stereotyped as we see parts of his childhood and past life before getting involved in the lavish lifestyle. he is known to be part of gang violence and drug dealing along with his parents then ultimately getting himself out and starting a new life with crystal. He particularly would relate to David gauntlets theory as he can show viewers that no matter the bad situation you may be in you can always escape. his work ethic is not as strong as other Carrington's however this makes him relatable to viewers as it shows that just because everybody else around you do have a drive and an idea of success it is okay to be stuck. furthermore, Sam is in a same sex relationship with Carington heir steven, Blakes son who is completely different from the rest of his family and has no intentions of getting messed up amongst all of the family secrecy and drama and is attempting to create something of himself to disconnect himself with the families well known title, the both of them both being proud of their sexuality and one another even if they get looked down on for it.
other characters such as Michael Culhane, a black male who is the family's chauffeur is also branded as part of the family as they all, especially Fallon welcome him in as though he is a second son however, we get to see the damage of being so involved with another family can have on your own. jeff Colby also plays a big role as we later find out he is actually related to the Carrington's, however at first, we see both his and Blakes denial as this comes as a huge shock as the secrets of affairs with Blakes late dad are revealed.
steven and Fallon also have the regular sibling relationship as any average family, sometimes clashing over small things, but ultimately are always there for one another, when need be, confiding in each other over not having a motherly figure for so many years and quickly having to adjust to having a new step mum. as a viewer this would be refreshing to see as it is one of a few 'normal' aspects of the show that certain viewers can potentially relate to.
in conclusion David gauntlet's identity representations theory would support dynasty's ideological views of a diverse group of people who, without all of the materialistic and some illegal factors are a normal family, who just like anyone else have their own struggles which viewers can share the same outlook on.
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