Audience theory evaluation

The hypodermic needle-This theory suggests that a media text injects its ideas, values and attitudes straight into the passive audience.for example horror films are classified 18 because of the messages are deemed too frightening for a younger audience (the human centipede 2-banned altogether).our film incorporates the message of every time a girl is walking alone in the woods she is either being stalked in a vulnerable position or being chased by someone.

What does the theory suggest?	Strengths?	Weaknesses?
The theory is injected in the audience like a syringe used to inject a drug into the body, and it directly injects a message into the minds of the audience.	The approach draws attention to the power that media producers have, and to the importance of the forms of media to which audiences have access.	The “injected” audience is seen as passive and powerless, however they have they are smart and create their own perceptions of the media. It also suggests that all people think the same way, however we are each individuals and have our own ways of thinking-creating our own perceptions.

Reception Theory-This theory suggests that a media text is not passively accepted by the audience,the viewer interprets the meaning of the text based on their own cultural experiences and the meaning of the text is created through the relationship between the text and the reader.

What does the theory suggest?	Strengths?	Weaknesses?
Audiences are seen as active producers of meaning, rather than as merely consumers of media meanings. They make sense of media texts according to their social position and their gender.	This approach values highly the specific, personal and contextualised responses of individuals and groups. People’s life experiences are important influences which enable them to make active choices as members of media audiences.	The readings and responses of the audience are given more emphasis rather than the institutional aspects of the media. Some researchers can get side-tracked into analysing audience lifestyles, and thus media reception is sometimes neglected in favour of a more holistic sociological approach.

Uses and gratification-In the 1970s, media theorists Blumler and Katz presented their model of audience uses and gratifications, declaring that there were five main reasons why audiences consumed media texts: To be informed and educated,In order to identify with characters and situations,To be entertained,To enable themselves to socially interact with others (by watching, listening or reading together or through discussion of what they've see, read or heard),To escape from their daily troubles and woes.

What does the theory suggest?	Strengths?	Weaknesses?
Instead of researching what the media do to the audience, this approach studies what the audience does with the media. This approach also takes account of people’s personalities and personal needs.	The audience is seen as active and reasonably intelligent. Life experience in general is regarded as more influential than experience of media. The pleasures that the media offer audiences are not regarded as negative.	Too much optimism about the ‘power’ and ‘choices’ of an active audience can distract us from the power certain texts have, or the influence that media institutions and ownership may have on texts and understandings.

The male gaze-Laura Mulvey came up with the term ‘male gaze’ and she argues that in films the audience view the film from a heterosexual male point of view;Woman may be objectified in films for the pleasure of the male viewer.Characters/narratives etc may be designed to appeal to a male audience.Rachel's character of the young vulnerable girl is the main male gaze character to attract the younger audiences to watch as she is a good looking character amongst normal looking men.

Utopian solution theory-Richard Dyer states that entertainment texts offer audiences a ‘Utopian’ or perfect ideal that they can access through media consumption.This ‘utopia’ is in contrast to the imperfections and difficulties audiences face in their own lives.The Utopian Solution theory is in evidence as the audience is positioned to see Katniss Everdeen try and overcome great odds and succeed in winning the tournament and protecting her loved ones and we will take pleasure from her triumph.

The cultivation theory-This theory also treats the audience as passive and it suggests that repeated exposure to the same message, such as an advertisement, will have an effect on the audiences attitudes and values. A similar idea is know as desensitisation-which suggests that long term exposure to violent media makes the audience less likely to be shocked by violence and more likely to behave in that manner.

What does the theory suggest?	Strengths?	Weaknesses?
As audiences watch more television or films, they gradually develop certain views about the world, some of which are false.	This approach draws attention to the fact that audiences gain a lot of their knowledge from the media and also recognises the important role the media plays in our lives.	This approach can effect viewer’s perceptions and is hard to prove if accurate or not.

The two step flow theory-which was in a previous post, sees the audience as individuals who are active and interact with the communication process and use media texts their own purposes. It is the active audience model and is considered to be a better and more realistic way to talk about audiences. We behave differently because we are different people from different backgrounds with many different attitudes, values, experiences and ideas.


Todorov's theory-states that a film and a trailer can be broken down into five sections. These sections are an equilibrium at the start, a disruption of that equilibrium, a recognition of the disruption, an attempt to repair the disruption and the final stage of where the equilibrium is restored. Here narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one,this narrative is driven by attempts to restore the equilibrium. However, the equilibrium attained at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium. Todorov argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disruption. The disruption itself usually takes place outside the normal social framework, outside the ‘normal’ social events.In terms of our film Todrov's theory is incorporated in aspects such as a group of friends being together before different clips of them being killed of in mysterious ways . 

For example:

• A murder happens and people are terrified.

• Someone vanishes and the characters have to solve the mystery.

• The character start to work out the pattern and track down the murderer.

• The characters try to catch the murderer by setting up traps and attempt to get the police involved.

• The antagonist is caught or killed and the characters live the rest of their lives, well the ones that remain.