Audience:
Uses and Gratification - Blumler and Katz
Blumler and Katz- Uses and gratifications
Stuart Hall- Reception theory
Hypodermic Needle theory/ effects theory Stuart Hall- Reception theory
Uses and Gratification - Blumler and Katz
In order to create an understanding of the uses and gratification within media texts, I have analysed a clip from the film My Sister's Keeper.
My Sister's Keeper
What feelings does this clip show ?
-Emotional
-Grateful for what we have in our own life
-Sad/Sympathetic for the characters
-Anger that we can't help
-Guilty we can't help
Why would other people choose to consume this film ?
-Relate to the story
-Understanding cancer related stories
-Feel grateful within their own life
-To display emotions such as crying
-Accommodate their own needs
Uses and Gratification Theory
We choose media texts for our own gratification as we act as an active participant . This means we choose what we want to consume and are not forced into consumption of products which we don't want. This implies it is what we do with the media rather than what the media does to us. The theory argues that an active audience are motivated to make their own choices, and it asks why do we consume from the TV, films, newspapers and social media. This theory suggests that the audience has social and psychological needs, which generate certain expectations about the mass media and what the media exposes the audience to. This model represents changes within the way we look at media products such as why do we feel compelled to keep up to date with our favorite TV program.
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4 Blumler and Katz Key Elements
Blumler and Katz identified 4 key elements which need to be fulfilled and gratified by the audience.
1.Surveillance
2.Personal identity
3.Personal relationships
4.Diversion
1. Surveillance:
This theory suggests that people feel better when they understand the world in which they live in and one in which they can relate to. We watch TV as source of entertainment which we can consume from to make us feel secure and safe. The consumer is passive and is accepting in what they are consuming. This is because we are assured that what we are consuming is correct. The media is a helpful tool in everyday life such as the News and the Weather. Even more so social media can influence how this concept works as fake stories can create a false sense of security. For example creating a fake persona of oneself online.
2. Personal identity:
Personal identify refers to how being the subject of the media allows us to confirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within our own society. This is found in music videos such as POP, stars often become big role models and inspire young children. This has a significant impact on the way in which the audience consumes a product . An example an this is throughout time, Miley Cyrus's personal identify has changed which has had an impact on the way many people now consume from her. We can associate and relate to the product directly making us feel gratified. Such as sharing our identities with the star to make us feel normal and accepted. Different genres allow different individuals to relate to a range of elements.
3. Personal Relationships:
There are two parts to a relationships, relationships with the media and using the media in relationships with others. Firstly an audience can form a relationship with the media for example they see TV as a form of companionship. This means we consume our favourite TV soap because we have a connection with the characters and can relate to them in our own lives. This provides an intimate experience such as when characters die in a film we often grieve for them as though we have lost a friend/companion. Also it is important that the audience make a connection as they don't only wish to keep consuming the product, but also the star/character. The more likely the audience can relate to the product and character the more likely they are to continue consuming. If a star appeals to a mass audience more people will consume from them and be able to create a personal relationship with the star. These relationships can help us to understand social issues we have encountered to help us deal with issues raised in out own lives, such as My Sister's Keeper. We can use media products as a form of emotional counselling as the audience goes a journey of comfort and support with the characters shown on TV or their favorite music artists. In turn this offers individuals a personal relationship of support/help even though the characters tend to be apart of a fake reality. Secondly the media can help build /make the audience create their own relationships in reality. For example the media can be used as a 'spring board' to build relationships with people. This can include having a TV program in common which may be used as a conversation starter, making talking to strangers easier. Finally research suggests that some families use TV as a stimulus to conversation by discussing what is on screen. A clear example of this is Gogglebox.
Gogglebox:
4. Diversion:
The diversion element describes what is commonly known as escapism. We watch TV so we can forget our own lives and problems for a while and focus on another person's, diverting our thought process. We watch music videos/films to take our minds off every day as it distracts oneself from the problems they may be experiencing, to make themselves happy. TV soaps can also tackle issues which the audience can relate to , such as teenage pregnancy in Coronation Street.
Music Videos showing the Uses and Gratification theory:
The Fry - How To Save A Life
What features in 'How To Save A Life' allow us to personally identify with it?
- Words of advice/emotions shown on screen
- Showing the process of loss
- Identify with the characters and lyrics in the stages of loss
- Emotion shown through facial close-ups/ body language
- Characters tend to be a young age to relate to the target audience
- Shows how different people are affected by loss
- No because many people are affected by issues of loss at anytime within their life
- Examples of loss: pets, family members, friends etc.
- Can also relate to loss of a friend e.g. moving away
- Younger people may need the guidance from the video
- Appeals to both a mixture of boys/girls
- Both genders experience these emotions and loss
- Identifies women as more openly emotional
- Identifies men with personal struggles (holds out hand as sign of help)
- Relevant to everyone as everyone will experience some form of loss
- Relate to the issues in modern day society
- Successful product as it appears to a variety of people
- Offers guidance to those in need
- Related to the main issue of loss
- Emotions
- Reflective on your own life
- Sad towards the characters in the music video ( feel helpless)
- Understand issues relating to other people's loss
The Script - Breakeven
What features in 'Breakeven' allow an audience to personally identify with it?
- Men can identify directly as its from the point of view of a man
- Shows men being emotional ( a sense of vulnerability)
- People can identify with break ups
- Memories of flashbacks
- A wide variety, but predominantly young adults
- All age categories as everyone can be affected by a breakup
- Narrative is more identifiable to young (it shows a relationship with less baggage e.g. no children)
- Not one gender
- Both men and women can experience break-up
- Men relate to the concept of the video being from a man's point of view
- Women understand how a break up affects a man
- They feel comfort as other people are going through break-ups
- Make men more comfortable expressing emotion
- Women understand what men are going through
- Understand how men experience break up
- Shows another perspective on a break-up
- Women can sympathise with the man's feelings
In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
Blumler and Katz 4 key elements of uses and gratification can be applied to Sam Smith's Lay Me Down.
Surveillance:
This part of the theory suggests that people feel better when they understand the world in which they live in. Issues raised within this music video can directly relate to issues in modern day society. For example the topic of gay marriage within Church has recently been legalised in the UK. Therefore showing this topic in a music video helps the audience to create a better understanding of the current world in which they are live in. Because the consumer is passive they can interpret and make assumptions about the music video. The audience see how different people cope with death in different ways within this music video and the audience then assume what they are consuming is correct. An example of this, is it can help individuals who think that men don't show emotions when mourning as this video shows a man with tattoos on his face, crying during the service.
Personal identity:
Personal identify refers to how being the subject of the media allows us to confirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within our own society. This is found in music videos such as POP, stars often become big role models and inspire young children
This is shown in Smith's music video because he is helping people understand the concept of gay marriage and showing that it isn't different from a heterosexual marriage. The audience of this video can directly relate to the narrative which makes them feel the music video is gratifying them. This is because Smith is sharing a real part of his life with the audience. Smith experienced a break up which could symbolise the death.
Such as sharing our identities with the star to make us feel normal and accepted. Different genres allow different individuals to relate to a range of elements.
3. Personal Relationships:
There are two parts to a relationships, relationships with the media and using the media in relationships with others. Firstly an audience can form a relationship with the media for example they see TV as a form of companionship. This means we consume our favourite TV soap because we have a connection with the characters and can relate to them in our own lives. This provides an intimate experience such as when characters die in a film we often grieve for them as though we have lost a friend/companion. Also it is important that the audience make a connection as they don't only wish to keep consuming the product, but also the star/character. The more likely the audience can relate to the product and character the more likely they are to continue consuming. If a star appeals to a mass audience more people will consume from them and be able to create a personal relationship with the star. These relationships can help us to understand social issues we have encountered to help us deal with issues raised in out own lives, such as My Sister's Keeper. We can use media products as a form of emotional counselling as the audience goes a journey of comfort and support with the characters shown on TV or their favorite music artists. In turn this offers individuals a personal relationship of support/help even though the characters tend to be apart of a fake reality. Secondly the media can help build /make the audience create their own relationships in reality. For example the media can be used as a 'spring board' to build relationships with people.
4. Diversion:
The diversion element describes what is commonly known as escapism. We watch TV so we can forget our own lives and problems for a while and focus on another person's, diverting our thought process. We watch music videos/films to take our minds off every day as it distracts oneself from the problems they may be experiencing, to make themselves happy. TV soaps can also tackle issues which the audience can relate to , such as teenage pregnancy in Coronation Street.What features in 'Lay Me Down' allow us to personally identify with it?
- Issues raised within the narrative
- Gay marriage within a Church
- Funeral and ways in which people deal with the issue of death
- Emotions Smith shows towards his audience
- Two gay individuals holding hands in a modern music video
- No because many people are affected by issues of loss at anytime within their life
- Many different types of people in the video e.g. young boy, old man, a guy with lots of tattoos
- Everyone at any age can experience loss
- Young children may not understand the concept of gay marriage within a Church as being a controversial issue
- This music video teaches not to judge people based upon appearances e.g. a guy with many tattoos is crying and showing emotions
- Appeals to both genders
- Both genders experience these emotions of loss and love
- Both gender types can be gay
- Both gender types understand the issues of gay marriage
- Gay marriage is a modern day issue within society
- Everyone can fall in love and get married
- Anyone can experience the issue of loss
- Successful product as it appears to a variety of people
- Teaches not to judge individuals
- Educates on the issue of...if a gay person can have a funeral with God surely they can get married in a Church under God's blessing
- I have gay friends who are religious and would like to marry in a Church
- Grateful towards your loved ones in life
- Sad towards the characters in the music video ( feel helpless)
- Understand issues relating to other people's loss
Reception Theory - Stuart Hall
In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
Hypodermic Needle Theory
The Hypodermic Needle Theory argues that the mass media have a direct and immediate impact on the audience. In the 1940s and 1950s the mass media were perceived as a powerful influence in changing societies behavior. There are many factors which have affected this, such as the rapid population of radio, TV and propaganda techniques within adverts.This theory shows how the mass media can influence very large groups of people directly uniformly by 'shooting' or 'injecting' them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a response. It also suggests a powerful and direct flow of information from the sender to the receiver. This model implies that the media messages are injected straight into a passive audience which are then immediately accepted by the audience. These media texts aren't challenged so the audience accept them. However this has been proved to be out of date as people are now aware of what the media's intentions are. Although the media can be viewed as a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver/audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. People end up thinking what they are told because there is no other source of information which implies the audience are brainwashed.War Of The Worlds
-1930s broadcast via radio
-1 hour broadcast aired on 30th October
-Presented in the form on News Bulletins
-People listening thought it was real and assumed Martians had come to invade the world
-It demonstrates this theory well as the audience believed the event was real
-Reflective of this time as there was no other way to find out if this was real
-Now shows that this theory is out of date as we have new forms of media texts to consume from
Negatives To This Theory
- Out of date and invalid
- Audience are no longer passive , other theories have shown this
- Don't all consume media texts in the same way
- Technology has changed how we consume media and the sources where it originates from
- More aware of society and how institutions operate
- Now used to the messages in which the media portrays so we can reject it.
In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
Firstly the theme of death occurs. This is theme in which many people are aware of because the the majority of the audience can relate and understand this issue. The camera pans across the various mourners within the church. This screenshot shows some of the characters reaction to the death.... The Hypodermic Needle Theory suggests that the reason the institutions have done this is to directly relate to a mass audience. However this theory believes the audience are unaware of this. I believe that this is not true as the comments which appear underneath the YouTube clip show that the audience are aware of the messages in which the audience are trying to portray.
Secondly the theme of gay marriage occurs. This is explicitly shown to the audience as the couple appear to hold hands. This audience theory implies that the events shown in this music video can be a dangerous means of communicating because the receiver/audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. However the message being portrayed in not seen as dangerous by many people within modern day society , This is because of changes in society means that most people are accepting of gay marriage.
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