Active and Passive Audiences

1a/b). Two theories that are associated with the debates effect are The Hypodermic Syringe model and The Desensitisation or Inoculation model. The Hypodermic Syringe model is a short term effect theory which suggests that there is a direct connection between people who are exposed to violent images in media texts and people who use violence in real life situations. According to this model the audience is passive and accepts the images and messages 'injected' into them by the mass media. An example of this would be the tragic case of Jamie Bulger, a young boy from Liverpool who was horrifically murdered by two 10-year-old boys. The boys had apparently been watching 'Childs Play 3' before the incident, which fuelled many newspapers to imply that this was a 'copycat killing' and made people question whether the use of violence in the media should be tolerated. The Desensitisation model is a long term effect theory that states that long term exposure to the media messages makes the audience immune to them. For example, violence has become a regular occurrence in British media texts, so much so that it no longer shocks us because we are so used to it. Horror films used to create a sense of fear for their audience through their use of tension and atmosphere but now a days violence is becoming increasingly present in most popular horror films such as, saw and Friday the 13th. Because there are so many films that now contain violence we have grown accustomed to it. 

2) A theory which assumes that the audience is passive suggests that they don't have any of their own opinions and are easily influenced, robot that are programmed to accept and be manipulated by the media. It also suggests that the audience have absolutely no control over how they respond to a media text, they act in the way the media and its producers want them act- brainwashed by what they see. The Sensitisation model is passive and  suggests that people see something in the media so regularly that it puts them off doing it. For example people aren't violent because violence is highlighted so much in media.  

A theory which assumes that the audience is active treat the audience as opinionated individuals that have total control over themselves. It also suggests that they have the ability to stray from the crowd and be rebellious, making bold choices without accepting the media's messages. Katz and Lazarsfeld's theory, the two step flow is partly an active theory. This theory realised that the media wasn't influential enough to control people, but it was part of a larger system called situated culture. It implies that information received by the media using the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders, which influences the audience in a non direct way. This is active because opinion leaders are audience members too, and they will have to make a mindful decision about the media text therefore being active. Also the audience members are forced to find an opinion leader which makes them active. 

3) I think that the statement violence in television and film causes violent behaviour is incorrect because it suggests that we have no choice as to how we behave. As an audience member we are often effected by the media, however overall we as individuals have the ability to determine what we do about it. Just because a media text effects you, it doesn't necessarily make you do what it is suggesting. The Hypodermic Syringe model which would support this statement also does not take into account any other factors which could influence a person behaviour such as mental health or general personality. Millions of people watched 'The Dark Night Rises' which involves a lot of violence, and if this theory was true, surely this would mean millions of people would have suddenly become very violent. But after the release of this film the world crime rates remained pretty similar and overall it had little/no effect of the violence of its audience members. 

4) I think that the active audience theories are more acceptable than the passive audience theories because they actually recognise the audience of individuals that can make up their own minds, and behave in the way they want to. The passive theories seem to suggest that every audience member is part of the same group who all react to media texts in exactly the same way, which influences them to all act in exactly the same way- the way intended by the media or it producers.  The 4C's is a perfect example of this. The 4C's suggests that every single person in the world fits into one of their 4 categories- The Mainstream, The Explorer, The Aspirer or The Succeeder. The Mainstream is the largest of these groups and implies that everyone who falls into this category is exactly the same. However after completing various surveys and questionnaires to see which I fell under I quickly realised that although some of the characteristic did describe me, other people who where also in the same group had some similarities to me, however we where all individuals that were also very different. The passive audience theory fails to realise that everyone is different, and hold the ability to  form there own opinions and have the option to behave rebelliously. 

5) A media text that I particularly enjoy is "First Dates", a channel 4, reality TV show which follows a couple as they enjoy (or hate) a blind date. One of the main reasons that I enjoy it is because it offers a source of entertainment and escapism. The programme is humorous and easy-to-watch which means that I can watch it and relax without having to put any real thought or effort into it. The diverse and vibrant daters make me laugh with their flustered small talk and cringe worthy chat up lines, creating a sense of enjoyment and also allows me to forget the things around me for an hour each week, creating an escape. The show takes full advantage of Britain's diverse population, inviting daters of all different ages, sexualities and personalities. This allows me to personally identify with some of them. Relationships are a common part of most peoples lives, and this combined with the range of people means that it attracts a very large mainstream audience which then makes it a very popular topic for social interaction. My friends also watch the programme and we often discuss it face to face or occasionally over text whilst the programme is on. It makes me more aware of the conversation and also allows me to join in. #firstdates regularly trends on Twitter which also allows me to connect with people from across the country that share my love for the show, creating a lot of conversation and debate. 

6.a/b) 
This advert is for Dove skin care products, which questions conventional beauty offering alternatives to the size 0, 20 year old models who currently dominate in advertisements. 

The first woman is standing with her arms behind her head, with a straight posture and smiling portraying her confidence and showing that she is comfortable in her own body. This also makes it look very posed, as if she is imitating a more traditional model. The second woman is only photographed from the neck upwards which allows her features to become more visible, emphasising her age. She is looking straight down the camera lens which instantly makes the audience form more of a connection with her. It also creates a strong sense of sincerity and makes her look very proud which is highlighted by her smile. A preferred reading of this would be to realise that everyone is beautiful, no matter what size or age you are which is shown by the use of unconventional, diverse models. It also has the questions layer out in a questionnaire kind of format which invites the audience to make their own mind up. A preferred reading would mean that the audience would answer the questions and become more physically involved in the advertisement, making them feel like they could help make a difference. They want the audience to believe that by buying their product they can be more confident in their own skin whilst supporting their campaign for real beauty. 

If I was to take an oppositional reading, I would look at the line that says, "Does beauty on squeeze into size 8?". This could suggest that people that aren't seen to have the bodies of "real women" because they are so slim, aren't as beautiful as those that do. I would also realise that Dove sells beauty. Dove sells the idea of what beauty is. If women did actually believe that they were beautiful, as they are trying to suggest, nobody would bother to buy their product and they would be losing sales. This would make me think that the advert is not sincere. By drawing so much attention to beauty it is also promoting the ideology that appearance and social acceptance are the most important things in life. It is very shallow and does not reference anything other that beauty. Although it appears to want to make people feel more confident, it is actually drawing attention to their flaws and implying that people will judge you solely on appearance even giving people the option to decide whether the models are wrinkled or wonderful, or fit or fat.