Media Diary - Week 3

Media Diary – Week 3

Text: 12 Years a Slave

1.       I believe that this text is targeting the Explorer audience type, defined by Young & Rubicam’s 4Cs model. I believe this because the text shows scenes that are graphic, difficult to watch and challenge the status quo within cinema. The film shows things such as rape, graphic violence and full nudity to make the film seem raw and authentic, breaking away from traditional values in American cinema. This change would attract the Explorer audience type as it is different and challenging and doesn’t conform to the standard within American cinema.

I believe that this text targets the people at the lowest level of income to the skilled working class. This is because it portrays characters that are constantly at a disadvantage in comparison with richer and more advantaged characters. While the inclusion of characters that are disadvantaged does not mean that the target audience is lower class, it can be inferred that lower class audience members can more easily sympathy with the characters plight and adversity through the film, making the emotional impact of the film more effective.

I think the media text is targeting Black Americans as an ethnicity. This is because it is a film that heavily focuses around the theme of racism, and the decision to release a film that centres around this theme during a time where racial tensions in America are the highest they’ve been in a while. A film in which the plight of Black Americans inspires sympathy within the audience would appeal to a Black Audience who supports the idea that racism still exists within America.

I think that the text appeals to cynics. This is because the text is designed to reflect the racial issues that are being discussed in American society right now. The cynic would be spiteful and cynical (as the name implies) of the racial issues in America and therefore the film would appeal to the cynic who would be more aware of this issue.