1. Laura Mulvey
‘ Male Gaze’
Mulvey claims that films represent woman in a way that appeals to
the male desire.
For example, in a trailer for a perform, they may pan up from a
females legs past her chest to her face to make her seem desirable
and pay attention to her body.
It’s also noted that the audience is meant to see the woman from a
heterosexual point of view even if they are heterosexual men or
women.
2. Audience Reception Theory
Preferred Reading (dominant system of response): the producers intention and
ideas are clearly understood in the text which makes this the dominant values
within the text which is accepted by the audience.
Negotiated Readings (subordinate response): it is up to the audience whether
they want to accept the dominant reading. Based on their own experiences and
interpretations they audience ,ay read the text in a different way. Their may be
some acceptance of the dominant values but they may argue what is being
represented in a negative manner.
Oppositional Reading (radical response): members of the audience completely
reject the dominant and social values that is in the text
Aberrant Reading: a entirely different meaning is taken from the text which is
not what the producer intended. The audience does not hare values of the
producer
3. Hypodermic Needle Theory
This suggests that the media can influence society by ‘injecting’ their
own ideas, thoughts and message into society as an audience to trigger
a response from them.
For example, many post 9/11 texts have portrayed Muslims collectively
as Muslim fundamentalists which is in reality not representative of the
whole Muslim population.
4. Narrative Theory:
Todorov:
- 1) There’s equilibrium. The beginning of
the narrative is happy and everything is
content.
- 2) A disruption. There is a problem
which disrupts the happiness.
- 3) Disequilibrium. Everyone realises
there’s a problem and things become
chaotic.
- 4) Equilibrium is restored. The problem
is solved and everyone is saved.
5. Propp: 8 Characters
Stereotypical characters found in narrative
- Hero: restore equilibrium
- Villain: disrupt equilibrium
- Doner: gives the hero something, advice,
information or object
- Helper: aids the hero in quest
- Princess (Prince): needs help protecting and
saving
- King: rewards hero
- Dispatcher: sends the hero on the quest
- False Hero: undermines the hero’s quest by
pretending to help them. Usually find this out at
the end of the narrative
Narrative Theory:
6. Barthes: Enigma Code
Parts in the narrative is not fully explained
therefore is left to the audiences
interpretation and questioning. The
purposes of this by the producer is to
keep the audience guessing until the
ending is revealed and there’s closure on
the narrative
Narrative Theory:
7. Levi-Strauss: Binary
Oppositions
Narrative has binary opposites
which involves conflict
between the opposite sides.
- Good vs Evil
- Human vs Nature
- Black vs White
- Protagonist vs Antagonist
- Humanity vs Technology
- Man vs Woman
- Human vs Alien
Narrative Theory:
