A2 Media Genre Theorists, Strengths and Weaknesses

1. Ben Walker AS Media A Jones
Genre
Section A - Question 1B
‘Genre’isa critical tool that helpsusstudytextsandaudience responsestotextsbydividingthem
intocategoriesbasedoncommonelements.
The word genre means‘type’or‘category’.- FilmStudiesbyWarranBuckland
Genre helpsbothaudiencesandinstitutionstomake decisionsaboutwhattheywantto see and
whattheywant to make to supplythatdemand.
Genre theorists
Tom Ryall – 1978
Arguesthatgenre are recognisable throughthe repeateduse of genericcodesandconvention,as
howwe watch as the audience knowahorror filmisa horror film.
He suggeststhatthe typesof conventionsfoundingenresmightbe groupedwithinthe following
categories:
Iconographies(symbolicformsassociatedwiththe genre)
Narrative (structure,open/closed)
Representation(characters/stereotypes)
Ideologies(beliefsandideasof the ‘ideal’concept,themes.)
Buckingham - 1993
“The Mediadoesn’tofferusa transparentwindow onthe world.The offeraconstructedversionof
the world”
Traditional genrestendedtobe regardedasfixedformsbutcontemporarytheoryemphasisesthat
boththeirformsand functionsare dynamic.
He arguesthat ‘Genre isnot… simplygivenbythe culture:rather,itisina constantprogressof
negotiationandchange’.
Changesingenre reflectschangesinsocietyandourvalues.
Andrew Goodwin - 1992
Music videosare simplyanextensionof the lyrics.Basicallyshouldbe able todetermineagenre
judgingbythe lyricsof the song.
No.4 of Goodwin’s5ways:relationof visual tosong – doesyourvideoillustrate(show),amplify
(make general feelingbiggerandworse) orcause disjuncture (Readlyricsanddoa videoof a totally
different,unrelatedsubject).
Music videosdemonstrategenre characteristics

2. Ben Walker AS Media A Jones
Rick Altman – 1999
Arguesthat“There isno suchthingas ‘pure’genre anymore.Genre isprogressiveandthatitwill
alwayschange.”
He saysgenre issurvivingdue tohybridisationorgenresborrowingconventionsfromone another
and thusbeingmuchmore difficulttocategorise.
E.g TaylorSwiftbeing‘CountryPop’oniTunes.Due toherCountryroots and now branchinginto
more pop songs.
Strengths
Everybodyunderstandwhatgenre is:
- Mediaexpertsuse ittostudy mediatexts
- Industryusesitto developand markettexts
- Audiencesuse ittodecide whattextstoconsume
Potential forthe same concepttobe understoodbyproducers,audiences,andscholarsmakesgenre
a useful critical tool.
Weaknesses
Genre providesboundariesandcausesdivisions.Youcanbecome categorisedintoanareathat you
may notwant to be.Meaningyoucouldonlybe put intoa certainareas whichmaynot necessarily
suityou.
It can squashcreativity
Withoutgenre itmay meanitis hard forindustriestomarketor sell theirproductsmeaningthatthe
categorisationthatgenre bringsmaymeanthatpeople are tooleadby whichgenre a filmmaybe.