Audiences and reception theory

1. Audiences and Reception
Theory

2. Effects of Media
Over the years there have been social and academic debates on the effects of
media on audiences. For example in 1957, Vince Packard wrote ‘The Hidden
Persuaders’ which talk about still images of Coca Cola which were hidden in films.
Audiences then got tempted and “brainwashed” into buying the beverage which
led to a huge sale of Coca Cola. Many people have said that that media has had
an negative impact on many people while some has disapproved of that. There
are two opposing thoughts, ‘Active Audience Theory’ and ‘Passive Audience
Theory’.

3. Passive Audience Theory
The passive audience theory suggests that the audience has little resistance to
the effects of the media. The limited resistant on some people brings fear as some
people think that they would be influenced into doing is normal therefore they will
copy the acts seen on screen. This theory is related to Packard’s theory of the
getting brainwashed. In 1978 Gerbner and Gross developed an idea of Cultivation
Theory. Which is a theory based on the idea of people thinking that violent acts
shown on screen multiple times becomes normalised in some people's mind which
then makes them think they can carry out the acts which are shown on screen as
they have become desensitised and passive.

4. Cultivation theory
In 1993 two children, both the age of 11, abducted a
2 year old toddler from his mother in a shopping
centre. He was later killed and police found his body
in two pieces which was the result of a train running
over the young boy’s body. It was revealed that the
young killers had a favourite movie called ‘Child’s
Play’ which was of a killer doll. The young boys got
inspired by the movie which then resulted in the
death of the 2 year old toddler, James Bulger. This is
a great example of a passive audience theory which
also backs up the theory of Gerbner and Gross.

5. Media and Moral Panics
The moral panic is a fear of different factors caused by media which threaten and
harm society. In 1972 Stanley Cohen’s Moral panics theory was an analysis of
how the media creates moral panic as they have a negative impact on people
especially teens. It was seen that teenagers who followed lifestyle and fashion
were often victims of being brainwashed which caused a concern for moral panic.
Magazines, films, games, music videos and especially social media.

6. Moral Panics
Moral panics have also been triggered due to body images. Music Videos go by
Laura Mulvey’s theory of The Male Gaze which makes women look highly
sexualised as they are made to wear very revealing outfits. This is then set as a
standard in sciety as women are being made to look like females in music video.
Many people often have resistance to the stereotypes however some don’t.

7. Active Audience Theory
The active audience theory is also referred to as the ‘uses and gratification theory’
which suggests that the audiences are actively involved with what they see on
screen. This allows them to consume whatever they want to see on screen. THe
active audience theory also includes catharsis which is when people can control
themselves and the use of the media helps them to achieve that. For example,
watching violent acts will make audiences not commit them and sometimes it will
be a motive for them to release some anger which results in them not committing
the same ats as the people on screen.

8. Passive or Active
I believe that both theories are true and we all are victims of both theories as we
have control of what we want to watch and see. There are obviously some people
who feel like there is a need to copy what is shown in the media for example if a
celebrity started a new trend then many people choose to follow that while others
are reluctant to go with the trend. I think certain videos which are really explicit or
violent should be censored or blocked by being viewed from children of a certain
age group. Such as violent videos games and music videos which use eplicit
images and language should have an age limit but it must also be the parents
decision if they want to allow their children to view these videos if they think they
are mature enough to handle it. However, we should not stop these videos and
games from being produced as some people want to express themselves and
show new thing to their audiences.