The document discusses audience theories and analyzes the film Fight Club using these theories. It summarizes three main audience theories: the hypodermic model which argues audiences passively accept media messages, Hall's reception theory which claims audiences interpret media based on their own experiences and backgrounds, and uses and gratifications theory which states people use media to fulfill different needs. It then provides a case study analyzing how Fight Club can be understood through these theories based on the film's content and violence as well as survey results which found most viewers had a negotiated reading of the film and would use elements for surveillance.

1. PR2: Audience theory and debates
When a media text is created there are three main theories that are used to
understand the audience of the media text and how they take in the contents
of the text. These theories are hypodermic model, StuartHall`s reception
theory and Blumler & Katz`s uses and gratifications theory.
Hypodermic model
The hypodermic model is a theory that was established in the 1920s which
suggests that as an individual audience member we do not have any creativity
and we are manipulated by the creators of the media text. Which means we
don`tprocess/challenge any data given to us throughoutthe mass media text
in our own individual way. This can be established in adverts as it is basically
telling people that they should get a productas it is the best an example of this
would be the newest IPhoneout (the IPhone7).
Stuart Hall`s Receptiontheory
Hall establish the encoding and decoding model (reception theory) in the
1970s based on his thoughts that the audience interprets the meaning of any
media text based on their individual cultural background and life experiences.
This theory can be spilt into three readings which are preferred (the way the
production company and director want you see it), negotiated (seeing it the
preferred way but having a slightnegative side to your opinion) and
oppositional (your views arecompletely negative to the production) this is due
to the person`s age, gender, social background, culturalbackground, political
views and circumstances of exhibition. This can be tied into the music video
‘Wrecking ball’ by Miley Cyrus, which when it was disused spilt the group in
half as some saw it as an exploit video so they had an oppositional view and
the other half had a negotiated view as they said it was how shewanted to
express herself but it discriminates the female gender.
Blumler &Katz`s uses and gratifications theory
Researchers Blumler and Katz established the uses and gratifications theory in
1974 that states people usethe text for different reasons. Thesereasons are
diversion so they feel disconnected from reality, personalrelationship so they
can find similarities to their everyday life e.g. family life portrayed by soap
operas, personalidentity so they havea connection to the text (they see
themselves in a character) and surveillanceso they stay connected with

2. currentissues and industry features e.g. music videos, any news and changes
in fashion. This can be linked to social media in all four sections as it diverts
people fromtheir everyday life, personal relationship as it connects people
who they know are in the same scenario as them, personalidentity as they can
update what is happening in their life and surveillance as it allows them to
know the latest news and trends before watching it on the TV.
Fight Clubcase study
After watching the film ‘Fight Club’ I decided to do some research into it to
create a casestudy for it. I found out that the director of ‘FightClub’ was David
Fincher who at the time was famous for the films ‘Alien 3’, ‘Seven’ and ‘The
Game’. Also, ‘FightClub’ was produced in the year 1999 two years after
Fincher made ‘The Game’. As well as I found out that the distributor of the film
was 20th
Century Fox who gaveFincher a budget of $63,000,000
(£50,469,592.09). Also I found that the uncut version of fight club is an 18
wherethe BBFC did not want to give the film an 18 rating for the version that
will be seen by everyonein cinemas.
Due to the amount of violence used throughoutthe film the BBFC (British
Board of Film Classification) did not award the film an 18 certificate at first. For
the release of the film into cinemas the film had to be cut in two scenes but
this only justgranted the film an 18 for useof indecent violence. The two
scenes where allowed to be restored for the release of the DVD version which
was allowed to keep its 18 certificate.
This can be reflected in Alexander Walker`s views of Fight Club which were of a
very bias oppositional opinion that could be referenced to be a view by the
hypodermic model theory as he states that everyonewill see it for its over use
of violence and will make males become more violent in day to day life, ending
up with a scenario of dictatorship where all masculine figures are in power
over everyoneelse (females and children) like the Nazis. This can also be
intertwined with the oppositionalreading from Hall`s reception theory as he
has a purely negative views about the film thinking nothing good can come
fromthe production of the film and suggests that the film should not be
released. Although, the BBFC had an oppositional view of Fight Club at first it
was not to the existent of Walker`s views as they gave a reasonableresponse
to the production team telling them what would have to be cut out for its
release to the public.

3. You can apply the uses and gratification theory into Fight Club the entirety of
the film duration, as people can be diverted by the film so you temporally loss
yourself to believe that you there inside the film watching what unfolds before
your eyes. I can refer to this as I felt as if I was pulled from the ways of normal
life into the realm of film.
Also, they can refer to their personalrelationship within the film as the living
style changes this could referencemoving house. I can refer to this as I know
that moving housecan make you feel like you are living in an area where you
are the only one living there until you startto know your surroundings.
Moreover, they can see themselves as the main character stuck in the same
job and routine day after day this refers to their personalrelationship to the
film. I can reflect this as normallife seems to repeat its self over and over again
day after day.
Even more, they can use this film for surveillance of how not to behave
throughoutyour life and how males got around being out of power due to the
creation of laws. I do not surveillancethis film for curtain points to change my
life. However, other people might view the film in a differentmanner and
might survey it for links to modern day life and connections for their personal
identity/ relationship and if it diverts them or not to feel like they are a partof
the film.
I have completed an exit poll on people who havewatched Fight Club to find
out their views on the film. Itwas also to find out if due to the context of the
film if people will havevarious opinions. By my findings I found out that the
majority of people who watched Fight Club are males in the age bracket of 18 -
20 years old. I also, found out that 71.42% of thequestioned people said they
learnt about Fight Club through ‘word of mouth’ by their family and friends
which lead them to say they haveheard of Fight Club before watching it in
class and 57.14% of themthought that there was “justenough amount of
violence used for the context”.
I also, found out that their star rating of Fight Club is reflected by their
preference which is mainly negotiated (71.43%) so thestar rating has an
averagestar rating being 7.57%. For theoverall thoughts of the film I got a
mixed responsefor whatthey like about the film which include acting, plot
twist, being interesting, well edited, casting, soundtrack and the idea where
the disliked opinions were“nothing really”, very extreme undertones and

4. confusing plot points. However, 57.14% of peoplesaid that they were not
diverted by the context of the film. Where 85.71% of thepeople said they
would use elements of the film for surveillance. Overall, I havefound out that
they were mainly 18 – 20 year old males watch FightClub with a negotiated
reading to it think that there is ‘justenough amountof violence used for the
context’ and have heard of the film before viewing it in class through word of
mouth mainly by their family and friends. They have a mixed view of the
overall film whilst not feeling diverted by it wherethey will useit for some
formof surveillance.
Fromthe responses thatI got I can apply Hall`s reception theory as they mainly
had a negotiated reading of the context of Fight Club due to the circumstances
of exhibition, their age and their social background. I also, can apply Blumler
and Katz`s useand gratifications theory as the majority of them said that they
would use elements of Fight Club for surveillance
These are the screen shots of the survey results that I got.
Question 1
Female: 0.00%
Male: 100.00%
Other (specify): 0.00%
Question 2

5. 17 or younger: 28.57
18 – 20: 57.14%
21 – 29: 14.29%
30 – 39: 0.00%
40 – 49: 0.00%
50 – 59: 0.00%
60 or older: 0.00%
Question 3

6. Question 4
Yes: 100.00%
No: 0.00%
Question 5
1: 0.00%
2: 0.00%
3: 0.00%
4: 0.00%
5: 14.29%
6: 0.00%
7: 28.57%
8: 28.57%
9: 28.57%
10: 0.00%
Question 6

7. Itwas too violent to me: 0.00%
Just enough amount of violence used for the context: 57.14%
There was the right amountof violence for the context: 42.86%
Question 7
Question 8

8. Preferred: 28.57%
Negotiated: 71.43%
Oppositional: 0.00%
Question 9

9. Yes: 42.86
No: 57.14%
Question 10
Yes: 85.71%
No: 14.29%