The video analyzes potential readings of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs music video "Sacrilege". The dominant reading is that the video criticizes the hypocrisy of a town condemning a woman for her sins while committing their own. A negotiated reading could involve being confused by the story or finding it unrealistic. An oppositional reading may reject the video for generalizing about women, showing a patriarchal society, depicting adultery punishment unrealistically, or being religiously or morally offensive due to explicit sexual content.

1. Stuart Hall
Audience Theory: Sacrilege

2. Sacrilege
The video I am analysing in terms of reception theory is Sacrilege by the Yeah Yeah
Yeahs. There is a dominant, negotiated and oppositional reading of all media texts
therefore I am going to look at the potential readings of the video. Generally
comment sections on YouTube presents the idea that most viewers see the dominant
reading and enjoy the video however there is oppositional and negotiated responses.

3. Dominant
The messages that the video could be trying to present as a preferred reading is the
hypocritical views of those that judge her for her sins although behind closed doors
(whether their desires or real actions) they also sin and would commit the same sin
she did. It can also show the inequality in men and women, as if the role’s were
reversed and male was seen sleeping with multiple people the reaction would be
different. Most people will accept the message of how all the towns people
condemned yet didn’t all recognize the unfairness and hypocritical views they had.

4. Negotiated
A negotiated view of the video could be that they like the video although because of its complex and multiple readings some people
may not understand what happened in the story. Building on this people could accept the idea that the people were hypocritical
however feel confusion over whether she really did sleep with all of the towns people or if it was showing the people desiring her.
Others could accept the story but feel it is unrealistic as in a modern society, (like the location its set, America) the punishment for
adultery is not death. Others could understand the video and then take a negative view of women and ‘slut-shame’ her instead of
looking at the other people’s mistakes. Some people could accept the message however disagree with the way it was shown. They
may feel that there is too much explicit content shown. Some people may also be confused at the order it is shown in.

5. Oppositional
Some people may completely reject the idea as they simply may not understand what the story is
trying to tell. Feminists could reject it under the grounds that it shows women as promiscuous and
negatively. It also shows the main woman to be looked at like a sexual object and people may not be
happy with how she is shown this way. Others could argue that not all women act this way and it is
a generalisation. They also may not like the patriarchy society which is shown and how the males
seem to have control over justice and decisions.
I believe people could reject the video because they could argue a whole society would not come
together and punish someone for adultery therefore do not accept the consequence or idea.
Religious people might reject the idea which religion has to play in the video. They may be offended
by the priests behaviour and how it is shown. People who believe strongly in marriage could be
annoyed at how marriage is shown and not agree with the cheating being shown.
The content in the video does show half-nudity and sexual scenes therefore some people may not
like the explicit content and find it uncomfortable to watch.