What ways do audiences take pleasure from media products?
David Gauntlet - Uses and Gratifications Theory:
Similar Lifestyles - seeing people of similar age/social situation/with similar ideologies to target audience.
Escapism - by assuming that the life of the target audience is flawed, a media product can temporarily allow a perfect world to live in.
Surveillance - allows target audience to see situations and people that they would not normally see.
Sexual Gratification - where the target audience take pleasure in seeing people they find attractive.
Social Interaction - where the audience are able to use the media product to make friends and integrate in society.
Page/description of textual elements (see toolkit)
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Target audience demographic and audience appeal
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Audience interpretations (making reference to Hall), making reference social, cultural and historical circumstances
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Possible audience uses and gratifications (Gauntlet)
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| Front cover of Woman 1960's magazine. | Middle aged women in the 1960's. Typically women that take the role of mother and housewife. | The hair and costume of the subject on the front cover is very contextual to its time. | The front cover could act as an escapism for women during this time as they may have a flawed life where they don't have much purpose. This front cover allows them to depict a perfect life with attractive looks, and they can desire to have this look. |
| Front cover of Adbusters alternative magazine. | Young adults, mixed genders. Specifically targeted to people who are interested in helping improve society eg. global warming/ | This front cover weirdly conforms to the gender stereotype that men are aggressive. The body language and facial expression portray the image that men are genetically violent. | This magazine would fit best with the surveillance use and gratification as the magazine is very informative. |
