Explore the different ways in which audiences and or users respond to your chosen texts

Explore the different ways in which audiences and or users respond to your chosen texts

Definition - Audience refers to the people who consume media texts. Audiences can respond to different texts in a variety of different ways. In this sense, we can see that audiences are active in their enjoyment of media texts. Active models of audience are more useful than passive models, as passive models such as the hypodermic needle model are flawed and far too basic.

Argument - I shall argue that audiences can respond to the texts I have studied in a variety of different ways. This is especially important with regards to the music industry, and audiences are especially linked to the artists, and audiences often have particularly passionate responses to music texts. For the texts I have studied, audience responses are generally created through using controversial and extreme themes, imagery and ideologies.

Context - I shall be exploring the examples of Kanye West, a hip hop/rap artist famous for his controversial themes and ideologies, Lady Gaga, a pop artist known for her unusual sense of style and association with the LGBT movement, and Alt-J, an indie/rock band with a unique way of marketing their music, though they lack the controversial aspects of the other artists.

Sources can come from

[music videos]
Social media feeds
Official websites
Articles
Comment sections
Religious websites?
News stories and videos
Live performances
Interviews
Album covers
Merchandise
Lyrics and production values
Album sales figures

Theories

Uses and grats
Hypodermic needle... to criticise
Reception theory - preferred, oppositional and negotiated
Pick & mix  

Key text one - Kanye West

• Yeezy fashion BBC news criticism, with screenshots of tweets criticising the fashion line. Comments on his inability to design clothes. This example media convergence provoked primarily oppositional from fans, and other fashion designers as well. West's album sales have consistently gone down, from 4million for College Dropout to 30000 for The Life of Pablo.
• Life of Pablo Guardian album review. 3 stars. "when a Kanye West album is good it's very good. So why does he have to show the world what a thundering plonker he is?". However fan opinion is mixed, with fans taking to the comment section. Even through the album is decisive, it still allows audiences the gratification of social interaction in comment sections.
• Front cover of XXL 2010. Black and white cover, with two Kanye Wests presented as a playing card, covered in jewellery, suggesting his wealth and hierarchy in society. suggesting the audiences are forced in to a decision as to whether to accept the dominant or oppositional reading of Kanye west. This is emphasised by the lexis of 'Love' and 'Hate'.
• Social media - "can somebody sue me already illwait  . Mode of address is direct and informal. Suggests that he wishes to cause even more controversy, therefore suggesting that controversy is an important marketing tactic.
• Article - regarding West and Kardashian using deliberately retro imagery to paint themselves as working class in a bid to allow audiences to relate to them. Oppositional response would be to be offended by fabulously rich celebrities pretending to be poor.
• Links to the Kardashian family - Fan criticism of his associations with Kim Kardashian, despite the fact his associations allow him to appeal to completely different audiences and demographic

Key text two - Lady Gaga

• Rolling Stone review of Joanne. 3.5 stars. Attempt to attract a new audience by softening image, and shift in genre. Born this Way on same level as huge pop artist e.g. Beyonce, however Joanne seen by many critics as a step backwards. Wildly unsuccessful compared to Born this Way.
• Artpop album cover - controversial, naked, and with specific focus on her vagina. Connotations of childbirth. Target audience young girls, for whom the image may be inappropriate. Preferred reading: potentially empowering women through childbirth imagery. However oppositional reading sexualising herself. Levy's female chauvinist pigs, contributing to hegemonic representations of women in media texts
• Far right american reading - Infowars - "Lady Gaga halftime show a satanic ritual" - sexualised imagery damaging to US society.