Cohen's Moral Panic:
A moral panic is a mass feeling expressed within society about a supposed threat to the normal social order and conventions. In 1971, Stanley Cohen named deviant groups as folk devils. The 'panic' that is created through this, turns other people against these groups. A prominent example of this, that is still witnessed today, is the British press reflecting immigrants in a negative light to turn the public against them, and the nations that they originate from.
Richard Dyer's Star Theory:
Richard Dyer theorised that instead of being a person, they were simply an image created for audiences. He based his theory on two paradoxes; with the star having to be present yet absent, while being both ordinary and extraordinary. Dyer said that they were commodities, ultimately being produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.
Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory:
Laura Mulvey, a British feminist and film theorist, came up with a theory in 1975 called the 'Male Gaze Theory'. Within this theory, Mulvey stated that cinema audiences look at films in two different ways, fetishistically and voyeuristically. She states that this results in two effects, a narcissistic identification of an ideal shown on the screen as well as the objectification of females. Mulvey used her theory to prove that the media of the time and to much extent today, is created on the basis of satisfying males, with females being used as mere 'objects of desire for their visual pleasure'. This theory has formed the basis of many arguments used by feminists who campaigned for women's representation in the media.
No comments:
Post a Comment