The "hypodermic needle theory" implied mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. The mass media in the 1940s and 1950s were perceived as a powerful influence on behavior change. One of the most influential versions of this kind of ‘hypodermic’ theory of media effects was advanced by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer: the ‘Pessimistic mass society thesis’ which conveys ideas of a ‘mass culture’ for the audience. This idea suggests that the media has the power to ‘inject’ a repressive ideology into the consciousness of the masses (who are powerless to resist). The theory suggests that certain music video genres/artists such as rap or RnB deem inappropriate through the lyrics or themes and can create a change of attitude (usually for the worse) or creating an acceptance. The idea for my music video shows that I have used the idea of the hypodermic theory because the idea of depression in teenagers and how they are impressionable to what they see in the media. They have been influenced by music about life. My music video will be a message influence people with depression to take a second thought and think about the good things in their life. Rather than the influence of my video being a negative effect on my audience, I will use the video to be a positive re-enforcement to encourage those with depression that life is worth living. However, my music video won’t be one that will influence people's decisions subconsciously because I want the audience to make their own decision on my interpretation of the track ’I See Fire ft. Jasmine Thompson’.
This is the idea that the audience have an active role to play in the understanding of, and creation, of meaning within a media text. The pluralist idea is the exact opposite of a hegemonic one. A pluralist model argues that there is diversity in society (everyone is different) and therefore there is also choice (we can choose what to believe and what not to believe).The readings theory could apply to my music video because I feel that my message of depression could be interpreted in a different way which could offend people rather than motivate people with depression to live their life. I think that the lyrics from ‘I See Fire ft. Jasmine Thompson’, could be mis-interpreted because the lyric, ‘then we should all burn together’, implies that I am encourages people with depression to end heir life, which could offend people. However, my view is saying that people with depression should stick together and battle their demons to commit. I don’t think that my audience should mis-interpret my message because the girl ends up fighting her demons and waking up in reality. She also wakes up and walks out of the hospital to find that she can live her dream in reality, as she wonders onto the field.
Uses and gratifications theory (UGT) is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. UGT is an audience-centered approach to understanding mass communication. My music video uses the UGT because it will seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. The imagery in my video hints to the idea of the after-life and heaven which seeks out people’s religious believes. Many people believe in heaven and want to know that there’s something there to believe in when their gone. However, for people who don’t have depression, the video might not appeal to them. I do believe though that it will trigger emotions from the audience which targets what the audience wants to feels from songs, or at least my artist, ADDAL’s song.
It was Stanley Cohen, in his work, Folk Devils and Moral Panics. (1987) who first coined the term 'moral panics'. He defined the concept as a sporadic episode which, as it occurs, subjects society to bouts of moral panic, or in other terms, worry about the values and principles which society upholds which may be in jeopardy. He describes its characteristics as "a condition, episode, person or group of persons [who] become defined as a threat to societal values and interests." [Cohen, 1987: 9] Cohen goes on to discuss the way in which the mass media fashions these episodes, or stylises them, amplifying the nature of the facts and consequently turning them into a national issue, when the matter could have been contained on a local level.Cohen shows that my music video creates moral panic because I will be bringing up depression, which is a problem that isn’t discussed often in society. Seeing as I am appealing to a young audience but bringing the message of how many are depressed, it could be risky because they make not relate to that idea and may push it away. The scenes in the music video I will produce, will create a moral panic because I want to bring the topic of depression to the attention to others. The scene with the girl underwater in the bath tub could shock viewers because they won’t want to know how she got to the hospital, however this is important for the viewer to understand her pain. This triggers the audience to think emotionally about ADDAL’s song. Although my music video will create moral panic, it will be for good reasons as it will raise awareness about the problems people with depressions have to face everyday. I hope that it will inspire people with depressions that they are not alone and that someone hears, that they have a voice. I think that a way to grab an audiences attention is to shock them first, to get the idea out there, otherwise the problem of depressions in young adults is still out there.
Frank Parkin and later Stuart Hall analysed the readings within audiences as either dominant or preferred reading (the meaning they want you to have is usually accepted), negotiated reading (the dominant reading is only partially recognised or accepted and audiences might disagree with some of it or find their own meanings) and oppositional reading (the dominant reading is refused, rejected because the readers disagrees with it or is offended by it, especially for political, religious, feminist reasons etc.The pluralist model and the active audience theory could apply to my music video because I show that my audience have an active role in how I have constructed my video. I wanted to put across the theme of depression so that the audience understands the dangers if it. I wanted to bring awareness because I was inspired by audience of young adults, who suffer greatly from depression. However, my video can be interpreted differently because of the lyrics and the audience can choose what to believe or not. My music video shows that she stays in reality and ends up happier, however others could read it as her not liking reality as she walks out of the hospital she was trapped in.
