Theory

1. Lynley

2.  What it is: Most of the theories on media explained about the effects media had on people. It is the theory which explains of how people use
media for their need and gratification. In other words we can say this theory states what people do with media rather than what media does
to people. Also this theory is contradictory to the magic bullet theory which states the audience is passive. According to uses and gratification
theory, it is not so people make use of the media for their specific needs. This theory can be said to have a user/audience-centered approach
.Even for communication (say inter-personal) people refer to the media for the topic they discuss with themselves. They gain more
knowledge and that is knowledge is got by using media for reference. There are several needs and gratification for people they are
categorized into five categories.
- Cognitive needs, people use media for acquiring knowledge, information etc
- Affective needs, it includes all kinds of emotions, pleasure and other moods of the people
- Personal Integrative needs, this is the self-esteem need
- Social Integrative needs, it encompasses the need to socialize with family, friends and relations in the society
- Tension free needs, people sometimes use the media as a means of escapism and to relieve from tension
 Type of Theory: Communication Theory
 Negatives of Theory: The uses and gratification theory does not consider the power of media, More audience-centred, Positive point of the
uses and gratification theory is it focuses attention on individuals in the mass communication process.
 How is it applicable: This theory links to my project because it allows me to understand the audience and the reasons that they man
consume media text. For example my music magazine might be consume for any of the needs above.
 What have you Learned: I have learned that the reason a media text is consume can effect the product and what is created for, for
example a magazine might be created to release tension for a character and the type of article that is read would be light hearted in contrast
the cognitive needs would be a very different type of article or product and would look different. So as you can see I have to be aware what
kind of needs my audience would have a create the product suitable for them so that the magazine would be more popular and interetsing to
met their needs.

3.  What it is: The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man. It may linger over the
curves of a woman's body, for instance. The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: as an erotic object for both the characters
within the film, as well as for the spectator who is watching the film. The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film
fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. This adds an element of ‘patriarchal’ order and it is often seen in "illusionistic
narrative film". Mulvey argues that, in mainstream cinema, the male gaze typically takes precedence over the female gaze, reflecting an
underlying power asymmetry.
 This inequality can be attributed to patriarchy which has been defined as a social ideology embedded in the belief systems of Western culture
and in patriarchal societies. It is either masculine individuals or institutions created by these individuals that exert the power to determine
what is considered “natural". Over the course of time, these constructed beliefs begin to seem ‘”natural” or “normal” because they are
prevalent and carry out unchallenged, thus arguing that Western culture has adopted a dyadic, hierarchical ideology which sets masculinity
in binary opposition to femininity thus creating levels of inferiority.
 Negatives of Theory: A theorist by the name of Bracha Ettinger criticizes this notion of the male gaze by her proposition of a
Matrixial Gaze. The matrixial gaze is not operative where a "Male Gaze" is placed opposite to a "Female Gaze" and where both positive
entities constitute each other from a lack (such an umbrella concept of the gaze would precisely be what scholars such as Slavoi Zizek claim
is the Lacanian definition of "The Gaze"). Ettinger's proposal doesn't concern a subject and its object, existing or lacking. Rather, it concerns
"trans-subjectivity" and shareability on a partial level, and it is based on her claim concerning a feminine-matrixial difference that escapes the
phallic opposition of masculine/feminine and is produced in a process of co-emergence. Ettinger works from the very late Lacan, yet, from
the angle she brings, it is the structure of the Lacanian subject itself that is deconstructed to a certain extent, and another kind of feminine
dimension appears, with its hybrid and floating matrixial gaze.
 How is it applicable: This theory would link to my project as it would help me to realise what the best way to represent a
female character if I were to have one as the main person on my magazine. It makes me aware of what kind of audiences there
are and what they might prefer on magazines this would be applicable for the male side of the audience. Also it would help me
to be aware of the types of photos I used on the magazine so as not to offend some for my female audiences.
 What have you Learned: I have learned that photos for a magazine should be thought out carefully so that a character si
represented in the correct way also the person on the magazine should be appealing for most people not only for the male
audience. I will be aware of this when taking photos for the final product.