Task 4: Gangster films

From 5.30 to the end

What effects theories are relevant to this scene from a gangster film?

Scarface presents many ideologies about a gangsters life and the hyperdermic needle theory would suggest these ideologies will be "injected" to its audiences who will too adopt them. Some of these ideologies include drugs, money and guns are factors needed to live a poweful and exiciting life as all the gun shooting is exiting for audiences. This shows how powerful the media are and the responsibility that producers have over what they produce,though relies on audiences being passive.

The extreme violence seen in Scarface could mean audiences become desensitied to things like violence and other things seen like drugs. This theory considers that too much exposure to things in this scene like extreme gun shooting, blood and gore means that audiences will become desensitised to it in real life. This raises concern about violence in the media and if we see too much though, like the hyperdermic needle theory it relies on passive audiences, and it is hard to prove or measure its effects on audiences as there are many other contributing factors.

The copy cat theory, more pushed by the media iself, suggest that if audiences (usually children) see it in the media, they they will go and copy it. This text would be an example of a film that might lead to "copy cat" behaviour as it involves a lot of dangerous but exciting violence, but also its an iconic film and still today shows use it as intertexual reference. The theory reflects concerns of parents and communities, however it seems to be more of a moral panic created by the news. Though the Jamie Bulger case seems fitting to this theory, the suggestion that Childs Play 3 had a hand in the matter was finally dismissed by the court.

All these theories rely on passive audiences, but they can be active too, and this theory applies to Uses and Gratifications. This suggests that audiences take from a text whatever they wish. For example, to some audiences this could be "information" on what kinds of large guns are available, but to others this is just "entertainment" for cartharsis. This realises the power audiences have, though some might argue this theory give too much credit of power to audiences.

Finally Reception analysis and enthography suggests audiences create their own meanings from text basedon their background. For example, someone who has been apart of gangs and gun violence in the past may take different readings and views of this text compared to someone who has grown up with a more sheltered life. Though this takes into consideration people's life experiences, again it belives in the power audiences hold when the power is more likely in the hands of the institutions producing it.