Theories of Effects

Theories of Effects

Various Effects (All Been Proven to Work)

Negative Effects (Negative Things to Audience to Ban Films)

-Hypodermic theory (injects message into your audience, etc doing drugs is ok, excessive drinking is ok, violence is solution to problems, abuse to animals) theory is that audience will respond in a negative way, going along with message. May work in some cases, but people are not all the same and are not naïve.

Filters that may block it could be their sense of morals, the law, and vegetarianism? Psychopaths who ‘copy-cat’ films do not have the filters to block it. Young people do not have the filters to block it that is why there are age ratings on films!

-Copy cat (relates to above)

Basically people seeing things on films and going home to replicate them. Martial arts techniques are banned for this reason. For example, Bruce-lee in ‘Enter the Dragon’, metal stars being banned for health and safety reasons- even going as far as colouring in the upchucks on the film poster.

-Moral panic

Basically an outcry by the media blaming a film for the influencing of something tragic. Effectively making a mountain out of a molehill to cause society to panic, eventually resulting in the banning of the film- ('The Exorcist' etc)

Indirect Effects

-Inoculation theory (used to be what BBFC worried about most)

If you watch a sustained diet of violence over and over again, you will eventually become desensitised (e.g does not shock you as much as it should do because you treat is an everyday)

Violence in films have grown and grown throughout the eras. Did not even have any nudity in films until 1969. What you have now is films that have passed regularly with a rated 15 certificate containing these violent themes

Real sex shown in films such as “Nine Songs”, “Baise Moi” (which was a rape scene containing real sex). Could be viewed to show liberalisation of these themes, or could be desensitisation

-Mean world syndrome (idea that if people are constantly watching violence in films and television, it leads them to believe that the world is much more violent than it is). Usually based around robberies, car crashes etc. Could cause a nervous disposition in the audience such as anxiety to leave their own house

Positive Effects (OTHER ARUMENT: People watch films for enjoyment to gain a moral lesson)

-Catharsis (more violence you watch can actually make you less violent. ‘Self healing’).

Violent games with murdering people allow you to vent out your anger for example and watching a film with someone playing out your violent thoughts creates the same effect.

-Uses and Gratifications- positive things you get from a film such as:

Pleasure,

Entertainment,

Education,

Role models,

Socialisation.

ARGUMENT

All theories appose each other, however are all based on different people. Not every one is the same. BBFC- Films are regulated and have a code. However, live television depends on people to individually sensor.