Genre Theory

What Is Genre?

David Chandler (2001)

Argues that the word ‘genre’ comes from the French word for ‘kind’ or ‘class’ – used to refer to a distinctive type of text

Barry Keith Grant (1995)

All genres have sub-genres – they’re divided into more specific categories that allow audiences to identify them specifically by their familiar & recognisable characteristics

Steve Neale (1995)

Genres aren’t systems, they’re processes of systemisation, i.e. they-re dynamic & evolve over time

Generic conventions:MES

Costume Setting Props Areas of Narrative Action

Continued…

Generic characteristics across all texts share similar elements of the below depending on the medium:

• Typical MES

• Typical types of narrative

• Generic types

Archetype = the first/original

Styles:

Comedy & animation are not genres – they’re styles or treatments

Jason Mittell (2001)

• Genres = cultural categories that surpass the boundaries of media texts & operate within industry, audience & cultural practices

• Industries use genre to sell products to audiences – they use familiar codes & conventions that often make cultural references to test their audience’s knowledge of society

• Genre also allows audiences to make choices about what products they want to consume through acceptance in order to fulfil a particular pleasure

Genre

Institution AudienceText

Rick Altman (1999)

Genre offers audiences ‘a set of pleasures’:

• Emotional (mental/emotional effect)

• Visceral (physical effect)

• Intellectual (e.g. whodunit in mystery)

Genre Development & Transformation

Genres develop/change over the years as the wider society that produces them changes – generic transformation

Christian Metz – Language & Cinema (1974)

Argued that genres go through a typical cycle of changes during their lifetime:

1. Experimental stage

2. Classic stage

3. Parody stage

4. Deconstruction stage

Music VideosMusic videos are:

• A medium intended to appeal directly to youth subcultures by reinforcing generic elements of musical genres

• ‘Pop-promos’ used to promote a band/artist

• Post-modern texts with the main purpose of promoting a star persona

• They don’t have to be literal representations of the song or lyrics

Some music videos have themes for a youthful audience, e.g.:

• Teen angst

• Rebellion

• Romance

• Sex

• Nostalgia

• Nihilism

• Coming of age• Tribalism• Bullying• Hedonism• Friendship

David Bordwell (1989)

“Any theme may appear in any genre”

Horror film = modern fairy tale

Fear of the unknown = monster is the ‘monstrous other’

Sex = death = sex is immoral & will be punished (in horror films) –werewolf movies can be seen as a metaphor for puberty & vampires can be a metaphor for STD’s & rape

The breakdown of society = post-apocalyptic movies are bout our fear of the breakdown of society

The duality of man/personal journey = conflict between man’s civilised & savage side

Segregation & alienation = 2 opposing cultures or beings going through a struggle to survive

Buckingham

“Genre is not simply given by culture, rather it is in a constant process”