He went on to suggest three main perspectives involved in the way in which an audience responds to a particular text. This involves how the audience is positioned by the text and its subsequent response.
Preferred or Dominant Readings - this is where the audience interprets the text as closely to the way in which the producer of the text intended. If the social and cultural experience of the reader of the text is close to that of the producer then there is little for the audience to challenge.
In the video for Rihanna Where Have You Been there is a clear message that the audience can interpret which is; she is looking for a man in various places as you can see in the video. At one point she is in a desert, then a jungle etc. this reinforces that she is looking for someone. Many of the audience will be able to relate to this in everyday life for example relationships which makes it relevant to society. The mass audience of the music video will be Rihanna's fans which already idolise her and consider her a role model, meaning that they will not challenge or disagree with the video in any way.
Negotiated Readings - This is where the audience goes through some sort of negotiation with themselves to allow them to accept the way in which the text is presented. You may agree with some elements of the text and disagree with others. You may need to adjust your viewpoint to get the most out of the product you are viewing.
For this video the audience may agree with the dominant reading slightly. However they may disagree with some aspects and therefore make a negotiated reading. In this video the audience may not fully agree with some elements, like Rihanna looking in deserts and jungles because in everyday society that would not happen making it unrealistic and people would not be able to relate to this. Although people may watch the music video to escape everyday life they may feel that the way Rihanna presents herself is sexualised and that normal everyday people would not be able to present themselves in that way. This means that they disagree with the video but they may consider that it is just a music video and have a negotiated reading, and Rihanna is just a product of the music industry trying to sell her own products.
Oppositional or Resistant Readings - This is where the user of the text finds themselves in conflict with the text itself due to their beliefs or experiences. E.g.: a narrative is a soap opera that views a woman who is having an affair sympathetically will encourage a resistant reading in a person whose culture is against adultery.
The viewers may have an oppositional reading of the video if they cannot relate to it at all, and they don't think that this is a real representation of people of a similar age in society. They may not understand the dominant reading and the message that the producer intended making them confused. Showing Rihanna in a desert and a jungle location may make the video unrealistic to the oppositional viewers, as having a desert and jungle location cannot relate to viewers who live somewhere where there is not a desert or jungle nearby. However, the viewer may just dislike the genre that Rihanna produces and have no interest in trying to understand the music video. People may assume that the video is aimed at one culture and that is does not take into account other cultural beliefs such as, Muslims. Viewers who have cultural values may disagree with the way she is dressed and how she is dancing on her own and with other dancers surrounding her, as well as presenting herself in general.
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