Exercise 5

Based on this week's readings, I found Zillman’s description of arousal and excitement as a result of audiovisual experience particularly interesting. Basically, if people get more aroused, they will have stronger drive to continue the media use. This is especially relevant to explaining the appeal of entertainment and soft news. Media involvement may also be indicated by such signs as “talking back” to the TV. There is one theory that well explains this phenomenon: Parasocial relationship (Horton & Wohl, 1956).  Audience members develop their one-sided relationships with the media being consumed. Parasocial relationship is described as an illusionary experience, such that media audiences interact with personas (e.g., talk show host, celebrities, characters) as if they are engaged in a reciprocal relationship with them. It can be developed to the point where media audiences begin to view the mediated others as “real friends.” I think it would be interesting to link Zillman’s notion of arousal to Horton and Wohl’s notion of parasocial relationship to see the dynamics of audiences.

In terms of audience participation, I find even defining the notion of participation problematic. Would you consider the process of audience interpreting media texts on their own terms participation?

McQuail says that there is an increasing trend for media content to be produced deliberately for international audience. This applies largely to films, pop music and TV dramas. Although this is indeed true, there’s another face of transnational media culture: Buying a format from one country and create a remake version (e.g. American horror films originally from Asia, American Idol, Korean variety TV show Running Man, etc.). I think targeting directly at international audience is risky; you have to be skillful enough to hybridize different cultural elements (e.g., the East vs. the West). Otherwise, you will be just pursuing/portraying universal values.

When explaining about an audience for a foreign product, McQuail mentions Hoskins’ and Mirus’ work on “cultural discount.” It mainly focuses on the linguistic aspect as an obstacle of media cultural product flow across the borders. Hoskins and Mirus addressed that American people dislike (or are unfamiliar with) to watch a program or movie with subtitles, so it is hard for other cultural products to permeate into America. I think this is by doubt true since English has become a lingua franca, which some scholars refer to is as a cultural imperialism.

The true extent of international audience formation is largely unknown. However, one tangible space to see at least some of the actual international audience would be a concert hall or a fan meeting.

Hoskins, C., & Mirus, R. (1988). Reasons for the US dominance of the international trade in television programs. Media, Culture and Society, 10, 499-515.