Page 132 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CULTURAL CONTEXT

audience. Indeed, it can be argued that the fundamental appeal of some
genres is not the plot, but rather, its worldview. For instance, movie
buffs may decide to go to the movies to see a particular genre—“I want
to see a comedy” or “I’d like to see an action picture.” Beyond any par-
ticular presentation, a fan of Westerns is attracted to their cumulative
worldview—wide open spaces, rugged individualism, and the code of
Western justice.
Each genre establishes its own set of expectations with respect to the
following questions:

• What culture or cultures populate this world?
• What kinds of people populate this world?
• What is the ideology of this culture?
• What do we know about the people who populate this world?
• Are characters presented in a stereotypical manner?
• What does this tell us about the cultural stereotyping of this group?
• Does this world present an optimistic or pessimistic view of life?
• Are the characters in the presentation happy?
• Do the characters have a chance to be happy?
• Are people in control of their own destinies?
• Is there a supernatural presence in this world?
• Are the characters under the influence of other people?
• What hierarchy of values is in operation in this worldview?
• What embedded values can be found in the production?
• What values are embodied in the characters?
• What values prevail through the resolution?
• What does it mean to be a success in this world?
• How does a person succeed in this world?
• What kinds of behavior are rewarded in this world?

To illustrate, when we watch a horror movie, we vicariously step into
a precarious world. Under the thin demeanor of safety, as represented
by civilization, science, and adulthood, lie those “monsters” (both literal
and figurative) that are fundamentally terrifying to humans. In some pre-
sentations, the characters are victims of supernatural forces (e.g., ghosts,
monsters, Satan, Dracula). But in other works, humans are powerless to
resist impulses within themselves. Many of the terror-filled aspects of
life lie dormant within us or on the other side of our normal life experi-
ence. For instance, in Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein, the inventor is

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