Page 31 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 2

(Horror films) enable us to engage with the fears, anxieties, lusts, child-
ish exhilarations and delusions of power that occur in our dreams. . . .
Critical inattention, then, is a form of collective repression. I don’t mean
in the Freudian sense that we disguise our true unconscious feelings in
our dreams—indeed, I think these feelings are only too apparent—but
rather in the sense that we don’t want these feelings to be rewarded. We
are dream puritans, and this attitude conditions our feelings about the
movies we like or esteem. 21

By “seeing” devils and monsters as they appear on the screen, individu-
als can (at least while watching) deal with these demons. Moreover, the
resolution of the genre, in which the monsters are vanquished, furnishes a
ritual by which individuals resolve their own internal conflicts. Of course,
taken as a whole, the flood of horror films conveys the message that there
are always new forms of the same old demons to take their place.

Fostering Community. Genres provide a way for individuals to break
through their personal isolation. Genres create shared cultural experi-
ences and offer individuals an opportunity to share these experiences with
others. For example, sporting events like the Superbowl bring people
together, offering individuals an opportunity to participate in a group.
Genres also can extend communities by transcending national bound-
aries. As an example, even if an American audience is unfamiliar with
Dutch culture, the formula for the Dutch version of the reality series Big
Brother establishes points of commonality that make it understandable.
(For further discussion, see Chapter 11.)

Comparative Media

Overview

The comparative media approach addresses the question: What is the
influence of the medium on a genre?
A genre is not confined to one medium. As an example, Superman,
which belongs to the Superhero genre, has appeared in print and on radio,
television, and film. Every medium is defined by unique characteristics,
which have an impact on how it can best present information. For instance,
radio obviously cannot employ visuals in transmitting information.
However, the radio producer can appeal to the imagination of the listener
through creative use of dialogue, music, and “natural” sound effects.

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