example for (Stuart hall) reception theory
Robinsons’ ‘real love in every drop’ advert June 2025
what happens in the Robinsons advert
-child gets in trouble at school
-mother picks him up, negative body language
-child features regretful expression
-mother makes Robinsons drink for them both
-they laugh it off
preferred reading of the Robinsons advert
people find it appealing and see it as a family loving moment
they don’t take it too seriously
see that the robinsons drink brings out happiness/loving moments
oppositional reading of the Robinsons advert
people disagree with the ‘happy’ message and think it condones misbehaviour which builds cheeky behaved kids
this view came typically from teachers/parents
real comments from people responding to the advert
‘sexist that the mother has to leave work and deal with the child’
‘undermines teacher authority’
both oppositional.
what did Robinson’s say in response to the backlash from the oppositional readers
the ad was ‘designed to highlight the meaningful connections between parents and children. No matter the challenge, love prevails’
example for (Stuart Hall) stereotype theory (hegemony)
David Attenborough
how does David Attenborough link to hegemony
British, straight, white, wealthy, male (most represented group within media)
he uses his hegemony positively to make a difference and spread awareness
he is trusted by the audience, seen as a ‘national treasure’
what has David Attenborough done recently that proves he uses hegemony positively
brought out a new documentary
made to bring awareness to the environment’s bad state and show what we can do to help
‘Ocean with David Attenborough’
example for (Stuart hall) representation theory
The Iraq war presented differently, from different perspectives in films
which 3 films represent the Iraq war
American sniper
Iraq war hour zero
Warfare
how does American sniper represent the Iraq war
American POV
man choosing between his country, family, and himself
how does Iraq war hour zero represent the Iraq war
Iraqs POV
shows the impact of war on young children
documentary format
how does Warfare represent the Iraq war
American POV
shows the story of a US Navy SEAL platoon surveillance mission gone wrong
representation/stereotype (Stuart Hall) of working class/poverty example
I, Daniel Blake (2016) Drama
Benefits Street (2014) Documentary
This Country (2017) Sitcom
The Guardian Headline
description of I, Daniel Blake storyline
depicts the life of a widowed 59yr old man who looks for work after enduring a heart attack
met with a single mother trying to navigate the challenges of life, the British welfare system, and benefits.
how does I, Daniel Blake link to representation/stereotype theory
-the characters do not feed into the typical ‘poor’ stereotype. It challenges Stuart Hall’s theory.
-the film subverts it by portraying the character’s struggles within the welfare system with dignity and complexity
-It humanises them, creating sympathy to the reality of the system
description of Benefits Street content
follows the lives of residents on James Turner Street (Birmingham) where there was crime, unemployment etc.
why was Benefits Street controversial?
-it was revealed the statistics presented were over-exaggerated
-the scenes were edited to misrepresent the people with a negative portrayal
-it was told that 90% of the working age residents were receiving out of work benefits, it was actually closer to 30%
how does Benefits Street link to the representation/stereotype theory
it was edited to present the residents as lazy, dependant, and focus on petty crime.
This misrepresents the people to fit the ‘poor’ stereotype
how does Benefits Street link to Stuart Hall’s reception theory
oppositional reading: people were concerned about the false negative portrayal
Preferred reading: the negative portrayal encouraged the audience to feel above the residents, horrified by the lifestyle but inclined to keep watching -povity porn
The Guardian Headline
Children in England’s most deprived areas ‘less likely to achieve developmental goals by age 5’
description of The Guardian headline
Unicef UK found they were over twice as far from target of 75% of pre-schoolers reaching ‘good level of development’
Assassins creed mainstream video game
owner: Ubisoft
apart of a conglomerate
franchise featuring 12 incarnations of the game
uses both horizontal and vertical integration
