Genre theory

Genre is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to texts by dividing them into categories based on common elements. The main strengths of the genre theory is that everybody uses it and understands it  - media experts use it to study media texts, the media industry uses it to develop  and market texts audiences use to it to decide what texts to consume. It is easy to understand and also it accessible and can be applied across a wide audience and range of texts. You can apply any theory to any texts and get a reading out of it.

Daniel Chandler (2001) argues that the word genre comes from the French word for 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in rhetoric literacy theory, media theory to refer to a distinctive type of texts.

Barry Keith Grant (1995) says that all genres have sub genres (more specific genres) in a genre.

Steve Neale (1995) stresses that 'genres are not systems' they are processes of systematization for example they are dynamic and evolve over time.

Nosfertu (1922) Trailer was the first vampire film, they use this image of Jewish people.

Interview with the vampire (1994)

• In colour and has sound
• Set in San Francisco
• Period drama
• Focus of the vampire unlike before from vampire being the bad guys now has become the protagonist.

Dynamic - Has to change - We recognise them.

Generic characteristics across all texts share similar elements of the below depending on the medium

• Typical mise-en-scene, typical narrative, generic types (typical characters)
• Important elements of minimal importance.

Comedy and animation are not genres, they are styles or treatments for example Walle (2008) animated.

Jason Mittell (2001) argues that genres are cultural categories that surpass the boundaries of media texts and operate within industry, audience and cultural practices as well.

Rick Altman (1999) argues that genre offers audiences a set of pleasures;

• Emotional pleasures
• Visceral pleasures 
• Intellectual puzzles 

Jay Z - 99 problems

This music video is very stereotypical of police and black people,some people even see this music video as racist. The genre of this music video is rap and hip-hop. This music video represents what is going on in society at this time. This links with the theorist Jason Mittell (2001) as he argues that genres are cultural categories that surpass the boundaries of media texts and operate within industry, audience, and cultural practices as well. As this gives an idea to the audience about society as well as just been a music video. Throughout this music video this have a rap culture all the way through, as they are wearing hoodies and joggers and people stereotype this to certain people. Police harassment is also noticed in this music video along, in the urban environment. This represents women and ideology. This shows the culture that exists within society.