Theorists on Genre.

Graeme Burton's Six Elements to define a genre:

• Protagonists
• Stock characters
• Plots and stock situations
• Icons
• Background and decor
• Themes

Paradigms (key conventions or elements to a genre) shown through:

• Iconography (main signs/symbols that are seen)
• Structure (how it is put together)
• Theme (issues it deals with)

Pros of genre:
"Can provide structure and form which allow a great deal of creativity and virtuosity which makes it easier when genuine reworking of generic conventions come along. It provides key elements for the audience to recognise so they can further appreciate the variation and originality surrounding the representation of those elements. (e.g. Scream was a parody taking the conventions of a teenage slash movie where the teenagers are unaware of the killer and turning it around so the character know the predictability within the plot) However once a new genre is created audiences can get bored of seeing it which leads to the constant changing and adapting to audience tastes, individual entries into the genre and societal influence.

Richard Dyer (1973) says "genres are pleasurable because they offer escapist fantasies into fiction worlds that remove the boredom and pressures of reality."

Hodge and Cress: "Genres are typical forms of texts, which link kinds of producers, consumers, topic, medium, manner and occasion." - can make it easier for audiences identify what they want to see, what they will like.

Glenhill: "One advantage of genres is that they can rely on readers already having knowledge and expectations about the works within a genre."

Allen: "Any text requires what is sometimes called the cultural capital on the part of its audience to make sense of it" - audiences bring prior knowledge and understanding of a genre which helps them understand it.

Fiske: "The assignment of a text to a genre influences how the text is read." If the audience understand generic conventions they understand how the text may end, are prepared for events in the plot. However this could be seen as a negative as the plot is predictable from viewing previous films."Genre constrains the possible ways in which the text is interpreted, guiding readers towards a preferred reading."

Knight: "Genre may offer various emotional pleasures such as empathy and escapism." - the audience like to identify with the characters and imagine themselves living their experiences.

Neale: "Pleasure is derived through repetition and difference." - the audience like to feel secure in this familiarity of the genre but also enjoy a surprise

Abercrombie: "We derive pleasure from observing how the conventions of a genre are manipulated." - Knowing what to expect makes the audience enjoy the unexpected.

Criticisms on genre:
"Rigorous conformity to conventions can lead to stagnation and eventual ossification of the genre - a "they're all the same" judgement is passed. (Occurred with traditional Hollywood Western/Musicals) Can become stale over-repetition and audiences lose interest. Only when things come along that challenge conventions and expectation of the genre that non-niche audiences are willing to watch. (e.g. Brokeback Mountain/ Moulin Rouge)"

Hartley: "Genres are ideological closure; they limit the meaning potential of a given text."

Robert Stam (2000): Problems with genre labels can make the genre too broad or too narrow. Normativism upon hearing a genre the audience make assumptions towards it before watching