Reception Theory

 Stuart Hall's Reception Theory

1) The preferred reading of a media text is the meaning the producers intend to communicate

2) The oppositional meaning of a media text goes against the meaning the producers are trying to make

Harry Brown - Trailer

1) Harry Brown's trailer positions the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film as thinking of them as the villains and creating a mindset of all teenagers in London being involved in gangs and violence.

2) Young people might reject this reading and have an oppositional reading of the trailer as they are around teenagers all the time so they know teenagers are nothing like how they are represented in the trailer. 

McDonald's Advert

The McDonald's advert introducing the Big Mac burger might have mixed views as it is represented as a healthy because its a meal disguised as a sandwich, but some people think it is not healthy. The preferred reading of the advert might be the audience agreeing with the advert, thinking that the new burger is infact healthy as it is a whole meal in the form of a sandwich, and it includes elements such as lettuce and pickles as it says on the advert making the sandwich appear even more healthier to the reader. On the other hand, other people might have an oppositional reading of the advert, going against what the advert is making the burger look like and thinking that it is not good for you as it is not a good meal to have because regardless of anything, it is still fast food. Some of the audience may have a negotiated reading of the advert, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the advert deepending on the audience's age gender or social class. They might think that even though it is fast food meaning it might be unhealthy, it is still healthier than most fast foods out there making it more desirable for people who occassioanally would want to eat out.