This week we watched a movie called Galaxy Quest, a movie about a TV show that has a huge fan base, and the actors have to experience the show in real life with the help of some fans. we watched this because it was a good example of the Uses and Gratification Theory, the idea that fans and audiences have consuming power in media, and the entertainers have to appeal, rather than just present to the audience. You would think movies or shows from big studios are guaranteed to be generally enjoyed, but the people have the power to collectively determine what deserves recognition and what doesn’t. Audiences consume media to attain some form of gratification and desire. If they can’t achieve their desired feeling, this leads to negative feedback. The theory divides these gratifications and needs into five categories, cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative, and tension-free.

Cognitive needs are the need for something intellectually stimulating, to get a person’s mind thinking or learning something new. People achieve this through documentaries, the news, and how-to or educational videos that provide useful information for other times in life.

Affective needs are the need for emotional stimulation, getting us to feel and enhance emotions based on what we’re consuming. People watch love movies when they’re lacking or flourished in love, and the same for the need for laughter in comedies. Affective needs allow ourselves to emotionally connect and reflect with the media or the characters within.

Personal integrative needs allow us to compare and seek out traits within media to solidify our own beliefs and values, looking for reflections of one’s self. This is especially present in movies and TV shows, people fall in love with characters because they appreciate their actions and relate it to their own.

Social integrative refers to people connecting with each other through media. With the surge of the internet and wireless technology, this need has been especially prevalent as people feel more need to connect with others no matter where they are on the planet or time. Social media has become the main canvas to consume this gratification, as it’s built entirely around this concept.

Tension free is like a break from society, an escape from everyday duties where people are indulged in their own fantasy worlds while consuming media. This often comes in the form of fiction/science fiction movies, shows, and novels.

In the movie Galaxy Quest, many of these needs were on full display for the fans. The aliens that worshiped the “historical documents” (the TV episodes) used it for cognitive consumption, basing the entirety of their society on the principals of the show. The fans that helped the commander at the end of the movie experienced cognitive as well as personal integration, idolizing the actors for their heroic acts and complex ship systems. They also displayed strong tension free needs, as the kid was trying to enjoy what he loved but his mom kept nagging him with chores and responsibilities.