Art is not given, it is taken. How any audience perceives art, be it song or film or poetry, its meaning and import belongs to those that consume it.
Getting slammed for my lack of "media literacy" over the Barbie movie.
Here's the best example to explain the point.
Starship Troopers was supposed to be a satire of American militarism/nationalism.
We know this because Verhoeven said so, and because it looks like propaganda from within the world being depicted.
But when audiences just watch the movie, it has a totally opposite effect than what the artist intended.
Handsome, competent, brave humans are fighting for the survival of humanity against giant bug monsters.
So naturally nearly all normal humans watching this side with the humans.
This includes people who know the movie is meant to be satire.
So, we can conclude that the artist failed in his objective. The actual effect of the movie is very different from his intentions.
Is this "media literacy"?