Audience -vs- Spectator

What is the difference between "audience" and "spectator"? Well, what do some dictionaries say?

• The spectators or listeners assembled at a performance, for example, or attracted by a radio or television program.
• Group of people assembled in a studio, theater, or auditorium to witness a presentation or performance.
• The body of persons who admire a public personality, especially an entertainer.

Now, let's take a look at spectator.

• An observer of an event.
• Someone who observes.
• A person who watches without taking part.

Basically, an audience is a group of spectators. So how do professional writers use the words in the real world? How are the words used differently? In what situations would a writer use the word audience or the word spectator? Let's take a quick look at some news sites.

• The finalist of the Great India Laughter Challenge Pratap Singh Faujdar kept the audience laughing with his humour and satire. (Hindustan Times)
• "She knows exactly what she wants and what her target audience is expecting from her . . ." (Reuters/Billboard)
• The movie is aimed at the 18-to-34-year-old audience that McDonald's treasures. (NewsBusters)

• The spectator fleet was larger than usual at Hahn Premium Race Week today with eight humpback whales enjoying the racing...(Sail World, Australia)
• A San Diego man was ordered Thursday to stand trial on charges that he murdered a fellow cockfight spectator in Good Hope last April. (CBS 2, CA)
• Tiger Woods closed in on his second straight victory Saturday with a fan's assist when his tee shot on 18 richoteted off the spectator's hand into the fairway. (Chicago Tribune, United States)

Based on this very small sample, it seems that an audience typically is seen at a theater, stage, studio, concert, etc. It seems that spectators are more typically found at sports events or other competitive events. So, what do you think? Japanese/English dictionaries are not so helpful in this situation because Japanese use basically the same word (and you don't have to worry about singular/plural nouns either).

Regardless, here are some samples from some Japanese dictionaries. I have also made some short dialogs showing usage. Any comments or ideas to share? Let me know in class!

Audience (at a theatre, a cinema, watching TV, etc.): 観衆, 観客, お客さん, 聴衆, 読者, 視聴者

A: How was the movie?
B: Well, the movie was fine. But some moron in the audience kept talking on his cell phone and ruined it for the rest of the audience.

• ruined it: 破壊する、ぶち壊す、?に壊滅的なダメージを与える、破産させる、台無しにする
• moron: ばか者、あほ、間抜け

Spectator (at a concert, soccer match, boxing match, etc.): 観客、見物人、傍聴人、支持者、サポーター

A: Did you watch the fight last night?
B: Yeah! It was great! Yoshida got a knockout in the third round!
A: Really? That must have been exciting.
B: Yes. He jumped out of the ring into the crowd and the spectators carried him around on their shoulders. It was really cool!

Bibliography:

• audience. Answers.com. The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://www.answers.com/topic/audience, accessed September 02, 2006.
• audience. Answers.com. Dictionary of Marketing Terms, Barron's Educational Series, Inc, 2000. http://www.answers.com/topic/audience, accessed September 02, 2006.
• audience. Answers.com. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. http://www.answers.com/topic/audience, accessed September 02, 2006.
• spectator. Answers.com. The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://www.answers.com/topic/spectator, accessed September 02, 2006.
• spectator. Answers.com. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. http://www.answers.com/topic/spectator, accessed September 02, 2006.
• spectator. Answers.com. eSpindle Learning, eSpindle, 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/spectator, accessed September 02, 2006.

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