MAGAZINES C1A

6 September

Introduction to media representations 

L.O. To explore the concept of representation & stereotypes 

Representation

The media offers the audience an interpretation of the world. It is a re-presentation of the events, people and places. 

I think the representations are positive, because the choice of the word "superhuman" shows they are good because it is similar to the word "superheroes" which has connotations of being good / skilful. The peoples body language in the image shows them as being confident and tough which is positive. The show is shown on Channel 4 which is positive because that is a mainstream channel and will therefore will attract a large audience. 

Adjectives of how they have been represented:

confident, athletic/sporty, brave, determined

8 September

do now - positive representations of teenagers in the media 

Jude Bellingham

Sex education characters

Greta Thunberg

Nerdy Stereotypes

• awkward
• glasses / headpones
• the girl is wearing more typically masculine clothes
• both have their shirts tucked in

Stereotype Expectations

Nanny - middle age, female, caring, nice

Nurse - female, kind, good looking

Teenager - moody, trendy

Astronaut - male, middle aged, heroic, 

Football Player - male, young, healthy, good looking, wealthy 

Opera fan - old, boring, wealthy, snobby, 

Teacher - bossy, strict, loud, bad breath

Tattoo Lover - covered in tattoos, young, artsy, muscly men, enthusiastic/passionate, individual 

This advert goes against the stereotype that men are usually doctors and women nurses by suggesting that men can train to become nurses too - not just doctors. 

Educating the East End 

The trailer shows a lot of general stereotypes of teenage students, such as being rebellious or a bit sassy /cheeky. It also displays teachers being a bit grumpy & bossy which is another stereotype. It also shows us a few clips that go against stereotypes; for example, teacher student relationships are usually viewed as negative and non-compatible relationships, but the clip shows us some positive interactions between students and students and some laughter or banter being shared. The teachers are shown in a more human way, using humour as a way to interact with the students. 

Educating Cornwall

If they did an educating Cornwall, they would have to stick to Cornish stereotypes such as schools by the coast or in the countryside, people eating pasties, maybe Cornish flags somewhere around the schools, people with strong Cornish accents, seagulls etc. 

13 September

Representations in magazines

L.O. to explore the representations found in magazines 

Cosmopolitan

The colour palette of pink and purple suggests its a feminine magazine/ directed towards female audience. The target audience is older people because it talks about sex appeal, money&romance advice.

Feminine, glamorous, confident

1 - friendly, casual

2 - powerful, succesfull, confident

3 - happy, youthful, 

She is represented by fitness / health in this magazine cover

15 September

These magazines have different colour palettes, one has a woman on the front and one has a man, they have different content and therefore cover lines talk about different things, one has puffs and one doesn't, different fonts, two different shot types give us a different focus on each celebrity, 

These things are different because the target audience is different for each - the Cosmopolitan is aimed at women and the GQ on is aimed at men.

In Cosmopolitan, they have chosen to represent women as a gender that cares about their appearance as it mentions ab workouts, weight, confidence, and the subject is dressed in a sexy, colourful and flowery dress which would (stereotypically) be appealing for the target audience. 

In the GQ Magazine they have represented men as a gender that aims for wealth, success and happiness. We can see this from David Beckhams outfit, a tuxedo, which is a very fancy and formal outfit that the wealthy would typically wear on occasion. His facial expression in the photograph he has a cheeky smile, making the magazine appear positive and friendly.

The covers show both genders having different priorities - For example, in the Cosmopolitan magazine it has a repetitive mention of being / looking appealing to men, and the GQ cover has an overall subject of success and status.

• Men can be feminine (anti - stereotypical)
• His outfit could give the impression he is gay (stereotypically)
• The star vehicle is the opposite gender to the target audience of the magazine
• Rihanna has been sexually objectified because she is not wearing any clothes and the magazine is aimed at men
  
• The colour schemes don't stereotypically match their genders

20 September

Exam Style Magazine Question

L.O. To write and structure an effective exam style answer.

Compare the representation of gender in the cosmopolitan front cover and GQ front cover.

In your answer you must consider:

- the choices the producers have made about how to represent a gender 

- how far the representation of gender is similar in the two front covers

- how far the representation of gender is different in the two front covers

"The two covers represent gender very differently / similarly"

The two covers represent gender quite differently. Cosmopolitan represents Tom Daley in an anti-stereotypical way. For example, he has been dressed in more feminine clothing, both in colour and style. However, as a gay man, this flamboyant style - such as the pink trousers - could be perceived as more stereotypical. On the other hand, there are more stereotypically masculine representations with the tattoo and the muscular physique. The cover lines around the main image discuss topics that are stereotypically directed to a female audience, for example "cozy days, good vibes, setting boundaries". This suggests to the viewer the idea that men can be feminine too as the star vehicle is Tom Daley - a man.

GQ magazine has chosen to represent gender in a stereotypical way. On the cover, the star vehicle Rihanna is naked - this is a choice that has been made to make the magazine more sexually appealing for the target audience - men. Her appearance has not been represented in a positive way as she has been dressed in snakes, closely mimicking Medusa. This can have negative connotations as Medusa is commonly associated with ideas of mistrust and fear, and can also suggest to the viewer the idea that women are snakes. On the other hand, this independent and fierce-fullness could be seen as how a  stereotypical, modern day woman would be represented.

22 September

Representation

L.O. to create magazine covers showing an understanding of representation.

27 September

Indesign

Canva

29 September

Exam Style Magazine Question

L.O. to review & improve an effective exam style answer.

WWW: you've compared both covers well and included gender stereotypes
EBI: include more specific media terminology in your examples

e.g. long shot, mid shot..

link back to the magazine audience or ideology

comparing throughout, and reaching a specific judgement/conclusion.

Industry Research

L.O. to research companies linked to set products

VOGUE

Vogue was originally founded as a weekly newspaper based in New York City by Arthur Baldwin Turnure in 1912 to create a publication that celebrated the ceremonial side of life. The British Vogue, first launched in 1916, was the first international edition. Vogue magazine was first aimed at New York City's 'social elite' as a weekly high society journal. However as vogue grew in popularity, it has changed to appeal to 18 - 40 year old women and is a fashion and lifestyle magazine. 

04/10/23

homework

GQ has used this cover to represent gender in a both a stereotypical and anti-stereotypical way. For example, the star vehicle has lots of stereotypically masculine representations, such as; tattoos, his muscular physique, and the cover overall has a darker colour palette. In the main image, the cover star is dressed in black wings, boots and trousers - being dressed in all black (especially black wings) could suggest to the viewer negative connotations of men as the colour black is often associated with ideas of evil / darkness. On the other hand, this could also be viewed as a symbol of wealth and sophistication, a more stereotypical representation of men in this class of magazine. However, some of the cover lines speak about celebrities/ pop culture references which some may stereotypically associate as more of an interest to female        audiences. This would be anti-stereotypical seeing as GQ-magazine's target audience is men, and could suggest to the audience that women and men could both enjoy stereotypically 'feminine' interests.

13 October

Case Study 1 Raheem Sterling GQ

L.O. To explore the context & cover star for case study 1 

Typography 

anything to do with the look of the text - style, colour, italics, bold, lower case, block capitals, size

The masthead is sans serif, suggesting more of a modern theme which links to the content of the magazine. The majority of the cover lines are in block capitals, a feature typically associated with a more masculine theme, again linking to the magazines content/ target audience. The main cover line stands out from the rest because it is bigger, in bold & block capitals. All of the cover lines are in white.

Colour palette

Black, white, dark grey, red.  red accent colour, he is wearing a black and white jacket which can link to the white colour lines and de saturated photo.

Layout

My magazine cover predominantly follows an L shape layout

Anchorage Text

the anchorage text of this cover would be ' the relentless Jeremy Strong'

Image

pose - informal, masculine, confident. direct address - he's looking right at you. Jacket looks expensive, connotes wealth. Facial expression looks serious. 

1 November

do now

Dark colour palette, serif & sans serif, different font sizes, white accent colour.

Raheem Sterling - 28, 3 kids, professional England football payer, arrested in. 2013, currently plays for Chelsea, plays as winger/attacking midfielder, MBE, born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents, grew up in London from age 5. In 2016, Sterling was the nation most expensive player when he was bought by Manchester city - extremely talented, top class player. 

In December 2018 whilst playing against Chelsea, Sterling was subjected to racist taunts from Chelsea fans. believes that comments come, in part, from social media and the ease of being able to abuse players somewhat anonymously online.

In December 2018, professional football player Raheem Sterling received racial abuse from Chelsea fans at a match. As this was a common problem in both national and international football at the time, it led to Sterling making a public statement speaking out about racist hate in football. Sterling mentioned receiving bad press as a black player for things he did with his money, meanwhile white players were presented in a positive way for the exact same actions. This is one of the common forms of racism that we see in society (negatively misrepresenting different races).

'guardian angel' - he protects other black players from further racial discrimination through his campaigning, he is a winger in football playing on the sides or the wings, religious connotations of 'guardian angel' linking back to his faith, 

03 November

connotations:

tattoos - rebel, criminal

pose - confident, masculine

clothes - not wearing a top - highlighting his physical strength and mental/emotional strength, physically fit, black wings connoting he is some sort of angel

watch / jewellery - wealthy, stylish

muted colour palette - they are trying to present themselves as sophisticated for their audience

Exam Question

Explore how this front cover of GQ magazine uses media language to communicate meanings.

• images
• text/written language
• layout and design

typography angle misenscen shot type colour palette connotations context RS

This cover of GQ magazine uses media language to communicate lots of different meanings. The low angle long shot is looking up at the star vehicle, Raheem sterling (RS)giving the audience an understanding that GQ are presenting him as powerful.  Sterling has been dressed in black wings; this colour palette could often be seen as a stereotypical representation of bad / evil, but given Sterlings past and reputation we can understand that GQ is presenting him as angelic by choosing to dress him like this. The choice of the dark toned colour palette could also be mirroring of some of the bad representations RS has previously received from the media. Sterling's pose also connotes confidence - with him also being shirtless on the cover, this could be viewed as him being 'confident in his own skin'. Given that this is the cover for a magazine that features an article about racial abuse Sterling has received in his career, this could be a way of GQ communicating to the viewer that he is confident about fighting back against racial hate. The anchorage text on this cover ("Guardian Angel") further confirms to the viewer that RS is being presented as angelic and a good person. The sans serif font used in the cover lines suggest that the topics discussed may be more serious/ important - this would be appropriate due to the sensitive racial topics being discussed. 

GQ/RS RESEARCH & NOTES:
Detailed and thorough

GQ COVER ANALYSIS:
Great ideas

GQ EXAM Q:
WWW: detailed, thorough & links to context

EBI: include more accurate magazine terminology

08 November

gender representations: 

• he is shirtless which could be perceived as him being sexualised, but given the target audience this could just be him being represented as masculine and strong as he is showing off his physique
• cover lines lists people who are considered "GQ heroes" 2 (of 4) which are women, promoting equality
• low angle shot & power pose connote confidence which is a stereotypical representation of men 
• cover lines talking about politics = having representations of men being political
• "how to wear a broken suit" economical, recycling, fashion conscious

ethnic representations: 

• he is showing off his muscles making him look strong which is a stereotypical representation of African Americans 
• considering the 2018/2019 statistics, it is anti stereotypical to have a black cover star in a British magazine

Both gender and ethnicity have been represented equally and positively in the cover

10 November 

do now

- equality, political, confident

- strong, anti stereotypical

-topless reinforces stereotype of men as having to be hyper masculine, strong and muscular.

-thick silver jewellery reinforces the capitalist ideology that for a man to be thought of as successful you must be wealthy and make a lot of money

-all men named on cover are represented as successful in their own field which confirms to the genre conventions of glossy magazines

-for modern men there is a societal expectation that they must "have it all"

-main cover line helps reader understand he is a success on a much grander scale than just the pitch; he is an influencer

-using a black cover star as their dominant image GQ is presenting a role model for their viewers

-diverse range of ethnicity on the cover is unusual for GQ & lifestyle magazines in general.

• male interests - politics, business, cover star is from star wars which is stereotypically a film that men would be interested in
• "GQ talks BlackLivesMatter" - Boyega is a supporter of BLM. Anti stereotypical for a lifestyle magazine to be representing a positive black role model / cover star 
• hood up has connotations of being stereotypically rebellious
• positive representations - "I want to make the daily mail a force for good" 
• serious facial expression + direct address mirrors the serious topics discussed on cover lines. this also shows that GQ are representing/ acknowledging the subjects as serious - he wants us to take him seriously and he is angry
• (intertextual reference)colour palette is the same as the film he is talking about being sidelined on
• cornrows hairstyle link to his cultural identity 
• cover subverts outdated and typically negative media representations 

15 November

Vogue magazine - fashion & lifestyle, multiplatform, published monthly by Conde Nast, celebrities, originally based in New York City, lots of different Vogues e.g. British Vogue, Vogue Italy. target audience 18 - 40 year old women(upper class)

Case Study 2 - Malala Yousafzai VOGUE

L.O. to explore the context & cover star for case study 2 

Vogue is aimed at ABC1 fashion and style conscious women who are educated, sophisticated and wealthy. Traditionally aimed at an older female audience of 30-45 year olds, audience has now broadened to inspire younger readers too as-well as a much more culturally diverse audience ( under the influence of the new editor in 2017 ). Vogue emphasises the wealth and status of its ABC1 

Mainstream magazine, so it uses typical codes and conventions of print to construct the front cover. Vogue has also acquired its own unique house style so that its brand identity is instantly recognisable. Historically, editors of mainstream magazines claimed that featuring models of colour on their front covers badly affected sales of the magazine. Black and Asian models were underrepresented to such an extent that there was little evidence to support their claim; it was simply accepted as fact. Naomi Campbell famously challenged the industry for this systemic racism throughout her career and became the first black model on a Vogue cover in many of its international editions. Black and Asian models on the cover of Vogue Uk were few and far between. This shows that historically, high end mainstream fashion magazines hugely under represented black and asian models. However as of 2017, Vogue has has a new editor and is becoming far more diverse. 

VOGUE Comparisons

Vogue has represented gender in this cover in an anti-stereotypical and diverse way. The magazines target audience is educated, sophisticated women, and they have chosen a male cover star, Harry Styles. The male cover star has been styled in a dress, which is very anti-stereotypical. However, being a bi-sexual man, this feminine clothing could be perceived as more stereotypical. Vogue has also been inclusive and shown diversity by representing a bi-sexual man on their cover, which too is anti-stereotypical considering the mainstream magazines's history of underrepresentation. 

   

Research: Malala.

Pakistani female activist,  2014 Nobel peace prize laureate at the age of 17(youngest ever winner),  she was shot by the Taliban at 15 years old while on the school bus home - she was shot at 3 times and hit in the head once and the left side of her face was left paralysed because she went to school after they banned it for women,  age 26 now (24 in 2021),  she became an international symbol of the fight for girls education,  had been writing a blog under a false name about the fear of the Taliban. 

17 November

Summarise:

Malala Yousafzai is a female Pakistani education activist. In 2012 at just 15, Malala was shot at 3 times and hit in the head once , after standing up to the Taliban and attending school. This drew a lot of attention to Malala and the educational rights she was fighting against in Pakistan; since then, she has carried on protesting and there is now a 'Malala fund' set up to support women's education rights. It is anti-stereotypical for Vogue to have a Pakistani activist as their cover star, but due to the editorial changes to the magazine in 2018, I think that Vogue chose her to feature on the cover as a role model - they are representing a powerful woman. 

Cover Analysis: Media Language

Analyse how media language has been used to create different meanings. 

This cover of Vogue magazine has used media language to create multiple different meanings. The colour palette consists of a bright red and black & white accent colours. The colour red has connotations of passion, and given that the cover star is a women's educational activist, we can tell that Vogue is highlighting the importance of action. The mis-en-scene connotes inclusivity- they have chosen to dress her in a hijab which shows cultural representation for a religious minority. This is anti stereotypical of a fashion magazine but due to the editorial changes to the magazine in 2018, I think that they chose Malala as a Vogue cover star to show diversity - they are representing a powerful woman. 

The anchorage text, the caption of Malalas own name, is the brightest text on the page. The white clearly contrasts with the red background celebrating her name and her status. "the extraordinary life of" in white and "Survivor, activist, legend, in silver. This offers a measured sense of symmetry with the masthead at the top. The composition of the front cover follows the traditional Z shape pattern. The cover lines on the left hand side all follow the same chic minimalism design, a black block capitol headline with an italicised subheading in white to draw the reader into what is more familiar territory for women's lifestyle magazines: fashion, romance, celebrities. 

• 'Fighting talk' broadens the readerrs appeal from fashions fans of the model juan Dunn to sporting fans of the boxer anthony joshua. 
• Malala is shown in a medium close up shot. that draws attention to both her facial expression as well as her body language and attire 
• She engages the reader with direct address and a slight smile a mode of address that is personal and welcoming but confident and self assured  

22 November

do now

• using the colour red can connote passion and possibly the power she now has 
• mis en scene - inclusivity (she is wearing a headscarf)
• anchorage text - "the extraordinary life of Malala" representing her positively and is the largest piece of text other than the masthead which shows her importance
• direct address has been used to make her seem confident
  

Representations

Vogue now has far more more diversity across the board; gender, age, size, ethnicity/culture, sexuality. This is very different to previous years - for example, before 2017, Vogue Uk went 14 years with only 6, non-white, solo cover stars. 

Ideas

Ethnic representations in this cover are diverse as all of the people on/mentioned on this cover are all from different ethnic minorities which is anti stereotypical for a mainstream magazine. direct address connotes confidence which goes against the stereotype of muslim women being shy, reserved, timid etc.  Gender

This magazine is aimed at females - according to this cover, being female means being powerful as the cover star is a famous female activist. It suggests that women are fashion conscious because the cover lines talk about clothing trends - this is stereotypical representation of women, especially coming from a fashion magazine. The cover lines talk about dating / love life, a stereotypical interest for women. Stereotypical topics: love, beauty, fashion - but they are also steering away from the stereotype that that is women's only interests when it mentions Anthony Joshua (a famous boxer) and "fighting talk" - this talk could be steering away from stereotypes and empowering women. 

Malala looks very feminine - flowing silk, headdress, jewellery, makeup. Classy & sophisticated(image and colour palette) Malala anchorage - depicts strong, powerful and confident woman. "Survivor"-anti stereotypical as female not the victim!  

DEL 

Describe - the technique/element/representation used 

Explain - what are the meanings/connotations constructed

Link - to the overall context/meaning/to the question 

This cover is quite diverse in terms of ethnic representation. The cover star, Malala, is a Muslim. This is anti stereotypical of a mainstream fashion magazine to feature a Muslim of any gender on their cover. Muslims have been represented in a positive way on this cover - the bold red colour palette connotes passion and strength. With the cover star being a female Muslim activist, 

29 November

do now

confident, smart, empowered. 

L.O. to practise comparing representations in two covers

Similarities

• both empowering: Elle cover anchorage is about "confidence" and Vogue cover "survivor, activist, legend".  Lexis:"fighting talk' "a smart women's guide to self belief" anti stereotypical for women to be represented as smart/ fighting. 
• Both quite feminine: cover lines ; dating, love, colour palette, 

Differences

• the Elle cover is stereotypical: the model has been objectified a bit due to her clothing (stereotypical). On the vogue cover, Malala has not been objectified. 
• Different camera shots: Vogue cover is a mid shot focusing on the subjects face, Elle cover is a medium long shot which focuses more on her body (stereotypical for her to be objectified). 
• Vogue has represented women as welcoming, kind and empowered with direct address. Elle did not use direct address and the subject is looking away: she looks mysterious, sexy, powerful. 

Compare the way the two covers represent gender. 

The two magazine covers both share similarities, but are quite different in terms of representation. Gender is represented in both covers as anti-stereotypical; the anchorage text on the Elle cover talks about "a smart women's guide to self belief" and on the Vogue cover "survivor, activist, legend". This is representing females as powerful and smart, which is anti-stereotypical for a mainstream magazine. 

Women have been represented as feminine on both covers. On the Elle cover, the accent colour pink has been used to help create a stereotypical representation of femininity. The colour pink has connotations of being feminine and girly, and having the star vehicles name in pink anchors her into that stereotypical representation. Similarly on the Elle cover, the cover lines discuss topics that women are stereotypically interested in, like "The return of dating" and fashion: "pleated skirts, puff sleeves, perfectly cut trousers." This is stereotypical, especially for a mainstream women's fashion and lifestyle magazine. 

However, the two covers also have a few differences. The Vogue cover pairs the star vehicle with a smile and direct address. She has also been dressed in a head scarf, which is conservative and inclusive. This has positive connotations as it is showing that Vogue is diverse and representing women as friendly/welcoming. Conversely, the star vehicle on the Elle cover has been dressed in revealing clothing and does not use direct address, making her look sexy and mysterious. This is a stereotypical choice coming from a mainstream magazine. The objectification of the star vehicle has been made to make the magazine more sexually appealing, fitting into stereotypes of women often being objectified / not taken seriously due to their gender. 

Overall,  their representation are quite similar, but have been constructed very differently.