C1 magazines

 13th september 2024

what is representation? 

representation: how media shows a situation to you

they all love each other and accept each other even if they do argue they eventually make up. 

they all care about one another and all take care of one another after one dies  

stereotype is a generalised representation of a person, place or thing. 

Friday 20th September 2024

stereotypes

Do now!

1) how certain things are shown in media. re presenting

2) how it presents itself  positive or negative

3) the generalised idea of something/ someone  

4) 2 components

5) audiences 

grandmother: sweet, good at baking, loving, grey hair, wrinkles, slow, bad hips

private school boy: posh, snobby, thinks their better, sensible straight hair, tie and blazer uniform

mechanic: always dirty, male, beard, gruff, always holding a tool, tired

the students are represented as disobedient and rude towards teachers who are shown as better and nicer to students there. stereotypical rude, moody teen. the broken stereotype of mean, strict teacher. 

stereotypical mean chav lad and victim boy. kids being disobedient, rude, in trolly's 

representations in magazines 

terminology

masthead

the title of a newspaper or magazine

cover lines

Cover-lines - Lines of text on the front cover which allows the audience to see what sort of content will be inside the magazine. 

main image

a visual representation of something 

main cover line

A prominent coverline about the main story or the cover image

puff

promotional stickers that make certain articles or contents stand out

colour palette

Colours in magazine layouts can set the mood based on colour theory 

direct address

Imperatives are another device that directly address the audience

star vehicle

posh way to say celebrity 

4th October 2024

representation task

lo: to create magazine covers showing an understanding of representation

do now

1. addressing main image and what its about

2. when media speaks directly to the reader

3. puff

4. blue

5. degrading someone to the mere status of an object

Friday 8th November 2024

industry research 

lo: to research companies linked to set products

circulation- how many copies are sold

advertising revenue- amount of money made from selling 

cover price- how much it costs

subscription model- where a company makes you pay a recurring amount for a product 

multi-platform- when something is accessible on multiple platforms

readership- estimate of the number of readers

ideology- set of values, attitudes and beliefs 

brand identity- the image a company creates for itself

target audience- a specific group of people media text is aimed at

VOGUE

• vogue was made in December 17 1892
• vogues original target was new York upper class
• vogue was changed over years by Anna Wintour who focused on emphasising woman's body 
• vogue is published by Condé Nast 
• vogue is multi-platform as well as print
• vogues has a circulation of 190,249 and a readership of 796,000
• vogues target audience is mainly female. abc1 style conscious and wealthy older woman 
• vogue is a high-end design, with colourful imagery and purposeful posing, vogues ideologies are materialism and capitalism, sophistication, elite, exclusivity, design and artistic.  

GQ

• GQ was made in 1957
• GQ has a mens style of fashion and culture
• GQ has new topics like health, sport and politics
• GQ was published by J miller
• GQ is a multi-platform appearing on any website
• GQ has an average circulation of 85,080 and a readership of 213,000
• GQ is targeted to cultured men, abc1 men aged 20-44 
• GQ image is colourful and values culture and sport the tagline being "the magazine for men with IQ" it believes men can do anything 

Friday 15 November 2024

case study #1: Raheem sterling

lo: to explore the context and layout design for GQ magazine 

do now

1. Condé Nast ✓
2. abc1 ✓
3. older- 20-44 ✓
4. masthead ✓
5. selected colours used ✓

GQ context: 

• according to feminist theory, GQ has a history of objectifying woman in its magazine, which promotes a chauvinist attitude towards women

• men remain clothes and women are less than clothed 

• sexual objectification

• entire section dedicated to woman for men gaze.

• "sexiest woman" "men of the year" 

1. woman are objectified and undressed on the covers more vulnerable or exposed
2. . talking more about sport, undressed women, "man thing" e.g. hunting, 'men of the year' 
3. they make woman just seductive and suggestive making them property and 'owned' by a man while men are presented as powerful and overpowering 

cover analysis: media language

• cover star: Liam Gallagher- english song writer, lead singer of oasis. they put him on here because he is successful and powerful suggesting the magazine is too                                                      
• masthead: bold colours, big lettering, sans serif- modern/masculine, word inside GQ. this is done to make it stand out and be picked up

• coverline: lowercase- lower class, colour matching masthead, small and some bold. this is done to appear more intelligent and attractive                                                                                                    
• anchorage text: introduces cover star and what they do usually complimenting cover star and boosting them

• lexis: bold statements and shocking sentences choice word will add to this

• typography: small text for cover-lines and big bold text for masthead this is sans serif as its masculine and attractive, looking intelligent 

• brand identity: puts the brand in a good, successful light saying if they can get a big time celebrity/ singer to be on a cover 

• image: layout- 'z' shape layout for cover-lines and what they want you to buy, mid shot just showing his face and direct address looking at the camera, sunglasses have connotations for being cool 

• colour palette: dull colour scheme but is good against the dark outfit the main cover star is wearing 

 

typography- how text looks: style, BLOCK CAPITALS, lower case, colour, italics, bold, serif front, sans serif font

29th November 2024

do now! 

1.  footballer
2.  font style
3.  racism
4.  serif
5.  anchorage text

analysing our case study

masthead: bold, gold- wealth, religious

coverline: metrosexual 

anchorage text: guardian angel- winger in football, protects other players, seen in press as evil but he is good 

layout: z shape, viewers eyes move in a z shape when reading

coverlines: 1) metaphor, alliteration. appeals to intelligent readers 

                   2) self promotions 

main image: black wings- religious stand point, lack of shirt- exposing himself making himself vulnerable, bored facial expression- tired of having to put up with racism and fighting it.  

in the image sterling is seen topless this is used to show he's making himself vulnerable to the public eye, the media has already portrayed him as evil due to his tattoo of a gun as a memorial to his father. the media has already twisted his campaign around and so he opening himself up and giving the real reason for his campaign, wanting respect for black players.

the anchorage "guardian angel" is showing how he wants to protect young black players by putting himself in the firing line. a guardian angle has religious connotations, trying to make him seem all good like a saint confident and protecting others while challenging the idea all angels are women.

the typography of guardian angel is serif which is a modern kind of text but portrayed to look like older Biblical text tying into the angel idea. the colour of gold has connotations to wealth as GQ readers are usually very wealthy, as well mixed with bold text seeming more confident and powerful like their readers. 

the coverline 'Westminster is becoming a living nightmare' is important as the choice words living nightmare is a metaphor mixed with the alliteration of Manchester's masterplan. this higher english level shows an intrest for a more intelligent audience. 

Friday 13th December 2024

assessment improvement

do now!

1) topics inside magazine or surrounding said topics

2) to get attention of a certain audience 

3) racism in football

4) waist hight X below subject looking up

5) something you'd expect to see in a genre 

TARGET: focus on analysing (the connotations) the set text rather then too much context.

mise en scene- non verbal codes 

written codes- anything written

gesture pose- body language

symbolic codes- a colour that symbolises something else

narrative- story

colour pallet- colours used 

the main image presents Sterling in a low angle shot using a confident gesture pose, using a symbolic code of black with accessories. He's looking at the camera with a serious face.

The main image shows a low angle shot that connotes a confident dominant gesture pose, using the symbolic code of black which connotes death and unknown as well as evil. He looks serious and is directly addressing the audience. 

layout:  On this magazine cover the sanserif masthead of GQ is presented in gold, Gold itself connotes wealth and money and is associated with sophistication. This is trying to appeal to their audience of older, modern, masculine, wealthy men. The magazine text is laid out in a ‘Z’ formation this is because that’s how we will read it, we read the masthead first then we go to the far left, diagonally to some cover lines then across the image title so it catches readers attention, This is a classical magazine convention as in its a very basic set-out of magazines drawing attention of people in shops. The colour pallet for this text is a mix of white, gold and black which has a lot of symbolic coding, this links back to meaning as all colours have connotations of sophistication and elegancy.

Friday 20th December 2024

GQ representation

do now!

1) suggests ✓

2) angels ✓

3) wealthy, old men ✓

4) to catch viewers attention ✓

5) way something is normally done 

gender: 

1. it shows that every man can be masculine 
2. his shirt is off 
3. he's being shown as a protector 
4. all masculine men are buff
5. men can wear jewellery 

ethnicity:

1. its breaking the stereotype of black men on magazines 
2. a black man on the cover 
3. he's said as a angel
4. hyper-sexualised 
5. black man on cover 

Friday 10th January 2025 

CASE STUDY 2: Malala Yousafzi

do now 

1) women's fashion and lifestyle ✓

2) older, wealthy women ✓

3) Condé Nast ✓

4) to catch readers attention ✓

5) slim, white, attractive, women ✓

how do these two covers show diversity?: 

harry's cover on vogue shows that men can be feminine as he's wearing a dress in his cover whereas in the past no men had featured on the cover.

Rihanna's cover challenges the stereotype that only white women can be models and how different ethnicities can show diversity.

Malala Yousafzai

• when she was fifteen she was shot in the head 
• she was the youngest earner of the noble prize
• fought for girls education
• from Pakistan 
• shot by Taliban                      

Malala Yousafzai was a young girl in Swat valley Pakistan, born to a father who. ran an only girls school. However in 2008 the Taliban shut down the school and forced Malala's family to relocate for safety as the Taliban believed girls cannot get an education, Malala didn't agree with this view, when the BBC asked Malala's father to find a girl to document living under Taliban rule Malala started an anonymous blog detailing what life under the Taliban was like, till in 2012 when she was 15 the Taliban found out she was writing the blog so one day when she was coming back from school a man got on her bus with a gun and shot her in the head. She was rushed to an english hospital and luckily survived. 

Friday 17th January 2025

studying our case study

do now!

1. girls education activist ✓
2. UK & US troops preparing to leave Afghanistan 
3. ABC1 women 20-44 ✓
4. no ✓
5. no ✓

masthead 

• what kind of font? serif or sans serif?  serif font 
• what connotations are there for this font style?  sophistication, rich, posh, classy 
• what does the word vogue mean? the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time.
• what do block capitals connote? femininity, importance, authority, classic

1. the masthead is over Malala's head to show Malala has the same level of importance as vogue 
2. the silver connotes power and beauty but most importantly wisdom
3. grey is also used to talk about and describe her 

anchorage text

• Malala's name is the brightest text to show she is important and deserves respect
• 'survivor activist legend' connotes a heroic kind of language 
• shows she's a protector, that people look up to her 

layout

• yes it follows typical layout
• we focus on her eyes like direct address
• her hands direct us back to her face and eyes 

cover lines

• they follow a black bold title but a white italics under text adding context
• serif font, links to ABC1 women and what their text is like
• imperatives 'the shape of now' 
• used to emphasise topic 

image

• medium close up shot- focus on her face, who she is as a person, can see hijab 
• connotations- red symbolises courage, passion, power. religion, made to look feminine 
• confident, friendly

Friday 24th January 2025

exam question

do now: 

1) Z ✓

2) boxer ✓

3) mid-close up shot ✓

4) direct address ✓

5) bravery, courage ✓

cover analysis: Malala Yousafzai

• main image 
• anchorage 
• coverlines 
• layout   

In 2021 activist Malala Yousafzai was on the cover of Vogue magazine being the cover star. In the main image a medium close-up is used to focus on her face mainly to point focus at herself a a person. The colour red used has connotations of passion and power, this links to Malala because in her fight to spread the news of the Taliban and fight for woman's education she had to display those beliefs and embrace them.  Secondly the main cover line and anchorage says "survivor, activist, legend" this language connotes a heroic light showing vogue sees her as a protector and that millions of people look up to her and are thankful for what she has done. In the cover lines a mix of white and black text is used as well as serif and sans serif fonts, black bold titles and white italics for context, this links to ABC 1 women who will read the magazine making them more interested. The cover line "the shape of now" uses imperatives to make it stick out to draw attention to the context which emphasises the topic and how fashion is changing just like people. Lastly, the layout a stereotypical Z shape and follows cover conventions. For example Malala is facing the camera and looking directly into it, this is called direct address she is addressing the viewer which can compel the reader to focus on her face. Her hands do this as well, her chin is rested in her hands so when we look at them we are drawn back to her face and mainly her eyes. 

Friday 31st January 2025 

Representation

Do now!

1) how the media re-presents the world to us 

2) if its positive or negative 

3) islamic/ muslim

4) no she is not

5) passion, power, high status

in the past muslims have been represented as terrorists, mainly male terrorists who are unfunny and violent. almost no muslim women are seen in media. they are rarely seen as anything but unfunny men, never a main character. 

in terms of ethnicity the vogue cover shows a mix of coloured people on its cover like Malala on the main image, Anthony Joshua mentioned in coverlines. 

explain how both gender and ethnicity have been represented on the cover.

ethnicity is represented in an anti- stereotypical way, for example the main image shows Malala, a muslim woman, wearing a hijab in the dead centre. this is anti- stereotypical because a stereotypical woman's magazine model is a blond white woman but this is challenged by vogue as they put a islamic woman on the front cover. This is also achieved by the two coloured celebrities mentioned in the cover lines, Anthony Joshua and Jourdan Dunn, proving no white coverage mentioned on this cover. this links Malala to the audience to show them how powerful she is and how influential it could be.

Gender however is represented stereotypically, for example some cover lines show talk about "vogues guide to summer beauty", "the shape of now" and "love after lockdown". this is stereotypical because of the idea that all these things are stereotypical to what a woman's interests are and what stereotypically women enjoy reading and hearing about. this links vogues idea of whats their audience wants back to a modern audience. 

However in some instances the gender stereotype is broken. for example a coverline says "Fighting talk" showing the inclusivity that some women are into 'boyish' things such as fighting or Malala's description of "survivor, activist, legend". this is anti-stereotypical as now women can be seen as people of power and the fact women can do whatever they please, as Malala is talking about her life, her culture, her story and she's shown as a survivor not a victim. 

7th February 2025 

Case study #2: comparing 

do now

1) diversity

2) fighting talk

3) feminine

4) survivor and activist

5) terrorists

similarities:

• both are made feminine and sophisticated
• both texts are roughly the same colour
• both wearing red
• both just use first names
• direct address- confidence

differences:

• Malala is shown in a more gentle position
• Lizzo's is more political
• Malala's centres on her face 

this is similar to the Malala cover as it shows a very strong woman of a different ethnicity exactly lie Malala.

this is different from the rheem sterling cover as it shows a man from his waist in masculine clothing and looking away from the camera

Friday 14th February 2025 💖

25 mark question

do now! 

1) similarities and differences

2) make a judgement 

3) 4-5 paragraphs 

4) a cover we've studied 

5)  media language and representation 

similarities: 

• both represented as feminine 
• both talk about smart women and self belief

differences: 

• Elle cover sexualises the woman 
• Elle cover shows off her legs and chest with revealing clothes 
• vogue cover is respectful
• vogue cover is bright and bold without having to show off the cover star

The Elle cover is purposefully sexualising the woman on the cover following with sexist views on what women want to read where as the Vogue cover is being much more respectful and inclusive to what women want. 

This is shown by the clothes both cover stars are wearing. In the Elle cover the cover star Kim Kardashian is portrayed wearing very revealing clothes as both her thighs and chest is exposed by the clothes, the colour she is wearing is a white with a black belt drawing attention to her wait however the white is connoting purity and elegance, which connotes how the magazine brand sees women and how they value them. whereas in the Vogue cover Malala Yousafzai is wearing very respectful and modest clothing showing how not all eye catching magazines have to be sexualised, the cover is made eye-catching by the bold colours she is wearing that blend into the background to make you focus on her face using direct address in the cover by doing this, the red she is wearing connotes honour and bravery showing how Vogue wants to give her credit for the work she has done. 

Another way we can see the purposeful sexism is in the coverlines, in the Elle coverlines it speaks on the best makeup brands or the best fashion trends which connotes how Elle sees what women want to read only focusing on appearance and dressing which are very stereotypical for a woman's magazine, with the main cover line of "the confidence" making you look back at her legs and mainly her thighs. Whereas in vogue they show how women might want to broaden what they read about, for example a coverline stating "fighting talk" where there is an interview with Anthony Joshua which breaks the stereotypical norms as well as talking about love and fashion.  

However both magazines do make their cover stars look more feminine and dainty, this is seen in the Elle cover by her hair and makeup, Kim is more glammed up for the photoshoot with eyelashes and contour to magnify her features, as well as possible having a fan in front of her to make her hair wave and look more full, connoting a look of elegance and beauty. Vogue also makes Malala look more effeminate but with hand position instead, her hand is laid out so it is touching her cheek to draw attention to her face but it is done very gently to make an effect that she is dainty and very approachable. This links to the woman's magazine convention as its known for displaying more feminine women and has conventions of more pretty than hardy women. 

Another way these two are similar is main coverline text, in the Elle cover the main coverline talks about "women's confidence" and s"marts and how they can have self-belief", this is to push women into believing in themselves and showing women how successful they can be and what they can accomplish which is a very positive outlook on women's life. With the Vogue cover the main coverline is "surviver, activist, legend" this is shedding light on her accomplishments and how far she has come in her life and her fight for education. 

I believe the Elle magazine is much more stereotypical and sexualised but the vogue cover also feminises the cover star too.

25 MARK COMPARISON Q: 19/25
WWW: you’ve clearly identified differences and analysed them with examples to support. Be careful that you don’t go off track – keep to the question and focus on gender rep. you focused more on sexism rather than how women were represented.
EBI: mention magazine CONVENTIONS to support your ideas
TARGET 2: Link to magazine conventions
DIRT: include more detailed reference conventions.

assessment dirt 

Q1)  

b) image: use another example of shot cover 

c)  language: 

d) layout and design

layout an design in vogue helps when conveying meaning. The 'Z' structure brings attention to malala's face, using direct address to make sure people know what she has done for young girls education, and how she has struggled under taliban rule. similarly the colour palette shows the standard of women's magazines and that even if it is trying to show diversity and to show a hero its also using basic woman's magazine connotations. 

Q2a) 

Q2b)