MAGAZINES C1A

 Introduction to Media Representations                                     6/9/2023

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 representation in the "Meet the Super-humans" advert is positive because of the lexis used. The use of the adjective "super" implies that the people featured in the ad are "better" than the average human due to their disabilities. Also, the fact that Channel 4 is a mainstream channel is positive as it portrays representation of various disabled groups to a wider audience.  

The athletes in the advert are shown as:

• Strong
• Powerful
• Confident
• Enduring

8/9/23

Media Representations

Do Now

Examples of positive representation of teenages in the media:

• Spider-man 
• Stranger Things
• The Goonies

To give the character a "geeky" impression, they used mis en scene, such as:

• Giving the character glasses, which is stereotypically an item of clothing a "nerd" would wear.
• She is wearing clothes that typically a girl of her age wouldn't wear, with duller colours, giving her a more "boyish" look. Also, her shirt is tucked in, which looks smarter, which is, again, something girls her age would not consider stylish.
• The way she looks quite uncomfortable while talking to the boy next to her gives the impression she is socially awkward

 

Stereotyped Expectations

1. Nanny - Wears a modest dress and an apron, is stern and strict, female, over 40 years old
2. Nurse - Female, blue uniform, stethoscope, young (20+ years old), kind
3. Teenager - Comfy clothing, phone, moody, rebellious 
4. Astronaut - Space suit, male, brave, dedicated, trained
5. Football player - Male, team uniform, young, physically fit, motivated, wealthy
6. Opera fan - Smart clothing, rich, female, well-educated, older
7. Teacher - Smart, modest clothing, female, friendly
8. Tattoo lover - Male, butch, intimidating, criminal, bald, strong

The advert "Are you man enough to be a nurse?" challenges the stereotype that men cannot be nurses due to the connotations of "Are you man enough?". The phrase gives the impression that males aren't any less of a "man" by doing a job that is, stereotypically, a woman's job. Also, the fact that "man" in this context often means "brave" implies that nurses are strong, whether you are a man or a woman or not. The ad almost combats toxic masculinity by using a phrase that is usually used as a part of it. 

Educating the East End

• I would say the stereotypes of students - teenagers - being rebellious are being reinforced in the clip, as you can see some being scolded by teachers and being foolish.
• On the other hand, stereotypes of students hating school are being challenged as there are multiple clips of students smiling and generally being happy during class. 
• Teachers are represented as professionals as told by their manner of speaking and the way that are dressed. 
• The stereotype of teachers always being quite mechanical is challenged as they are shown in a more human way, using humour "Bantaaa" to interact with the students. 
• Other students are represented as more comical or unusual, for example having tape on their faces or dragging each other across the floor. 

12/9/23

Representations in Magazines

L/O: To explore the representations found in magazines

Direct address - Where the model is looking directly at the camera/you in the main cover photo.

Star vehicle - The known model/person who is on the cover.

Puff - Small pieces of text found in circles/shapes on the cover.

Cosmopolitan Magazine

From looking at the cover of this magazine, I can deduce that its:

• Targeted at heterosexual, adult women - older than 18
• Aimed at women who want to look a certain way

Carrie Underwood is represented as:

-Confident

-Romantic

-Fashionable

-Feminine

-Successful

Cover 1 -

-Modest

-Humble

-Inexperienced mum

Cover 2-

-Powerful

-Bold

-Glamorous 

Cover 3-

-Energetic

-Regal

-Fresh

She is represented as festive, modest and sweet in this magazine.

14/9/23

Differences between these two covers are:

• Different target audiences - Cosmo is female whereas GQ is male
• Contrasting colour schemes due to the differing target audiences - Cosmo is pink whereas GQ is blue.
• The themes are different as to match their target audience - Cosmo is more romantic and includes stereotypically female interests and GQ has stereotypical male interests like football and watches.
• The gender of the star vehicles that match the target audience
• The outfits of the star vehicles portray them in differing lights - Cosmo's is wearing a more revealing outfit to match with the sort of "sex appeal" cover lines, whereas GQ's is wearing a suit which is classy and clean. 
• The shot types are contrasted - Cosmo is medium long shot to show off the star vehicle's body, objectifying her, and GQ is between a mid shot and close up, giving us more of a focus on David Beckham's hand with a wedding ring on to represent him as a loyal husband, unlike other footballers who have scandals, and to show his tattoos that could represent him as a rebel (in a good way) that shows he's unique. 
• The masthead is behind the star vehicle in Cosmo because she would be covered up by it and GQ's is in front of the star vehicle so that you can recognise the name on the masthead. 
• GQ is more organised in terms of the cover lines, and Cosmo's are busy - due to the age targets, Cosmo appeals to a younger audience and GQ appeals to a more mature audience.

On the 'Cosmopolitan' magazine cover, the star vehicle is being represented very differently to the 'GQ' magazine. They both are very stereotypical in terms of the topics discussed on the cover lines, with the Cosmo including topics that would be inherently female interests such as 'Guys made easy' and 'The secret to sex appeal', and GQ including topics such as 'Get the coolest shoes on the planet' or 'Secrets on urban survival'. The star vehicle on Cosmopolitan is wearing a very revealing outfit, almost objectifying her, and on GQ he is wearing a tuxedo.  The most highlighted contrast is the way the Cosmo magazine is portraying women as being mostly interested in men and how to appeal to them, whereas on GQ it's more that men are oriented in being businessmen and having high status, which illustrates how males and females stereotypically have different priorities. 

• The star vehicle in 'Cosmopolitan' is being shown in very anti-gender stereotype clothing and colours.
• The star vehicle in GQ is being sexually objectified as she is wearing no clothing, as the target audience is men. 
• The colour schemes are still very gender stereotypical
• The cover lines are both organised. 
• Stereotypical representation of a gay man.
• Stereotypically 'female' topics on Cosmo: relationships, sex, men
• More feminist representation of the modern woman (Cosmo) - independent, strong, openly sexual
• Anti-stereotypical use of a female cover star on GQ
• Negative female representation for GQ - snake, medusa, gorgan, dangerous
• Stereotypically 'male' topics: tech, status. 'man-moments', 'new man'
• More updated representation of the modern man?
• Both include an anti stereotypical cover star

20/9/23

Exam style magazine question

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

EXAMPLE PARTLY 1ST PARAGRAPH ANSWER:

The two covers represent gender very 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 the flamboyant style is more stereotypical. On the other hand, there are more stereotypically masculine representations with the tattoo and the muscular physique. 

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My answer:

The two magazine covers represent gender very differently. In Cosmopolitan, the star vehicle  - Tom Daley - is portrayed in a positive light ( he is smiling, looks friendly etc ), with him being shown in an anti stereotypical way due to the clothing he has been dressed in and the colour schemes - they are very feminine. On the other hand, the fact that Tom Daley is homosexual could actually mean he is portrayed in a more stereotypically 'gay' way as he is in very flamboyant attire. Although he is painted in a feminine way, there are still elements of masculinity within the pose highlighting his muscular physique, and the tattoo on his upper arm showcasing the fact he is part of the olympics.  Furthermore, the cover lines on the magazine cover are generally 'female'  topics: relationships, sex, men etc, which is stereotypical as it is a women's magazine, although there are a few anti-stereotypical topics including things like jobs and porn, which shows a more feminist side to the magazine as it shows that women can have jobs and be independent.  This modern representation of women links to the Cosmopolitan's ideology as their tagline is "Fun, fearless, female", saying that women are "fearless" shows us their ideology is that women are strong and brave, relating to the cover lines. 

In GQ, the star vehicle - Rihanna - is portrayed in quite a negative light while being shown in a stereotypical way. This is because of the way she is being sexually objectified, with her being dressed in no clothing, which is due to the fact the magazine is designed for male audiences and the 'male gaze', and she is being shown in a more feminine/objectified way because she is naked, exposing her feminine features. The fact that she has snakes on her body illustrates Rihanna as dangerous due to the connotations of snakes, with Medusa - a very vain, menacing gorgon who can turn people into stone in mythology - being the main idea that is taken away from this, portraying Rihanna as quite sly, secretive, and vicious, like a snake.The producers are creating this image of her to give the effect that she is 'hard to get' and almost evil in a way.  The producers are also showing her as rebellious due to the tattoo on her chest, which is another anti-stereotypical way of portraying a woman, to add to the effect that she is an uncontrollable person - and typically men like to be able to control a woman. Moreover, the cover lines are stereotypically 'male' subjects such as tech, status, 'man-moments' etc due to the fact it is a men's magazine.  

I would say that the representation of gender in the two covers is similar in terms of the fact that they both include anti-stereotypical star vehicles - a female on a male's magazine and vice versa -, and how they both still incorporate the stereotypical colour palettes of a womens' and mens' magazine. Another similarity is that they both contain representation of 'modern' gender roles - Cosmopolitan has text about feminism and the modern woman being independent and openly sexual, and GQ has text about the 'New Man' who is 'child-rearing' and 'therapy loving'.  

I would say that the representation of gender in the two covers is different in terms of the way the star vehicles are presented - the producers at Cosmopolitan have painted Tom Daley is painted in a positive light (flamboyant, proud, happy) whereas GQ's have illustrated Rihanna in a more negative one (sly, secretive, evil) . The differences in the way they are portrayed could be due to their target audiences.

22/9/23

Representation

L/O: To create magazine covers showing an example of representation.

27/9/23

29/9/23

Exam Style Magazine Question

L/O: To review and improve an effective exam style answer.

Miss Mac commented on "C1 ML&R"

21 hours ago

MAG REPRESENTATION EXAM Q:
This is a fantastic answer Milly - excellent work!
WWW: you've concisely compared the two covers using accurate terminology
EBI: link the representations to the target audience or the magazine's own ideology

Industry Research

L/O: To research companies linked to set products.

GQ:

• GQ was launched in 1931.
• The original genre was the same as it is now: men's style, culture, entertainment etc.
• GQ was originally called "Apparel Arts", and was rebranded to "GQ" (Gentleman's Quarterly) in 1967 due to rising popularity.
• GQ is produced by Condé Nast, a global mass-media company.
• It is a multi-platform brand, as they publish magazines paperback and digitally.
• GQ has an average circulation of around 115,000 and a readership of almost 400,000 through its various platforms.
• GQ's target audience is successful, conservative businessmen. 
• GQ's catch phrase is 'the magazine for men with an IQ'. The brand is built around traditional ideas of masculinity.  It includes coverage of executive concerns and targets a more serious minded, conservative, older reader than some other men's lifestyle magazines such as Loaded and FHM.

VOGUE:

• Vogue was first launched in 1892
• The original target audience/genre was the wealthy and fashion/lifestyle
• Vogue has become more modern over the years
• Condé Nast publishes vogue
• Vogues average circulation is 1,242,282 (2016) and 86.3 million readers
• The target audience is young women aged 17-29
• Vogues brand image: it has sophisticated lifestyle ideologies, very important is fashion, exclusivity, reaching a higher class and beauty, the values are a commitment to visual genius, investment in storytelling that puts women at the centre of the culture, and a selective, optimistic editorial eye, it covers topics such as fashion and women's lifestyle, and is known to be feminist.

Homework

GQ's producers portray the star vehicle -Chris Pratt- in a very stereotypical masculine way. This is due to the fact he is wearing a generally 'male' type of attire, as he is in a sophisticated waistcoat and is also seen to be modelling a watch. He could be presented in this way to illustrate that he is very rich and successful, as he looks professional and confident due to his clothing being expensive and smart - and to the way the producers have used direct address (he is looking directly at the reader) emphasises his assertiveness. They do this to reflect the identity of the reader, as GQ is typically aimed at successful, poised business-men, and by doing this they draw their target audience in. The fact that the star vehicle is white could mean that the target audience is also generally white men. Furthermore, the way in which he is sitting is very open and self-assured, accentuating his confidence.

The lexis used in the cover lines imply that men who read GQ all have the same type of political views:  "Who do we vote for now?". The personal pronoun "we" gives the impression that the readers of GQ are a collective, putting them in the same category as each other in terms of their political beliefs - and GQ is typically aimed at conservative men, confirming that they will have similar takes on politics. This portrays that GQ's ideology is clearly portrayed in their covers, as they advocate for traditional masculinity. Another representation of masculinity is shown in the colour scheme of the cover: different shades of blue. These colours are stereotypically masculine, highlighting the target audience and the main themes of the magazine: men's style, politics, celebrities, etc,  typically manly subjects. 

Home learning

4/10/23

Circulation - The number of copies of a magazine distributed by the publishing company.

Advertising revenue - The money that a magazine earns from putting paid advertisements in their magazine.

Cover price - The price of the magazine that is displayed on the front cover ; how much a magazine is sold for.

Subscription model - When customers pay a recurring fee to keep getting regular copies of the magazine.

Multi-platform - The act of using two or more media platforms at the same time (physical and online).

Readership - The amount of people who regularly read the magazine (on average).

Ideology - A set of beliefs and values shared by a group of people (what a magazine stands for).

Brand identity - The visible elements of a brand that identify and distinguish the brand from others (colour, design, logo). 

Target audience - a specific group the product is aimed at.

These covers utilise GQ's brand identity/image as they reflect the identity of the aimed reader: successful, affluent, stylish etc as they are wearing classy, expensive outfits - tuxedos, watches, rings -. The topics covered also portray their main focuses such as politics, status and clothing. Also, the main topics addressed on the front cover mirror the ideology/tagline of the magazine -"the magazine for men with an IQ" - as they are sophisticated subjects.

These covers portray Vogue's ideology as they show women in a powerful and positive way, due to the fact that it is a feminist magazine. We can see this in the way the producers have posed them, in confident and proud stances, and using direct address. Also, the use of the lexis describing the star vehicle as a "queen" links to their ideology again of showing women as important and proud. The brand identity is usually using medium shots of the star vehicle.

11/10/23

Case Study #1 : Raheem Sterling GQ

L/O: To explore the context and cover star for case study 1

Do Now

Brand identity of GQ - Sophisticated, sleek, monochrome

Brand identity of Vogue -  Feminist,  fashionable, empowering 

GQ targets its audience by reflecting their audience (David Bekham's cover) and using a sexual image of a woman (Jennifer Lopez). They do this as the star vehicle on the first cover portrays a successful businessman, their target audience, to draw them in. Also, the way Jennifer Lopez is being sexually objectified targets their audience as it caters to the 'male gaze'.

GQ represents gender very differently in the two magazines: the star vehicle in the left magazine is seen to be put in a sophisticated tuxedo, fully clothed, whereas Jennifer Lopez is seen in barely any clothing, this is a common pattern in the way gender is represented in GQ, with women being portrayed as sexual objects and men are shown as successful. The cover lines of GQ magazines in general focus on men's achievements and accolades, but with women they are focused solely on looks: "Men of the year" compared to "Sexiest women". This shows that a woman's worth is based on their looks, and are seen to have no talent or purpose except sex, but it is the opposite for men, which gives a real chauvinist attitude. 

Homework


Raheem Sterling

• Raheem is an English footballer who plays for Chelsea in the premier league.
• Born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents
• Grew up in London, and had a tough childhood, being sent to a school for children with difficulties.
• His father, who he never had contact with, was shot dead in a gang murder when Raheem was just 9 years old.
• He worked extremely hard to get to his position, and his mother worked endless shifts to give him every chance.

1/10/23

Raheem Sterling

Do Now

• The sleek and sophisticated clothing reflects GQ's brand identity.
• He is represented as serious and wealthy
• Stereotypical portrayal of a man, reflection of the average man who reads GQ

In 2018, Raheem Sterling suffered racial abuse after facing racist chants and slurs being thrown at him by Chelsea supporters, forcing him to speak out on the issue. Sterling made a statement arguing how unfairly he is treated by not only these football fans, but also by the press: he and a white footballer where portrayed in contrasting lights for doing the exact same thing, which was buying a house for their mothers. Raheem was shown as undeserving and malicious, but his fellow white team member was shown as generous and kind, although it is not blatantly racism, you can still see the differing ways in which a black footballer is shown in comparison to a white footballer. 

GQ Cover analysis notes:

• "GQ" - the masthead is in a bold and large sans serif font. The colour used is a deep gold, connoting wealth, but also religion in the context of the rest of the cover. The colour gold is in juxtaposition to the black used for Sterling's wings, already implying there will be binary oppositions in this cover.
• "Why it's finally okay to own a beltbag" links to the idea of being 'metrosexual'. Subverting stereotypes of bags being for women, now men can wear and enjoy them too.
• "Guardian Angel" -

1. He is a winger in football, playing on the sides or the wings.
2. He is helping to protect other black players from further racial incidents through his campaigning.
3. He was seen as an 'evil' person in the media, but in reality seems on the whole to be a good one.
4. Could have religious connotations, as Raheem is a christian, and link to his moral codes. 

• A-Z pattern design traces the route the human eye travels when they read - left to right, top to bottom.
• "Westminster had become a living nightmare" - Appeals to the intelligence of the reader, discussing current affairs and political storylines in keeping with the idea of a middle class 'gentleman'.
• Self promotion of their own event- it is a festival that GQ runs 'for top tier luxury business and creative minds, focusing on thought leadership and the changing nature of our industries in a world in a deep state of political and economic flux'.
• Current popstar "Machine gun kelly" - links to popular culture, uses enigma: Why is his life insane?.

3/11/23

Media Language

• Connotation
• Denotation
• Representation
• Mise-en-scene
• Camera shots/angles
• Style of writing
• Non-verbal codes -- Mise-en-scene
• Written codes -- anything written
• Gesture codes -- body language
• Symbolic codes -- a colour that symbolises anything else
• Narrative -- the story
• Colour palette -- colours used

Exam question:

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

• Images
• Text/written language
• Layout and design

In this front cover of GQ, the producers use media language to communicate many multiple meanings. The image connotes a range of meanings: the use of religious iconography links to the main cover-line where the star vehicle, Raheem Sterling, is described as a "Guardian Angel", which could be referring to the fact that he is a winger in football, playing on either side of the wings, but could also link to the narrative of he is helping to protect other black players from racial discrimination, like a "guardian angel" would, as he had experienced racial abuse himself and chose to speak out about it to protect others from further mistreatment. The fact that the colour palette of Sterling's outfit is black reflects the fact that he himself is black, and portray that he is proud of his skin colour due to his confident gesture codes and the way he looks powerful due to the camera angle below his eye-level, and the way he is looking down on the camera. His wealth and status is shown through his jewellery, and could attract the reader as GQ's readers are seen to value societal positions and prosperity, and to show how successful Sterling is even if you don't exactly know who he is. The "speak no evil" cover-line could be referring to politics, which appeals to the intelligence of the reader, and discusses current affairs and political storylines in keeping with the idea of a middle-class 'gentleman' ( GQ's target audience ).  Another connotation of the cover-line is that it could reflect the racial slurs that Raheem had to endure, and how he encourages anti-racism, to really highlight that he is very passionate about the topic. The way the main cover-line is written with a gold colour palette, in serif typography also emphasises Sterling's place in the world of football, with how he became the most valuable player in 2016, and also how gold has a symbolic code of divinity and power in religion, linking back to the religious iconography of Raheem being an angel. In another cover-line, it states names of four people as their "GQ Heroes", with 2 of those being white and 2 of them being black, which portrays that GQ values equality and reflects the theme of the main cover image's theme, being in-line with anti-racism and equality.

25 minutes

8/11/23

Gender in the RS cover is represented as...

• Physically strong - stereotypical representation of men
• Attractive
• Men and women are equal - two of each gender for their "GQ heroes" 
• Power pose - superior
• Male footballer - stereotypical
• "How to wear a broken suit" - men are more practical
• "OK to wear a beltbag" - men are fashion-conscious

Ethnicity in the RS cover is represented as...

• Strong
• Anti-stereotypical to have a black cover star on GQ
• Ethnicity is represented equally and positively -
• One of the "GQ Heroes" is a coloured female

• The star vehicle is represented as successful as he is wearing a suit
• Women are hyper-sexualised
• Direct address of star vehicle symbolises confidence
• "Remasculation" 

• Anti-stereotypical to have a black cover star
• Positive representation of ethnicity
• Looks powerful

10/11/23

Do Now

In this cover, males are represented as physically strong, practical, and fashion-consious. Represented in a hyper-masculine way, the black wings portray him as a supernatural figure suggesting his skills

I think ethnicity is represented in a diverse way as the main cover-line and image both connote to race.

• Star Wars star vehicle draws the target audience in as the stereotypical audience for Star Wars and GQ are men
• Black lives matter mentioned in cover lines as well as 3 other black men included in them 
• Direct address suggests confidence
• Facial expression is serious - main cover lines are serious topics
• Anti-stereotypical to have a black cover star
• Stereotypical masculine topics: Star Wars, business, media, politics
• His hood is up - connotations of gangs, criminality, trying to challenge these stereotypes
• Hood is white - pure, good, good intentions
• Diverse cover
  
  

HOMEWORK - COMPARE 

In the 'Details' cover, the star vehicle - Robert Pattinson - represents males stereotypically. This can be seen in the attire the producers have dressed him in, as he is wearing a suit, which implies that he is an accomplished man. The star vehicle may be shown in this way to reflect Details' target audience, who are successful businessmen (similar to GQ'S), to draw them in and entice them. The fact that Pattinson is staring into the camera -using direct address- shows confidence, portraying further the point that men are being represented stereotypically as successful. The use of the cover line "Remasculation" connotes that this magazine's values are of traditional masculinity, and links back to the main cover image due to the way he is dressed very stereotypically masculine. In the 'GQ' cover, the star vehicle -Raheem Sterling- also represents males stereotypically, but in a different way. As Sterling is seen to be topless in the image, showing off his muscular physique, we can deduce that they are representing men as powerful, strong and hyper-masculine as he also bears an abundance of tattoos that are emphasised through him being clothed this way. This contrasts to the way men are illustrated in the Details cover, as Pattinson is fully-clothed, and not a sports star, so is not shown in the same light. A similarity of the two covers is that they are both represented as being successful, as Sterling is wearing thick silver jewellery, that reinforces the capitalist ideology that a man has to make a lot of money to be seen as successful. Another depiction of succession can be spotted in the cover-lines of the Raheem Sterling cover, as they include men who are at the very top of their field: Machine Gun Kelly, Ricky Gervais, etc. 

In the ‘Details’ cover, women are presented stereotypically. This is because, in the cover image, there is a faceless woman who is seen in very revealing clothing, sexually objectifying her.  The way that she is faceless portrays that the only reason she has been placed on the cover is to emphasise that the man is sexually successful, but portraying the woman as insignificant. In contrast, the GQ cover illustrates women as equally successful to men, as in the cover-lines, "GQ Heroes" , it includes 2 men and 2 women, showing that they are equivalents. 

15/11/23

Do Now

-Vogue's ideology is feminist

-Target audience is women 18-35

-Published by Conde Nast

-Fashion and lifestyle magazine

-Multi-platform

-High-end design brands

CASE STUDY #2 - Malala Yousafzai VOGUE

L/O: to explore the context and cover star for case study #2.

• Vogue was first issued in New York in 1892 before it was bought by American publisher Conde Nast in 1905. Conde Nast made it into a women's magazine, though they still aimed at the upper classes, British Vogue was launched in 1916.
• Vogue is still produced by Conde Nast and continues to be successful in the UK. Edward Enninful was appointed editor in December 2017. He has made some important changes to the content and representations featured in the magazine, which have increased digital subscriptions and stabilised print sales of the magazine.
• Vogue is classed as a glossy, monthly, women's lifestyles magazine: "British Vogue is the authority on fashion, beauty and lifestyle"

• Both of these covers make use of anti-stereotypical star vehicles: a man and a black woman. We know these are anti-stereotypical as historically, Vogue would not use black cover stars as they claimed that it affected their sales negatively, and the fact that there is a man on the cover is unusual for Vogue as it is aimed at women. These two covers are far more inclusive than previously, showing how they have become far more progressive. 
• Vogue's target audience are typically well-educated, middle-aged, wealthy women
• Vogue represents gender anti-stereotypically due to the fact that the star vehicle - Harry Styles - is wearing a dress, but also as he is on the cover of the Vogue magazine to begin with as it is aimed at women. 

MALALA FACT FILE

• On October 9 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Malala as she rode home on a bus because she went to school in Pakistan's Swat Valley. She was 15 when she was shot.
• The Taliban shot her because she was standing up for the right for her education, as they banned women's right to attend school.
• She won a Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.
• She moved to the UK in 2014. 
• She established the Malala Fund to donate to the cause of giving women rights to their education and the life they choose.

17/11/23

L/O: To explore the context & cover star for case study #2

What we know about Malala:

Malala Yousafzai is a very famous activist who protests for rights for women and girls' education. Her story started when she was riding home on a bus from school at just 15 years old, when a gunman of the Taliban boarded the bus and shot her in the head, for just wanting to go to school and have an education. Malala was in a comatose state for 10 days before waking up and recovering, and began to protest and push for women's rights. Later, in 2014, at the age of 17 Malala won a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism and the Malala Fund she co-founded with her father. Malala represents women's empowerment, so I think it fits Vogue's ideology of feminism. 

Vogue's editor Enninful chose Malala for what she has achieved and what she stands for, and the fact that she is a very inspirational role model for women and girls, which represents what Vogue aims to achieve in their issues: women's empowerment. 

Main Image

• The colour palette of reds symbolises passion, reflecting Malala's compassion for her activism and how she has devoted her life to fighting for the rights to education for females.
• The red could also be a symbolic code for her pain, as we know through the narrative that she was shot in the head for just attending school, and emphasises through her gesture codes, in the way she is smiling, that even though she has endured such suffering, she is still smiling and ploughing through it. 
• The mise-en-scene of what she is wearing connotes to Malala's culture and where she descends from, as she originally lived in Pakistan before she suffered the incident and moved to the Uk and continued her activism.
• Malala is shown in a medium close-up shot that draws attention to both her facial expressions as well as her body language and attire.
• The headscarf she wears indicates her culture and her religion and is an essential part of her identity: Malala is a survivor.
• She engages the reader with direct eye contact and a slight smile - a mode of address that is personal and welcoming but confident and self assured.
• She is at a level angle with us: we are invited to get closer to her, to identify with her, but also admire her and look up to her as a role model, a legend even.
• The red colour palette draws attention to the cover. 

Anchorage

• The main cover line of "The extraordinary life of Malala, survivor, activist, legend" mirrors how much she has gone through and how fearless Malala is, and the reason she has been rendered a Vogue role-model (GB) was because of how empowering she is to women and how she is such an inspirational figure for girls across the globe. 
• The fact that the anchorage is the same silvery colour palette for this caption and the Vogue masthead reinforces the message that Malala is a role model for Vogue.
• The main cover line, the caption of Malala's own name, is the brightest text on the page. 
• The white clearly contrasts with the red background, celebrating her name and status.
• Malala's name and importance is highlighted and framed by the italicised text:"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.
• On the cover, you can see how the captions used to anchor the cover model elevate her status and importance.

Cover-lines

• "Fighting Talk" cover-line could link to the fact that Malala fights for women's rights, so fits in with the cover's context. It broadens the readers appeal from fashion fans of the model Jourdan Dunn to sporting fans of the champion boxer Anthony Joshua. This is another unlikely feature that shows how Vogue is widening their 
• The cover lines on the left hand side all follow the chic, minimalist design, a black uppercase headline with an italicised subheading in white to draw the reader into what is more familiar territory for a women's glossy magazine: romance, fashion, celebrities.
• Vogue asserts its authority here to show you, how to get back into the dating game, with :"LOVE AFTER LOCKDOWN", and to tell you what is in fashion in the "SHAPE OF NOW: how to keep up, what to do and what to buy". The use of alliterative language (With Ls) is a rhetorical device that Vogue is an authority on the subject.

Layout

• Z Shape
• The composition of the front cover follows the principles of the traditional design.
• Her hand is in that position is to guide the reader's eyes through the Z position.

21/22/23

Malala Yousafzai

L/O: To explore the representations in case study #2

Do Now

• In the main image, the colour palette of reds used portray Malala's passion for her activism.
• Her headscarf connotes to her religion, showing that she is proud of her culture.
• The main cover line shows how much of a role model Malala is to girls and women across the world, as she has lived through so much and fought tirelessly for rights.
• Her name is the largest piece of text asides from the main cover-line which shows her importance and status.
• Direct address portrays her confidence

Homework

In the Vogue cover, media language is used in order to communicate multiple meanings. The way in which the producers are using non-verbal codes in how Malala is using direct address, staring at the camera, portrays her confidence, and the low camera angle also shows this along with a meaning of her power and importance. Furthermore, her hands are rested on her face, which draws the reader's eyes towards it to emphasise Malala's religion and the importance of her culture to her. These gesture codes are in-line with Vogue's ideology of women's empowerment, as she is being shown as a confident, self-assured woman. Another representation of Malala's importance can be seen in the colour palette, as her name is the main cover-line in the colour of white and is made to stand out against the red of the background, highlighting her status; the way that only Malala's forename is used also conveys her dominance of her area, as you only need her first name to know exactly who she is, which also illustrates her fame and how well-known she is. The colour palette of red could additionally be linked to the narrative in which Malala has been protesting and fighting for women's rights, showing her passion and dedication to the subject, as this is what the colour red is a symbolic code for: passion, courage, love. When Malala is described using the lexis of "survivor, activist, legend", the written codes represent Malala as a role model, and deems her as a "legend", at the age of just 24 years old, due to her constant struggle to obtain rights for girls around the world, and emphasises her immense importance to not just politics but to females across the globe. The fact that Malala is dressed in silky, feminine garments shows her classiness and wealth, which could reflect the target audience of Vogue, who are educated, middle-class females, who are also interested in things such as fashion and status; the target audience can also be depicted in the cover-lines, as it mentions topics such as love, fashion, beauty etc. These written codes are used to draw the audience in and entice them into purchasing the magazine. 

22 mins 

• Vogue at this has far more diversity in age, ethnicity, gender, body-size etc across the globe than other magazines.
• Before 2017, Vogue UK went 14 years with only six non-white solo cover stars.

 Representations in Media

Muslims have been represented in the past as violent, terrorists etc, but muslim women have been shown as timid, kept to themselves, trapped under the influence of a dominant male society.

• A range of diversity is represented on the cover - Malala, Jordan Dunn, Anthony Joshua etc
• The representation of Malala as a muslim woman is anti-stereotypical, as in the media muslim women are made out to be under strong control of men and are very timid, and Malala is being shown as confident and powerful. 
• The age range isn't very diverse, as their average ages would be around 25.
• Being female is represented as being fearless and strong, which is in line with Vogue's ideology as they believe in uplifting women and empowering them.
• The representation of gender is positive as it shows that women are powerful and can be whoever they want and achieve great things - just like Malala
• In the cover-lines it portrays that women like to read stereotypically feminine topics such as - love, clothing, beauty etc. Shows that women are mostly concerned with appearance and superficiality than anything else.
• There is one anti-stereotypical cover line "Fighting Talk" - it is to do with boxing, a stereotypically male subject, but also it is empowering women as it shows women being strong and interested in these topics.
• Malala: looks very feminine - flowing, silk headscarf, jewellery, make up. - Classy and sophisticated
• Malala's anchorage - "survivor' - depicts a strong, powerful and confident woman - anti-stereotypical as the female is not shown as the victim.

In the Vogue cover, the star vehicle - Malala Yousafzai - represents women anti-stereotypically as powerful. This can be seen in the way that Malala is staring directly at the camera, using direct address, which suggests that she is confident, and her status can also be seen in the level angle. This can be seen as unusual for a woman to be portrayed in this way as they are normally made out to be inferior, and seen to not have the high statuses that men can have, or their successfulness.  Another way in which this representation is perpetuated is through the main cover-line, when she is described as a "survivor, activist, legend": this alludes to the fact that Malala is a strong woman, as she is not being depicted as the victim, but as a "survivor", showing just how fearless she is, and deeming her a role model for women to aspire to, as she has been through so much and achieved so many goals; this can also be noticed in the colour palette, as Malala's name is in a bold, italic white font, contrasting to the strong red colour scheme of the main cover, emphasising her importance. This is a positive portrayal of women, and is in-line with Vogue's ideology that women should be empowered and uplifted, in order to achieve their goals and be a leader. Furthermore, one of the cover-lines describes boxing -"Fighting Talk", an anti-stereoypical topic for a women's magazine, which furthers the point that women can be interested in stereotypically "male" subjects such as sports, and shows that they are powerful and strong. 

The Vogue cover represents ethnicity anti-stereotypically through the the main cover image. This is shown through the cover star of Malala Yousafzai - a muslim woman - being portrayed as confident, as there are negative stereotypes about muslim women being timid and usually under the strong and controlling authority of a man, so by showing that she is powerful Vogue is defying these stereotypes. This links to the fact that Vogue is widening their diversity in terms of individual cover stars, as they had scarce presentation of non-white cover stars individually for a number of years. Ethnic diversity is also shown in the cover-lines, as in them are 2 other people of colour: Jordan Dunn and Anthony Joshua. Malala's religion is also represented as she is wearing a headscarf, which illustrates how proud she is of her religion and culture, and how it is of great importance to her. 

24/11/23

L/O: to compare representations in magazine covers.

Do Now

Women are represented as..:

1. Powerful
2. Inspiring
3. Confident

Similarities:

• Colour platte - they both use reds that could connote to their passion of wanting justice.
• Direct address - confidence
• Mis en scene - they are both are in feminine attire, silky fabric- classy, wealthy, luxury
• The cove lines both include fashion - stereotypically feminine subject
• Low angle makes them look powerful
• Their names are the largest pieces of text - highlights their importance and status
• Use of their forename only - conveys the status of the cover star, well known
• Includes non-stereotypical cover-lines showing women as strong and powerful
• Strong women from ethnic minorities

Differences:

• Malala is shot using a medium close-up shot, which emphasises her religion due to her headscarf, whereas Lizzo is shot using a long shot to emphasise body positivity due to her figure being fully shown - highlights the different areas of the cover stars
• Lizzo's representation is far more glamorous than Malala's

Media Language

• Connotation
• Denotation
• Representation
• Mise-en-scene
• Camera shots/angles
• Style of writing
• Non-verbal codes -- Mise-en-scene
• Written codes -- anything written
• Gesture codes -- body language
• Symbolic codes -- a colour that symbolises anything else
• Narrative -- the story
• Colour palette -- colours used

29/11/23

L/O: to practise comparing representations in two covers.

Do Now

She represents women as:

1. Self-confident

2. Intelligent

3. Successful

COMPARISONS 

Similar

• They both portray confident, powerful women - both show anti-stereotypical femininity
• Both of their names stand out against the background, only their forenames, emphasising their importance in their respective areas.
• Both talk about fashion and beauty in the cover lines 
• Both include anti-stereotypical cover lines - careers (Kim) and sport (Malala)

Different

• Malala - medium close up shot to emphasise her culture and religion by showing her headscarf, and shows that it's more about who she is, not her appearance
• Kim - Medium long shot to show her body, and her pose, to emphasise that she is confident, linking back to the anchorage - to emphasise it isn't about her specifically, but about her body.
• Kim is in front of the cover lines, Malala is behind them - emphasising Kim's appearance 
• Difference in colour palette - Malala is red portraying her passion etc , Kim has pink and grey 

The two magazine covers are very similar in terms of how they represent women, although they are also quite different. 

In terms of the imagery, the magazines are very different in their representations of women. In the Vogue cover, the cover star - Malala Yousafzai - is shot using a medium close up, which emphasises the importance of her religion to her due to the headscarf she is dressed in, and focuses on Malala's face, instead of her body. This is dissimilar to the ELLE cover, as the star vehicle - Kim Kardashian - is shot using a medium long shot, which highlights her physique and confident stance. Also, Malala is wearing modest clothing, not showing off her body, which is anti-stereotypical for a women's glossy magazine, but due to the fact that Vogue has been changing their style and incorporating more inclusive cover stars, we can deduce that it is stereotypical for Vogue. This is dissimilar to Kim, who is wearing quite revealing clothing, portraying their contrasting representations of women. These components of the two magazines shows that, in Malala's cover, women are being represented as more classy and modest, whereas in the Kim cover, women are being portrayed as more body-confident and sexy. The fact that Kim is shown in this way is stereotypical for women, as they are often sexually objectified in the media, which does submit to the 'male gaze' theory, but the main aim of the cover is not to look attractive for men, but to feel confident and good in yourself. 

The use of cover lines in the two magazines represents women in a similarly stereotypical way, but also in an anti-stereotypical way. This can be seen in both of the covers when they discuss topics such as fashion, beauty, love etc: Elle describes "The best foundation in the world", and "Fashion's new minimal", and Vogue includes "Love after lockdown" and "Vogue's guide to summer beauty". These topics are discussed due to both of the magazines' main target audience: women. This is a stereotypical  portrayal of women as, in the media, women are usually shown as being oriented around these certain stereotypically feminine topics. Both covers also focus on anti-stereotypical subjects in the cover-lines: this is illustrated when a Vogue cover line discusses boxing, "Fighting Talk", an unusual topic for a women's magazine, as sports are seen as a stereotypically 'male' subject. It's also seen in the ELLE cover, when the cover line states: "The 7 surprising career mistakes you should make" - this is anti-stereotypical due to the fact that women are usually not seen to be interested in their careers or status, and that these topics are typically not discussed in women's glossy magazines, and challenges these overall false views of women.

The use of the colour palette in the magazines portray women in multiple ways. Although the colour palette of the two magazines are vastly different, the fact that the colour of the main cover lines of their names stand out against both of their respective backgrounds represents women in a similar way: Malala's name is white against a deep red background, and Kim's name is a flamboyant pink against a grey background. This portrays that both of the women are very important, as their names are the largest on the cover and the most eye-catching, highlighting their high status, representing women as powerful and successful. Another interpretation of their differing colour palettes can be depicted through the connotations of the colour choices. The fact that the main cover-lines on the ELLE magazine are pink connote stereotypical femininity, and Vogue's colour palette of red connotes to Malala's passion for her career and activism. This illustrates women differently, as Elle represents them as stereotypically hyper-feminine, but Vogue shows them as more passionate and courageous due to these colour palette choices.

The two magazine covers utilise lexis to portray different representations of gender. This can be seen in the way in which the mastheads of both of the magazines are named, showing their differing purposes. "ELLE" is the french term for "she", immediately connoting that the magazine is centred around feminine topics and women in general. This is contrasting to "VOGUE", as it does not connote to a specific gender, it just connotes to a theme fashion and trends. An anti-stereotypical portrayal of women is conveyed through the lexis of main cover-line describing Malala, as she is said to be a "survivor, activist, legend.". The noun of "survivor" implies that Malala is not a victim, but a strong woman who "survived". This is anti-stereotypical due to the fact that women are usually illustrated as feeble and weak, a victim. A similar anti-stereotypical use of lexis can also be seen in Elle, when the star vehicle is described as a "smart woman". The adjective of "smart" portrays women anti-stereotypically as, in the media, women are not usually displayed as intelligent. 

In conclusion, the way in which they portray gender (specifically female) is actually very 

different, but more-so similar due to the fact that they have created two differing representations of women, but have used similar techniques to create these portrayals.