Induction report task

In an edition of GQ magazine from July 2016 masculinity is represented as toxic and there is an idealised version of masculinity. The use of the star vehicle (Dwayne Johnson’s) iconic bicep with its brahma bull tattoo reinforces the stereotype of men being hyper masculine, strong and muscular. For modern men, there is a societal expectation that they have to have it all: health, wealth and strength and the image of Johnson supports this as he epitomizes all three. The very essence of men’s lifestyle magazines is consumerism and so the images and cover lines will always seek to support this, informing men of what they supposedly need. One of the cover lines reads ‘man up! How to be a man in 2016’ which suggests that men are expected to act and look in a certain way. The star vehicle uses a direct mode of address. This is a common convention of magazines and helps to add a more personal approach. The intensity of his stare and the lack of a smile suggests how serious he expects to be taken and how seriously the readers should take not only take themselves and their bodies, but the magazine also. The target audience is clearly young men aspiring to be fit and look a certain way. The magazine appeals to its target audience by using the strapline ‘mind, body & masculinity’ this suggests to the reader that the magazine has all the answers they are looking for and can make them feel and look good. Van Zoonen’s feminist theory can be applied here because in women’s lifestyle magazines they are represented and constructed differently to men. 

In an advertisement for quality street in the 50’s women are objectified and sexualised. The stereotype that women rely on men is reinforced here and the implication is that to be successful you will need to be romantically led by a man. This is shown through the image which portrays their subservient body language to the dominant man. This advert is purposely for the young to middle aged adults (25-40), the target audience could see themselves in the characters in the main section of the advert. There is a secondary analysis on the women in the advertisement. Women could be represented as sly and promiscuous as there is a sense of manipulation with the women distracting the man through romance to access the ‘prize’ that is the product in the gentleman’s lap. This advert could be seen to be representative of the way in which society was moving at this time. The man is represented as dominant and womanising. There is a double meaning to the cover line ‘what a delicious dilemma!’. The man cannot choose which chocolate to pick but he also cannot choose from the choice of two women either. This reinforces stereotypes of men having power over women and objectifying them. There is some phallic symbolism as the chocolate box is positioned in a way that could suggest the women are not only reaching for a chocolate but for the man’s penis also. The man is centrally framed suggesting his dominance and he uses an indirect mode of address suggesting that he stuck in the moment enjoying his ‘delicious dilemma’. Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory can be applied to this advertisement as women are being strongly objectified. 

In a November issue of Pride magazine black women are represented as powerful and independent. This magazine has a progressive representation and moves away from stereotypes of black women in the past. The title of the magazine, ‘Pride’, has connotations of self-respect, self-esteem, dignity and strength. The red and black colour palette used for the cover lines helps to support the idea of pride. Red is associated with pride and strength and the black is a strong, bold statement, perhaps representative of their target audience, black women. Using a successful, black, British cover star as their dominant image, Pride is presenting a role model for its readers but, importantly, someone from the target audiences’ community. Harris was raised in a single parent household and came from a working-class background. This relatable upbringing makes it easier for the readers to aspire to be like her. Harris appears to epitomise this and it works very well. Theoretical perspectives on representation, which could include Stuart Hall’s reception theory, suggest that in some ways, this magazine seeks to move away from the typical representations of ethnicity and gender, but in some ways cannot help but reinforce them. Cover lines ‘how far would you go to be beautiful?’ suggests that the reader cannot already be naturally beautiful, there is always room for improvement. Therefore, black women reading or starring in Pride are represented as having just as many beauty problems as their white peers. The importance of body image and consumerism doesn’t change just because of skin colour. The body language of the star vehicle, the confident pose and the direct mode of address empowers women and becomes more personal to the readers. 

Megan Wheatland