According to David Gauntlett, audiences are not passive, and media products allow the audience to construct their own identities. Audiences can (and do!) 'pick and mix' which ideologies suit them, and completely ignore the elements of the product which they do not agree with. This is often referred to (aptly) as the 'pick and mix theory'.
After checking out the centre spread as a whole, explore the following tasks, prompts and questions:
- What is the purpose of this article? Does the lexis of highlight 1 confirm or deny your expectations of the target demographic of woman?
- What are the connotative aspects of the selection of the lexsis 'present'?
- Give a brief textual/semiotic analysis of the image in highlight 2. In what ways does this image conform to and/or subvert hegemonic expectations of women circa 1964?
- Write out three sentences from highlight 3 and 4 that demonstrate the sociohistorical context in which this edition of Woman was released
- Explore the image in Highlight 4. How is the woman dressed? What do the aspects of mise-en-scene connote?
- How much were d's, S's and £'s worth in 1964? Use a currency converter and a little Googling to get your head round pre-decimal money
- How can audiences reject certain ideologies yet still enjoy and take use from this article?
