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| This isn't the edition we're studying, but this copy of Woman, also from 1964, demonstrates exactly how singular, straightforward and homogenous an approach that the magazine took |
Conclusion - Woman magazine presents a singular, straightforward and conservative ideology to it's working class, middle aged female target audience. By omitting many of the exciting and potentially dangerous ideas which were going on in the 1960's, it presents a safe and frankly boring world for women to exist in. This allows it to appeal to a certain demographic, who will buy the magazine every single week. Therefore Woman magazine is essentially constructing an audience.
Q block and U block analysed the front cover from the set edition of Woman magazine. These are some of the suggestions they made:
Q block
- Stereotypically, hegemonically attractive cover model appeals to female target audience
- MES of white masthead creates connotations of innocence and purity, further reinforcing hegemonic perceptions of the role of women in 1964
- Use of lexis 'Seven Star Improvements for Your Kitchen' insinuates that the target audience is stereotypical 1960's housewives. The word 'kitchen' functions as a symbolic code, symbolising the association of women and cooking
- MES of model's costume is floral and feminine, and is connotative of the model's symbolic status as a housewife
- MES of model's haircut suggests practicality and being able to cook and clean. However it could also be connotative of her glamourous status
- Serif font of the Masthead and the word 'woman' furthers the idea that the magazine is targeting a female audience, and therefore makes the target audience as clear as possible
- symbolic code of the purple background has connotations of femininity and girlishness. Again, this reinforces certain stereotypes that exist around women
- Facial expression is soft and welcoming, allowing the magazine to appeal to a larger audience
- Aspirational cover model, hegemonically attractive, noticeably thin
- Cover price of 7d is approximately 80p, indicating a working class lower income audience
- Dominant hegemonic social norm is reinforced that women should be clean, happy and presentable. This clearly is supported by Hall's notion of reception theory, and audiences at the time would generally agree with the preferred reading of this magazine
- Connotations of the word 'lingerie' are symbolic of luxury and sexual attractiveness
- Liesbet Van Zoonen argues that women are used as a shortcut in media products to symbolise sexual attractiveness. Clearly this model was selected for being hegemonically attractive
- Model has an expression of happiness and satisfaction, which allows the producer to sell the lifestyle of satisfaction to the target audience
- However, a polysemic set of meanings of constructed, and the models face may be interpreted as being uncomfortable and even slightly scared. This may suggest that the target audience may be lacking in confidence, are vulnerable, and additionally, it could be argued tat the magazine is playing on women's insecurities
U block
- Main image of cover model is placed directly in the centre, and may be connotative of both power and importance
- Purple background is typically symbolic of femininity, and helps to anchor the target audience
- Model's skin and teeth have been extensively airbrushed in order to convey perfection, and may reflect an aspirational lifestyle
- Lexis of 'Are You An A-level Beauty' functions as an hermeneutic code, and may encourage audiences to buy the magazine in order to find out
- Simple and straightforward lexis of the front cover suggests a working class audience is being targeted
- Potentially belittling to women. Constant reference to stereotypical aspects such as kitchens, cleaning, cooking, makeup and so on, constructs a stereotypical representation of women which in tern serves to reinforce patriarchal hegemony
- But why? To keep women in a patriarchal society and to follow certain hegemonic rules. This reinforces patriarchal hegemony, and keeps men in charge and women in a subordinate position
- Selection of model clearly informed by her conventional attractiveness: she is hegemonically attractive
- Consistent use of anchorage, for example title of the magazine, selection of the model, and choice of coverlines reinforce a very clear target audience
- Serif font for 'Woman' conveys an informal mode of address through resembling handwriting. This allows audiences to further identify with the magazine and its contents
- Cover model looks directly at audience in a direct mode of address. The preferred reading here is that the female target audience is supposed to identify with and potentially feel comforted by the direct address.
- While the model is smiling, there is an element which is forced and even uncomfortable. This modest and quiet mode of address may have appealed to contemporary audiences (at the time it was made)