An analysis of the cover and contents page of the set edition of Woman magazine

 How does the front cover to the August 1964 edition of Woman encode audience appeal?

• The aesthetic of the model is pleasant. Her makeup and teeth construct hyperreal version of femininity which is more approachable than a ‘real’ woman 
• A direct mode of address positions the middle aged female audience in a friendly position
• The model conforms to hegemonic female norms, which will appeal to a conservative audience
• The purple background once more reinforces typical expectations of femininity 
• The masthead reads Woman. The title lacks all subtlety, and is anchored through the elegant, serif and cursive. Again this presents a simple, straightforward representation of women
• A relatable mode address is constructed through the MES of the conservative dress, the understated hair and makeup, and the unintimidating smile 
• The magazine is cheap, appealing to a working class audience. Additionally, the value for money is emphasised by the range of contents, including 7 star improvements, a sell line offering value to the audience 
• The lexis of ‘your kitchen’ positions the target audience not only within the private sphere, in the kitchen, but also insinuates that this is exciting and desirable 
• The magazine suggests that the audience has problems with their lives, which can only be fixed by wearing makeup, buying kitchen things, and buying new underwear
• The magazine presents a consumerist ideology. The lexis of the slogan suggests the magazine and the lifestyle within is essential. 

A semiotic deconstruction of the front cover of the August 1964 edition of Woman magazine

Codes and conventions – changes over time? 

The magazine is cheap. 7d is approx 80p in today’s money, and would be accessible to a working class audience week after week

Layout and design

The model is engaged in a direct mode of address with the female target audience, establishing a normal, relatable, and comfortable mode of address. The model resembles a friend and an equal

Font size, type, colour 

The purple background is stereotypically feminine, and has connotations of cleanliness and a middle of the road fashion choice

Images/photographs - shot type, angle, focus

The model’s facial expression is happy, which suggests that the articles contained with in this magazine will make women happy. This deeply sexist mode of address was completely normalised n 1964. While the model is clearly happy, her smile is somewhat wary. She is showing her teeth, which suggests an emptiness, anchored through the completely blank background and the simple straightforward masthead. Additionally, her smile lacks confidence, which will allow the magazine to engage with an aspirational and less confident audience.The model in Woman is not only less confident, she also functions as an aspirational and relatable role model for the target audience. She presents a lower middle class aspiration for the target audience.

Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 

The model is clearly put together, and is wearing subtle yet still obvious makeup. This arrangement of makeup connotes a sort of effortless beauty. However, the model is wearing mascara, foundation, blush, eyeline, lipstick. This makeup would be applied by a specialised makeup artist, which reinforces the dominant ideological perspective that women must wear makeup, especially if they are in the public sphere. This is a perfect example of Van Zoonen’s notion of the woman as spectacle, there to be looked at by the female target audience. The model’s costume is stylish but not too stylish, and would not intimidate the target audience. The subtlety of the makeup constructs unrealistic representations of women, for a working class target audience. It reinforces an ideal representation that women wear makeup, an aspirational beauty. The expectation for women to wear makeup comes from patriarchal hegemonic forces. Even today, to not wear makeup can be seen as a political statement that can draw criticism. 

Graphics, logos 

The title of the magazine is simply ‘Woman’, reducing women purely to their gender. It reinforces the ideology, in conjunction with the sexist and straightforward cover lines, that to be a woman is to perform for men.  

Language – headline, sub-headings, captions – mode of address

The coverline “are you an A-level beauty” asks an engaging and provoking question to the target. The target audience for this magazine are working class women, housewives who are first into patriarchal gender norms. The target audience are broad, but generally fit into a 30-50 yo demographic. However the lexis A-level has connotations of a 16-18 year old demographic. It not only reinforces the idea that A-levels would be the highest level of education for the target audience, suggesting the audience have not attended university, there is also the implication that the ideal beauty norm is that of a 16 -18 year old girl, and that ‘beauty’ itself can be distilled to a qualification. It reflects the dominant ideology in society of the time.

Anchorage of images and text

The lexis continually reinforces the ideology that women are spectacle for men. Egs: Alfred Hitchcock gives his opinion on female beauty, a clear example of patriarchal hegemonic expectations. The star improvements for your kitchen implies that cooking is done for men. The A-level beauty conver line suggests that women should be exceptional, and that their life could be improved through achieving these beauty standards

Elements of narrative

The lexis ' British women have a special kind of magic’ establishes a postcolonial discourse. It suggests that British women, as in white women, are superior. This coverline also explicitly sexualises British women, taking pride in British culture (patriotism), reinforcing a patriotic mode of address. 

General analysis points

• The cover line ‘seven star improvements for your kitchen’ presents a relatable mode of address for the 1964 target audience. It specifically targets a female audience, working class, with aspirations surrounding home life. 
• The lexis ‘your kitchen’ constructs a stereotypical mode of address, reminding the target audience that they should be interested in kitchens. It constructs a sexist ideology, and reinforces contemporary hegemonic values.
• The masthead, and particularly the font is stereotypically feminine. It is serif, which has connotations of informality. The font itself looks handmade, and the creamy off-white colour brings out the model’s eyes and teeth, reinforcing her hegemonically attractive nature. It also constructs a hierarchy where white is the best and most important colour.
• The pinky purple background is stereotypically feminine, which constructs a sexist and gender essentialist ideology. 
• The slogan “world’s greatest weekly for women’ suggests that the magazine is the absolute best magazine they could read. This hyperbolic language serves the function opf shaming and excluding women who choose not to read woman. 
• The magazine is called ‘Woman’, a basic, simple and straightforward name for a magazine. It presents a condescending and blunt mode of address, completely at odds with competitors like Vogue. Additionally, the selection of ‘woman’ as opposed to ‘lady’ presents a more generic and straightforward approach. 
• The cover line “Are you an A-level Beauty” adopts a direct mode of address that requests that the target audience question if they themselves conform to beauty standards. The Beauty standards of the 1960s. An A-level is an academic qualification for young people. Beyond A-level there are degrees, masters, professorships… The implication of asking the audience this firstly suggests that they may not be. Additionally. The lexis ‘A-level beauty’ also infers that the ideal woman resembles a 16-18 year old. This is not an attainable beauty standard for most 30-50 year olds. 
• The unnamed cover model serves the function of an ‘ideal’ representation of beauty in 1964. She has been extensively airbrushed, removing spots, wrinkles, blemishes and even the veins in the whites of her eyes. Airbrushing was and is routine in women’s lifestyle magazines, which reinforces dominant ideological hegemonic beauty standards for women.
• The model presents a hypereal representation of women: more perfect than reality, it is still exactly what the target audience expects. 
• The model is completely unknown, and is constructed as being down to earth and relatable. Firstly shew has brown hair. She is not overtly sexualised, and she does not appear to be particularly confident. Her smile is staged and forced, and she seems somewhat uncomfortable and timid. She presents a relatable and friendly mode of address for the middle aged british working class audience 
• The cover line "British women have a special kind of magic” positions the audience with the same demographic as one another, and allows the audience to feel special. It also presents a dehumanising and fetishistic representation of British women, reducing them to a singular characteristic. This quality is defined by a man, reinforcing patriarchal hegemonic values.
• The model’s makeup is plain, and straightforward. The fact that she is wearing makeup reinforces hegemonic beauty standards. 

FACTS

1. published weekly by IPC, 1937 to present.
2. Set edition: 23-29 August 1964
3. Price: 7d (7 old pennies, approx 80p in 2018 money)
4. Women’s magazines became very popular in the post-war period and, in the 1960s, sales of women’s magazines reached 12 million copies per week. Woman’s sales alone were around 3 million copies per week in 1960.

Exploring ideology and expectations within the contents section

• A strong emphasis on home life and the private sphere
• The folios or sections of the magazine include fashion, home and cookery, suggesting that the expectation is that women are supposed to stay at home 
• Even the fashion stories reflect private home life: underwear and school clothes
• An expectation that women should pursue wholesome and traditional pursuits. Knitting, sewing… a simple, straightforward lifestyle
• An emphasis on innocence, girlishness, and infantilisation. Sexuality here is limited to being the ‘loveliest’
• A limitation on what is important to the female target audience. In the accompanying article, it is suggested that ‘finance often isn’t a widow’s main worry’ 
• The lexis of knitting and sewing permeates an ideology of patriarchal sexism. Even knitting cannot solely be for the female target audience, but most be accomplished for a man 
• Women are defined as vectors for male desires and expectations
• “A doctor's wife… the little club that she built has grown’, even difficult and complex subjects such as widowhood and bereavement are dealt with infantilising language 
• The caption ‘Present Kennedy's widow’ here reduces a complex and interesting woman to the status as the wife of an important man 
• Many of the interviews are men, reinforcing the ideology that men’s voices are more important. And there is even an ‘extra special… on men!’ feature, that further cultivates the perspective that everything a woman should do is for men 
• The magazine presents a stark heteronormative world. The only sexuality is heterosexuality. Illegal in 1964!
• Even the glamourous Jackie Kennedy's home life is discussed!
• The entire magazine constructs a hyperreal construct of women, a rep[presentation that seems more real than what is being represented.