Woman Magazine

Comparing Component 1 and 2

We don't know what will appear in component 1 and we know exactly what will appear in component 2.

Audience responses to the cover of Woman magazine

The target audience is Housewives. They use topics of Kitchen, cleaning and beauty to gain this type of audience. The image on the cover is trying to represent the perfect Wife in order to aspire the female readers. The language on the front cover is quick and simple in order to summarise the contents of the magazine. This helps persuade a customer to buy the magazine if the content advertised on the front cover interests them, they will find entertainment from reading the whole magazine. The font used is bold and simplistic as it wants to attract the widest target audience of women possible. They have also featured a famous director's name to gain readers, it shows how successful the magazine is, as it is able to interview a huge celebrity of the time. The audience wonder how they can be like her (Hermeneutic code). It presents a hegemonic idea that Women should wear make-up. Lexis of the rhetorical question allows them to question themselves (Hermeneutic code). The title "Woman" is inclusive and gives a sense of community for the target audience. The topic featured brings up a negotiated reading. The flowers on her dress are symbolic of purity and are honourable and aspirational. Its an ideal magazine for a stereotypical perspective. Passive colours used to generate a theme of innocence. The character featured can be seen as a motherly figure. The woman shown on the cover is the Anchorage of the magazine. The preferred reading is supposed to like her and be inspired.   

Woman is published weekly by IPC, 1937 to present

Women's magazines became very popular in the post-war period and, in the 1960's, sales of Women's sales alone were around 3 million copies per week in 1960.

After the war Women can potentially aspire to be a housewife. The magazine can give them a sense of normality after the destruction of the second world war. It was considered a Market Leader. 

Lifestyle sub genre

The content includes what Women are stereotypically interested in. If you don't do the activities featured on the contents, you are not a stereotypical woman, This is an example of hegemonic power. There is a lot of assumption of women having free time as they assume they aren't working, for example the magazine features a crossword which is something people do in leisure time. For the working class audience, bacon was most likely a luxury food, so an article supporting how to make the most of it is directed at working class women. 

Equal pay, Stereotypical assumption of women being cooks, (Explicitly sexist adverts), Higher education and Women's liberation movement. 

Key Theory 7- David Gauntlet- Theories of Identity

Audiences are not passive, and media products allow the audience to construct their own identities. By the way of example, what subcultures exist around. genres of music, certain genres of TV show (eg sci-fi) and certain genres of videogame (eg MMORPGs).

Pick and Mix Theory:

Audiences can pick and mix which ideologies suit them, and completely ignore the elements of the products.