Representation and stereotypes

The magazine cover on the right, fits in with my sub-genre of music I want make my magazine about. The magazine cover shows a sexualised female on the front cover, wearing minimal clothing, and posing in a sexual way. This would support Laura Mulvey's theory - "As erotic objects of desire the characters within the story, and as erotic objects of desire for the spectator." (Mulvey 1975) The cover supports this theory as the female in the main image, is "sexualised", and is being used as an "erotic object" to sell magazines, and attract a target audience. The magazine cover supports Mulvey's theory, the magazine cover does display women as objects, and supports stereotypes of women in society, it shows them as not as important, than men that they are more superior than women, and the magazine is specifically sold and adapted for males.



The next magazine I have chosen also fits into the sub-genre I want my magazine to fit into, its a rock/indie magazine that provides the latest news in the music industry. The cover shows a younger gentlemen supporting the stereotypes of youths. The stereotypes of younger people, tend to be drugs, sex, and anti-social behaviour. Stanley Hall argues that "youth must have excitement and if this is not at hand in the form of moral intellectual enthusiasm it is more prone to be sort in: sex, drink and drugs." This is supporting the front cover of the magazine, as the younger adult in the magazine, is dressed in a hoodie, typically associated with youths, smoking which supports the anti-social side, and is swearing. This agrees with all the views of youths, as it lives up to the stereotypes of them, the colours of the magazine are dark as well, making it look more masculine and aggressive.





The rock music scene is predominately white males, this is the typical views of rock magazines, and the majority of them conform to this. The black and asian audience are not specifically catered to, when it come to rock magazines. Sarita Malik said "many feel that the black and asian audiences are still not sufficiently catered for and that insensitivity towards issues of race and ethnicity still exist. The reality of a lived multi-culturaism is not represented in the British media." The majority of rock magazines, including the one on the right adapts to these theories, and stereotypes. However if you look at magazine covers such as hip-hop, or rap you'll see a lot more black people, or asian people on the front cover.







The cover on the right shows a young male, on the cover of Rolling Stone. The male is known for being gay, he is represented on the front cover, as a normal average male. However in the media gay men are seen a "screaming queens" and really feminine theorist Andy Medhurst stated: "films and televisions comedies are full of images of gay men as effeminate screaming queens." The image on the right goes against these theories, as he does not give of the impression, or look gay. Instead he looks quite masculine, with the colour scheme and what the male is wearing.










The image on the right is a rock magazine, specifically promoting British musicians. The colour of the magazines, are specifically the colours of the union jack. The artists are all British, the magazine has been adapted to show British artists off, and promote them to look good, the majority of rock bands featured in this magazine are British as the magazine company is. Andrew Higson wrote: "identity is generally understood to be shared identity of naturalised inhabitants of a political-geograpic space - this can be a particular nation or region." This magazine cover supports this theory, and represents a country specifically.









The next magazine I have included shows off wealth, the male in the image, is clean and suited up and if he's showing off his wealth. You can see an expensive watch of his wrist, which also gives off the impression of their wealth. This would support Andy Medhurst's theory, "They are awful because they are not like us," this is because he is much more higher up, and represents classes such as lower middle class onwards to upper class. It makes the image look like the norm for society, which makes poorer people, or people with less money look different, and supports Andy Medhurst's theory.