Magazines: The Gentlewoman - Language and Representations

 Gentlewoman front cover 

1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?
The masthead would be the typography in which the main font used is a sans serif which connotes that the magazine is modern and it's modern fashion. However, the star on the front's name is written in serif font to connote authenticity and power.

2) How does the cover subvert conventional magazine cover design?

The magazine has no cover lines and the image is put inside of a box and doesn't cover the entire front cover, there are also other magazines that have a very monochrome colour on the front, in this case, the box would be orange and other magazines they would have them be white or such.

3) Write an analysis of the central image.
The front cover box could connote how as women they are oppressed and confined into a space. However, the low camera angle, direct mode of address and bold and vibrant make-up show how the main subject: Scarlett Johansson, is dominant and brave with the unconventional colours used in her make-up.

4) What representations of gender and celebrity can be found on this front cover?

The subject is wearing make-up which shows how much females use it and how they are to dress and look to a certain standard. We can also remark how she is placed in a low angle camera shot and how it shows how celebrities are more looked up to.

5) What gender and representation theories can we apply to this cover of the Gentlewoman? 

The cover goes against Mulvey's male gaze theory as it is mainly targeted at women, we can also use Judith Butler's theory of gender being a performance of the use of make-up. Gauntlett's theory of girl power can be used here as we can see by the low angle used in the image and finally, we can say that Van Zoonen's sex role stereotypes can be subverted as the image isn't supposed to catch any sort of sexual attention.

Feature: Modern Punches

1) How does the feature on Ramla Ali use narrative to engage the audience? Apply narrative theories here.

We can apply Todorov's equilibrium theory and how she rose to fame as a normal individual and how she changed her life to where she is right now.

2) What representations can you find in this feature - both interview and image?

We can see a working-class representation as this is the same class that she is from.

3) What representation theories can we apply to the Modern Punches feature? 


Feature: Isabella Tree interview

1) Why is this feature unconventional for a women's lifestyle and fashion magazine? Comment on the use media language in these pages. 

There is mostly and image and little to no text on them, we can also see how that the human subjects in the image are not put as the main centre of attention as they appear to be the smallest part of the image.

2) How does the Isabella Tree feature reflect the social and cultural contexts of contemporary Britain? Think about AQA's discussion of lifestyle, environmental issues and ethical movements.

Suggests how people should care more for the environment and do things to preserve them.

3) What representations of nature can be found in this feature?
We can see the rainbow which is linked to a common myth of a pot of gold being at the end,we can also see all of the green environment and the subject of rewilding.

Feature: Stella McCartney and vegan fashion

1) How does this feature reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts?

Fashion is mainly aimed towards women, there are also many vegans who are women so having a vegan handbag would find this kind of content appealing.

2) Comment on the typography and page design in this feature.

Sans serif connotes that the magazine is modern and would possibly appeal to younger audiences and serif font will connote authority and tradition which will appeal to older audiences.

3) What representations can be found in the image accompanying this feature? 
The way that the photo is taken is very grim and doesn't look too nice, the way the light is taken looks more like flash photography which could mean that this could have been some sort of paparazzi image as the setting also looks pretty grim.

Representations

Read this Business of Fashion interview with The Gentlewoman editor Penny Martin. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions: 

1) What type of magazine did Penny Martin, Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom want to create? 

A biannual sister publication to Fantastic man.

2) What representations of modern women did they try to construct for the magazine?

Women who don't mind fashion too much and don't just want the parts that is supposedly interesting only to women, but to create a balance of content.

3) What examples of cover stars reflect the diversity in the magazine's content? 

Angela Lansbury and Popstart Beyonce show their range of diversity in age and ethnicity they have in their magazines.

4) What is Penny Martin's view on feminism and whether the magazine is feminist?

It's not just something that is just put on a magazine and how it isn't just an aesthetic factor, she just wants everything to be equal.

5) Look at the end of the article. How does the Gentlewoman help readers construct or reflect their identity by engaging with events and spaces beyond the magazine? 

By having a club they can interact and meet new people that read the gentlewoman, they can also look through all the communities an how they need to come out more often, they also interact with that actual editors of the magazine and then they tell them their views of what they think they like and then they take that advice into consideration.