representation and contexts Flashcards
historically, why has British black men been under-represented on magazine front covers?
due to systemic racism within the industry
In a 2018 study, completed by The Guardian, into glossy magazines, what was revealed?
it was revealed that of 214 covers published by the 19 bestselling glossies in 2017, only 20 featured a person of colour. That’s 9.3%, whereas 13.7% of the UK are BAME.
of all the mainstream media outlets, what has there been arguably now?
a small shift in magazine front covers representing a diverse range of people
who is the sister magazine at conde nast?
vogue
who did the sister magazine appointed and when?
editor Edward Enninful in 2017
what has the new appointed person turned magazines as?
has turned one of the nation’s most respected fashion magazines into a celebration of all beauty – not excluding blackness but championing it
what did the 2020 global anti-racism protests meant?
has meant that recently there has been a wider range of ethnicities and races on the front of British GQ
when and who coined the word ‘metrosexual’?
1994
Mark Simpson – an author and journalist
what did the person who coined ‘metrosexual’ famously quoted?
“I had seen the future of masculinity and it was moisturised”
what became more socially acceptable in the early 2000s for men?
to openly care about their looks, clothing and skincare regime
how did men’s magazine embraced their looks, clothing and skincare?
through their content and advertising
according to the magazine, what is the percentage of readers that buy what?
80% of its readers buy at least one male grooming product per month
when and who introduced the term ‘spornosexuals’?
2014
Mark Simpson
what does spornosexuals mean?
men who are extremely body focused
how is sterling on the front cover considered spornosexuals?
six-pack and muscles on show, even though he is a footballer, supports this concept.
what did sterling took on social media for in December 2018?
to highlight racism in the British press
what did sterling screen-grabbed? what does it juxtaposed?
screen-grabbed two MailOnline articles, which juxtaposed how his Manchester City teammates (Phil Foden and Tosin Adarabioyo) had been treated for buying their mums a house.
how does sterling used his platform to highlight?
to highlight this racial inequality in response to personally receiving racist abuse on the pitch from fans
why was Tottenham Hotspur supporter arrested?
for throwing a banana skin at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Motherwell’s Christian Mbulu received racial abuse
since the social media post, what has sterling become?
spokesperson for charities, activists and other social causes
what has Gary Lineker called sterling as?
perhaps the most influential player in the game” off-field
what is gq heroes?
an event aimed at “luxury business and creative minds”
where is it held annually?
Oxfordshire
what does gq heroes have a programme of and why?
programme of speakers who are shaping society and culture around us
how is sterling presented as a role model for its readers?
hugely successful black cover star
dominant image
why is good for sterling to be role models for gq’s readers?
sterling would be someone to aspire to be like which is good as readers can help and call out racism and help in charities
sterling’s sporting success is from where?
outside of most reader’s possibilities
his work ethic, principles and desire to want to better means what to sterling?
that it is a success
the choice to represent Sterling topless with
his tattoos on show reinforces what?
the stereotype of men as having to be hyper masculine, strong and muscular
what does the tattoos represent?
represent different aspects of his identity – the cross on his chest illustrates his Christian faith, while the baby on his arm represents him as a father
what does the black wings represent and suggest?
represent him as a supernatural figure suggesting his extraordinary skills on the pitch
the wings, combined with the main cover line “Guardian Angel” and the low angle shot construct him as what?
protective figure, fighting
for justice
his wide stance and the choice of costume represent him as?
dominant, confident figure
the thick silver jewellery
and watch represent?
his wealth and modern masculinity
what does the main cover line, “How Raheem
Sterling saved football from itself” mean?
it means for the reader to understand that he is a success on a much grander scale than just a pitch: he is an influencer
what does his thick silver jewellery reinforces?
the capitalist ideology that for a man to be thought of as successful you must be wealthy and make a lot of money
what are all the men named on the cover are represented as?
successful in their own field, which conforms to the genre conventions of glossy magazines
what is Andy Burnham framed as and how is he represented men?
framed as having a “masterplan” for Manchester representing men as clever, powerful and forward-thinking
how is the representation of machine gun Kelly juxtaposed with Andy Burnham?
his life is described as “insane, wild and totally nuts”
however why is the juxtaposition between machine gun Kelly and Andy Burnham expected from readers?
extreme lifestyle is more what the reader would expect from a rapper than a politician so the cover lines serve to reinforce our preconceived ideas of these roles
why is machine gun Kelly cover line not judgemental?
it is more celebratory, inviting readers in to see what his apparently crazy life is like
what is the social expectation for modern men?
that they must ‘have it all’ – health, wealth and strength – and the image of Sterling supports this as he epitomizes all three
similar to female counterparts, the very essence of men’s lifestyle is what?
consumerism
what supports the men’s lifestyle magazines?
the images and cover lines will always seek to support this, informing men of what they supposedly need, “How to wear a broken suit” and also showing them what to covet, “Why it’s finally ok to wear a belt bag”
why is men’s lifestyle magazines similar to female?
female lifestyle magazines tell their readers how to be beautiful, get fit and dress well.
what does not change just because of gender?
the importance of body image and consumerism
