vogue Flashcards
product context
- published in 1965 featuring sofia loren
- vogue begun in 1892 for high society, etiquette and social elite
- bought in 1909 turned into a women’s fashion magazine focused on etiquette, beauty and more.
magazine industry context
- market place was less crowded and industry was dominated by small number of major publishers
- today, industry is still dominated by major publishers (Hearst) but wider range of titles available and greater competition.
- print circulation is falling and has been a rise in digital sales
- magazines need a strong online and social media presence (57m followers across network)
target audience?
mid 30s, influential, interest in fashion, old enough to have a salary facilitating high end brands and young enough to be interested in current trends.
female, ABC1, educated - seen in ‘money’ article -Sheila Black. aspirers and succeeders
how does the cover of Vogue’s layout communicate meaning?
by breaking conventions of typical magazine covers. contemporary listing of lexical field as the only cover line breaks conventions of crowded text usually seen in magazines like Cosmopolitan or even other Vogue magazines, this connotes Vogue is an opinion leader and trend setter, they are famous enough and respected enough to do this.
how does the masthead communicate meaning?
VOGUE is french for fashionable.
slim san serif font connotes style and sophistication
what was Sophia Loren’s level of fame at this time? why was she chosen?
oscar-winning italian film actress Sophia Loren was at the height of her success at this point of time, often for her beauty and talent.
- choice of cover star connotes Hollywood glamour and European style
how does the cover’s central image connote meaning?
direct mode of address or gaze attracts audiences but aloofness (raised chin and no smile) creates an embodiment of the ‘mythic notion’ of femininity.
there is an offer of personal identity constructed through reflection of ideal self, appealing to a female gaze.
how does the cover’s mise-en-scene communicate meaning?
feathers, feline makeup, turquoise fabric and jewels connote luxury and exotisim, reminiscent of trends at the time (foreign travel)
how do the coverlines communicate meaning?
alliterative ‘marvellous mad midsummer’ alludes to emerging freedom of the 60s e.g. hippie culture
list ‘sand, swim, sea, sun, sheiks, sophia’ exoticisms, desirable holidaying
‘scintillate’ - stereotypical norms of beauty or femininity.
Explain and exemplify how the combination of media language elements influence meaning in the ‘Heatwave Holiday’ feature
images construct women as independent travellers, strong and active (long shot w woman lugging suitcase etc.)
however women are objectified through the setting (bed), make-up, facial expressions, body language (arms behind the head) mid long shot
Explain and exemplify how the combination of media language elements influence meaning in the ‘Picnic probable and improbable’ article
can be seen as progressive through woman being able to travel across the world, tapping into the ongoing female liberation happening across the world in the 60s (zoonen)
however it can be seen as regressive in some ways due to the stereotyped costume codes of the man on the left, in a business suit who seems to be doing some work whilst the woman is seen almost as an accessory
gilroy
Africa is represented colonially here,through costume and through subservient role the guides are playing
Gilroy may argue these stereotypes of Africa are reductive
How does media language reflect female economic context?
the money article indicates women of this TA and time to be intelligent and independent as they have their own money - especially as it is written by another woman, Sheila Black
however advice on investments, loans and some informal language suggest women did not have knowledge about money, which could produce a negative stereotype
“the answer is a positive NO”
”..I do feel rather inadequate when i have to keep answering that i can’t help without another letter, but its true”
how does the bare essentials advert connote meanings?
connotations of nudity i.e. ‘just uncovered’ ‘they’re just barely decent’ ‘ are you woman enough?’ - these words are tapping into a new found sense of female liberation in the 60s.
contextual links to the hippy movement at the time that rejected the mainstream american life. being naked like the cover model can be empowering, natural is beautiful.
pink and green tones promote natural feminine beauty, which promotes the model as what natural is supposed to look like, setting an unrealistic beauty standard.
she could be viewed as weak, as she is sexualised by being naked for a men’s gaze (men earnt most money at the time, so products are targeted towards them) sexualises female form as van zoonen would argue. nakedness becomes an expectation.
painted nails, makeup, tanned skin become gender expectations
How does media language reflect regressive representations in the imperial leather advert?
women defined to being caregivers, aka mother (domestic role), the woman in this feature image for the advert’s eyes are solely on the baby, which connotes that is her only purpose.
baby looking into the distance represents a generational activism for the future
