Vogue - Media Language

Question 1

Who does the Front cover feature?

Answer 1

-Sophia Loren - famous in the 60s for being an ‘exotic’ beauty
-Close up shot makes her seem important, powerful and a role model

Question 2

What does her exotic nature reflect?

Answer 2

Exotic nature reflects Stuart Hall’s ideas about use of Middle Eastern stereotypes. Representing ethnic minorities as “other”

Question 3

What type or representations of women are used throughout Vogue?

Answer 3

Fairly conventional representations of women in the 60s as domestic and sexualised

Question 4

What does the money advert feature?

Answer 4

A working female expert on finance (Sheila Black) which would have been unusual for the 60s

Question 5

What challenges historical context in the money advert?

Answer 5

An article about women making investments and managing financial power challenges historical context when women wee often financially controlled by husbands.

Question 6

Money advert: What does the choice of representing women as having financial power reflect?

Answer 6

Reflects the class and wealth of the typical vogue reader (AB socioeconomic group)

Question 7

Money advert: What suggest women don’t understand economics & investments?

Answer 7

Inclusion of article that gives basic definitions of financial terms suggests that women don’t understand economics and investment

Question 8

Money advert: What changes does this article reflect?

Answer 8

Women gaining financial independence but not completely - the article copy suggests that women still are reliant on their husbands in many ways and unable to keep finances secret.

Question 9

Cutex Advert: What does the advert denote?

Answer 9

Denotes a woman with bare shoulders suggesting nudity and sexual attractiveness as important features of a women’s identity.

Question 10

Cutex Advert: What do the text and lipstick shade names connote?

Answer 10

“Bare essentials” “barely decent” the shade names have connotations of nudity suggests showing flesh and being sexualised is important for women.

Question 11

Cutex Advert: What does the rhetorical question suggest? (“Are you women enough?”)

Answer 11

Suggested femininity is linked to nakedness & sexual appeal

Question 12

Cutex Advert: What is this advert very reflective of?

Answer 12

Reflective of the way women where/ still are respected in the media

Question 13

Revlon Advert: What words connote women’s role is to be visually attractive?

Answer 13

“Alluring” and “beguiling” connote that women’s role is to be attractive to to others visually - Similar representations to those in the Cutex advert.

Question 14

Imperial Leather Advert: What does the image reflect?

Answer 14

Image clearly reflects the stereotype that women are maternal and domestic. Her body language and facial expression show women as emotional, caring and loving.

Question 15

Imperial Leather Advert: What are women signified as needing to be?

Answer 15

“Soft” as it talks about soap and the softness of your skin represents women as needing to be soft and gentle which may mean delicate or weak.

Question 16

What was feminism considered as?

Answer 16

Feminism still considered as new and alternative idea where as Vogue was aimed at a mainstream audience

Question 17

What else could the passive representations of women reflect?

Answer 17

Richer women were under less financial pressure to go to work and so may of them did lead lives centred around leisure & family.

Question 18

What do many pages have references to?

Answer 18

References to royalty, ladies, lords, Art etc which gives high representation of the upper classes.

Question 19

What are images of the upper class featured as?

Answer 19

These upper class people are featured as Utopia, idealised and being aspirational role models.

Question 20

Which classes do the readers of Vogue tend to be from?

Answer 20

Middle/Upper classes

Question 21

Ethnicity: What are white models often shown in?

Answer 21

Shown in jewels and expensive clothes representing them as high status.

Question 22

Ethnicity: What appearance is normalised?

Answer 22

White appearance is normalised with darker ethnicities being under represented in the range of “nude toned” cutex products

Question 23

Ethnicity: What does the colour range of makeup products represent?

Answer 23

Colour ranges of lipstick and other makeup in the magazine clearly represents lighter skin tones and not darker tones.

Question 24

Ethnicity: What does the marginalisation of ethnicity minorities create?

Answer 24

Marginalisation of ethnic minorities creates a post colonialist view of ethnicity with them being seen as “staff” or less important than the white models

Question 25

Ethnicity: What does the lack of minority models reflect?

Answer 25

Reflects the less inclusive nature of Britain in the 60s

Question 26

layout of vogue front cover

Answer 26

Dominant central image of Sophia Loren. Oscar winning Italian actress. Lack of cover lines to focus on dominant image

Question 27

masthead

Answer 27

not very clear but clearly recognisable, iconic magazine brand

Question 28

Language

Answer 28

List of words relating to content - linguistic technique to appeal ‘Mad Midsummer’ breaking free from constraints, hints at freedoms of 60s

Question 29

Mis-en-scene

Answer 29

-Iridescent turquoise colour palette connotes glamour, luxury, wealth emphasised by shimmering scarf, feather and pearls -Her makeup clearly emphasises her dark brown eyes stereotypical notions of female beauty

Question 30

How does the cover reflect social / cultural contexts

Answer 30

-Sense of economic prosperity, luxury etc -Move towards a more Bohemian aesthetic driven by youth quake & summer of love

Question 31

What do the picnic articles and fashion pages show women doing?

Answer 31

-Women holding children, nurturing them, there passive not doing anything just lounging around. -Passivity in many articles fails to reflect the growing power of some women in the 60s such as feminists. -However many women were under less financial pressure so many did lead lives more centred around leisure and family life.

Question 32

What does the use of images of young women as mothers reflect?

Answer 32

Reflects the historical context as women in the 60s were typically expected to marry young and start families.

Question 33

How are white models often picutred?

Answer 33

Pictured in jewels and expensive clothes representing them as high status. White ethnic appearance is normalised, with darker ethnicities being underrepresented in the range of "nude tones" cutex products

Question 34

What does the colour range and makeup products in the magazine aim at?

Answer 34

Colour range of lipsticks in the Cutex advert and other makeup is clearly representing lighter skin tones and not darker tones. The lack of minority models reflects the less inclusive nature of Britain in the 60s

Question 35

What creates a post colonialist view in the articles?

Answer 35

-Ethnic minorities are seen as marginalised, there in the background of many shots -They are also seen as 'staff' or less important than the white models