The document provides an analysis of the cover and contents pages of a music magazine called Q. It summarizes that the magazine targets middle-aged, middle class white males who enjoy rock and alternative music genres based on the imagery, language, and artists featured. Key aspects that indicate this include the masculine color scheme, images and articles about iconic rock bands, and language that uses stereotypes associated with the target demographic. Overall, the document analyzes how every design decision on the magazine's cover and contents pages is intentionally crafted to attract and appeal to fans of rock music who fit the stereotype of the target audience.

1. Analysis of my own music
magazine.
Tatum Gascoigne

2. The main cover line connotes the name of the celebrity in
the main image “Liam” in grey old style font and placed at
the bottom left hand side of the cover. This piece of text
on the cover is the only one in grey which singles out the
celebrity from the rest of the magazine showing his
importance and status. It also makes the target audience
clear because the stereotype people use of middle paged
males and rock music. People will see the main cover line
quickly as it stands out and understand that the person
conveyed is from a rock band, therefore attracting this
type of audience too.
The barcode has a specific placing angled long
ways underneath the cover lines on the right
side. This is a slightly unconventional placing
for a barcode on a cover.
From the cover, I can determine that the genre of this magazine represents alternative,
rock and indie music, but mainly focuses on rock. I can see this because the music artists
and bands mentioned on the front cover are from this genre of music. The Beatles, Kings
Of Leon and Wild beasts all produce music around the genres I have mentioned. The
Beatles and Kings Of Leon have massive success and are well known for this genre of music
and therefore the audience can instantly see what the genre of Q magazine is. Having
these successful bands advertised on the cover means fans from them will pick up the
magazine and this then concludes what the audience will be too; rock enthusiasts.
This cover stereotypes the target audience of
being a middle aged male. This is portrayed
through the icon which perfectly matches the
stereotype. He looks quite rugged and unkempt
and this is a stereotype of what middle aged
men look like. The genre of rock music has a
stereotype of being dominated by middle class,
middle aged white males and the bands
advertised (The Beatles and Kings Of Leon) also
fit the stereotype.
The colour scheme (red, white and black) is used
for all the text and the costume of the icon in the
main image. It also portrays the stereotype of
target audience being middle aged males. This is
because these colours are stereotyped to be male
colours for years and the media have constantly
used this concept of gender and colour to
audience so people instantly denotes dark colours
like red black and white to male audience.
The mode of address is very normal and has used
everyday language-rather than very well written formal
language. This stereotypes the audience of not being in
very high paged jobs and not upper class and therefore
represents the target audience being middle class having
typical jobs.
The group, Kings Of Leon, is a very successful band. The cover line is the only red
cover line in red on the cover to make the audience aware that this cover
consistently represents older rock bands band and make the audience draw
attention towards it. Underneath it says ‘return!’ Which will gain attention towards
music lovers who have been fans of them for years and have supported them
throughout their career. This means the target audience is older because the use of
‘return’ signifies that the band have been around for a long time and therefore will
have older fans.

3. The strapline on the front cover says “The world’s
greatest magazine” in black block capital letters
inside the masthead which is a red background. The
strapline is placed inside the masthead which
doesn’t follow the convention of placing it
underneath the masthead so the audience can
straight away see that this magazine is the best
magazine you can get. Implying this immediately to
the audience entices them as it representing them
as the best in world, so the audience knows they
won’t be able to get anything better than Q
magazine.
The masthead reads “Q” in fancy white font against
a red box in the top corner in the left hand side. Q
magazine consistently challenges the conventions of
layout on the front cover because they can do this.
Q magazines’ status and brand has a lot of
importance and they have reached ultimate success,
so no one above can question what they're doing. I
believe this attitude of doing what they want with
the cover matches the attitude of Liam Gallagher
and the stereotype of rock and roll behaviour.
The main image has been set up in a studio so the
background and setting is plain and dull coloured. This
denotes the genre of rock because Q uses darker
colours to follow the stereotype.
The main image is a medium close up so the
audience can see the clothes the icon is wearing
and see the colour scheme that has been used still.
The combination of the masculine pose and
masculine colour scheme conveys the target
audience of being a male very clearly. This type of
representation of Liam Gallagher will then draw in
males because of how men strive to be more
masculine due to the expectation and stereotype
of how men have to be big and strong.
Rule of thirds on the main image means
that two of the hotspots directly hits the
celebrity’s eyes. The icon is therefore
staring directly to the audience and looks
very serious and almost sinister and this is
a stereotypical masculine pose. This could
also represent the genre of music being
rock because its more hard-hitting and less
bubbly, like rock.
A pull quote has been used for a cover line
to get some inside scoop on what Liam
Gallagher is like and what the article will
entail. From this quote, the audience can
gather that Gallagher is outspoken and
knows he attracts a lot of attention. This
could imply the genre of rock because rock
music is known for being loud and hectic
and the persona Gallagher is representing
fits this stereotype of being a bit too rowdy
and rebellious. This pull quote also
anchorages with the main image as the
quote is a rhetorical question, and the
direct address of the icon implies he is
asking a direct question towards the
audience as the eye contact is piercing;
denoting even more the stereotype of being
outspoken.

4. On the contents page, the Q symbol
remains at the top left corner but has
been sized down to fit the title in and
make the layout very neat and organised.
The masthead is placed next to the
symbol, the one column on the page
takes up half of the top left side and the
main image takes up a large portion of
the page on the right side. The two
smaller images are placed underneath
the column in a scrapbook style (angled
and framed) and on top is the main
image. The consistent use of the symbol
Q makes sure that each important page is
branded and therefore implies the
strapline that this contents page is the
best out there to the audience. The
colour scheme of masculine colours are
still present to represent the target
audience and darker music genre.
The main image is a long shot as it shows the women head to
toe doing a pose where she is on her toes leaning against a
white box using her left hand and her other had is out
pointing beside her. She is dressed in a maroon coloured suit
with a big black and orange strip going down the blazer and
trousers. She’s wearing black trainers and her makeup and
hair is very minimalistic and natural. She is looking straight at
the camera which is direct address towards the audience and
the setting has been set up in a studio as there is a blue
background. All of this seems very abstract and unique
looking, which implies the alternative genre because this
music genre is different and includes many different sub
genres. Bold colours are used to imply the uniqueness of the
whole magazine and what it;s about. The target audience is
male dominated and this even shows when representing a
women in the main image because she is surrounded by
strong masculine colours of blue orange and dark red and is
wearing a suite and trainers which is not feminine in the
slightest. Therefore this women still follows the stereotype of
men.
The masthead is ‘contents’ which is placed
next to the Q symbol in black lower case
letters spread across the top of the
contents. The month and year is put in
smaller red font above the contents also to
indicate the date of this issue. At the very
bottom of the lower right hand corner of
the contents page yet again shows the
year and month of this particular issue, a
red Q along side the page number. All
these features are plastered on the
contents page to brand them as Q
magazine. follow the conventions of a
magazine and Q have followed these to
make the brand successful and easy for
the audience.
“10 pint interview with Liam Gallegher” yields to the stereotype of the
target audience being of middle class men as it’s a very stereotypical
act to drinks pints and hang around in pubs. Gallagher seems to
portrays these implications of being a fun person who hangs out in
pubs with similar people to himself and therefore attracts this type of
audience. Mentioning substances like alcohol suggests the genre of
the magazine to be rock because there is a stereotype in the music
industry of the typical ‘rock star’ having extreme involvement within
alcohol and drugs and Liam Gallagher definitely gives off rock star
vibes.
There are also two images at the bottom of the left side of the contents. This article “odd couples” shown through the column listing the pages and the
image on the right (which is a medium close up portrait shot) I think portrays the kind of unpredictable vibe Q represents as a rock magazine and adds to the
rock stereotype of being outrageous. In the image is a white and black homosexual couple. This shows Q magazine represents all types of middle aged men
whether that be sexuality or race.
The right image shows Liam Gallagher on the
sofa with a dog with leather round its neck
looking directly at the camera. The dog looks
very serious and angry due to the leather collars
and gives a ‘rock and roll’ vibe which portrays
the genre of the magazine. Older people tend
to own more dangerous looking dogs to protect
themselves and look more intimidating which Q
magazine has done to make Liam Gallagher look
very masculine and therefore appeal to a male
audience. The saying and stereotype that a dog
is a mans best friend is used here to grab an
audience of middle aged rock and roll males.

5. There are six subheadings; “Liam
Gallagher”, “Christine and the
queens”, “Jagwar ma”, “Banks
and steelz”, “Black Francis” and
“Grime special”. All these
subheadings mention music
artists that fall under the
alternative genre of music that
was represented on the front
cover too and therefore
categorises the magazines genre
as alternative too. The contents
has further shown the genre of
alternative by including hybrid
genres of alternative like
electronic and grime.
From the contents it heavy implies the target audience
to be British and mentions stereotypical British things.
Below the subheading of Liam Gallagher it mentions the
Butchers. The butchers is a very middle class place to go
to and sharing how Gallagher gets “pissed-up in the
Butchers” denotes the target audience being of the
same nature as the celebrity. In the grime special section
it reads ‘UK’s fastest-growing musical movement’ when
describing grime music as another indication that the
magazine is dominated by everything British, therefore
drawing in a patriotic stereotypical white male.
There is a border around this image which makes the image
look like a framed photo, a polaroid picture or a postcard
image. Either way it makes it look much more authentic and
vintage and makes the image look older as in this day and age,
everything is digital and you rarely see a framed photo. This is
the type of style you would see when the target audience
(middle aged) would have seen when they were growing up
and so Q is purposely trying to appeal to an older generation
by using techniques to give them a sense of nostalgia.
This heading reads ‘features’ in red
capital letters which tells the reader
what other issues will be covered in
the magazine and separates the
small details below the contents to
the actual column of information
placed on the left side of the page.
This makes the layout of the
contents very clear and thought out.
There are page numbers beside the
subheadings for the different topics in
the magazine so the audience can
easily flick to the right page they are
looking for. Q follows the convention of
using page numbers because it makes it
easier for the audience and additionally
makes the contents more successful
and useful.
The photos are referred to by the headings that goes over all the images in a black box with white writing with page
numbers. This gives an indication for the audience of where to find the articles relating to the image. All three
images have the people that are talked about in the article in them so the audience knows what they look like and
who they are. This can determine whether someone will read a certain article due to stereotypes of what a person
looks like. For example, the picture of Heloise Letissier shows she is a women in a band which is a subversion of the
stereotype and will ultimately dictate whether someone will read the article about her because women have been
and still are supressed and seen as a minority but the dominating males that are heavily advertised in this magazine.
The mode of address Q magazine
has chosen to use is extremely
informal and relaxed and I believe
this is one of the main contributing
factors for determining the music
genre and target audience. Rock
music can sometimes be heavily
explicit and definitely has a
stereotype of bad language in their
music. Additionally, Q has
intentionally done the same to try
and perceive the same stereotype
because it’s a rock magazine. The
target audience of a middle aged
male also has the stereotype of a
bad mouth and using swear words
as everyday sayings too.

7. The pull quote represents Liam Gallagher as a very normal person leading a normal life;
“I’m part of the community. Got my lactose-free milk, get pissed in the butchers, talking
about the price of grapes.” All these traits are stereotypes of a middle class male who
provides for their family, likes to drink beer and likes being in a tight knit community
where everyone knows each other. The target audience is very clearly represented in a
puff on the double page spread to very clearly state what kind of people Q wants to read
the magazine and who Liam Gallagher is to emphasise who he targets. The butchers is a
very male dominated job and is stereotyped as a very masculine place which sets the
target audience to be men.
This image shows Liam
Gallagher on stage from
his time in Oasis (where
his fame is from) in
Kings Cross 1994. Q
magazine has used an
old image of him to
represent the genre of
rock. The aesthetic of
this image connotes the
genre of rock because it
uses a black and white
filter and looks darker
and these colours are
stereotypically used for
rock music because this
genre is darker too.
Using the black and
white filter also
connotes the target
audience as it looks
aged and rustic which
older audience can
relate to.
The colours fit the colour
scheme of red black and
white used consistently
throughout the magazine so
far because it brands the
pages as part of Q magazine.
The colour scheme keeps
the male dominated
audience because these are
stereotypically masculine
colours and therefore will
attract men. These colours
are dark which refers to the
genre of the music of rock
which is a darker genre
compared to pop music
which magazines use bright
colours like pink.
The page numbers are placed
at the bottom of the page and
follows the convention of
every other magazine also.
The layout of the double page spread is quite unique especially the left page because the puff with the pull quote in which is
an opening speech mark, separates the texts into two columns. This makes the double page spread more appealing and
interesting for the audience. Its an unconventional way of placement because Q is so successful that they can mix things up
and play around with the layout. The right side is more conventional with two columns however, There is a massive ‘U’ and is
in bold and a different font to make it clear that the subject has changed and to section the next part of writing away from the
rest. The word is ‘unlike’ which amplifies the reason behind sectioning this bit of the column off as it goes onto a different
point. This makes the layout structured into different ideas and topics within the page.
The main image connotes
Liam Gallagher in worn
clothes casually relaxing
against a worn sofa. The
image covers half of the left
page and gives off a very
calm and cool atmosphere
as he is wearing worn down
materials for his clothes and
pointing his hand. His
relaxed position denotes the
rebellious ‘does what he
wants’ attitude that’s
displayed throughout the
magazine to emphasises the
‘bad boy’ image that
stereotypically goes along
with rock music.

8. The image of him performing
with Oasis integrates with the
text well as him and the
interviewee talks about Oasis
which ended in 2009 and
therefore shows the
audience his past along.
There is also a baby black and
white photo with all of his
siblings in which integrates
with the text as they also talk
about his past and the bond
with his brother and
bandmate- “he has some
thoughts about Noel
Gallagher that’s he’d also like
to share. So many thought
about Noel”. Q also included
a quotation from Noel
Gallagher- “Oasis’s greatest
strength was the relationship
between me and Liam”. The
image and quotations from
both the Gallagher’s shows
the relationship between the
two are very strong and they
have always been close since
they were children. This is a
positive representation of
Liam Gallagher and shows
he's a very genuine caring
person and is more than the
stereotype perceives him to
be. The text and images also
anchorage each other very
well making the double page
link together and flow.
Q magazine talks about “soft-rock
classics gently tickle the room”
where they were interviewing
Gallagher which is a huge indicator
of the genre of the magazine
seeming they are going to
locations that play rock music and
therefore are associating the
institution with this type of music
too.
My overall impression of the double page spread is that it’s very geared
towards the audience of a white middle class, middle aged male. The
colours are very muted, only ranging as daring as the red. The
stereotype of bright colours gearing towards a younger audience is the
reason for the lack of bright colours. “Inside, it’s a quiet PM in a roomy,
easy-going boozer serving lunch to a family at one table and pints to a
gent tackling a crossword at the bar.” This setting is very stereotypically
a middle class setting as men are known for drinking pints in bars and
crossword puzzles. Mentioning these stereotypes draws in the same
type of people to Q magazine.
There is only one caption, which is the date in which the interview took place
“Tuesday, 2 August”. This is unconventional of Q magazine to do this as normally
double page spreads have lengthy texts that are separated with captions. Because
this issue contains 7 double page spreads of Liam Gallagher, it allows Q to ramble and
give leeway about how much they can write about a certain subject. This means the
columns are less structured and Q have taken a more relaxed approach, replicating
the same vibe Gallagher portrays; a rock and roll way of everything.
In the red box there is a
pull quote “you want
quotes? I’ll give you f**kin’
quotes!”: Liam reminds us
how to do a rock
interview”. Q magazine
refers to Gallagher being
the boss and reminding
them of their job and
Gallagher is represented as
very assertive and
confident. This yet again
shows evidence of the
stereotype that all rock
stars are rowdy and
overconfident. This tells
the audience of the genre
of the magazine as the
outspoken language is
often used in rock music
and has similar vibes of
rebellious behaviour. Q’s
mode of address to the
audience is like a friend
and aren't afraid to use
swear words in their
magazine because they
want to come across as a
middle aged man having
conversation with a mate.

14. How are the fronts page, contents and
double page spread connected?
• All three elements are connected through the constant use of colour scheme (white red and
black) to brand their magazine. These colours used over and over again makes Q Magazine
more representable and put together and therefore branded and prestige.
• The lack of formal language is present throughout as Q represents themselves quite literally
like the target audience; a middle aged man. On the cover- “It’s been boring without me,
Hasn’t it?”, the contents page- “you might think that the Aussie psychedelic dance trio are a
bunch of saucer-eyed rave monkeys” and double page spread- “’my card’s behind the bar.’
By anyone’s estimations, these are ideal drinking conditions.” These quotes all have an
element of humour and honestly to them and makes the magazine extremely relatable and
light-hearted.
• Another clear connection through these pages in the magazine is the massive amounts of
respect they display for Liam Gallagher. Q magazine shows the biggest respect to the
celebrity and this shows the audience how much of an inspiration and legend Gallagher is
and also how respectful Q is as an institution towards someone so big in the rock industry. “
world exclusive interview”, “greatest frontman of his generation”, “the singer an entire
generation (or two) fell in love with at first sight in 1994…. thus ruining the careers of all
competitors in the frontman business for years to come.” These quotations from across the
pages I have analysed praise Gallagher consistently.