The magazine represents gender in a stereotypical way, portraying women as feminine and focusing on their appearance, while men are shown as more casual. The ages of the artists, 16-17, reflect the target demographic. Only white British artists are featured, reflecting the genres and the majority ethnicity in the UK. Representations of social class include a casually dressed working class male and a well-dressed middle class female, appealing to different music genres, while remaining affordable to both classes.

1. 2) How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

2. Gender
Here are some of the images that have been used in my magazine. There are equal numbers
of males and females represented; this is because there are a similar number of both
genders in the UK (males:females = 97:100; source UN Statisitics Division).
The women are stereotypically portrayed: they are wearing dresses and lots of make-up. this
suggests that in the chart music genre the women conform to society’s expectations of
femininity. Another way that the women are traditionally represented is that they have long
hair which has been styled into curls or straightened, highlighting the view that women should
work hard to look perfect in society. The girl at the top is also presented in a stereotypical
way, she has her hands on her hips and is looking straight towards the camera; which could
be seen as being a provocative female stance and is a way in which many females are
represented in music magazines.
One of the males has been photographed with a guitar, implying that the young men in the
charts today are able to write their own songs and play their own instruments, something to
aspire to. They are wearing casual clothes like jeans and T-shirts, therefore representing the
males in chart music as dressing quite sloppily, compared to the females; this conforms to
masculine stereotypes.

3. Age
The ages of the subjects photographed range from 16-17, which reflects the main age group which
purchases singles from the charts. This age group also reflects the artists featured in the chart
magazines: bands and solo singers who become popular at quite a young age.
The male on the right conforms to a stereotypical view of young people because he is wearing
baggy jeans, has his hands in his pockets and is not looking at the camera. Young people are often
portrayed in the media as having criminal tendencies and low morals; his attitude gives a sense of
rebellion, thus conforming to society’s views on teenagers. The bricks in the background create an
urban setting, and mirror the idea of the streets, which is often associated with young people who
are often known to hang out on the streets. This reinforces the idea that the artists are a relevant
age and have a relevant attitude to appeal to young people today.
Both artists are wearing fashionable clothes and the boy on the right is wearing branded clothes,
which represents young people as being heavily influenced by fashion.

4. Ethnicity
Only white, British artists are represented in my magazine. This is due to the genres
highlighted in the magazine: the majority of Pop and Indie artists in the charts today are
white, which is reflected in the images chosen. It also appeals to the majority of citizens
in the UK, because White-British ethnicity is the majority group in society (over 5 out of
6, source: Office For National Statistics).
The conditions of production are also reflected as the City of York is a predominately
white area, so this is the group of people that have been represented and have become
the audience of the magazine.

5. Class
Social class is generally defined by job, which means that in the case of these young performers
and the young audience they will be defined by the roles of their parents. Chart music can be
associated with a range of different classes: pop music is generally associated with the working
class whereas Indie music is more associated with the middle classes. Therefore, my artists have
been styled and modelled to represent both of these ideas.
The artist on the right is wearing lots of make up, a sequin dress and has her hair styled, which
suggests that she has enough money to be able to buy good quality clothes and potentially
expensive hair products.
The artist on the left could be seen as being quite scruffy wearing a baggy top and jeans, which
could suggest that he conforms more to the stereotypes of the working class. He is standing behind
a brick wall, which has connotations of an urban lifestyle, appealing to the working class by being
photographed in a location that is associated with the streets. However: many middle class artists
wear baggy clothes with good labels, so it could also be suggesting that he is not short of money
and is choosing to dress casually, rather than following stereotypes and dressing smartly.
My magazine comes out monthly and is only £2.50, therefore both working and the middle classes
can afford to buy it.

6. Class
Social class is generally defined by job, which means that in the case of these young performers
and the young audience they will be defined by the roles of their parents. Chart music can be
associated with a range of different classes: pop music is generally associated with the working
class whereas Indie music is more associated with the middle classes. Therefore, my artists have
been styled and modelled to represent both of these ideas.
The artist on the right is wearing lots of make up, a sequin dress and has her hair styled, which
suggests that she has enough money to be able to buy good quality clothes and potentially
expensive hair products.
The artist on the left could be seen as being quite scruffy wearing a baggy top and jeans, which
could suggest that he conforms more to the stereotypes of the working class. He is standing behind
a brick wall, which has connotations of an urban lifestyle, appealing to the working class by being
photographed in a location that is associated with the streets. However: many middle class artists
wear baggy clothes with good labels, so it could also be suggesting that he is not short of money
and is choosing to dress casually, rather than following stereotypes and dressing smartly.
My magazine comes out monthly and is only £2.50, therefore both working and the middle classes
can afford to buy it.