This document discusses representations of gender in magazines and provides guidance on how to analyze them. It notes that magazines like Look predominantly feature young, white, slim women as their target audience. While the magazines depict women as fashionable and focus on their appearance, they also discuss topics like health, careers, and relationships. The representation of women in magazines can be debated, as they are defined by their looks but not necessarily in a sexualized or objectified way. Students are advised to consider both traditional and modern representations, and theoretical perspectives on how magazines construct and reference ideas about gender.

1. Explore the ways in which your chosen texts reinforce or challenge typical representations
of gender.
...remember that this question could also be about:
Ethnicity or Nationality or Age or Issues
Look magazine predominantly features young white women – as this is the target
audience – it also tackles some issues surrounding health, beauty, career & relationships.
Things to write about...
• Appearance, dress codes, cultural signifiers
• Celebrities, attitudes, dialogue
• Stereotypical, traditional, challenging representations
Things to consider... • Theoretical perspectives e.g. Gauntlett, Lacey, Mulvey etc
This magazine uses a mixture of traditional and more modern representations of women. The
vast majority of images show women as slim, pretty and fashionable it is heavily implied that
this is aspirational and that image should be the centre of a young woman’s life.
Whether the representation of women is positive or negative is debatable. Women are defined
in terms of appearance but not necessarily in terms of pleasing men or even in an overtly sexual
way. Confidence and having fun is valued as important to women – there are even occasional
articles that offer career advice suggesting independence however, these careers are often
centred around fashion, beauty or other stereotyped views of women.
Look at some of the articles about women in magazines and some of David Guantlett’s work who
sees these representations as contradictory but inevitable as part of an evolution of women’s
representation. You might also consider whether this stereotyping can be considered as a ‘way
of referring to the world’ as Lacey discusses – in which case is this ideology problematic? It
could be argued that as most of the women to aspire to are size zero celebrities who may have
become super rich for being on a TV talent show – this representation of women is unrealistic.