How does your media product represent particular social groups?

1. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT REPRESENT
PARTICULAR SOCIAL
GROUPS?
Question 2 – Evaluation of My Music Magazine

2. My music magazine is primarily aimed at
both male and female, aged 16-21 years old
who share a passion for the rock genre and
also a love for rock’s lifestyle. In my music
magazine, I have represented both gender and
age, this is evident through the models that I
have chosen to use on my front cover, contents
page and double page spread and also the
colour scheme which I chose.

3. Gender is represented through the front cover
by the use of an attractive and independent-
looking young female as the cover model in my
main image. The female model isn’t dressed in a
stereotypical bright ‘girly’ outfit, but instead in
dark and edgy looking clothing. Compared to
magazines such as ‘Q’ magazine her facial
expression is also not as welcoming and friendly,
instead it is more mysterious. This
representation of gender is a counter stereotype
as it challenges the social norms of a
stereotypical female. I used this model in similar
ways that Kerrang! have used showcased a
female model, by sexualising them lesser and
focusing much more of the attitude of the model.
Magazines such a ‘Q’ tend to
sexualise their female cover
models through the use of
body language and facial
expression.
On the other hand,
magazines such as
‘Kerrang!’ do not
sexualise their female
cover models, instead
they focus on the fun /
edgy attitude of their
female artists.

4. Age is also represented in my music magazine as the
models I have used are all around the same age as my
desired audience. In my double page spread, the
members of my band, Kaleidoscope, are all aged
eighteen / nineteen years old. Using models whom are of
similar age to my readership allows for them to relate to
the artists. Young people are much more likely to
respond to someone who is of similar age than someone
who is not. My music magazine represents age as
something that is not a barrier to success, but as a
means of connotation to audiences.
My music magazine differs
from magazines such as ‘Top
of the Pops’ who uses models
who are older and more
mature than their readership

5. The colour scheme also uses colours which are not
tied to one gender. The colours black, white and red
are both gender neutral, appeal to both male and
female. Together, these colours all have connotations
that relate to the rock genre of music and appeal to
social groups that I wish to attract such as punks.
Social groups such as this will also be attracted to
my magazine through the use of the fonts I have
used. The typography of my fonts are unique, edgy
and rival other existing rock magazines. The font
also represents the social groups who will read my
magazines, like punks, who are a unique social
group and stand out against the mainstream.
Magazines such a ‘Rock
Sound’ use gender neutral
colours and eroded / distorted
looking fonts that stand out
against mainstream
magazines such as ‘Q’

6. Overall, my music magazine was able not only appeal but also to represent my
target audience through the conventions I have included. The representations of age
and gender are shown in positive ways. But these representations do not follow the
norm, they countertype the generic representation. Females are not sexualised
within my magazine and are shown to be more independent as opposed to being an
object to look at. I also represented age in a much more different way by using
models who are of similar age, when magazine tend to use a model who are older
than their audience.