Analysis of Woman magazine

Magazines we are studying:

Woman magazine- August 23-29th 1964

• Cheap magazine 80p in todays money affordable/ approachable- a weekly magazine 
• The title is serif font and fancy, which could connote how women are seen
• Has elements of romance and domestication with the handwritten style 
• Purple/pink stereotypically feminine colours 
• There is a strong Z-line with the title and the band at the bottom of the page which draws the audiences attention to the fact that to be a proper women or considered as a proper women you have to be interested in the kitchen. 
• The hand written style masthead is more informal therefore is more appealing to the target audience of females ( middle aged women 30 ish)
• The purple background suggests the wall of a kitchen
• Identifies women as stay at home wives 
• The model is plain and uninteresting which allows the audience to identify with her
• The lightening is delicate, bright and happy as well as optimistic which implies thats how women should be (high key lighting) 
• Not a high end magazine 
• Another audience response is it is a personal response that the magazine is friendly
• Ideology that women should wear makeup as it says at the bottom about being an a-level beauty therefore they believe by reading the magazine they will become beautiful( hermeneutic code)  
• The use of the word 'your' is demanding and tells females what their 'role' is. (direct mode of address)
• Men would of reacted to this magazine as it being for women only therefore they wouldn't buy the magazine
• Men also might find the model sexually appealing which would make women buy the magazine as they inspire to look like the cover model, to please their men.The use of 'seven star'  implies the audience is inadequate and not good enough
• Secondary audience (young girls) would aspire to be like the model when they grow up.
• There is also an element of pride of being British as someone famous says "British women have a special magic"
• Not every women would buy this magazine as there were others around such as vogue who's cover models were more interesting with less plain cover models.
• The models teeth have been air brushed which makes them stand out which is aspirational as she is seen as the perfect woman
• Her outfit is traditional for women which reinforces hegemonic rules in the way in which women dress. The flowers are also very stereotypical to women.
• The large headline could empower women as there is a whole magazine designated to them
• The connotations of the word 'woman' is more of a modern term used for them 
• Direct mode of address with the cover model looking straight at us- creates a affectionate/ friendship kind of look.

Contents page: 

   

• Very feminine related issues such as cooking
• Reinforces the idea of stereotypical housewives 
• Very stereotypical contents page, cooking and knitting
• Heading is called beauty instead of health therefore showing how women look is most important
• 'Make up to work miracles' implies women who do not wear make up aren't very attractive- hegemonic  power 
• Emphasises that women are supposed to be mothers- hegemonic code - another way in which to be a super successful woman

• One response is its a way in which women can express themselves by making up the kitchen 
• The use of 'any girl' makes women seem incapable 
• different audiences might really get into this article while others might find it really boring and no bother reading it
• A sexiest article saying "get the man in your life" suggesting audience are attached to a man 
• This suggests women don't have access to much money in the first place as they have to watch how much money they're spending  if not it will annoy their husbands 
• Positive as it encourages women to do D.I.Y
• Another positive reading is its showing a young male learning to cook which wasn't the done thing during this time
• Could cultivate the ideology that women belong in the kitchen 

Alfred Hitchcock article:

•  Based heavily on how women can please men
• Cooking comes up throughout the article enforcing the ideology that it is important women can cook
• British women are seen as exotic- mysterious and different
• Objectifies women in this article 
• He isn't shown as sexually attractive which is something he played up too
• The four images of him are a symbolic code 
• Grace Kelly looks passive in this image unlike Alfred Hitchcock in his multiple images 
• Monologue- Alfred Hitchcock- suggests his power and importance 
• He also stereotypes women into all being the same 

Representation/ Audience response - advertising in Woman: 

• This is a soap advert which cultivates that women should do the washing and looking after the house
• The word 'darling' is used repeatedly- patronising 
• That women are all sexy and this soap makes them sexier 
• She's not in a bath however she is covered in soap 
• She's all glammed up with immaculate makeup and hair
• Creates the assumption that if you buy this magazine it will help you look like the model 
• The soap provides you will kindness which could represent he man in their lives 
• Closed body language which empowers women as she is controlling how much of her body is on show
• The advert also points out that women can smell as well as males 
• There is binary opposition of being gentle in order to clean, however it is also tough because it is destroying dirt
• The word 'gentle' implies that this is how women should always want to be 

Representation of women - Advertising in Woman:

• Mid-shot emphasises her interest in the make up as she is directly looking at the makeup 
• Implies women are more interest in the makeup than sex and a man
• Mid-shot emphasises that she is putting make up on to look good for the man 
• Her make up is already immaculate yet she is putting more on 
• Patriarchal hegemony  as women are wearing make up which is to look good for the males
• Shows a direct correlation between putting on makeup and attracting men 
• Creates the assumption that women need men
• The man is looking at her in the same way that she is looking at her makeup 
• 'Beauty at a moments notice' implies women who don't wear makeup are lazy and unattractive 
• Could be empowering as the women isn't looking at the man which challenges stereotypical representations of women 
• Challenges stereotypes as she isn't at home she is actually at some sort of station which for women was a big deal during these times
• Stereotypical representation of men in the advert of them being dominant and very shallow liking women for their looks 
• In the advert there is one women surrounded by men
• Men is dressed professionally in a suit