Component 2 Woman Mag

Media industries are specialised as they are different from one another

A stereotypes commonly held belief against a certain group of people

Magazines are not as popular as they once were as they are quite expensive for knowledge you can access on the magazines rival, social media.  They are also inconvenient in terms of clutter and space wise.

semiotics is the studying of codes

Roland Barthes theory - Hermeneutic code is the enigma code, suggests mystery
                                       Proairetic code is the action code
                                       Symbolic code is the deeper meaning code
                                       Intertextuality/referential code is when a media product makes reference                                           to another media product

Claudé Levi-Strausse - Binary oppositions which creates contrast, this is what media industry loves and therefore shows that people love drama


This Magazine came out in 1964 and is a womens Life Style Magazine

The target audience for this magazine is white women ages 30-50.  The Mes en Scene of the Purple background has a symbolic code of elegance and light heartedness yet due to it not being really bold suggests how women should be elegant and not standing out.  The elegant font depicts what a women should be like in that era, sleek and elegant.  Has a quote from one of the biggest directors at the time especially saying something that he only is directing towards women, yet the special magic depicts they have power over men or a power that men lack.  The Lexis that has improvements for your kitchen suggests that women of that time, the kitchen is where they would spend most of their time and therefore is a household stereotype.  The rhetorical question asks the audience a personal question to which they will say no and therefore read the mag to become an A-level beauty, this therefore functions as a proairetic code.  Lively Lingerie suggests that women should let heir hair down and enjoy something that men will probably enjoy more, can not have fun or themselves, it also connotes sexual exploitation.  The model has a very white teeth, which have been emphasised though airbrushing, these also have connotations of healthy and wealth.  The model is also wearing a costume of a plunging dress that therefore shows some skin which shows she is also breaking down stereotypes.  The air brushing of her sin, getting rid of blemishes, spots, wrinkles makes other women aspire to look like her, even though she does not actually look like that.The fact that the arrangement of the banner at the bottom, puts the kitchen over lingerie suggesting that women value kitchen appearances over sex.  The Lexis of the font on the lingerie title suggests that women are not as innocent and shy as they may seem.  The hegemonic expectations enforced by practical expectations enforced on to women to appear this way, with the smile and the makeup and her overall appearance.  Hyperbole is used at the top to tell those looking at the front cover saying it is 'The worlds Greatest'

• The magazine was published by a medic clomgomerate
• Started to be published in 1937
• Is still going  today
• 29th of August 1944
• It is a weekly, therefore is cheper (roughly works out to be 80p today)
• Slightly larger than todays magazines, printed on rough cheap paper,not glossy like Vogue
• Women's magazines became very popular, the circulation of Women's Magazine was 3million a week

Social Historical means what is going on in Society at the time

Instantly we have an assumption made by the producer that reader ship will have children.  The op feature in this edition is that Alfred Hitchcock talks to a women about women BUT the main feature involves a man.  The content page is completely enforced upon looks, with 'make up to work miracles' and the assumption that women who do not wear make up are ugly and will not have any luck.  A level make up, if it talks about A level as an aspirational, then it is hardly unlikely they have a degree.


Women's Liberation Movement started roughly the same time this magazine came out.  They were protesting fo equal pay, that marriage was the same as rape and a form of a loss of identity.  Inter-City rail made an advert used Women's Lib as a chance to attract an audience and therefore make money.  The media also stereotypically presented as women meanwhile they were being the opposite of the media representation when protesting creating some descrepency

Ideology - A belief of a producer
Hegemony - A social law that we follow
Anchorage - When a media product has something that goes with it that makes sense so it makes it more impactful, like a newspaper with pictures and a caption - anything that
at draws the audience into the product and make them believe something through a choice of language for example