Textual Analysis - Covers 1

Kerrang! Magazine

Overview>>> This particular type of music publication “Kerrang!” is based on rock music including other genres such as Metal, Punk, Emo and Classic rock. With certain images and bold writing on the front cover, you can usually tell which types of articles will be in that certain issue. On this particular issue you have the title “Kerrang!” in bold writing along the top so the audience knows what magazine it is, then it has a sub heading which says “100 Greatest Gigs Ever!” This immediately tells the reader what they are going to find inside.

Media Language>>> The word “Kerrang!” is onomatopoeia, which is the sound of a loud guitar being strummed. This automatically tells you it is a loud music magazine. The title of the magazine tells you that it’s readers are into loud and quite hardcore music.

Genre>>> Kerrang! Try to put different types of sub genres in the magazine so it will appeal to a greater audience. They have put a variety of music into it such as pop, punk, Emo, metal and Goth rock which are the main areas of the sub genres of rock music. These are also social groups as well as musical ones. So there are different types of rock music for different types of people.

Representation>>> “Kerrang!” represents groups/cults that listen to the certain type of music that the magazine publishes such as Emo and Goth music. The magazine cover tells you this through the dark colours and graphic Images the cover holds.

Ideology>>> The ideology behind the magazine Kerrang! Is to inform the target audience which is people who are into rock about the latest gigs which are being held, interviews with the newest bands and rock legends and CD’s which should be bought. But the main aim is to advertise the genre of music and to entertain the audience.

Institution>>>

Editor: Paul Brannigan

Categories: Music magazine

Frequency: Weekly

Publisher: Bauer

First Issue: 1981

VIBE Magazine

Overview>>> This particular music magazine is an R&B Urban style magazine called “Vibe”. Vibe is aimed at R&B and urban music lovers, who are young adults and can be either male or female. This particular magazine cover connotes femininity; however there are other magazines that have a male figure on the front cover.

Media Language>>> Mariah Carey is being used as a sex symbol on the front of this magazine, as she is in a bikini. Men will be attracted to the magazine because they find her attractive. However women are even more likely to be attracted to the magazine as the colours are extremely feminine, and Mariah Carey becomes almost a role model for women, wanting to look like her. Therefore again, this magazine fits into both male and female audiences.

Ideology>>> Vibe helps to shape ideologies. Young readers are influenced by the fantastic style and fashion of Mariah Carey and will therefore want to emulate this. The way she is dressed influences young people to want to be like her and look like her and therefore buy the magazine.

Genre>>> "Vibe" magazine is aimed more at fans of the hip hop and r'n'b music genre. Most of the articles or maybe all of the articles featured in the magazine is about music artists from those genres of music.

Representation>>> “Vibe” magazine represents a music industry of pop/RnB culture, which reflects on the people who buy it. The colours are bright and girly but it is also aimed at a male audience because of the image that is portrayed. Mariah Carey is dressed in a bikini and flaunting her body, this is because sex sells more to readers especially males, they will be attracted to buy the magazine, even though it is a music magazine. Although this magazine may seem to be girly and bright and aimed at females it’s actually attracting a male audience because it has a picture of Mariah Carey in a bikini on the front cover of it.

Audience>>> The audience for this music group in my opinion would be based around 15-24. Readers between these ages and their music style are RnB are more likely to read this type of magazine rather than a rock magazine because of the different genres people are in to. The different types of music people listen to; differentiate what type of magazine they will read. Mariah Carey is being used as a sex symbol on the front of this magazine, as she is in a bikini. Men will be attracted to the magazine because they find her attractive. However women are even more likely to be attracted to the magazine as the colours are extremely feminine, and Mariah Carey becomes almost a role model for women, wanting to look like her. Therefore again, this magazine fits into both male and female audiences.

Instituition>>> (European)

Editor: Luc Ciotkowski

Categories: Lifestyle

Publisher: European Vibe Entertainment

First Issue: 2006

NME Magazine

Overview>>>This is The “NME” music magazine. It is an alternative music publication which promotes genres such as Indie and Rock. The look of the magazine appears very masculine too, very messy and has an attitude. It also tells you what type of articles will be inside the magazine because of the graphic images and the words.

Media Language>>> NME doesn’t really ‘hold-back’ much. It includes swearing; talk of drinking and drugs, and nudity. On the front cover of an issue of NME from 2007, Beth Ditto from The Gossip is shown completely naked, simply covering up her ‘private parts’. The magazine is very wild and outgoing, which suits the young, wild and outgoing audience.

Genre>>> As any audience could see this is an obvious music magazine. The title of the magazine “NME” stands for “New Musical Express”. It has different bands mentioned all over the front cover such as My Chemical Romance, The Killers and finally The Automatic, who are the main focus on the page. All of their music is either indie or rock.

Representation>>> NME’s representation is a rock/indie music style is mainly male dominated. Most of the singers and bands are males. Males are shown as very dominant, strong, and superior, whereas women aren’t really included in the magazine. Rock/indie music is represented as very ‘cool’ in the magazine. The image used of the band on the front shows that they are all about “rock”. The clothes they are dressed in are very fashionable, with them all posing in a very specific way, suggesting they are full of “attitude” and are “popular” because they are on the front of the magazine.

Audience>>> The target audience for this particular magazine is from the ages of about 14-24. This is because this music publication deals with alternative music and is quite a complicated genre. Readers who are usually interested in this type of music have a different style of dressing and acting. The attitudes conveyed in these issues, suits the audience well as the magazine is aimed at young people, who most likely swear, are into drink and drugs.

Ideology>>> The ideologies that this particular music magazine has are that they want to inform readers that they are a music magazine. They want to convey a look that only people that are huge fans of music can relate to and will read and buy it every week.

Institution>>>

Editor: Connor McNicholas

Categories: Music Magazine

Frequency: Weekly

First Issue: 1952

Company: IPC Media

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