Introduction to Lifestyle Magazines

1.) Identify the different 'types' of content in the magazine.

There are many different types of content within lifestyle magazines and the most common are: Health, fitness, leisure, fashion, decoration and culture. 

For example in this picture they advertise health as a big issue and make it very clear to a certain audience. As you can see it says 'Lose Your Gut!' which is a guide/story in the magazine on how to lose weight which is associated with health. Also in the cosmopolitan magazine you can see that fashion is advertised because it says shop like a genius which is promoting shopping for clothes a.k.a fashion. However the most important thing that is advertised in magazines is health and how to make your body look better.














2.) Discuss the layout of the page. From your analysis what gender and type of person is this magazine for?

This is a contents page of the magazine 'GLAMOUR'. The word glamour is usually aimed at the female audience, this means that this magazine is for a young female. Also the colours are in a variety of orange which connotes happiness, sun and women - therefore the colours attract the audience that it is aimed at. Also the text on the left has no equality to the picture on the right therefore the designer of the magazine wants you to focus on the women, fashion (clothes she is wearing) and as you are focusing on the women they can also be seen as an object of desire yet again. Also the way the girl is standing wither her legs apart and her hands in her pockets connotes her power or girl power which also attracts the female audience. Also the issues on the left are the most important issues with catchy captions such as 'Hotties' to attract the audience.

How would someone hope to benefit from buying these type if magazines?

Someone would benefit from buying these types of magazines because they can learn how to become fitter and healthier due to the sheer amount of stories of how to get fitter within the magazines. Therefore someone could become much healthier from buying these magazines. Furthermore, people may find very good deals for fashionable clothing (coupons) to get expensive items dramatically cheaper. For example a mum between the ages 30-45 could lose some weight from birth due to the tips they have been given. Also men who are very young could learn how to feet a good looking body with some simple tips and also young and old female/men could get some good fashion products for very cheap.

Connotations of Album Covers

Connotations of Album Covers

In this album cover there are many connotations. For example the writing is in gold which connotes that he is very rich and that he can afford gold items. Also it shows his confidence in winning awards because a grammy is gold and the gold could mean he knows this album will win an award. The name of the album is 20/20 which connotes that this album is not just for listening but it will empower you so the album says you feel the music. Lastly, it says J.T instead of Justin Timberlake. The connotations are that many people will recognise J.T on the album, this connotes that he knows he is well known meaning he doesn't need to say his full name.

In this album you can clearly see what type of genre of music this is in. Rap music. Therefore it is very stereotypical with the gold teeth, gold jewellery and tattoos. The gold jewellery connotes that he has a lot of money meaning he shows it off to show his power to other men and to attract girls. Also the tattoos are clearly distinctive and he wears no shirt which connotes that he wants people to see his tattoos because yet again shows his money and power off which many rapers try and do.

This album is by the 'Hipster' artist Tyler, the Creator who produces rap songs. The connotations for two of him could suggest that he is aspiring to be that person because he is above his head meaning it is a thought. Also it may connote that from being a young 'Nerd' he has changed into a rapper who has completely forgotten who he was, this means he may of turned from a good person to a bad person. The color connotes a very chilled atmosphere because this blue is very icy which suggests relaxing and calm.

This album cover is based in rap music. The tattoos connote his power and wealth. The title is in clear and is the whitest color in the picture which means that they want you to instantly read this, also it is has been in my words ruined because the artist may of had a difficult upbringing or he is very violent. Also it is black and white which connotes it is very simple which means the songs may be very easy to understand and try and say a simple message.

This album cover presents his loneliness and also the title of the song is not all what it may seem. As you can see he is holding a dress to show that his wife or girlfriend has left him. Him being alone connotes that he does not want to be with anyone and he may be heartbroken. Lastly, everything is dark except his dress and his suit which connotes that he wants to stand out.

In this album cover you can see Rhiana naked, however the writing over her body stands out a lot. Also as they cover her body, this connotes that just because she is naked does not mean the audience should look at her. Furthermore, she is looking at the text and she may be thinking about the meaning of the word, a very controversial word 'Love'. She also looks very sad and the title of the song is apologetic which has a positive correlation, this means she is either very sorry or does not want to apologise to someone.

In this album cover Bob Marley is stating himself as a legen which he is, also he is not posing or looking at the camera therefore he is not boasting that he is a legend. He seems very calm in the picture as well and this may be to do with something that caught his attention away from the camera and therefore this may be why it is a good front cover.

In this album cover the cross in the picture stands out a lot because of the broken glass focusing on it and this connotes he is not just a thug. Or the broken glass is where is telling his enemy's to shoot him because he has been shot before, therefore this could be a threat to some people because of the glass and the cross shows that he is proud to be a Christian.

In this album cover Tupac has his fingers in a simple that says he is from the west side and that he is not from any other side. He shows his jewellery which connotes that he was rich and that he likes to know people who are rich. This album is every old and he had to show his enemy's that he was from the west because that is where Tupac lived and there was a lot of crime there which connotes that he had to keep him self protected. Here is Emeli Sande's cover of Our Version of Events.

On the cover Emeli is facing backwards from the camera and looking over her shoulder. This connotes that she is looking back to the past. On her back there a black rose that look dead this connotes that her past death may have occured. There is a dull background, possivle meaning that ahead of her is yet again more sadness. Her hair is grey but her face is still very young this connotes that she is feeling old and deprived. She also has very cheap ear rings which connotes that due to sadness she has lost a lot of money.

Music Video Research Task

The first video that I am looking at is very recent, and that is Lily Allen ' Hard Out Here'. The video is stereotypical, sexual and yet again makes the women an object of desire. Also the lyrics are saying it is hard for a girl in the world because the world can be said as a Man's world therefore she is saying that girls are just sex objects and she promotes that in her video, therefore does this connote that this how she acts when not doing videos to get attention and what she wants due to her body?

The mise-en-scene is very sexual. For example the clothing is a latex pair of hot pants and crop top, this means their body is outlined to show the bums and breasts off. There is a clear sign of videos becoming worse and worse. Also latex clothing connotes very sexual or even seen as pornographic, therefore is this what Lily Allen is representing women as to young girls. Is she representing women very negatively towards younger people and just as objects of desire?

The girls have a lot of make up on, this connotes that all girls may only attract men if they are artificial and have to be good looking like the girls in the video whilst throwing their body around. The detonations are that there is a lot of make up, the girls wear small clothing and that it is set in a gold box, this means that girls are there to get the attention and also objects of desire because they invite voyeuristic views. In the real world many men do look for very pretty girls however they would not be impressed with their girlfriend flashing their body about, however this is what this music video is promoting.

There is a lot to criticize about the cinematography due to the extreme close ups on girls shaking the bum, girls slapping girls body's, the way they eat bananas and how they spray champagne over each over. Firstly, the extreme close ups on girls bums is another clear thing that is shown, also this will be very voyeuristic to many older viewers or younger views. Shaking their bums connotes that they are there to be sex toys and attract the men to have sex with them, not what a 12 year old should be looking up to. The girls also slap each others bums which connotes that all girls like to do this and could be seen as an act of a lesbian and also pornographic which is a negative representation for young teens both male and female. Lastly, they spray champagne over each other which could show that they like to have fun but yet very sexually. Due to the clothes they are wearing it makes their body very wet and more attractive to men, this is another sign that girls are just a sex toy and object of desire.

Therefore she is trying to say is that is this the only way girls become successful in life because they are now so heavily criticised if they do not have a good body or looks due to how the media treats girls. Therefore due to the video she shows how music videos are changing and she thinks it has gone to far meaning she starts to make a joke about it, example instead of Robin Thicke's 'Robin has a big 'D' she puts 'Lily Allen has a baggy Pussy' which is making a joke about Robin Thicke's video.

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THE POINT OF WHAT SHE IS TRYING TO DO>>>

The second negative video is Still D.R.E by Dr D.R.E

The video is set in L.A in streets that are very poor and involves a lot of crime and problems. This connotes that this what black people are like because both of the artists Snoop Dogg and Dr D.R.E, they show how their powerful round the streets and their money, a negative representation of black people. The girls wear very small clothing such as tight hot pants, yet again girls are wearing hot pants to show their bum, therefore is this how they treat girls, as objects of desire to earn money and views?

The cinematography includes close ups on girls breasts and bum, whilst the girl shakes their bum it is a close and in slow motion. The connotations are that these men are more powerful than them therefore they show their body off to get with them, the artist can pick and choose due to his power. Also a girl shaking their bum is very sexual and means that they want sex and it is another representation of black female because all the females are black in the video therefore the video represents the black culture very negatively.

Grading

1/12

C1

You have a number of good points here and have chosen your examples well, but you could do with some more specific examples to help your points made.

T: Use key terminology (VCOP blog) and the technical codes to develop your points further.

Laura Mulvey Essay

How does Laura Mulvey's theory apply to "Dirty" and "Do It Like a Dude"?

Discuss: The camera, The audience, The actors, The target audience of these artists and why you think they choose to present themselves in this way.


Laura Mulvey's theory applies to music videos "Dirty" and "Do It Like a Dude" because both videos invite the audience to view the artists as objects of desire. This is done through the camera shots and angles used, the fact the video is presented in a voyeuristic way to the audience, and the way the artist interacts with others in the video.


1.) In Christina Aguilera's video of "Dirty" the use of camera invites sexual gaze by...
The use of camera invites sexual gaze by aiming the camera at Aguilera's bum and breasts. Therefore many older and young men will look at her video in a voyeuristic way, for example the first scene of the music video is aimed at Christina Aguilera's bum where her jeans are cut out where her bum is, therefore Laura Mulvey's theory seems to be true because she will be seen as an object of desire because the camera is focused on Christina Aguilera and her bum and breasts.

2.) The audience views this video in a voyeuristic way because...
The audience will view this in a voyeuristic way because the artist is very seductive in the way she dances and the clothes that she wears are very revealing. This is seen in the shower scene because she is dancing in water meaning she gets very wet which is very sexual. Also she is in very small clothes and therefore many people will get sexual pleasure by just watching the video Dirty because it is very sexual and also can be seen as pornographic.

3.) The actors interact in way that results in the female being looked at as an object of desire. This occurs when...
The actors who are all men are watching the girls whilst they dance very sexily in the boxing ring due to their looks and how they reveal their selves. For example within the first minute all the men are viewing Christina and the dancers as objects as desires because they are being viewed by many men and towards the end they are grinding with her this shows that the men can not resist her and use the voyeuristic views into sexual actions. This also shows that Laura Mulvey's theory that all the girls in music videos are seen in an voyeuristic way and it is also seen in movies and other types of media.

4.) In Jesse J's video of "Do it Like a Dude" the use of the camera invites sexual gaze by...
The use of the camera invites sexual gaze in Jesse J's music video "Do It Like a Dude" because as Laura Mulvey says the women are tied to desire. For example sometimes the camera is zooming at Jesse J's breasts when she is bending over, also she is wearing clothes that would attract men, for example hot pants and crop tops. However, some people may not get sexual gaze by this video because Jesse J is trying to break the stereotype because many of the girls are doing very masculine things for example a girl is smoking a cigar. Also Jesse J's li[ps are very gothic and have spikes on them, she is trying to say that she is not going to be an object of desire but she is trying to get men to reject her and not look at her in a voyeuristic way.

5.) The audience views this in a voyeuristic way because...
The audience may view this in a voyeuristic way because the audience may not just be men. The audience could be female who love women rather than men. This could be to do with Jesse J's sexuality therefore the female audience may like how she is dancing and how Jesse J represents herself. Furthermore, a male may see this in a voyeuristic because the video is very gothic and therefore a goth male may see the video in a voyeuristic way.

6.) The actors interact in a way that results in the female being looked at as an object of desire. This occurs when...
This does not occur because many of the actors a challenging the stereotype, therefore many of the women do not look good and wear good clothes to attract men, therefore they do not surround Jesse J as an object of desire. Moreover, this means that Jesse J is correctly challenging the stereotype and contradicts Laura Mulvey's theory that women are tied to objects of desire in some scenarios in the video. However the actors in the video are not objects of desire nor do they look interact with Jesse J as she is an object of desire.

7.) The target audience for these two artists in young females. However, the way they represent themselves as sexual objects does not appeal to young girls, it appeals to men. I believe Christine Aguilera and Jesse J choose to represent themselves like this because...
In my oppinion Christine Aguilera's video 'Dirty' appeals more to men compared to Jesse J's 'Do It Like a Dude' because Christine Aguilera's video is more sexual and represents the female actors more clearly as objects of desire compared to 'Do It Like a Dude'. Christine Aguilera may do this because she wants the attention or more sales because in the modern era sex sells. However Jesse J's video may be different because she wants to challenge the stereotype which is rarely done therefore she is trying to be original or she is doing it like this due to her sexuality. This means it may attract more girls compared to men.

8.) In summary, Laura Mulvey's theory applies to these music videos because...
It applies to BOTH music videos because however hard Jesse J tries to break the stereotype the cinematography and miss-en-scene still agree with Mulvey's theory that however hard women try that women are tied to objects of desire where in some scenes Jesse J is revealing her body and wearing very small clothes that may not be seen in public. Also Christine Aguilera is clearly being sexual and wants to be an object of desire.

Photoshop Homework.2 Hazy Lights

Photoshop Homework. 2

Hazy Lights

Step 1: Under the channels palette on the image press cmd+click on the RGB channel to load the brightness levels as a selection.

Step 2: Return to the layers palette and create a new Curves layer. The selection will automatically be loaded as a mask.

Step 3: Afterwards press Alt+Click on the mask icon on the Layers palette. A black and white representation of the mask will come up over the image. Once you have done that press cmd+m to bring the curves adjustment. This is adjusting the mask you just loaded. Drag the leftmost point on that curve you want to edit to the right, this will black out the brightest white parts of the image. Then click the eye icon on the layer to view the layer as normal. 

Step 4: Select the layer mask icon and blur it by clicking on filter then blur then Gaussian Blur and choose 5 pixels because this looks very professional. 

Step 5: Put a point at around 80% on the curve you want to alter and pull it up this will brighten the area around the light and then the blurry layer will add the hazy factor to the lights or sparks.

Grading


1/12

GREEN

This is a really good piece of work and you have a step by step guide. It is missing a little clarity though, without any print screens.


T: Use print screens to show the process & perhaps consider showing an example that you have made using this tool.

Representation Homework 2

Representation Homework 

First statement : 'In many rap videos women have no identity except as sexual playthings and "eye candy'

I agree with this statement because in many videos such as Blurred Lines, Gold Digger by Kanye West and Still DRE by Dr DRE many of the women are there because they look good and would attract younger men, therefore they are seen as eye candy. Furthermore this will teach young men that girls are just sex toys as the videos get worse and will make them represent the women like this till videos become less sexual. Also having girls in videos doing sexual things will be influenced on the younger generation, this is already happening when Miley Cyrus started to twerk, many young girls are now starting to twerk and it is now seen as normal. However this is not normal for an 11 year old girl to do because most men only come across twerking when they become an age such as 18.

Second statement : 'These images do provide pleasures to some viewers. But the concern is that men may internalise the notion that women are nothing more than sexual objects waiting to be used.'

I agree that the women in the videos give please to some viewers - these are negative images probably being viewed by secondary school students. Therefore, it says that women are nothing more than sexual objects. Therefore an image is created and it could be stereotypical that women should have a perfect body, good looking and is pretty much a man's sex object. In this day and age the concern is that the videos become pornographic because in this modern era with very sexual videos young boys and girls between 7 years old to 10 years old are learning about sex too quickly. Therefore as the videos get worse by 2018 the representation for women would become different from when MC Hammer had video girls. They used to be classy and elegant and now you could call them not classy, fake and flash their body for money. This is all influenced by the Media and most children these days are surrounded by Media. For example, 'Nuts Magazines' have been criticised because they are to accessible for young children because they have not stopped children from looking at their front covers, Music videos are easily accessible on YouTube, there would be no stopping these younger teens and children perceiving the negative approach/representation because the videos are becoming worse and worse.

Third statement : These sorts of images are not unique to hip hop. Objectified female bodies are everywhere. They appear throughout our culture in films, advertisements, television programmes etc. However, within music videos, this is virtually the ONLY vision of women available.'

I disagree that these sort of images are not unique to hip hop. Because in the film Horrible Bosses, Jennifer

Aniston in the film plays are part that she is very sexual towards men, her movement is seductive and provocative and this film was on a 12 rating. Therefore many young children would be able to see what a stereotypical women is now. In the new Gilette advert there are two women in small clothes giving another stereotypical and negative representation towards women. In the programme Geordie Shore the girls are always wanting to pull men and have sex with them, this will tell the younger audience that girls just want to have sex and that to men they are just objects. This shows many different ways where young men can see what women are now represented as. Also, good looking women are now the only vision in Men's music videos because sex sells. The more money the artists make the more girls they will use therefore Hip Hop Honey's will become worse over time till there will be action taken but there is none at the moment.

Will it be to late for when the children become influenced by the negative representation of women and how they should be treated and used?

Grading

1/11

B2

What you have here is really good and you have responded well to the statements. You have used your examples well even exploring other media texts.

T: Try to use key terminology (see VCOP Blog). Pick out some of the technical aspects (Mise-en-scene, editing, lyrics etc) and how they help you come to your conclusions.

P!NK Evaluation Power Point

P!NK Power Point Evaluation
http://www.slideshare.net/HarrySargent14/pink-power-point-evaluation