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Vogue - Coggle Diagram
Vogue
Industry
Context of the 1960s:
More people employed so had a disposable income that they could spend on consumerism
More people could travel to foreign countries - explosion of popular culture
Tradiitonal class and gender boundaries shifting
Feminism and civil rights were influencing British society
Betty Freidan - she is a critique of the 'feminine mystique' arguing that the 'happy housewife' supported patriarchal understandings of gender
Stereotype suggested female fulfilment could only be found in the domestic sphere and contained women within a limited set of roles
Imperial Leather and Holiday ads
Vogue had an aspirational dream-like brand and women enjoyed consumerism with an emphasis on 'treating yourself' in 40s and 50s
Set ediiton was July 1965, Sophia Loren
Vogue was created in 1892 and bought by Conde Nast (large global company that make a range of printed magazines) in 1909
UK version launched in 1916
They feature: celebs - adds exclusivity
People who were not famous before - image that Vogue was a magazine that discovered and nurtured new talent
Exclusive photos/articles about royal family - draws in global audience and adds luxuriousness
Vogue sells 200,000 copies per month
A full page advert is £36,000
Their audience see Vogue as an opinion leader giving them ideas of what they should buy to have a certain lifestyle
They have a digital version of the magazine and a strong social media platform in order to target audiences as people are more online now
Anna Wintour began the trend of using more celebs on covers and introduced Teen Vogue and Men's Vogue to attract a larger audience and expand the brand
Vogue's fashion fund helps new designers financially - selfless but adds to reputation of Vogue being the forefront of fashion and finding new talent
Conde Nast's fashion and design college: Students can learn from best designers, workshops, restaurants and bars, Vogue cafe
Creates an exclusive high-end brand and makes more money
Hesmondhalgh = 'companies replicate successful formats to maximise profits and avoid taking risks'
Proves - Huge number of international versions of Vogue which reflects its success - replicating
Disproves - Conde Nast takes risks - first magazine to print in colour in 1932 which was expensive but target audience could afford it
Featured the first African American model which pushes boundaries and risk taking at the time
Representation
Sophia Loren was a famous actor in the 60s, front cover close up makes her seem important, powerful, exotic, and like a role model
Exotic nature of her image may reflect Hall's idea about the use of Middle Eastern stereotypes, representing ethnic minorities as 'other'
Sheila Black was a working female expert on finance (works for Financial Times) which would have been unusual in the 60s
Talks about women being financially independent and wanting to invest money
Money: Challenges historical context when women were financially controlled by their husbands
She represents women as having financial power which may reflect the class and wealth of the typical vogue reader (ABC1)
Includes basic definitions as they may not understand- represents new changes of 60s as women gained little independence from men
Revlon: Creates the idea that a woman's role is to attract others visually through the language - conventional representation
Also represents their want to express themselves through a hobby potentially radicalising society
Imperial leather: The image reflects the stereotype that women are maternal and domestic - body language and facial expression show women as emotional, caring and loving
Represents women as needing to be soft and gentle which can mean delicate and weak - submissive objects to men
Cutex: Denotes a women with bare shoulders suggesting nudity and shade names have connotations of nudity suggesting showing flesh and being sexualised are important for women
Reflective of how women were and still are represented - conventional
Ethnic representation - only has products for lighter skin tones - lack of minority models, makeup aimed at darker skinned readers, reflects less inclusive nature of Britain in 60s
Picnic (1): Complex language as the magazine is targeted towards middle-upper class - talk about lords and ladies, famous artworks representing upper class 'cultured women'
Upper class people featured as utopia, idealised and being aspirational role models
PIcnic (horses): Subversion of a female gender stereotype as the male is holding the basket which is chivalrous
Woman's direct gaze represents her as empowered and strong also due to her ability to ride a horse
Picnic (Egypt): White models pictured in jewels and expensive clothes representing them as high status
Progressive as women can travel the world relating to female liberations happening across the world in 60s
Regressive sue to stereotypes costumes codes of man in business suit suggesting wealth and westernised view of 'professionalism'
PIcnic (cage): Women holding children, nurturing, passive feels romantic but shows women not taking action - fails to reflect growing power of women in 60s
Images of young women as mothers reflects expectations to marry young - however modern mags aimed at those aged 20-35 choose not to feature children as many women have careers first
Heatwave: Images construct women as independent travellers, strong and active (iconography of suitcase)
However, women are also objectified through the setting (bed), makeup, facial expressions and body language (NVC) which places them in the male gaze
Black Egyptian men are marginalised, in background shots or out of focus doing jobs, whereas white woman is dancing and enjoying leisure time (binary opposition)
Creates a postcolonial view of ethnicity, as they are seen as 'staff' or less signfiicant
Media Language
Masthead: VOGUE is French for fashionable, slim san serif font connotes style and sophistication
Front cover: Alliterative 'marvellous mad midsummer' is sophisticated vocab making it exclusive and alludes to emerging freedom of the 60s (hippie culture)
'sand swim sea sun sheiks Sophia' - sibilance creates a soft and calming atmosphere and connotes desirable holidaying and exoticism
'scintillate' - Teaches you to stand out and look good linking to the aspiration to be like Vogue models - hermeneutic code
Technical code (Barthes) - Medium close up in centre in high key lighting draws attention to her beauty
Money article: 'I knew they were intelligent' - deliberate flattery of audience - desire to make readers feel good and read on, also aim to empower women
'Many of them were happily free from financial problems' - highlights type of women that would read vogue in 60s as women who were wealthy, money so could afford to buy Vogue
Constructed to target 'successor' - an affluent woman who saves a lot of disposable income creating binary opp with the Cutex advert
'Borrow or invest without their husbands knowing about it' - Assumes all Vogue readers are married and that the money belongs to the man
'Married women are never independent' - stereotypical and sexist opinion of women
'Sorry, but there it is' - blunt and honest, constructs Black as the older/wiser woman (agony aunt/older sister)
Revlon: 'alluring' and 'feminine art' suggests female empowerment but only through looks which may imply that women wear makeup for men. 'Art' is a facade of beauty - appearance vs reality- also elevates beauty/cosmetics to high culture. Van Zoonen 'women on display'
Hyperbolic language 'utterly devastating' - could reflect the stereotype of women being irrational and hysteric
'Make history'- follow Freidan at time in society by being able to express themselves (use passive position to radicalise society). From a post-modernist feminist view they are exploiting their hegemonic beauty ideals for status and appeal to the male gaze
'(with a most natural look)' - Hypocritical - reflect patriarchal double standards
The hints of gold and 'a la carte' suggest wealth and sophistication which attract the middle/upper class readers - alludes to French Parisian culture. Metaphor for a menu
Cutex: Lack of clothes and sell line 'bare essentials' - indicates it is liberating for women and desirable for men and suggests that is essential and natural
'Are you woman enough?' - rhetorical question links to femininity and the sense of female liberation in the 60s - links to hippie movement that rejected mainstream American life - being naked like model can be empowering
'Essentially Naturelle' - this linked with the nature imagery of green and pink promotes natural feminine beauty, promotes the model. as what natural is supposed to look like setting unrealistic beauty standards
Targets aspiring audience which works in binary opposition with other articles targeting affluent, successful women (money article)
Imperial leather: 'You want skin that feels soft' - direct address to women having soft skin which may also represent women needing to be soft and gentle - delicate/weak. Imperative telling women what they want
Repetition of words 'soft', 'gently' and 'safely' reinforces the stereotypes of woman being seen as beautiful, vulnerable and dependent on men
The focus on skin to look youthful which is another stereotypical representation also connotes that women should want to look good in order to potentially attract a man
The NVC of nurturing the child may also support the standards of society to be maternal and domestic
Egypt picnic: Progressive view of femininity - women able to travel and have access to the world
However, gender roles may be maintained through the woman being portrayed as an accessory to the man who is working or writing
Africa is defined in a colonial vision here through the costumes- Gilroy and Hall may argue the African stereotypes are reductive
Heatwave: 'Heatwave' is boldened to celebrate the warmth (exoticism)
The letter saying 'Darling, it's very hot in here. I love you come and get me from this awful place' portrays her as a damsel in distress showing she needs support from a man
The Hollywood blowout hairstyle and hegemonic beauty ideals of the 60s are traditional and do not show a progressive magazine
The arabic poster connotes a Middle Eastern setting and exoticism by viewing other non-western cultures and it is exciting through their 'otherness'
Audience
Target audience: 25-34, ABC1, white, middle-upper class, well educated, interested in fashion and lifestyle articles, aspirers
Laura Mulvey: Argued women in the media are presented in a way that pleases men
Loren may be framed in a way that emphasises her desirability but she also challenges the idea of women being passive objects of beauty as she is a successful actress
Gauntlett: He theorises that we shape our identities through presentations in the media
Readers may see Loren as an aspirational figure, influencing how they view fashion, beauty, and femininity
Blumler and Katz: Active audiences use the media for different reasons
'Entertainment' and 'escapism' for the pleasure of reading a quality publication featuring the lives of the glamorous and luxury that contrast with their everyday lives
'Social interaction' - Could serve as a convo starter discussing current fashion looks or trends, using Vogue to connect with others who share an interest in style and culture
'Inform' and 'Educate' - Readers may use the magazine to stay updated on latest styles and lean what is fashionable at the time
'Identity' - Readers may relate to Loren or aspire to her glamour, confidence and success - cover could reinforce ideas about femininity, style and culture
Hall - Reception theory: Preferred reading - Woman portrayed as maternal, consumers, or domestic - class and identity is crucial, and vogue works as a form of escapism
Negotiated reading - Would believe ethnicity stereotyping is primitive
Oppositional reading - Annoyed at the fact representations of women are not reflective of the second wave of feminism - does not agree that most of the articles are written by men
Gerbner: Repeated exposure to glamorous models and luxury beauty products may cultivate the idea that women should always look glamorous to please men
Repetitive adverts for luxury products persuade the aspirational reader to purchase these to achieve the luxurious lifestyle they aim to live, using the models as an icon
Bell hooks: Loren is a white actress but portrays a Turkish dancer, arguably is the case of whitewashing or cultural appropriation which would not be printed in a magazine today