Woman Magazine Analysis

• Stereotypically, hegemonically attractive cover model appeals to female target audience
• MES of white masthead creates connotations of innocence and purity, further reinforcing hegemonic perceptions of the role of women in 1964
• Use of lexis 'Seven Star Improvements for Your Kitchen' insinuates that the target audience is stereotypical 1960's housewives. The word 'kitchen' functions as a symbolic code, symbolising the association of women and cooking
• MES of model's costume is floral and feminine, and is connotative of the model's symbolic status as a housewife
• MES of model's haircut suggests practicality and being able to cook and clean. However it could also be connotative of her glamourous status
• Serif font of the Masthead and the word 'woman' furthers the idea that the magazine is targeting a female audience, and therefore makes the target audience as clear as possible
• symbolic code of the purple background has connotations of femininity and girlishness. Again, this reinforces certain stereotypes that exist around women
• Facial expression is soft and welcoming, allowing the magazine to appeal to a larger audience
• Aspirational cover model, hegemonically attractive, noticeably thin
• Cover price of 7d is approximately 80p, indicating a working class lower income audience
• Dominant hegemonic social norm is reinforced that women should be clean, happy and presentable. This clearly is supported by Hall's notion of reception theory, and audiences at the time would generally agree with the preferred reading of this magazine
• Connotations of the word 'lingerie' are symbolic of luxury and sexual attractiveness
• Liesbet Van Zoonen argues that women are used as a shortcut in media products to symbolise sexual attractiveness. Clearly this model was selected for being hegemonically attractive
• Model has an expression of happiness and satisfaction, which allows the producer to sell the lifestyle of satisfaction to the target audience
• However, a polysemic set of meanings of constructed, and the models face may be interpreted as being uncomfortable and even slightly scared. This may suggest that the target audience may be lacking in confidence, are vulnerable, and additionally, it could be argued tat the magazine is playing on women's insecurities