Adbusters Hand and tap Double Page Spread Analysis

To what extent are the representations in the magazine you have studied complex? Make reference to Woman magazine and Adbusters

While Woman magazine presents simple. straightforward and sexist representations which are typical in which the time it was made, Adbusters presents controversial and complex representations.

Hands and tap double page spread

• a binary opposition is constructed between the clean, sharp outline of the Zuchetti tap advert and the messy, ugly outline of the bath image. This visually reflects on the disparity of wealth between rich and poor, though a lack of anchorage makes specifics less clear
• The Zuchetti advert depicts the MES of a golden tap, which has connotations of wealth, while the bath image focuses more on grey, which once more emphasises a binary opposition
• the use of white and gold is symbolic of a streile environment, with a complete lack of any contamination, which may infer the use of chemicals. The quality of the bath image suggests some form of experimental development, with sides of the image distorted, perhaps suggesting the relationship between the two images. A highly complex mode of address
• The high angle shot of the woman in the bath suggests vunerability. She is huddled in the fetal position, which suggests that she is scared. However, the atypical framing of the close up image completely omits the models face, forcing the audience to assume the models emotions
• the MES of the models hands are wrinkled, suggesting that she has been submerged in water. She has been in the water so long her hands are wrinkled, which could suggest scarcity. However, the wrinkled hands could also symbolise privilege and abundance. Once more this image is highly polysemic.
• the copy under the image of the models documents a situation of absolute poverty in Brazil, and a lack of water that is completely unthinkable to a 'western' audience
• the model is not represented as wealthy. Her hands held out in a stereotypical 'begging' position is symbolic of poverty, and the bath is small and simple. It suggests the world is a complicated place
• An ironic mode of address is constructed between the Zuchetti tap and its aesthetic, and the harrowing description of absolute poverty in Sao Paulo
• Zuchetti has connotations of fanciness, wealth and luxury. It is similar sounding to luxury italian brands like Gucci and Lamborghini
• by publishing an advert without permission, Adbusters works in a legal area. It is being published here to construct an ironic mode of address that criticises not only the division between social classes, but also the capitalism that allows things like luxury taps to exist
• Adbusters can argue the image, as an advert in the public domain, and they can alas argue that it falls under 'fair use policy'
• however, a knowledge of luxury brands is essential to understand this image. It creates a division between different audience members, some of which who cannot understand it, and it also increases awareness of this product. The high cover price of the magazine also suggests a wealthy target audience. This constructs a hypocritical mode of address
• beyond the anti-capitalist ideology, a genuinely radical representation is constructed 
• an image of a naked woman in the bath is presented without any sexualisation whatsoever
• the model is not addressing the camera, and the MES of her body is limited to a passive view of her legs and her hands instead. This subtly represented image actively opposes hegemonic ideologies about the function of women in media products. This genuinely subversive representation contrasts enormously with the Breeze soap advert in Woman magazine, and suggests that attitudes towards women have shifted significantly in some ways

Commodity Fetishism- process of ascribing magic "phantom-like" qualities to an object, whereby the human labour required to make that object is lost once the object is lost once the object is associated with a monetary value for change