The Gentlewoman: Language and Representation blog tasks

 The Gentlewoman: Language and Representation blog tasks

Close-textual analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Gentlewoman CSP pages:

Gentlewoman front cover 

1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?

The typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience in the way the serif and sans serif font are constructed to be simplistic yet effective in terms of what the cover wants its full attention to.

2) How does the cover subvert conventional magazine cover design?

Normally a magazine cover would consist of  medium shot of the subject themselves however in this case its a much larger close up shot breaking the convention barrier of a traditional magazine cover.

3) Write an analysis of the central image.

Central image breaks the norms of how a woman in modern society is viewed, heavy and bold makeup goes against these norms allowing the magazine to a have a strong representations of celebrities and women in general.

4) What representations of gender and celebrity can be found on this front cover?

Representations of women happen to level on the superiority women can showcase as well as men.

5) What gender and representation theories can we apply to this cover of the Gentlewoman? 

Judith Butler - 'gender is a performance' this is seen through the extravagant makeup done on the subject.

Feature: Modern Punches

1) How does the feature on Ramla Ali use narrative to engage the audience? Apply narrative theories here.

Todorov - 'equilibrium' this seen through her telling the audience about her growing up with a struggled life and how she overcame them by having faith in herself.

2) What representations can you find in this feature - both interview and image?

Her placement shows the struggle and link between her career, the Cartier watch shows her path of career in boxing and how she has the 'golden hand' to support that.

3) What representation theories can we apply to the Modern Punches feature? 

There is still a lot that needs to be done in the media industry when it comes to feminist views as there is still a lingering for women to be independent life without being objectified and stereotyped, which there is but there are still women constructing their selves in this generation making advertisement still trying to end it


Feature: Isabella Tree interview

1) Why is this feature unconventional for a women's lifestyle and fashion magazine? Comment on the use media language in these pages. 

Doesn't show an image of the women behind the scene just her name and work.

2) How does the Isabella Tree feature reflect the social and cultural contexts of contemporary Britain? Think about AQA's discussion of lifestyle, environmental issues and ethical movements.

In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the 'Knepp experiment', a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife.

3) What representations of nature can be found in this feature?

That the hills have always been void of trees, and the flora and fauna is as it should be. “We believe the countryside around us, or something very similar to it, has persisted for centuries and the wildlife within it, if not exactly the same, is at least a fair representation of what has been here for centuries,” she writes. “We are blinded by the immediacy of the present.”

Feature: Stella McCartney and vegan fashion

1) How does this feature reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts?

Our sustainable vision is guided by and accountable to our bold values – making every action count, inspiring trust and celebrating life. We are change agents; we are activists. 

 

We strive to create the most beautiful, desirable products with the least impact on our environment. Our conscious values are also the inspiration behind our innovation. As industry leaders, we endeavour to create the most cutting-edge materials and animal alternatives, continuing to push towards circularity and being fully transparent by developing tools to measure and report our impact. 

2) Comment on the typography and page design in this feature.

Bold and large copy is shown to emphasis the main topic of the page.The rest is rather small compared to the title maybe the show the importance of the detail, the serif font also withholds a lesser approach of being simplistic yet informative

3) What representations can be found in the image accompanying this feature? 

Zoonen suggested 'new women' as a new journey as it would influence others to independently know confidence and assertiveness compared to the early years of being objectified by men. - initiates the use of blazer being shown in the image to amplify the 'assertiveness'.

Representations

Read this Business of Fashion interview with The Gentlewoman editor Penny Martin. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions: 

1) What type of magazine did Penny Martin, Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom want to create? 

“At that time, we felt there was a dearth of intelligent perspectives on fashion and there wasn't really a fashion magazine for actual readers. I guess you could say that there are a few more magazines like us now. But when we started, many magazines had the visual right, or had the text right, but very few managed to reconcile the two. I think that’s very difficult — to produce long-form journalism and a personality-centred magazine that has equally eloquent imagery and graphic design.”

2) What representations of modern women did they try to construct for the magazine?

This practical and modern approach is reflected in The Gentlewoman's overall editorial point of view, which, according to Martin, begins with the woman and not the product. "I'm interested in what [The Gentlewoman] tells you about how modern women live, from the way they drink, dance, drive and speak to the way they sign their letters or conduct their divorces. 

3) What examples of cover stars reflect the diversity in the magazine's content? 

Cover stars have ranged from 88-year-old actor Angela Lansbury, shot in a peach silk blouse and Terry Richardson's black frame glasses, to popstar Beyoncé, looking calm, strong and composed in Dior with a face free of make-up. Meanwhile, on the inside, The Gentlewoman has profiled a wide range of women at the top of their game, including gardeners, entrepreneurs, novelists, artists and news anchors.

4) What is Penny Martin's view on feminism and whether the magazine is feminist?

"When people ask me about politics or feminism, I say that it isn't a magazine about those things, it's a magazine informed by those things — among others. Is it a feminist magazine? Well, it's made by feminist people, so what do you think?! But I don't want to make those values and principles fashionable, because I don't want to undermine them by turning them into an aesthetic and I don't want them to pass into the realm of the unfashionable. Let's just assume that we all agree there should be equal pay and childcare and get on with it, eh?"

5) Look at the end of the article. How does the Gentlewoman help readers construct or reflect their identity by engaging with events and spaces beyond the magazine? 

"Other things" includes the recently formed Gentlewoman Club which extends the magazine's brand into physical events where readers can interact and chat with editors. "We're starting to develop our website as a kind of portal for real things to happen rather than a bogus virtual community with likes and message boards. I am so not interested in that. I think that's over."