GQ - Language & Representation blog tasks

 Language: Media factsheet

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

1) What are the different magazine genres highlighted on page 2 and how do they link to our magazine CSPs?

General Interest This type of magazine is published for a wider audience to provide

information in a general manner, and the focus is on many different subjects. They typically cover topics like food, fashion or home and gardening. They have a combination of stories, pictures and advertising, and are bound together with a glossy cover.

Special Interest These are niche interest magazines that offer in-depth content on a given area or topic. These magazines appear to be doing very well now in a time of decreasing print sale because they target a smaller, more specialised audience.

Professional A professional magazine.

A periodical published by the governing body of a profession. The standard of quality of such a periodical may be similar to that of a scholarly publication.

2) Look at the section on GQ on page 2. How do they suggest that GQ targets its audience?

The statement of GQ about its brand values says a lot about what they know about their audience. They are targeting men through fashion and image, but also appealing to their intelligence and needs for information about culture. “Beyond” is vague, but the magazine also covers politics, technology and trends. It employs leading writers and experts on a wide variety of topics appealing to activators, achievers, and seekers.

3) What does the factsheet say about GQ cover stars?

GQ selects their cover stars very carefully. In the December 2022 edition, they chose Marcus Rashford, a Manchester United footballer. However, this is not the cover line they have  anchored him with. It is instead “Campaigner of the Year.” His high-profile criticism of the government about stopping free school meals during the pandemic and his charity work in this area would appeal to achievers because they value the “fruits of hard work.” The image has also been shot and styled to accentuate a stylish persona. Furthermore, the choice of a black dinner suit adds gravitas and sophistication to the imagery while the light reflecting on his skin connotes health and youth, again appealing to these groups.

4) Pick out five of the key conventions of magazine front covers and explain what they communicate to an audience.

Magazine producers will have particular audiences in mind when they construct their products. United Kingdoms VALS (Values and Lifestyles) measured the primary motivations of consumers and categorised them into six primary consumer groups: Achievers, Activators, Constraineds, Pragmatics,

Seekers and Traditionalists. Segmenting consumers in such a way can help magazines adapt their style and content in order to appeal to specific audiences.

5) What is a magazine’s ‘house style’? How would you describe GQ’s house style? 

The house style of a magazine refers to its conventional “look” in relation to its writing and formatting. The house style establishes brand identity and helps to distinguish one magazine from the other. This is necessary if the magazine is in a shop where the crowding of titles on the shelf means that the eyes of the consumer must be caught.

Language: CSP analysis

1) Write a summary of our annotations on the media language choices on the cover of GQ - e.g. colour scheme, typography, language, photographic codes etc. 
colour schemes- font colours are either white and black

typography-the droppy font matches the edgy emo type of theme

language-rhetorical question, addresses the audiences on what is coming up in the magazines  

2) Identify three specific aspects/conventions/important points (e.g. cover lines, colour scheme, use of text, image etc.) from each page/feature of the CSP that you could refer to in a future exam. Explain why that particular aspect of the CSP is important - think about connotations, representations, audience pleasures, reception theory etc.

Front cover: Robert Pattinson image - Art & Fashion issue

the pages with Robert pattison is conveyed as more masculine and an edgy front cover. The font is a messy inky font and it gives a Pink style 

Inside pages: Jonathan Bailey feature and fashion shoot

Have a soft view as Jonathan goes in touch of his feelings and his story where readers are put in a position to sympathise with his life. This challenges governance idea of masculinity being in crisis as he is open to talk about his emotions and his struggles throughout the past. 

 

3) Apply narrative theories to GQ - Todorov's equilibrium, Propp's character types, Barthes' action or enigma codes, Levi-Strauss's binary opposition. How can we use narrative to understand the way the cover and features have been constructed?

levi  strauss binary opposition as when you view the front cover it gives a masculine punk atmosphere. however the inside pages gives a soft emotion filled atmosphere. The front cover and inside cover also gives an heterosexual/ heterosexual binary opposition 

4) Analyse the cover and inside pages of GQ. Does this offer an example of Steve Neale's genre theory concerning 'repetition and difference'?

this repetition and different theory is seen through the expressiveness of themselves through their style. With the front cover, being an edgy punks styled atmosphere, it gives representation of his identity being shown as this is the way that he likes to express himself. However, in the inside pages there is a more touching and emotional atmosphere. This is also shown through the style, as there is a subtle formal clothing.

Representations: applying theory

We have already covered many relevant theories in our work on Advertising and Marketing (for example, David Gauntlett's writing on Media, Gender and Identity). We now need to apply these theories and ideas to GQ and specifically the CSP pages allocated by AQA.

1) How can Gauntlett's ideas on masculinity, gender and identity be applied to the GQ CSP pages we have analysed?

Masculinity is shown not to be in crisis. This is because on Jonathan bailey is shown the express his emotion as he speaks about his story, and his feelings towards his life, this breaks the stereotypical view of masculinity as men are tend to be known not to express there feelings and keep it inside however this breaks the typical convention.

The gender stereotype is also been expressed through the style of Pattions more punk atmosphere, which represents how he is as a man and Baileys more feminine approach where he expresses himself three emotion.

2) How could van Zoonen's work on feminist and gender theory be applied to GQ? Does the magazine challenge or reinforce these ideas?

This links to Patterson as he has been conveyed as a punk person where the stereotypical view of them is troubling, however, his appearance may contrast to how he is as a man. The question on the front cover.” who is Paterson?” suggest that there is a more deeper meaning behind who he is.

4) How does the Jonathan Bailey feature represent masculinity and sexuality? 

this gives a contrast to the front page, which would show readers that there is more to a person. As the cover page shows a more masculine punk atmosphere. This gives a reputation of typical masculinity. However, what is going into the inside pages there is a soft emotion filled view where the audience are put in a position to simplifies with the man as he opens up with his emotions. This gives readers a sense that masculinity doesn’t always mean being strong and keeping the emotions.

Representations: wider reading - GQ and the new masculinity

Read this CNN feature on how GQ is redefining masculinity and answer the following questions:

1) Which GQ issue is discussed at the start of the article and what was notable about it? 

 image of Pharrell Williams. The Grammy-winner is wearing a lemon yellow Moncler coat that flows well past his feet. It looks like an upside down lily flower waiting to bloom. His hands are clasped at his chest, his facial expression is soft and the overlay text says “The New Masculinity Issue.”

2) How did Will Welch view GQ when he took over as Editor-in-Chief and what did he want to offer readers? 

 He saw the need to redefine what a men’s magazine could be. He wanted GQ to help its readers — whether men, women, or gender non-binary — with their “personal evolution,” he told CNN Business. Men can wear dresses, put on makeup, and get pedicures. GQ shouldn’t tell anyone exactly how to be a man because there’s no one way to do it.

3) How has publisher Conde Nast responded to changes in the magazine industry and how did this impact GQ?

Magazine monolith and GQ parent company Condé Nast, now under the leadership of former Pandora chief Roger Lynch, has been trying to recoup losses by cutting costs and redefining its business for the digital era. For example, Condé ended Glamour’s print publication last year. It’s continued to invest in digital content, like video, across its brands. In addition to GQ’s two print magazines in the US and several international editions, the brand launched GQ Sports, a YouTube channel.

4) What did the GQ New Masculinity edition feature? 

 Journalist Nora Caplan-Bricker leads a package titled “Voices of the New Masculinity” in which actor Asia Kate Dillon, NBA player Kevin Love, rapper Killer Mike and others share their perspectives of what masculinity means today. There’s a beauty section, featuring men in glittery makeup and a profile of Billy Idol.

5) What did journalist Liz Plank say about toxic masculinity?

 Last month, journalist Liz Plank released “For the Love of Men,” a book that explores the pervasiveness of it. She writes, “No matter where I turned, masculinity wasn’t something that was intuitive or intrinsic; it was carefully learned, delicately transmitted and deliberately propagandized. Toxic masculinity wasn’t just a problem in America. I saw it everywhere.”

6) How did Welch respond to suggestions GQ was responsible for toxic masculinity?

When asked if GQ helped perpetuate toxic masculinity, Welch was quick to dismiss the notion. “It’s not like GQ was harmful until I took over. That’s definitely not the case,” he said.

Finally, read this short GQ feature on masculinity and answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest masculinity involved at the start of the 20th century?

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the idea of masculinity was simple – it stood for all the solid, earthy expectations of boys and men: strength, independence, courage, confidence and assertiveness. And that was an easy package at a time when men were the sole breadwinners, working largely in manual labour, while women would tend to the home and children. That was man’s personal and social identity, the hallmarks of what “real men” do. Paradoxically, and to no surprise, more (historically referred) effeminate traits, such as showing emotion, did not match the optics of masculinity and were therefore actively discouraged.

2) What social change occurred from the 1930s?

 From the Thirties onwards, the UK lost its industrialisation heavyweight status with manual worker jobs, and the masculinity status attached to them, in favour of an office-based deindustrialised economy. Naturally, Post-it notes, group huddle meetings and conference calls failed to marry to the historical notion of what masculinity should be (the “Wolf Of Wall Street” was the higher-profile attempt to hang on to these). It was, however, a wake-up call to society that things needed to change. And change is happening.

3) What is suggested about masculinity today?

. Any boy or man who feels that they cannot showcase their emotions or, indeed, a gentleness, is one who needs re-education on what it is to be a man. Showing your softer side is not weakness or shameful. It is smart. Besides, paradoxically, the very qualities that an outdated "masculinity" parades (strength, independence, courage, confidence and assertiveness) are present in all of us – men and women. We now thankfully share a society where not only men, but women too, demonstrate these and importantly have the freedom to do so. Of course, it isn’t all a bed of roses, and while we still have some way to redress an imbalance of what is deemed acceptable traits for men and women, we are making progress. Masculinity is an outdated word for this, a new world that is attempting to dispel gender equality.

4) Why does it suggest these changes are important? 

 Suicide remains the leading cause of death in men under the age of 45 years. That’s three times higher than rates in women, with 84 men losing their life a week. And in part it is justifiably dubbed the “silent killer” because we are yet to fully shift the perception that a man – a “masculine man”, a “real man”, a “man’s man” – does not speak out about his problems. We can all do our part and take a sledgehammer to masculinity and instead let both the hard traits and the soft traits have open forum in our lives and in society. That can only support better health and happiness.