Mens Health Language and representations

1) Write an analysis of the media language choices on the cover of Men's Health - e.g. colour scheme, typography, language, photographic codes etc.

Colours:

• Typical masculine colours, blacks, blues and reds
• Combination with the white to try and make a professional look to the magazine

Typography:

• Bold text used often
• Strong text 
• Headmast is quite clear
• Title is partially hidden behind Vin diesel 

Language: 

• Very aggressive language
• Slay etc
• Masculine language 
• language helps to reassure readers masculinity 

Photography: 

• Dominant stance 
• Muscles shown, emphasis on masculinity
• Well known actor - Creates familiarity 
• Good looking - male/woman gaze 
• Medium-long shot 
• Shows whole body (apart from feet)
• Done to further show physique 

2) Identify three specific aspects/conventions/important points (e.g. cover lines, colour scheme, use of text, image etc.) from each page 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: 

• Main figure: Vin Diesel
•  Dominating pose, very masculine 
• Cover writings
• Mostly consisted of masculine and authoritative wording, the font used was also very simple but bold, showing the kind of vibe/aesthetic that men's health was going for 
• Colour scheme
• Most prominent colours (including background) were white, blue and black; What this showed was an added emphasis to make the magazine as masculine as possible. 

Editor's Letter and contents page:

Feature - True Grit - 'The Marathon Man': 

Editors Letter + Contents page 

The editor's letter and contents page has direct quotes which play into psychographic groups and also into their intentions as a publisher e.g. "It's from Anglee who says that he has never seen the actor unhappy. I don't know about you but to me that's a real goal" is a clear example of not only an attempt to attract a younger demographic but also an attempt to seem more contemporary.

The marathon man:

Direct connection to men's health through fitness 
  

3) Apply narrative theories to Men's Health - Todorov's equilibrium, Propp's character types, Barthes' action or enigma codes.

Todorov:
starts with disequilibrium - readers unhappiness/lack of fitness
turns into equilibrium through reading Men's Health 

Propp:
Reader- Hero or Princess
Bad habbit- Villain
Men's Health - hero or helper or donor

Barthes:
Enigma codes would be the tips and tricks that are mentioned on the front cover, the mention of them may incentivize readers to continue reading the magazine

4) Read the cover lines and the Editor's Letter. Does Men's Health offer a cure for male insecurities or does it create male insecurity?

I believe it actively makes male insecurity by insisting that they are trying to help you solve those insecurities, creating things they need to worry about

5) How does the 'Marathon Man' feature page offer an example of Steve Neale's genre theory concerning 'repetition and difference'?

The only real example I can think of this being an instance of repetition and difference is the nature of the story, the figure is very familiar to us, a fit individual and his experience; but the difference is the fact that he's uniquely old 



1) Why is Men's Health defined as a 'lifestyle magazine'?

Men's health is considered as a lifestyle magazine due to the wide variety of topics, each of which concern men, discussed in the magazine. 

2) Why is advertising significant in helping to shape masculine identity?

Advertisements help shape masculinity by informing men about what their lifestyle should be and how to achieve that lifestyle through products or services. Advertisements help men understand what it means to be attractive in society.

3) The article suggests that the representation of masculinity in Men's Health is not fixed or natural and is subject to constant change. What media theorists that we have studied previously can be linked to these ideas?


4) What does the article suggest Men's Health encourages its readers to be? What examples and statistics are provided to develop the idea of men as consumers?

The article suggests that Men's Health encourages their audience to make sure they care about their appearances and social lives while also making sure to care about their personal and professional lives; Men's Health also encourages their audiences to active with Men's Health. 
5) What representations of the male body can be found in Men's Health?
There are multiple representations of the male body found in Men's Health

• exposer of the male anatomy to be observed, admired and consumed.
• Their body should be a machine which needs to be taken care of.

6) What does the article suggest regarding the objectification of men?

The article suggests that men are now being objectified for the sole purpose of the "female gaze". Men are also being objectified to sell products to a wider male and even female audience.

7) What is 'metrosexuality' and how can it be applied to Men's Health?

metrosexuality is when a heterosexual often takes place in certain activities that are often linked with heterosexual men or females. Men's Health often takes a metrosexual look at masculinity and tries to promote this ideology with its audience. 

8) What representation of men in Men's Health is discussed in the section 'Homogenous bodies'?

Within the Homogenous bodies section, it is discussed that while MH attempts to promote a new masculine ideology, MH does till put extra emphasis on the physical aspect of men and masculinity.

9) What are the conclusions drawn by the article with regards to the representation of masculinity in Men's Health?

The article concludes that Men's Health represents multiple forms of masculinity and tries to promote a brand new, more liberal form of masculinity that can be emotional, that can care about their appearances and use products to help them achieve their wanted appearance.

10) What is your own view of the representation of masculinity in Men's Health? Is it a positive representation that encourages men to the best they can be or is it a hypermasculine, consumer-driven representation designed to undermine men's confidence and objectify their bodies?

I believe that Men's Health encourages metrosexuality through their multiple articles about both mental and physical health, but through these articles I do believe that they have increased insecurities within adults through the objectification of male bodies to help sell products, making them believe that their bodies are not up to par to what society expects from them. Overall I do not believe that their main goal is to promote hypermasculinity, but instead, they are trying to promote a new form of masculinity, but indirectly Men's Health has done the opposite.

Year 12 Media PPE: Learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

WWW:
You make some outstanding points in this exam... The two essay question responses were a joy to read. However, I also think there are some very useful lessons from this exam...

EBI:

Firstly the essays will almost always ask you "how far.." or "to what extent" This means you can argue against it! E.g. You could say Capital does not reflect the global industry but dies reflect the UK TV industry (PSB - BBC remit show diversity etc)

Written English (e.g apostrophe) 
Don't get theorists names wrong 
Read the question! Q2 probably costs you the A grade 

2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. This is some of the best learning you can do all year as it gives you an idea of what the exam board is expecting. For your LR blogpost, identify ONE point you could have added for the first three questions in Section A:


Q1 additional point/theory: 

Binary opposition 

Q2 additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

Anything relevant to Maybelline e.g.:

• Reflects gender fluidity in modern culture (Gelfer – stage 3/4 masculinity)
• Changes in culture/society are reflected in That Boss Life advert – gay marriage, LGTB
movement, equal rights etc.

Q3 additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

bell hooks: “normalised traumatisation” – bell hooks would suggest media products such as
the Score hair cream advert help create a corrosive, toxic hypermasculinity that damages
both women and men.

3) The final question in Section A was a 20-mark essay that required an extended response containing a coherent argument. Using the suggested content in the mark scheme, write an essay plan containing five paragraphs/points that answer the music video and postmodernism question.

Intro:

• Explain post modernism, give basic opinion (developed more later) 

Para 1:

• Billie Jean, Mise en scene, pastiche, intertextuality references in BJ 
• What this would mean
• State that this is a postmodern text 

Para 2:

• Common, brief explanation of the text + its background
• Comments about how it is postmodern
• Pastiche on black culture
• Bricolage on old and new black opinion of the public  
• Hyper reality- Black square

Para 3:

• mention how its not a post modern product 
• Previous points may have been a stretch 
• Not a traditionally postmodern text
• Does however subvert goodwins theory of music video conventions 
• Types of shots
• colouring of the shots etc 

Para 4:

• Brief discussion about the two texts
• brief discussion on what it means to be a postmodern text

Para 5:

• Conclusion 
• final opinion 
• Yes they are postmodern, but to their own different extents

4) Section B began with two questions testing your knowledge of industry terminology. Make sure you know the answers to these (get the answers from the mark scheme if you have to):

Two benefits of vertical integration:

Cheaper production 
Faster

Definition of diversification:

Diversification is the process of entering a brand new market that may not have anything to do with the original product e.g Hearst beginning to make TV shows 

5) Question 8 (TV industry) was arguably the hardest question on the exam. Write a new paragraph that answers the question referring to either Capital or Deutschland 83 and the global TV industry. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to help you.

Unlike D83, where the changing global nature of television is clearly shown through not only its production but the story, actors, setting, mise en scene; Capital tackles globalisation in its production by reflecting the growing diverse population within London e.g. large majority of the main characters in the show are of POC backgrounds. This the main difference between the two shows, the methods in which it tackles the same issue, both doing it efficiently but in their own ways. While D83 may quite literally show multiple locations set in different areas, or having a narrative that is tightly entwined with international affairs; Capital, on the other hand, will have subtle examples of the effect immigration has had on London (can be seen with the conversations had with main characters in the show along with mannerisms). Overall it can be seen that both shows offer a take on the globalisation, although admittedly, D83 does so far more obviously than Captial 

Magazines: Oh Comely - Industry

Iceberg Press

Visit the Iceberg Press website - particularly the Who Are We page and the Why Are We Here page. Read the content and then answer the following questions:

1) Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?

Iceberg press was set up as an attempt to reintroduce independent magazines
2) What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? (It's on the Why Are We Here page and is a series of statements).

• It's all about the audience
• Chase the work, not the money
• Compromise isn't our friend
• We will always make time for ideas 
• We are stronger when we work with others
• We want good people to work in a good place
• Every year we will help a cause that matters 
• We believe in a thing called print. 

3) What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?

Oh Comely and the Simple things

4) What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?

Both are very artsy, both quite centred around women 

5) What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?

The major difference is the sheer size of Hearst UK compared to Iceberg press, and the amount of magazines that Hearst UK publish compared to Iceberg press 


Writer's Edit journal article

Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industryand answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?

An independent magazine is a print magazine that works independently from large corporations  

2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?

Hamilton states that small independent magazines are thriving while large publishers are failing 

3) What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?

• Kinfolk aims to help readers find ways to simplify their lives

4) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?

• Well executed magazines show a greater appreciation for graphic design and the appearance of the magazine

5) How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.

• Independent magazines tend to be launched from crowdfunding because money is needed in order to set up the magazine and print copies etc. 

6) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?

• Independent publishers can use the internet to create a strong social media presence- relating to niche audiences

7) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?

• This enables the producers to have more creative power over the magazine- which would help the magazine have more of a distinctive identity. 

8) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating  independent magazines?

The main benefits are:

• Shares the strengths of ideas of other people to create a better concept 
• Creates more of a unified vision

9) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?

• The nostalgia surrounding the actual feeling of turning the pages and holding the actual copy. 

10) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?

• Contributors will not necessarily gain a large profit
• They cannot pay for distribution 

Irish Times feature

Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:

1) Why are independent magazines so popular?

I believe the feeling of having a small sometimes eccentric magazine that fits what you like can make you feel special or educated
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?

Economies of scale quite often is the leading reason. 

3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?

• The subject matter of the magazine should not be too broad- your magazine will get lost
• The subject matter should not be too niche - leading to being unsuccessful 
• The magazine should have a balance- audience is engaged 

4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?

Shipping and production of magazines can be very difficult to handle. 

5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?

Examples they give are of magazine companies developing their own products and selling them. 


TCO interview with Ruth Jamieson

Finally, read this excellent interview on the TCO London website with Ruth Jamieson, who has written a book on the renaissance of the independent magazine sector. Answer the following questions:

1) Why does Ruth Jamieson suggest there's a renaissance in independent publishing?

The combination of a growing popularity in independent publishing and the easiness of developing your own magazine is the resulting reason for this. 

2) What are the common themes for successful independent magazines?

High quality 
Sense of art direction 
High quality writing 
Content - unique
Art house - style 

3) How many of these aspects can you find in Oh Comely? Make specific reference to the CSP pages where possible.

• Form of activism - changing the world 
• Style of the feature- different to other magazines 
• acts as a form of empowerment 
• encourages women to participate and take a stand 

4) How does Jamieson see the future for the magazine industry?

Jamieson believes that the mainstream is going to go for the independent, and that the death of large media corporations is inevitable 

5) How might this future impact Oh Comely? Do you think Oh Comely will survive the next five years - and why?

I think that Oh Comely has a strong enough fan base to remain successful (that is if they continue with their quality) this coupled with the growing popularity of independent magazines I think it has a pretty good shot. Then again this industry is volatile; and Oh Comely is still a young magazine.  

Magazines: Oh Comely - Audience

1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself?

Oh Comely introduces itself as a niche women centred artistic magazine about expression and identity  
2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?

Compared to men's health the readership is tiny, where Men's Health averages out to a million readers, Oh Comely averages out to 100,000
3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience? 

Oh Comely can be bought by a subscription, or they can be found through WHSmith and other international outlets 
4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) but make an educated guess on further demographic details.

Other than the age it's quite obvious that the target audience is women; whether or not it is aimed at a strictly white audience is up for debate due to the nature of what defines "white content" is very subjective (that along with the fact that the magazine takes extra emphasis on the idea of being inclusive. 


5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely?

Explorers:
The magazine explorers and talks about issues not generally found in mainstream magazines
Reformers:
Reformers tend to be more socially aware compared to other groups, and also tend to be artistic

6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?

middle to higher middle class readers due to the audience being educated (in general Middle and higher middle tend to be more educated than lower)

7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?

Mostly degree level due to the nature of the content in the magazine (identity, expression, soft skills etc) 
8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?

The main audience pleasures that are offered by Oh Comely include Personal identity, diversion and surveillance 

9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?

I believe its slightly contradicting due to its price, but overall I do believe that Oh Comely is following that idea due to their unorthodox designs and choices of advertising. Instead of following typical conventions of magazine they're following more creative niche ones along with having smaller lesser known brands to advertise in their magazine 

10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the eight years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.

Any good creative magazine will be able to build a loyal fanbase due their aesthetic, if an artistic consumer finds a magazine that they like the look of, they will actively pursue that magazine; something that will eventually build a loyal fanbase

Magazine front cover - Learner response

1) Add your finished magazine cover as a JPEG image.

2) Type up your feedback from your teacher. If you've received this by email, you can copy and paste it across - WWW and EBIs.

Mark: 12

Grade: B

WWW: This is a difficult one to mark – in many ways, you have recreated the unusual, unconventional style of the magazine very effectively. You’ve got that arty, creative vibe with an original cover image and no eye contact with the audience. Similarly, you’ve recreated the other cover conventions of this particular magazine effectively.

EBI: I think the main issue with this choice of publication is that you don’t have a selection of different editions to work from. Choosing a creative, arthouse publication is to be encouraged but I can only find one other example of a 502 Bad Gateway magazine cover. Therefore, recreating this is not so much borrowing conventions than simply faithfully recreating an existing cover. I would suggest that you’d have to replace the size chart with a different creative gimmick in order to put your own original stamp on this cover. Equally, while I’d agree with your evaluation concerning font/typography, there’s a real lack of depth and reflection to your written analysis. There is no doubt you should be aiming for full marks in your coursework next year – but I’m not totally convinced this practical project has you on track for that. Lots to reflect on and develop for next year!

3) Consider your mark against the mark scheme above. What are the strengths of your production based on the the mark scheme? Think about magazine cover conventions and the media language techniques you have used to communicate with your audience (e.g. mise-en-scene, camera shot etc.)

I believe the only real issue would be the fact that a neglected areas of the brief e.g. making it different, not a copy 

4) Look at the mark scheme again. What can you do to move your mark higher and, if required, move up a level?

Maybe choose a magazine with more than one issue

5) What would be one piece of advice you would give a student about to start the same magazine cover project you have just completed?

Don't choose this magazine, it's unnecessarily hard to mimic 

Magazines: Men's Health - Audience

1) How does the magazine introduce itself?

MH introduces itself as the largest mens health magazine in the world
2) What does the introduction suggest about the representation of masculinity in Men's Health's?

"It’s success is built on a winning editorial formula which combines visually-engaging health, wellbeing and nutrition features with premium content covering fashion, grooming, watches, tech and travel." This opening statement by MH indicates that they focus on portraying a stereotypical image of masculinity 

3) How do the print statistics for Men's Health compare to GQ and Esquire?

CIRCULATION
TOTAL ABC

4) What is the difference between circulation and readership?

Circulation is how many people actually buy the magazine, while readership is how many people that read it. 

5) What was the circulation of Men's Health in thousands at the time this Media Pack was published? What about the readership for ABC1 men? AB men? [Note: this Media Pack was published in 2016 and some of the figures have fallen since then. Up to date circulation figures can be found at the top of this blog post].
Mens health circulation: 180,000
AB Readership: 643,000
ABCI Readership: 321,000

6) How do readers generally interact with the digital version of the magazine?

Highest percentage of people view mens health through their smart phones at 68%
Second highest of viewers read mens health through computers at 21%
Third highest of viewers is through tablets at 11%

7) How many people do Men's Health reach across social media platforms?

1 million people are reached through social media 
Facebook: 94k 
Twitter: 285K
Instagram: 66k

8) What is the audience profile for Men's Health readers? 

 905K ARE ABC1, AGED 25-44
 700K HAVE A DEGREE
 200K EARN OVER £50K

9) What is the Men's Health fashion philosophy? How much do Men's Health readers collectively spend on fashion?

Collectively mens health readers spend 1.1billion on fashion, their philosophy is "stylish, individual, contemporary and wearable"

10) What is the average watch collection value for the Men's Health audience? What do the statistics about watches suggest about the Men's Health audience demographics and psychographics?  

The average watch collection value is at around £4.3K, what this would mean is that mens healths audience demographic is most likely at around the ABC1 group, which would imply that the audience is wealthier than the average man (most likely middle or upper middle)

On average mens health users spend £54 million on watches every year, showing that the mens health main audience is most likely older than 16, around the ages of 25 to 30.

11) What percentage of Men's Health readers use moisturiser daily? What does this suggest about Men's Health readers' view of masculinity?

73% of readers moisturise daily. considering that moisturising was previously seen a feminine thing, this shows the changing idea of what it means to be masculine. 

12) What does the media pack suggest regarding the Men's Health audience for fitness and technology?

The media pack suggests that their main reading audience spends roughly £238 million on sports wear, running shoes and swimwear, and £702K

13) Men's Health luxe is a series of magazines distributed with Men's Health targeting a specific aspect of the Men's Health audience. What are these three brand extension magazines called and what do they cover?

Synchronised: Synchronised is a watch centred brand extension designed to target a watch aficionado niche

Epicure: This one revolves around food techniques and recipes

Urban active: High end sports apparel 

14) What do the Men's Health luxe magazines suggest about the demographics and psychographics of the Men's Health audience?

It suggests that the demographics and psychographics may be changing or shifting towards a more higher class or luxury market. Chances are the age demographics would be around 25 to 40 since anything younger would most likely would not be able to afford what the sub brands are offering.

15) What additional brand extensions do Men's Health offer?

Survival of the fittest is quite large brand extension that's garnered substantial public support 

16) What are the global statistics for Men's Health?

• International editions: 37
• Countries published: 60
• Global circulation: 4.5 million
• Global readership: 26.7
• Websites: 25
• Uniques: 23.7 million
• Social Media Footprint: 19.3 million

17) What does the 2017 calendar editorial specials suggest about the Men's Health audience?

The large amount of fitness centred articles and advertisements, it would suggest that the audience is quite self conscious 

18) What audience pleasures are offered by the magazine?

Identity and surveillance are the most likely two pleasures, surveillance due to the information given by the magazine and the  articles featuring personal stories would be personal identity 

19) What lifestyle and job would you expect the average Men's Health reader to have?

Anything within the ABC1 bracket e.g. an office job 

20) Why do you think Men's Health has managed to (just) remain profitable when many other magazines have struggled due to the rise of digital media?

Their online presence most likely is playing into their success.