Language: close-textual analysis
Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Oh Comely CSP pages:
Front cover
1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?
The typography of the title is really inviting and creatve. It's a 'heandwritten' style which shows how unique it it.
2) The words under the title introduce the content and topics addressed. What do these suggest about the potential audience of Oh Comely?
It's definitely an audience that enjoys being in style and is interested in good quality entertaient, fashion etc.
3) How do the cover lines use narrative to create enigma? What do the cover lines suggest about the magazine's content and audience?
That it's trying to me minimalistic in the stylish way, guiding the readers what type of audience they are aiming for.
4) Write an analysis of the central image.
The central image is a girl that really stands out form the stereotypical beauty, Her style is very unique It uses a woman who is unknown unlike in Men's Health, the use of minimal makeup and short hair subverts the standard cover star in magazines like these, showing the ever-changing way of feminism, and the use of the medium shows how it does not attempt to focus on the body, whereas the long-shot gets the whole body and can therefore be objectivised.
5) What representation of gender can be found on this front cover?
Gender fluidity, masculine feminity, feminists, trans.
Feature: Speaking Out
1) What does the headline and standfirst suggest about Oh Comely's feminist perspective?
It demonstrates the main focus of female empowerment and wants to strengthen the significance of what is happening. It shows women that want to be seen and are not fraid to do what they want.
2) What do the interviewees in this feature suggest about the values and ideologies that underpin this magazine?
Subvert stereotypes, as Amali De Alwis is the CEO of a code business usually connected with males, showing how overtime positions of women have improved overtime and how their values and ideologies have changed.
3) How conventional is the page design in this feature? Why?
It's very stylish and minimalistic. It shows that it's a very niche magazine.
4) Pick out specific aspects of this feature that subvert the stereotypical representation of women in the media. Are they different to what we may find in conventional women's lifestyle magazines such as Glamour or Cosmopolitan? Why is the absence of men a key feature of Oh Comely?
The women aren't sexualised or objectified, the issue is not about what to wear or what makeup should women use, but about the struggles.
5) How does the photography offer a fresh or unusual perspective on women?
The photography shows how women aren't objects, she's noy sexualised in any way.
Feature: More than gender
1) How does this feature offer a fresh perspective on gender and identity?
It talkes freely about transgender people and shows the reader the perspective of their famnilies and normalises being transgender.
2) What is the significance of the writer and photographer? How does this fit with the Oh Comely brand?
The photos are just normal photos. It is very clear that the photos have not been edited like they usually are in mainstream women magazines.
3) What style of photography is used in this feature?
Very natural and realistic, it lets us symphetise with the people on the pictures.
4) What representations of the transgender lifestyle can be found in this feature?
It indicates that it is simpler because of culture and acceptance of a transgender lifestyle, it also demonstrates how through gender modifications you have a feeling of personal identity, as it makes you mentally stronger.
5) Why is the biographical information at the end of the article significant? (Clue: the writer is also an editor of a niche, creative magazine called Entitle).
It makes the magazine a lot more personal and unique.
Representation and identity
Work through the following questions on representation and Oh Comely:
1) How do representations in Oh Comely challenge stereotypes?
It explores topics that are more then just fashion and romance, it goes into depth on what are women like inside and what issues do we have. It also emphesises how being different is wanted and normal, It shows a different side of women.
2) What representations of race, ethnicity and nationality can be found in the 'Speaking Out' feature?
Black, white, brown, this demonstrates Oh Comely's broad variety of depictions, this subverts ordinary stereotypes in magazines where you tend to see only white women, but Oh Comely provides an alternative.
3) What representation of women and femininity can be found in Oh Comely?
Definitely not sexualised and a lot of feminism. Being independant and strong, chasing your dream.
4) Why might Oh Comely deliberately under-represent men? (The absence of men in the magazine appears to be a largely deliberate move by the editors).
Oh Comely deliberately under-represented men to keep the audience focused on the women highlighted in the magazine, it also shows how society has changed over time, in which they want to inform their readers that they don't need men to make a female feel strong, lovely or strong.
5) Does Oh Comely fit into the possible fourth wave of feminism? Or is it evidence of post-feminism - that feminism is no longer needed?
6) How does the 'More than gender' feature challenge Levi-Strauss's structuralist theory of binary opposition?
7) Judith Butler argues gender is a performance. How does Oh Comely challenge traditional gender roles? You should refer to both the cover and the selected CSP features.
It is the cover model on the front of the magazine, certainly. Her appearance and pose were built to highlight her facial features, not through her body appearance in which you wouldn't usually associate with women's cover star magazines.
8) Angela McRobbie explored the empowering nature of women's lifestyle magazines in the 1990s. Oh Comely seeks female empowerment in a different way. What differences can you find between Oh Comely and more traditional women's lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour?
They aim to encourage females to modify to fit in with the picture of a' ideal' woman produced by society, this is shown through the front page of one of these journals, showing a slender female, and trying to strengthen the ideal picture. In Oh Comely, however, it's the reverse, where Oh Comely focuses more on women's effect and their intellect
9) David Gauntlett argues that identity is becoming more fluid, media representations change over time and that there are generational differences. Does Oh Comely support this viewpoint?
It definitely support that viewpoint. I think that the creators of OC would actually quote that in their magazine and that it's sort of their motto.
10) It has been argued that Oh Comely is a far more open text (Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding/reception theory) with more room for negotiation in interpretation. Do you agree with this view? Why?
It's definitely more open, but it also hits the popular view on gender ( gender fluidity ), allthough the topics might be controvertial. Like I said, It's definitely really open and fresh.
Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Oh Comely CSP pages:
Front cover
1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?
The typography of the title is really inviting and creatve. It's a 'heandwritten' style which shows how unique it it.
2) The words under the title introduce the content and topics addressed. What do these suggest about the potential audience of Oh Comely?
It's definitely an audience that enjoys being in style and is interested in good quality entertaient, fashion etc.
3) How do the cover lines use narrative to create enigma? What do the cover lines suggest about the magazine's content and audience?
That it's trying to me minimalistic in the stylish way, guiding the readers what type of audience they are aiming for.
4) Write an analysis of the central image.
The central image is a girl that really stands out form the stereotypical beauty, Her style is very unique It uses a woman who is unknown unlike in Men's Health, the use of minimal makeup and short hair subverts the standard cover star in magazines like these, showing the ever-changing way of feminism, and the use of the medium shows how it does not attempt to focus on the body, whereas the long-shot gets the whole body and can therefore be objectivised.
5) What representation of gender can be found on this front cover?
Gender fluidity, masculine feminity, feminists, trans.
Feature: Speaking Out
1) What does the headline and standfirst suggest about Oh Comely's feminist perspective?
It demonstrates the main focus of female empowerment and wants to strengthen the significance of what is happening. It shows women that want to be seen and are not fraid to do what they want.
2) What do the interviewees in this feature suggest about the values and ideologies that underpin this magazine?
Subvert stereotypes, as Amali De Alwis is the CEO of a code business usually connected with males, showing how overtime positions of women have improved overtime and how their values and ideologies have changed.
3) How conventional is the page design in this feature? Why?
It's very stylish and minimalistic. It shows that it's a very niche magazine.
4) Pick out specific aspects of this feature that subvert the stereotypical representation of women in the media. Are they different to what we may find in conventional women's lifestyle magazines such as Glamour or Cosmopolitan? Why is the absence of men a key feature of Oh Comely?
The women aren't sexualised or objectified, the issue is not about what to wear or what makeup should women use, but about the struggles.
5) How does the photography offer a fresh or unusual perspective on women?
The photography shows how women aren't objects, she's noy sexualised in any way.
Feature: More than gender
1) How does this feature offer a fresh perspective on gender and identity?
It talkes freely about transgender people and shows the reader the perspective of their famnilies and normalises being transgender.
2) What is the significance of the writer and photographer? How does this fit with the Oh Comely brand?
The photos are just normal photos. It is very clear that the photos have not been edited like they usually are in mainstream women magazines.
3) What style of photography is used in this feature?
Very natural and realistic, it lets us symphetise with the people on the pictures.
4) What representations of the transgender lifestyle can be found in this feature?
It indicates that it is simpler because of culture and acceptance of a transgender lifestyle, it also demonstrates how through gender modifications you have a feeling of personal identity, as it makes you mentally stronger.
5) Why is the biographical information at the end of the article significant? (Clue: the writer is also an editor of a niche, creative magazine called Entitle).
It makes the magazine a lot more personal and unique.
Representation and identity
Work through the following questions on representation and Oh Comely:
1) How do representations in Oh Comely challenge stereotypes?
It explores topics that are more then just fashion and romance, it goes into depth on what are women like inside and what issues do we have. It also emphesises how being different is wanted and normal, It shows a different side of women.
2) What representations of race, ethnicity and nationality can be found in the 'Speaking Out' feature?
Black, white, brown, this demonstrates Oh Comely's broad variety of depictions, this subverts ordinary stereotypes in magazines where you tend to see only white women, but Oh Comely provides an alternative.
3) What representation of women and femininity can be found in Oh Comely?
Definitely not sexualised and a lot of feminism. Being independant and strong, chasing your dream.
4) Why might Oh Comely deliberately under-represent men? (The absence of men in the magazine appears to be a largely deliberate move by the editors).
Oh Comely deliberately under-represented men to keep the audience focused on the women highlighted in the magazine, it also shows how society has changed over time, in which they want to inform their readers that they don't need men to make a female feel strong, lovely or strong.
5) Does Oh Comely fit into the possible fourth wave of feminism? Or is it evidence of post-feminism - that feminism is no longer needed?
It definitely fits in the fourth wave, showing a different style of looking at women and being feminine. It almost steps into the topic of gender fluidity.
7) Judith Butler argues gender is a performance. How does Oh Comely challenge traditional gender roles? You should refer to both the cover and the selected CSP features.
It is the cover model on the front of the magazine, certainly. Her appearance and pose were built to highlight her facial features, not through her body appearance in which you wouldn't usually associate with women's cover star magazines.
8) Angela McRobbie explored the empowering nature of women's lifestyle magazines in the 1990s. Oh Comely seeks female empowerment in a different way. What differences can you find between Oh Comely and more traditional women's lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour?
They aim to encourage females to modify to fit in with the picture of a' ideal' woman produced by society, this is shown through the front page of one of these journals, showing a slender female, and trying to strengthen the ideal picture. In Oh Comely, however, it's the reverse, where Oh Comely focuses more on women's effect and their intellect
9) David Gauntlett argues that identity is becoming more fluid, media representations change over time and that there are generational differences. Does Oh Comely support this viewpoint?
It definitely support that viewpoint. I think that the creators of OC would actually quote that in their magazine and that it's sort of their motto.
10) It has been argued that Oh Comely is a far more open text (Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding/reception theory) with more room for negotiation in interpretation. Do you agree with this view? Why?
It's definitely more open, but it also hits the popular view on gender ( gender fluidity ), allthough the topics might be controvertial. Like I said, It's definitely really open and fresh.
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