How magazines position their audience Essay Example for Free

How magazines post their audience EssayMost life style magazines position their audience by adopting a particular mode of address which is aimed to create a tellingship in the midst of the magazine and its audience, for example the front stay of FHM (September 2003) includes the following cover lines Dress better than Becks Mess with her gaffer and Biggest ever world sex activity survey. These cover lines speak to the audience, which in this case would be men, by verbalise if you buy this magazine we will show you how to dress better than one of Englands top footballers. It identifies with the single manful and how to get revenge on your ex it in any case invites them to be a part of the biggest ever sex survey, this reinforces the bond between the magazine and its audience and makes them feel a part of an soap club. The front cover of FHM (September 2003) attempts to hook its male audience by using an image, which represents female sexuality. The picture of a female notoriety in a provocative pose wearing just her underwear takes up most of the page. It is utilise to grab its audiences attention on the basis of male and female attraction.The fact that its a celebrity marrow its not just anyone, its someone famous and the use of her first name centre it is a much informal approach and helps the audience to feel closer to this sexy female. FHM is in competition with emaps Loaded and GQ, which means that their front cover has to stand out above all the rest. FHM uses the exclusive photo shoot of genus Samia and the Biggest ever world sex survey to promote their magazine as better than any other. The soap shoot of Samia means this has not been done for any other magazine, just for the readers of FHM.The FHM title has been partially covered up by the main image, which suggests that the magazine is well established and no longer unavoidably to show its full identity. The front cover of FHM has typical generic conventions of a male lifestyle mag azine, such as the image of a sexy female, it mentions Becks and fashion which has intertextual links with football and has major sexual connotations with the reassure of soft porn (Samias sexy shoot). It also includes inside stories on females and sex (girls on the sofa cover cocks).The red writing adds to the sexy image as red is symbolic of love, lust and sex and it also helps the magazine to stand out. The FHM magazine fulfils the needs of diversion as it gives its audience the chance to escape from their passing(a) routine through translation about more light-hearted matters such as sex, women and cars. It also fulfils the needs of individualisedised relationships by offering companionship as it identifies with its male audience and helps them to feel a part of an exclusive social group.By using the cover lines Best of British, Mess With Her Head and the mention of Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger) it gives the audience personal identity and reinforces the norms and values o f masculinity and manpower (Mc Quail, Blumer and Brown 1972). Male lifestyle magazines can be seen as stereotypical of men and male values. Using the front cover of FHM (September 2003) as an example, it suggests that men are lonesome(prenominal) interested in sex, nude women, football and male assurance as most of the page is interpreted up by the half naked image of a woman. The features mentioned on the front cover are mainly to do with sex, cars and getting revenge on women.The FHM title is made up of the colours of the British flag and the caption Best of British. This can be seen as patriotic which also implies male dominance as Britain is a patriarchal society (male dominated) and therefore reinforces the idea of manpower. Male lifestyle magazines can also be seen to portray a bias ideology of women as most of the women in their magazines are actually pretty, thin and sexy which assumes that all men who read these magazines are attracted to this type of woman. This is not always admittedly of all men and therefore gives a false impression of the male expectations of women.This representation of women is also not necessarily the true reality of what most women look like and could be seen to pressurise women and men conform to this stereotypical expectation of the perfect woman. This would depend on how the specific audience of these magazines position themselves in relation to the text and whether they took the preferred reading and accepted this to be normal, negotiated what they thought and interpreted it how they chose to or opposed the reading totally and therefore this type of magazine may not appeal to them. (Stuart Hall).