Media Written Introduction Task

Gender/Ethnicity Representation

Men's Health - Justin Bieber

Men's Health Magazine is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. The magazines target audience are males. The dark colours used on the magazine could support this idea. The red could be representing the confidence and masculinity of the main image Justin Bieber. He is using eye contact, direct mode of address, and this tells us that he has confidence in his body. The magazine's title "Men's Health" links to the main image of a supposed healthy man.

Justin Bieber is standing with his top off, showing his "muscles" and "abs". The men that buy this would think that they could look like him if they buy this magazine. The front cover is bold with the main use of red, black and white. The sell lines that stand out are "Lean muscle in just 8 moves!" and "Your ultimate cardio plan". This will push the male audience to buy the magazine as they think this magazine will help them get the 'ideal' body like Justin Bieber. The front page also consists of a quote from Justin Bieber's interview, " It's time for me to grow up". This could be targeting young males and suggesting that this is the way your body should look like when you grow up. This puts pressure on young males to look like Justin Bieber. 

Men's Health promotes a stereotypical young male body and suggests this is the way that young males should look like by using fit white men aged between 20-40.
Referring to Hall's representation theory, this magazine supports the stereotype of what men should look like by using media language. 

Women's Health - Rachael Taylor

Women's Health Magazine is a magazine focusing on health, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle. It is published 10 times a year in the US and has a circulation of 1.5 million readers. The magazines target audience are females.  The bright colours used on the magazine could support this idea. The pink (the "official" colour for girls) could be representing friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace and approachability. Therefore, showing us how feminine the main image, Rachael Taylor, is. The magazine's title "Women's Health" links to the main image of a supposed healthy women. Rachael Taylor is posing with her hand on her hip (a feminine pose) in a sports bra and leggings showing her fit and toned stomach. The women that buy this would think that they could look as slim as Rachael Taylor is. The front cover is soft with the use of pink, white and black. The sell lines that stand out are "Strong and sexy ultimate 15-minute workouts for the fittest body - ASAP" and " Tasty and guilt free dinners". The first sell line suggests that you can only be strong and sexy if you do these 15-minute workouts. The second sell line suggests that the only way to not feel guilty whilst eating is to follow the dinners they have. This could be targeting the young females who are at the age where they are most self-conscious of their weight and watch what they eat. Another sell line "Rachael Taylor, her A-list wellness secrets revealed" could push the female audience to buy the magazine thinking that if they know her secrets, they can look like her and have the "perfect body a woman should have".
Women's Health promotes a stereotypical young female body and suggests that this is the way that young females should look like by using fit, pretty white women aged between 18-40.
Referring to van Zoonen's feminist theory, this magazine supports the idea that women should look fit and pretty and like pink to show that they are "normal females".


Women's Health - Issa Rae

This women's health edition has the same dark colours used in the men's health (red, black and white), representing confidence and masculinity. This could be seen as quite offensive towards black females as this supports the stereotype that fit black women are masculine. The front cover is bold as it uses the colours red, black and white. The sell lines that stand out are " The move that will change your life (and butt!)" and "Should you buy into this skincare craze?". The first sell line has the unnecessary addition of "and butt!". In the women's health magazines, with white women as the main image, have "appropriate" health-related sell lines. This also connects to the stereotype that black women have big butts. The second sell line relates to black females more than the other sell lines do and talks about the skincare that supposedly makes your skin "glow" and "soft". This makes the black females think they have a connection with Issa Rae.
This Women's Health edition with Issa Rae was different from the editions with white women as main images. This was more controversial in a way as the layout was similar, if not the same, as the Men's Health rather than being like the rest of the Women's Health magazines with bright, "girly" colours. Therefore, suggesting that black women are "masculine" and " aggressive " like men.