Magazine front cover 4

This is a music magazine front cover, with Eminem on it. This implies that he is the masthead of the magazine.  There is an interesting shadow on the masthead that works with the grey font. The headline links to the image, because the font that is used is like a signature ‘Eminem’ font, so it is a motivated sign because people recognise the font from previous Eminem album front covers also the magazine uses san serif font to make it clear to the audience. Also it uses a red font which signifies danger and Eminem is looking at the camera, to show his emotion to the audience and because Eminem is quite ‘gangster’ he needs to look tough in the picture to keep up his appearance and it also links to the masthead colour because he looks dangerous. The image is big and fills the page, also it comes in front of all of the text to suggest that he is the main topic of the magazine. The magazine uses a buzz phrase when it says “comes clean” which could mean 2 things, either that he is clean from drugs or that he is going to tell the truth. In this magazine it uses both in it, because he is telling the truth about his drug usage status. The picture is a mid-shot and it is a central image, again to show that he is the main feature of the magazine. I think the photograph has been manipulated, by making his muscles bigger, his arms more tanned, is skin more clean and his tattoos more detailed and appealing. The picture is clear and sharp but there isn’t anything in the background so it is clear.   

 The magazine uses a dateline. I know that it is blurred but it says  “June 2009” so that was the date that it was published. 

                          The image is in colour which shows that Eminem is more modern and could suggest that the music genre is also more modern. The model is wearing a black tank top, which links to his genre of ‘rap’ music because rap tends to be known as ‘street’ music and ‘gangster’ and gangsters are stereotyped to wear tank tops. Also the colour black signifies that his music is dark. The picture is taken in a studio, because there is nothing in the background, suggesting that it was just taken against a normal white wall. There is a necklace around his neck of the cross, according to Barthes, these signs are symbolic – the cross connotes religion however in this case, it works as an indexical sign with his tattoos and black t shirt to develop a harder street image. This could be interpreted that he is religious, which could appeal to the religious audiences however, his hard image appeals to an urban male target audience. .

This shows mode of address because it is asking the audience on their opinion.

This magazine supports the theory of Hodge and Kress because it uses typical magazine conventions, by using a large font to dominate the magazine cover; but also it agrees with Steve Neale because it does repeat the idea of a typical magazine front cover (picture, large font, subtext etc.) however it alters it to make it different, by adding different colours and different fonts, to make it more ‘fresh’ for the audience.  This also shows that the magazine is using conventions, because it uses typical magazine features.

How this research has influenced my  creativity

• ·      I will use different fonts in different colours that appeal to the target audience.
• ·      I will interact with the audience by adding a question or use direct address
• ·      I will add the date to my magazine
• ·      I will add bigger fonts for big headlines or stories.
• ·      I will also use symbolic signs