Magazines: The Gentlewoman - Language and Representations

 The Gentlewoman: Language and Representation blog tasks

Close-textual analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Gentlewoman CSP pages:

Gentlewoman front cover 

1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?

It suggests that this magazine is targeted towards those that are involved in celebrity culture due to the well known star on the cover

2) How does the cover subvert conventional magazine cover design?

It has a boarder in which the main image is located, it has virtually no cover lines except for the name of the main image 

3) Write an analysis of the central image.

The makeup is very bold and honestly not cohesive at all. It is as if it's a purposeful presentation of women breaking the conventional beauty standards. She has a bold and bright red lip with an accentuated cupids bow - a feature that most women try and cover up with over- lining the lips in modern society. She is also wearing bold purple glossy eye-shadow, a clashing colour against the red lip as well as a blocky dark brow. Everything about her makeup is conventionally unattractive  

4) What representations of gender and celebrity can be found on this front cover?

The main image on the front cover is a female celebrity, since this is an elite female magazine their representations of women makes complete sense. It is clear they're trying to subvert the typical presentation of women

5) What gender and representation theories can we apply to this cover of the Gentlewoman? 

Butler's - Gender is a performance, the magazine purposefully subverts the typical performance of femininity, however it could be perceived as still a performance of femininity due to the fact that she's wearing makeup at all. 

Feature: Modern Punches

1) How does the feature on Ramla Ali use narrative to engage the audience? Apply narrative theories here.

 - Audience positing is used heavily - positioning the readers to feel inspired by her pursuing her dreams by telling her story in great detail

 - Uses her story to engage the audience 

- Follows a linear narrative 

2) What representations can you find in this feature - both interview and image?

representations of femininity - she describes herself as a "tomboy" and how she'd pick "trainers over make-up any day", she also has her hair down in the image(a long and natural look, preserving traditional femininity), wearing a tracksuit - subverting traditional femininity, 3rd wave feminism(women competing in traditionally male dominated sports)

3) What representation theories can we apply to the Modern Punches feature? 

She is a young black woman, representing both gender and ethnicity/race, suggests women of colour can become anything they please

Feature: Isabella Tree interview

1) Why is this feature unconventional for a women's lifestyle and fashion magazine? Comment on the use media language in these pages. 

It features environmental issues and and environmental activist herself - an unconventional feature for a women lifestyle magazine, featuring mentions of the "rewilding project" and "tree expert Ted Green". This seems to be feature as to maybe make themselves look less shallow

2) How does the Isabella Tree feature reflect the social and cultural contexts of contemporary Britain? Think about AQA's discussion of lifestyle, environmental issues and ethical movements.

Ethical movements have become a status symbol in contemporary Britain this is reflected in the magazine using Isabella Tree's feature. It is a status symbol as many of the elite concern themselves with environmental and or ethical issues a privilege that the lower classes do not possess

3) What representations of nature can be found in this feature?

The verbal codes of nightingales, white storks and violet dor beetles, the image of a sunkissed tree, a rainbow across the sky

Feature: Stella McCartney and vegan fashion

1) How does this feature reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts?

A strong care for animal consumption has been on the rise in contemporary society, again a concern for the higher class and a status symbol

2) Comment on the typography and page design in this feature.

Bold Serif typography, commonly used to illustrate traditional/historical brands - the gentlewoman falls into this category 

- a minimalistic design throughout the magazine as well as this feature, suggests they don't need to try hard to lure in their audience 

3) What representations can be found in the image accompanying this feature? 

There is only an image of the designer, the product is nowhere to be found, this suggest that the designer is so famous that there's no need to show the product as it is assumingly "good". This could be because she is a nepo baby, that she is a good designer or both. 

Representations

Read this Business of Fashion interview with The Gentlewoman editor Penny Martin. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions: 

1) What type of magazine did Penny Martin, Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom want to create? 

They wanted to "produce long-form journalism and a personality-centred magazine that has equally eloquent imagery and graphic design.”

2) What representations of modern women did they try to construct for the magazine?

"I'm interested in what [The Gentlewoman] tells you about how modern women live, from the way they drink, dance, drive and speak to the way they sign their letters or conduct their divorces. We make sure that the magazine is not just a pornography of product that is supposedly interesting to women. It's about putting those women at the centre of the material world around them.

3) What examples of cover stars reflect the diversity in the magazine's content? 

 The Gentlewoman has profiled a wide range of women at the top of their game, including Angela Lansbury, Beyoncé', gardeners, entrepreneurs, novelists, artists and

news anchors.

4) What is Penny Martin's view on feminism and whether the magazine is feminist?

Penny says "it isn't a magazine about those things, it's a magazine informed by those things", she doesn't want to turn feminism into an "aesthetic" 

5) Look at the end of the article. How does the Gentlewoman help readers construct or reflect their identity by engaging with events and spaces beyond the magazine? 

Gentlewoman Club which extends the magazine's brand into physical events where readers can interact and chat with editors.

A/A* extension tasks

Read this extended profile of editor Penny Martin in The Cut. What does it suggest about the representations in the magazine and how they might appeal to an audience?

Similarly, this Stack interview with Penny Martin has some really interesting points on pop feminism and how women are represented and addressed by the magazine.