Woman - Media Set Product 7

Woman Magazine Set Text

Context

• 1964, week ending 29th August.
• In 1964, the context, there was a Beatlemania (cultural revolution of art, music and film), JFK Assassination (Camelot, which gave hope) In the 50's the saying was 'make to and mend', however in the 60's it was spend rather than save. Known as the Swinging Sixties, it was care-free, 'Shop and Spend'- Curran. There was a sexual revolution (introduction to the pill) and female liberation (freedom of fashion for women - trousers). Women's Marriage Act.
• IPC 1937-present, the magazine became very popular post-war, 3 million copies a week in the 60's. 

Front Cover and how it represents women

• Patriarchal society, men still seemed important in the magazine.
• Pull-quote, Alfred Hitchcock (famous film director).
• 'World's greatest weekly for women' - aspirational to the demographic - WC to MC women 25-50.
• Women would read this magazine because they want to improve their life. 'Seven star improvements for your kitchen', 'lingerie goes lively', 'Are you an A-level beauty?' (rhetorical question).
• Superficial representation of women - beauty and looks, and also sexualised. The sexualisation is further seen in the Breeze advert. 
• Lexis used creates a hermenuetic code of the pull-quote 'British women have a special magic'.
• The main image used of the woman uses direct eye contact to the reader, direct address. She appears to look friendly (smile), young and looks like she looks after herself (ideal woman - this is homogeneous of what is beautiful). The lexis, 'special magic', the anchorage of this and the image. 
• There is an inclusivity to the title and how to be a good woman - all the answers here. Ideology of what the best kind of woman is, this links to the insecurity of women.
• Men Act, Women Appear. Women are to be looked at, found from the coverlines links to the superficiality of representation.  
• The ideological hegemony and status quo.

Woman then and Woman now

• The latest issue of Woman features a celebrity in the front cover, there is also more diversity on the front.
• There are still superficial representation, such as 'Family friendly recipes' from Slimming World and 'The last minute diet lose 4lb in 4 days!' linked to losing weight and the pug for Bonmarché, a clothing shop. However you could argue that it has moved on from the magazine in the 60's, of women not having to have children, 'We're happier being child free', 'It's our choice' and a coverline of becoming a 'global star' and being successful. 
• The main image of the woman compared with the 1964 cover, she doesn't look as young, may appeal to women in the older end of the demographic.
• Could argue that women still need men, 'Is her new man behind her smile?' however, 'her new man' suggests change from what might be usually known as 'his woman'.