GQ - Language & Representation blog tasks

 GQ - Language & Representation blog tasks

Language: Media factsheet

1) What are the different magazine genres highlighted on page 2 and how do they link to our magazine CSPs?

• General Interest 

This type of magazine is published for a wider audience to provide information in a general manner, and the focus is on many different subjects. They typically cover topics

like food, fashion or home and gardening. They have a combination of stories, pictures and advertising, and are bound together with a glossy cover.

• Special Interest 

These are niche interest magazines that offer in-depth content on a given area or topic. These magazines appear to be doing very well now in a time of decreasing print sale because they target a smaller, more specialised audience.

• Professional

A professional magazine.

A periodical published by the governing body of a profession. The standard of quality of such a periodical may be similar to that of a scholarly publication.

2) Look at the section on GQ on page 2. How do they suggest that GQ targets its audience?

“Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond.”

The statement of GQ about its brand values says a lot about what they know about their audience. They are targeting men through fashion and image, but also appealing to their intelligence and needs for information about culture. “Beyond” is vague, but the magazine also covers politics, technology and trends. It employs leading writers and experts on a wide variety of topics appealing to activators, achievers, and seekers.

3) What does the factsheet say about GQ cover stars?

GQ selects their cover stars very carefully. In the December 2022 edition, they chose Marcus Rashford, a Manchester United footballer. However, this is not the coverline they have anchored him with. It is instead “Campaigner of the Year.” His high-profile criticism of the government about stopping free school meals during the pandemic and his charity work in this area would appeal to achievers because they value the “fruits of hard work.” The image has also been shot and styled to accentuate a stylish persona. Furthermore, the choice of a black dinner suit adds gravitas and sophistication to the imagery while the light reflecting on his skin connotes health and youth, again appealing to these groups.

4) Pick out five of the key conventions of magazine front covers and explain what they communicate to an audience.

• The Masthead, the publication name, is at the top, using a sans serif font type for maximum impact. Price, month and year are conventionally added, as is a barcode.

• Puffs are place in the left or right-hand corners to catch the eye of the reader, often inside a graphic element (“4 Easy, Sexy Spring Dos”, inside a blue ball). The focus on sex, fashion and image are conventional to a mainstream lifestyle interest magazine. These are similar to Pugs, also known as the ears of the magazine, that are usually information in the top corners of a page with a buzzword in it.

•  The main coverline is not related to the image but offers different content of interest, with varying size, colours and styles of typography.

• Pull quotes such as “I was dancing so hard my dress fell off!” invoke humour and perhaps shock, but also appear to give insider knowledge. This creates a close, albeit illusory, relationship between the reader and the star.

•  The use of sensationalism and language of true crime and or gossip magazines are intertextualised to create and emotional response.

5) What is a magazine’s ‘house style’? How would you describe GQ’s house style?  

The house style of a magazine refers to its conventional “look” in relation to its writing and formatting. The house style establishes brand identity and helps to distinguish one magazine from the other. This is necessary if the magazine is in a shop where the crowding of titles on the shelf means that the eyes of the consumer must be caught.

Language: CSP analysis

1) Write a summary of our annotations on the media language choices on the cover of GQ - e.g. colour scheme, typography, language, photographic codes etc. 

• Colour scheme - in terms of the font colours, its very minimal as it is always black or white.

• Typography - it is always matched to the theme of the photoshoot, meaning for this instance its more droopy font fits in the emo theme.

• Language - its straight to the point in terms of what the magazine offers, rhetorical question to intrigue the viewer.

• Photographic codes - the subject itself has a lot of though pt into them in terms of costuming and makeup maybe to refer to their role in an upcoming event.

2) Identify three specific aspects/conventions/important points (e.g. cover lines, colour scheme, use of text, image etc.) from each page/feature of the CSP that you could refer to in a future exam. Explain why that particular aspect of the CSP is important - think about connotations, representations, audience pleasures, reception theory etc.

Front cover: Robert Pattinson image - Art & Fashion issue

Inside pages: Jonathan Bailey feature and fashion shoot

In terms of representations the GQ magazine with Robert Pattinson conveys a much more masculine trait whereas the insides pages featuring Jonathan Bailey portrays a much more expressive role in terms of its costuming, which connotes a hint of Gauntlett's idea that 'masculinity is in crisis' meaning the magazine itself is meant to be a traditional gentlemen quarterly's magazine and now men are being more feminine which challenges the theme of the magazine and its history. 

3) Apply narrative theories to GQ - Todorov's equilibrium, Propp's character types, Barthes' action or enigma codes, Levi-Strauss's binary opposition. How can we use narrative to understand the way the cover and features have been constructed?

Levi-Strauss's - homosexual v heterosexual binary opposition showcases the different features shown throughout the GQ magazine. The front cover is potentially a much more punk styled atmosphere however as you begin to open the magazine you are presented by various sources of a much more feminine outer spect, which conforms to the norms of the magazines traditional representations.

4) Analyse the cover and inside pages of GQ. Does this offer an example of Steve Neale's genre theory concerning 'repetition and difference'?

The front cover is potentially a much more punk styled atmosphere however as you begin to open the magazine you are presented by various sources of a much more feminine outer spect, which conforms to the norms of the magazines traditional representations.This links to Steve Neale's repetition and difference theory as even though they both being expressive throughout their individual style it also shows their difference into the reasons behind their representations for one is a more personal, sexual matter for the other is much on the defence of advocating themselves through the style of fashion and modern society. 

Representations: applying theory

1) How can Gauntlett's ideas on masculinity, gender and identity be applied to the GQ CSP pages we have analysed?

• Masculinity in modern society has always been question to whether it is declining or whether society has become more open into advocating men's emotions and expressiveness which fights of all general norms of the stereotypical idea ghat men are seen as tougher emotionally.

• Gender has always been defined in what you are seen as physically, oneseleves beliefs reforms those generally ideologies, meaning its how to present yourself to the world in order for them to assume what their view on gender is. The representations of gender from the very start has been viewed as men being the breadwinners and th women being one of nurturing presence.

• Identity is expressed through fashion in the GQ magazine, Pattinson's more punk rock style advocate the type of man he is and Bailey's more feminine approach and positions showcases his identity and how he views himself to be much more comfortable in being in that nurturing matter.

2) How could van Zoonen's work on feminist and gender theory be applied to GQ? Does the magazine challenge or reinforce these ideas?

I believe the magazine mocks van Zoonen's work, this is because despite Pattinson being contracted as punk model it plays on the motive of sing make up to look a certain way suggesting that if one changes their appearance it leads down to a physical insecurity which links to be gender representations in the media.

3) Does bell hooks's work on 'corrosive masculinity' apply to GQ? 

If a women was to appear in the same manner as Pattinson and also able to advocate their sexuality and identity like Bailey they would receive bad publicity meaning the same response given towards them wounds be the same as women's.

4) How does the Jonathan Bailey feature represent masculinity and sexuality? 

In a way it creates a some sort of confusion in regarding what the actual representation of the magazine meaning it is meant to be a traditional mens magazine but because of the normality in overcoming sexuality may cause speculations in whether hr brands reputation is at risk due its audiences traditional views and perceptions.


Representations: wider reading - GQ and the new masculinity

1) Which GQ issue is discussed at the start of the article and what was notable about it? 

 An image of Pharrell Williams. The Grammy-winner is wearing a lemon yellow Moncler coat that flows well past his feet. It looks like an upside down lily flower waiting to bloom. His hands are clasped at his chest, his facial expression is soft and the overlay text says ''The New Masculinity Issue''.

2) How did Will Welch view GQ when he took over as Editor-in-Chief and what did he want to offer readers? 

He saw the need to redefine what a men’s magazine could be. He wanted GQ to help its readers — whether men, women, or gender non-binary — with their “personal evolution,” he told CNN Business. Men can wear dresses, put on makeup, and get pedicures. GQ shouldn’t tell anyone exactly how to be a man because there’s no one way to do it.

3) How has publisher Conde Nast responded to changes in the magazine industry and how did this impact GQ?

Magazine monolith and GQ parent company Condé Nast, now under the leadership of former Pandora chief Roger Lynch, has been trying to recoup losses by cutting costs and redefining its business for the digital era. For example, Condé ended Glamour’s print publication last year. It’s continued to invest in digital content, like video, across its brands. In addition to GQ’s two print magazines in the US and several international editions, the brand launched GQ Sports, a YouTube channel.

4) What did the GQ New Masculinity edition feature? 

Journalist Nora Caplan-Bricker leads a package titled “Voices of the New Masculinity” in which actor Asia Kate Dillon, NBA player Kevin Love, rapper Killer Mike and others share their perspectives of what masculinity means today. There’s a beauty section, featuring men in glittery makeup and a profile of Billy Idol. 

5) What did journalist Liz Plank say about toxic masculinity?

“For the Love of Men,” a book that explores the pervasiveness of it. She writes, “No matter where I turned, masculinity wasn’t something that was intuitive or intrinsic; it was carefully learned, delicately transmitted and deliberately propagandized. Toxic masculinity wasn’t just a problem in America. I saw it everywhere.”

6) How did Welch respond to suggestions GQ was responsible for toxic masculinity?

Welch was quick to dismiss the notion. “It’s not like GQ was harmful until I took over. That’s definitely not the case,” he said.

Finally, read this short GQ feature on masculinity and answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest masculinity involved at the start of the 20th century?

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the idea of masculinity was simple – it stood for all the solid, earthy expectations of boys and men: strength, independence, courage, confidence and assertiveness. And that was an easy package at a time when men were the sole breadwinners, working largely in manual labour, while women would tend to the home and children. That was man’s personal and social identity, the hallmarks of what “real men” do. Paradoxically, and to no surprise, more (historically referred) effeminate traits, such as showing emotion, did not match the optics of masculinity and were therefore actively discouraged.

2) What social change occurred from the 1930s?

From the Thirties onwards, the UK lost its industrialisation heavyweight status with manual worker jobs, and the masculinity status attached to them, in favour of an office-based deindustrialised economy. Naturally, Post-it notes, group huddle meetings and conference calls failed to marry to the historical notion of what masculinity should be (the “Wolf Of Wall Street” was the higher-profile attempt to hang on to these). It was, however, a wake-up call to society that things needed to change. And change is happening.

3) What is suggested about masculinity today?

 Any boy or man who feels that they cannot showcase their emotions or, indeed, a gentleness, is one who needs re-education on what it is to be a man. Showing your softer side is not weakness or shameful. It is smart. Besides, paradoxically, the very qualities that an outdated "masculinity" parades (strength, independence, courage, confidence and assertiveness) are present in all of us – men and women. We now thankfully share a society where not only men, but women too, demonstrate these and importantly have the freedom to do so. Of course, it isn’t all a bed of roses, and while we still have some way to redress an imbalance of what is deemed acceptable traits for men and women, we are making progress. Masculinity is an outdated word for this, a new world that is attempting to dispel gender equality.

4) Why does it suggest these changes are important? 

Suicide remains the leading cause of death in men under the age of 45 years. That’s three times higher than rates in women, with 84 men losing their life a week. And in part it is justifiably dubbed the “silent killer” because we are yet to fully shift the perception that a man – a “masculine man”, a “real man”, a “man’s man” – does not speak out about his problems. We can all do our part and take a sledgehammer to masculinity and instead let both the hard traits and the soft traits have open forum in our lives and in society. That can only support better health and happiness.