the editors letter

The editor’s letter is chatty and informal. Will often use a direct mode of address as though they are a friend of the reader.

Publication: FHM

Issue: February 2005

The standard model “guy” is a pretty straightforward being. When we tell our lady to shut her trap so we can watch some footie, it means just that. There are no hidden messages whatsoever. And it certainly does not mean, “Honey, now is the best time to talk about where this relationship is going.” But as we’ve stressed oh-so-many times in the pages of this very magazine, women on the other hand, are not so much into this business of being straightforward. The word “fine” for example, could mean a million and one things, and it is way better to have all your limbs chopped off by a mega-powered chainsaw than have a woman say the dreaded word to you.

So this month if your girl mutters, “We don’t really need to celebrate Valentine’s Day if you don’t want to,” don’t take it as your cue to jump for joy and spend all the cash on Star Wars Lego. Why? Because there is simply no chance in hell that she actually means it, plus it will take you forever to build one stupid Millennium Falcon.

If anything, it’s simply a test to see if you’re really the sensitive and caring dreamboat that you’ve been pretending to be, or if you’re just, well, a guy. So what do you do? If you really dig the chick – and third base is a great possibility – we recommend you sell all your worldly possessions and spend it all on that one special day. And to help your cause, we’ve got some pretty good V-Day gift ideas on pages 98 and 99. After all, third base is a pretty damn good thing.

Read the above Editor’s Letter and highlight all of the examples of the editor being chatty and informal, as well as examples of the editor using a direct mode of address (using “you” or “your”)

album covers

 The way bob Marley is posing in the photo shoe that he is a very laid back and free person. The writing is in gold and in the top left corner it says legend, this is to show his success and popularity. He is wearing a ring on his left finger again to show wealth and also a lot of powerful people wear big ring similar to him, so he is wearing the ring to also show power. The ring is also not straight on his finger to again show he is laid back. In the photo he is looking to the right, to show that he is not bothered about the picture or how he looks in it.

Red is a royal color and the background is in red to show that Elvis is a king (the King of rock and roll). He looks quite angry in the photo this is to intimidate the other singers at the time competing for fame against him. His hair is in a quiff because he is famous for it. His name is all in capitals to show how important and bold he was. 

The background is in white to make Jessie stand out and also to make it look like a photo shoot, as if she’s having her photo taken by other people. Her name is in gold to show that she is important and to show that she is wealthy enough to afford gold. She’s wearing a lot of black to show that she is very gothic and the fact that she is bisexual. She is posing for the camera to show that she is vein because she can be; because she’s so powerful no one can judge her. She’s got big nails on maybe to make people scared of her and show that she's like an animal.

There is cracked glass in the shape of a bullet hole to show that he has been shot, through the bullet hole there is a jesus cross highlighted. This is to show that he is religious and to show that when he got shot; God saved his life. He is topless in the photo to show that he has a good body and to show that he trains. He is wearing a watch and a Jesus cross to show people that he is rich and powerful. The background is in red to show royalty because red is a royal color. In the top left corner it says 'Get Rich Or Die Trying' this is to show that his inspiration was to get rich and he would die for his inspiration. He is also wearing gun holsters to show that he isn't afraid to shoot someone (he's fearless). 

Wiley is in a neglected park, maybe to show that he is lonely. Everything looks dark and like reality because he is trying to say that his raps are realistic and down to earth. In the top left corner it says 'play time is over' this could be because he is trying to say that he is growing up and becoming a man, he  doesn't have time to play. He is wearing a black tracksuit and everything seems to be quite dark and sad even though parks are for fun, so I think he is trying to show irony. That in parks you might see fights, drugs and violence and the world isn't always the way it seems.

Eminem is sitting on a kings chair with a crown on his knee and on the bottom right hand corner it says 'The King is Back' and in the background there is a sign saying 'eight mile' this is to show that he is the king of eight mile, he lived there and he is the king there everyone shows him respect and treats him like a king. Round the border of the album there is barbed wire as if he is in a cage in a zoo and the person taking the picture cant be in the cage with him.

In this album by owl city they are trying to show that here is a different world underneath our world, a world that we don't know about. they are also trying to show that nature is better than the world, that cities should be put underwater and that land and animals and nature should come first  but they don't come first.

In this album cover by justin timberlake it just has his initials to show that he is so popular he does not need him name on the album, by just putting his initials people already know who he is. he is wearing goggles to show that he sees life in a whole different way to other people and he is wearing a suit to show his class.

50 cent has got a watch and lots of chains on to show his wealth and power off to people, also to follow the stereotype that rappers wear 'bling'. He is sitting in a big leather chair like a boss or a leader on a film would sit. There are lots of CD's on the wall in the background this is to show that he has made lots of albums and become successful off them.

He is holding a wad of money to show his wealth and success. He is also wearing a big chain to show this. He has his hand on the leg of a woman in the background to make out he gets lots of girls. He is following the stereo type of a rapper; money, girls and bling.

lifestyle conventions

LIFESTYLE CONVENTIONS

There is a model or celebrity on the front cover as the main image and he/she is looking directly at the camera.

Why does the magazine use a model or celebrity on the cover? Why are the looking directly at the camera?

Explain the effect on the target audience.

The reason why a good-looking model looking directly at the camera is used on the front cover of magazines is to attract attention to the audience. Its saying if you buy this magazine I can teach you how to look like me: slim, sexy, attractive and fashionable. And it does literally say it on the example magazine, it says body secrets, '12 ways you're sexy and 117 new style ideas'. The magazine is basically brain washing you in saying that if you pay like £3.00 for a magazine you can look like this model. The model is looking directly at the camera to attract the target audience for the magazine, this is because when you look at the magazine she is looking at you. 

Direct mode of address is used – the magazine is talking to you and makes a direct reference to you lifestyle. ie. Lose Your Gut, Impress Your Girlfriend, New Styles for You!

Find examples of direct mode of address in the above magazine. Why is this used? What effect does it have on the target audience?

The magazine says 12 ways you're sexy and 117 new style ideas already in you're wardrobe. The reason why the magazine is talking directly to the audience is to attract their attention and to brain wash the audience that the magazine was made for them. LIke if they brought the magazine they would get these things (become skinny, look good and get the best cloths). It also only talks to people on the things people would actually care about, want, or maybe insecure about. Magazines are a clever way to brain wash people into buying it, thats why their so successful.

introduction to lifestyle magazines

Introduction to Lifestyle magazines

identify the different 'types' of content in the magazine i.e. health:

Its about fashion because on the magazine there is something about a personal stylist and shoes. There is a section on immaculate complexion which helps you to love yourself a bit more with a guide to a good foundation.

There are things about celebrities on the magazine because there is things about Nicole Kidman and how she's enjoying her life at 40. Also there is a story on JSP meeting Russell Brand.

The magazine is on well-being and happiness because on the magazine there is a section on 10 ways to get happy, which includes: work,well-being, finances and fitness. The magazine has a section on loosing weight and how to do it. 

The magazine is on relationship help because there is a section of a story that therapy saved a marriage.

Discuss the layout of the page. From your analysis what gender and type of person is this magazine for?

There is a big title at the top saying 'Contents' underneath that is the date of the magazine 'January 2008'. There are pictures of women and shoes and shows, which match the story's in the magazine. Underneath are loads of little subheadings with little bits of information about the story inside of the magazine. This magazine is for middle aged women because there are lots of stories on marriage, and the fashion is very classy and looks like it would be for older women. There is lots of gossip in the magazine, and women generally like gossip.

How would someone hope to benefit from buying this magazine?

By buying this magazine someone would hope to benefit from a lot of things. They would hope to strengthen their general knowledge and be able to talk about various different stories about celebrities ect. They would hope to know the secrets and tips on how to loose weight and keep healthy, and they hope to to keep up to date with the latest fashion.

Representation of Women in Music videos

In this essay I will be discussing how women are represented in the music videos, 50 cent Candy-shop, Lily Allen Hard Out here and Avicii wake me up.

The women in the videos for Candy Shop and Hard Out Here are represented in a completely different way than how they are represented in the video for Stan.

In the video for candy shop the women are seen as they are there just for the man. Their powerless, their just there to be sexy for 50 cent.

In the video for hard out here, at the beginning Lilly Allen says 'and boys be talking about their bitches' as if girls are seen as dogs or objects of desire. Six girls dance round Lily Allen in barley any cloths on and dance in a sexual way. At one point in the video there is a slow motion close up of a girl 'twirking'. There is also a scene where there is a woman cleaning what looks like her boyfriends car alloys in the kitchen. This shows women to look like slaves and goes back to the stereotype; women should always be in the kitchen.

In the video wake me up girls are represented in a completely different way. Girls at looked at in a pretty classy way. At no point in the video there are girls in barlely any cloths dancing sexually.

Overall their is a massive similarity in how women are looked at in the videos for candy shop and hard out here and these two song represent women in a completely different way to wake me up.

Grading

1/12

C3

What you have here is really good. You engage well with the task and have begun to use examples and some terminology. But the last section needs to be developed fully. Also please watch your use of capital letters.

T: Focus on your last section and fully explain them using multiple specific examples. Pick out all of the technical aspects (Mise-en-scene, editing, lyrics etc)

Creating different shapes in photoshop

1. click file on the top left hand corner of the screen.

2.when the drop down list comes down; click new. 

3.name your project and adjust the size settings to what you want and press ok. (A blank page will come up.)

4. Select shape from the tools down the side of the page.

5. you can choose a setting from the drop down list. It you want to draw your own shape choose the custom setting. If you cant draw the shape yourself you can also click at the top of the screen the setting shape and it will have a drop down list with already drawn shapes for you.

Grading


1/11

GREEN

This is a really good piece of work that fulfills the task completely. Really well done.


T: Perhaps consider showing an example that you have made using this tool.

Representation of Women in Music Videos

Evaluation

In this essay I will be speaking about how girls are presented and viewed in music videos.

Through out music videos men view and look at girls as if they were toys, or objects that only served their purpose. They can use them when they want and leave them where they want. They are always seen as sexy, slim, basically the definition of an ideal perfect girl.

They are always seen in hardly any cloths. As time goes on the girls on the music videos get worse and worse. There is a recent video by Rhianna called ‘pour it up.’ It was banned after 10 minutes and the papers described it as a ‘massive twerk fest.’  There was also a video recently banned called ‘blurred lines’ by Robin Thicke.’

Is it right for children under the age of 16 to be watching these videos? These videos could be classed as pornographic videos.  People argue that parents shouldn’t be allowing their children to watch these music videos.

You could also argue that for girls to be doing those videos it shows that they have freedom, spirit to be free to do what they want in their life. 

Grading

1/11

C1

What you have here is very good and you have responded well to the question. You have used some examples and some terminology. 

T: What you must do now is develop your points and fully explain them using multiple specific examples. Pick out all of the technical aspects (Mise-en-scene, editing, lyrics etc)