Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Dominant Representation Devices

• There are two things which my magazine uses to represent particular social groups; these are

• 1) Its Images and

• 2) Its content

Front cover Images• My main image for the front cover is of a young,

white, male bassist. The image is a close up of his face but with a neon layer added to it.

• This instantly shows that the magazine is representing young, male views and ideas. This is because the image is of his face; his face is where we see his expressions, emotions, where he shows his feelings and expresses his thoughts. So it will be representing the thoughts and feelings of a young white male and so his social group. If the image was of his topless body, then it would be representing the wants of a totally different social group (young girls).

• The artist is shown with a slight smile so is representing his social group in a positive and friendly way. When others, not in this social group, see that image they will see the whole social group in a friendlier light.

• The artist is also shown with stylish hair, trying to represent his social group as image conscious, wanting to appear attractive and look cool.

Contents page Images• With the contents page I used a large bass guitar in snow which only

represents the bass nature of the magazine.• However I also used a contributors section and used pictures of all

three contributors.• The contributors were all young, white males. They each represent

their social group in a different way. The one at the left is trying to give a cool, hard stare. He is also wearing a hoody, and so though not totally representing the social group in the same way as the artist on the front cover, he is still giving a positive image. This is because most hooded young males, white or not, are shown as thugs and hooligans but “Brave Dave” is a writer for a music magazine and is not seen swearing, violent or aggressive- just trying to look cool.

• “Tom” in the middle is showing a more funny representation of their social group. He’s sporting large aviator glasses and a blonde moustache which make him seem to be trying to look cool but in an ironic way. This makes their social group seem more funny, friendly and in an overall positive representation.

• “Ben” on the right is also helping to give a much much more positive representation for their social group than what society is used to. Even though he is wearing a hood, he is smiling widely and friendlily; this totally goes against societies view of young males and represents them as much friendlier and nicer people.

Double page spread Images• For the double page, I used three images. The first

was a large image on the left hand side, it was of the bassist featured on the front cover. Danny is shown as fashionable; with his top and fashionable scarf, styled with the gelled hair but shown as vain or arrogant. His appearance is positive with his fashionable shirt having Mr Tickle on it.

• Overall, it’s a very positive representation of the social group of young, white males who want to look good and take care of their appearance.

• The two other images are of the bassist playing his bass. These represent his social group as being talented and that they all have the ability to become something like this. It takes away from him wearing a hoody, which has negative representations and conations in society.

• Furthermore, the two images represent bassists as lovers of their craft; the bassist’s poses show him just in the moment with playing and this represents the love of music and playing out their soul that all bassists have

Front cover Content• In my front cover, I used the

feature article cover line “The Prophesied Son” right next to the image of Danny Amos. This represents his young male social group as talented and the future stars. Because he is a young male, readers will think that all young males have to potential to become the next “Prophesised” bassist.

• Other text represent the bassist social group; “Your Bass Your Priority”, “4 strings 5 strings”.

• These represent the issues that the magazine believe its bass playing social group which is its target audience would most want to read about. It represents them as different; they all have preferences with basses (4/5 string etc) and that they might need help with playing (Interest waning?).

Contents Content

• In the contents, all the articles are about bass guitars, bass music, bassy songs, bassy bands; anything to do with basses and all of them represent the social group of bassists.

• One such article I created reached out to another social group- Female Bassists.

• The article says “Girl Power- the new wave of female bassist”. This represents girls as up and coming in the world. That with equal opportunities, girls are catching up with guys and that this “new wave” is very good.

• Another way in which the contents page represents another particular social group is with the text about the contributors. “Brave Dave” is described as “extreme”; this is a representation of young males, that they are thrill seekers and lovers of the extreme.

Double page spread Contents• The double page spread article is all about the bass player Danny

Amos; so it only represents young males and also bass players as social groups.

• However at the start It talks about his mothers death which made him rebel and lash out; this represents children and especially children who have suffered trauma and is a sad one because his mothers death fills him with anger and pain.

• But it then talks about him using his emotion to becoming an amazing bassist; representing this troubled kids as all potential champions and that they just need believing in.

• His quote; “I get to do what I love and people just cry for more” represents the social group of bassists and young males as people who just love playing and don’t do it for money or success. The readers can associate themselves with this.