Lifestyle Magazines
Lifestyle magazines offer a sense of identity, companionship and reassurance and include titles such as Cosmopolitan, FHM, Heat, Nuts, OK and Closer. they share with their readers the problems of and issues of other, similar people who also read the magazines. Lifestyle magazines offer guidance and instruction on how to live a particular lifestyle as well as entertainment and escapism.
The magazines also challenge readers to respond to advice offered on such matters as relationships, careers and material possessions.
It can be interesting to consider how realistic the lifestyle that is being promoted actually is.
When and how do people consume media texts?
Audiences consume - that is watch read or listen to - media products in a range of situations and places.
Sometimes they give the text their full attention - Primary consumption.
At other times they may be watching, reading or listening whilst doing other things - Secondary consumption.
This is known as a pattern of media consumption.
Media consumers choose texts that fulfill one or more of these needs:
They need to be INFORMED or EDUCATED about the world in which they live. For example the weather
They need to IDENTIFY personally with the characters and situations in order to learn more about themselves or find themselves. For example a teenager may want to look and act like their favourite musician
They need to use the media as a talking point for SOCIAL INTERACTION or DISCUSSION.
They need to ESCAPE from their daily routine into other worlds and situations.
The Uses and Gratification Theory (again!)
Media consumers choose texts that fulfill one or more of these needs:
They need to be INFORMED or EDUCATED about the world in which they live. For example the weather
They need to IDENTIFY personally with the characters and situations in order to learn more about themselves or find themselves. For example a teenager may want to look and act like their favourite musician
They need to use the media as a talking point for SOCIAL INTERACTION or DISCUSSION.
They need to ESCAPE from their daily routine into other worlds and situations.
Values and Lifestyles
Values and lifestyles is sometimes called ideology. It may at first glance seem like a difficult concept to grasp but we are dealing with simple terms for the way people think about themselves, about others and about the world in which they live.
The most interesting aspect of ideology is that it is so instinctive and unspoken that it can be somewhat invisible. People don't usually know what their values and beliefs are unless they are challenged.
Ideology - A system of values, beliefs or ideas that is common to a specific group of people.
Task 1: To help grasp ideology and values.
Imagine the lower sixth have been stranded on a desert island. No one else is there. You must choose the four students who would best fill these roles:
A: The leader of the group.
B: The person most likely to fall off the raft you have built into the shark infested lagoon.
C: The person most likely to risk their life by diving in to rescue them.
Task 1: To help grasp ideology and values.
Imagine the lower sixth have been stranded on a desert island. No one else is there. You must choose the four students who would best fill these roles:
A: The leader of the group.
B: The person most likely to fall off the raft you have built into the shark infested lagoon.
C: The person most likely to risk their life by diving in to rescue them.
D: The most trustworthy person who would provide emotional support for the group.
Is there a surprising amount of agreement among the choices?
Since you have similar ideologies, you will all have similar ideas of who best meets the requirements for each role. The leader may be the most outspoken, popular member of the group.
The emotional support choice is likely to be a more mature, cheerful person who chats with everyone, not just those in his own close friendship group.
The class may agree on certain choices because you all understand that, in order to take on any of these roles,people need to have demonstrated certain values and standards of behavior.
Is there a surprising amount of agreement among the choices?
Since you have similar ideologies, you will all have similar ideas of who best meets the requirements for each role. The leader may be the most outspoken, popular member of the group.
The emotional support choice is likely to be a more mature, cheerful person who chats with everyone, not just those in his own close friendship group.
The class may agree on certain choices because you all understand that, in order to take on any of these roles,people need to have demonstrated certain values and standards of behavior.
Ideology in Magazines
Why do magazines reflect the values and ideologies of their readers?
They want their readers to feel that they can identify with the magazine.
Here are the descriptions of the target readers of two lifestyle magazines:
The ELLE reader is spirited, stylish and intelligent; she expects to be successful at everything she does. She takes the lead and breaks the rules.
The SIGHT and SOUND reader is a true film buff who expects to be given intelligent information on all film releases, not just Hollywood, mainstream movies.
The ELLE reader is spirited, stylish and intelligent; she expects to be successful at everything she does. She takes the lead and breaks the rules.
Task 2: Take a look at the two websites and note down how you think they reflect the values, interests and ideologies of their readers.
Consider;
typography (font choice, colour, placement)
How the pages are laid out, does the composition lead the eye and retain viewers?
Promises connected to ideology, values, interests.
Language use; words that the reader will understand, do they use informal form of address 'you'?
Take screen shots and annotate them.
Ideologies can be seen on many different levels, countries have national ideologies. If you ever go abroad on holiday, you will notice patterns of behaviour that would be unusual in the UK.
In Japan for instance, people are always polite to each other and it is considered rude to show anger.
Task 3: Note (on your blog) traits of 'Britishness' that people visiting this country might notice about our patterns of behaviour.
For example, visitors often say that the British love queuing!
Understanding ideology is helpful when it comes to investigating the ways in which magazines and other media texts are constructed to appeal to their target audiences. They try to offer material that they will enjoy, understand, value and aspire to.
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