Front Cover Magazine Analysis

I have decided to evaluate a front cover of the music magazine "Rolling Stone". This is to help me decide what to include in my own music magazine, to see what people are attrcated to.

The main attraction to this edition of Rolling Stones is the model Megan Fox who posing for a picture. This supports the idea of Laura Mulveys feminism theory. Mulvey argues that audiences look at magazines in two ways; voyeuristically and fetishistically. Mulvey argues this voyeurism involves turning the represented figure into a fetish (object) so that it becomes increasingly beautiful but more objectified. This can be related to the picture of the movie star Megan Fox found on this particular front cover. The picture is there to attract the audience to her beauty so as a result they will buy the magazine. The theory argues that voyeurism can lead to two effects: objectification of female characteristics in relation to this controlling (male) gaze; and narcissistic identification, with an ideal image seen in the magazine. Mulvey suggests fetishistic looking leads to the cult of female stars, celebrated for their looks but considered as an object and often treated as such. There is even an example of this on Megan Fox's tattoo on her arm of Marilyn Monroe who, even years after her death, is seen as an object rather than someone who was a human being. Therefore on screen, or on a page, women can be used as "eye candy" to appease the male gaze of the male audience. The masthead "America's sexiest bad girl" also appeals to feminism as it is to attract males to the magazine.

The fact that Megan Fox is on the front of this magazine shows that music magazines do not always have to be about music. Megan Fox is an actress and model; she has no influence in the music company. This tells me that Rolling Stone magazine does not only concentrate on music but on popular culture as well. The puffs on the front cover also tell us what are included in the magazine, such as, "Best Fall Albums...”

The background is a plain white colour to make the magazine look professional as possible. Also if there was colour in the mis en scene the magazine may look to hectic and put potential buyers off purchasing it.

Rolling Stone magazine naturally has all the conventions of a typical music magazine, such as, bold mastheads and 4 - 6 puffs of writing to tell us more about what is inside the magazine, to help attract a wider audience.

The title of the magazine "Rolling Stone" is placed at the top of the magazine with the celebrities head covering some of the letters. This is common for a Rolling Stone magazine. Even though the colour of the writing may change depending on what edition of the magazine you are buying, the letters are always in the same font and the celebrity is always covering some of the letters, this is the audience can relate to the magazine.