Textual Analysis
Denotation: The magazine front cover consists of light colours which are the complete opposites to complexion of the man; the background is of high key lighting. The white toned man on the front cover, 50 Cent, is looking directly at you who draws your attention towards the magazine to pick up and read. The camera angle of the man is a medium long shot as it is showing from the waist up. The background of the photo is a white but unusually great background as it really brings out the important features on the page which is the masthead and the image of 50 cent himself. Continuing with the masthead, XXL, is set out in a sans serif type style and this usually indicates that this magazine for the young generation.
Masthead: The XXL masthead is very distinctive as it relates to the whole of the image. As you can see the colour scheme is perfect as it is very plain like an open book it blends in without making the cover seem uninteresting. My last topic on the master head is the word itself. I know the XXL means extra extra large therefore is why everything on the page is to a substantial size Character: The man on the front of the cover is 50 Cent 1975 – Present Composition: 50 Cent is posed in a very intimidating way the way most rappers are presented. His pose and body language is very manly and arrogant. With his back turned and arms crossed it looks like someone you do not what to get on the wrong side off Costume: 50 Cent is wearing the very American style baseball cap with a kind of bullet proof vest which all NYPD would wear this relates to Power which is under the “50 CENT” subordinate master head which says “it’s always money, power and respect” . he is also wearing a bandana underneath like most American gangsters would wear but is mostly concealed by a baseball cap. Another interesting this is that he is wearing a white t-shirt which shows complexion of his skin even more. NVC: His nonverbal communication is very intimidating yet again as his mouth is closed promoting that he shows no fear. He is looking directly at the camera and also the fact that his hands are arms are crossed which means he shows harm. Cover lines: The main cover line says “There is nothing left like me in the culture” this implies that he is one of the only people who brings that originality to his music as he says there not a single other person out in the industry like himself. Another cover line is “Its always money, power & respect” which further shows his lifestyle of being a rapper he is the stereotypical rapper in most people’s opinions who would wear the big chains and carry the guns however he does say respect so also he can be viewed as a thug he shows that he does have moral respect for people who dissevered it. Target Audience: considering all of these points the likely target audience would be the ages of the majority of males but yet still some females around the ages of 18-40 as they would have a good understanding of the popular culture and define the interests of rap and that the majority of people would be Americans. |
Denotation: The magazine front cover consists of very shady and different colours of dark colours which relate to complexion of the man, the background is of low key lighting. The dark toned man on the front cover, Tupac Shakur, is looking directly at you which draws your attention towards the magazine to pick up and read. The camera angle of the man is a medium long shot as it is showing from the waist up. The background of the photo is a backdrop meaning it goes from dark to light this affect is known as chiaroscuro this is a great background as it really brings out the important features on the page which is the masthead and the image of Tupac himself. Continuing with the masthead, Rolling Stone, is set out in a serif type style and this usually indicates that this magazine for the older generation. You can tell this because of the little flicks on the “R” in Rolling and the “S” in Stones. To fill up the rest of the page there are cover lines which are separated by lines. The man who is photographed is in a clear, white, bold and sans serif style to show who the man is.
Masthead: The rolling stones masthead is very distinctive as it relates to the whole of the image. As you can see the colour scheme is perfect as it is very plain like an open book it blends in without making the cover seem uninteresting. Another point is that the style of writing reminds me of the Coco-Cola writing which blends in with the American style which is Tupac’s homeland. My last topic on the master head is the word itself. I know the rolling stones back in the day had a very lively, wild and dangerous lifestyle so having Tupac on a magazine associated with that lifestyle is perfect. Character: The man on the front of the cover is Tupac Shakur 1971 – 1996. Composition: Tupac is posed in a very intimidating way the way most rappers are presented. His pose and body language is very manly and arrogant. Costume: Tupac does not have a costume on. He is shirtless. This implies the rapper is shirtless because it is rather intimidating as he has a rather masculine and toned body structure. This is not the only intimidating thing the fact the is covered in Thug-Like tattoos extends the thought of intimidation. This can be seen in two ways by two genders the fact that the common male will find this intimidating because they would want to have a god like body such as himself and therefore ant to buy the magazine to look like him and that the common female will find this rather sexy and attractive therefore picking up the magazine due to the fact of his body and looks. NVC: His nonverbal communication is very intimidating yet again as his mouth is closed promoting that he shows no fear. He is looking directly at the camera and also the fact that his hands are arms are behind his back shows that he means no harm and is defenceless Cover lines: The main cover line says ”Tupac Shakur – The Strange & Terrible Saga” this indicates that the magazine had come out after the death of Tupac as the majority of people know that on September 7th 1996 he was shot multiple times in a drive by shooting at the intersection of flamingo road in Las Vegas where he was defensiveness further proving my point on the image. We can also tell this was recently after his death as it says the “Election ‘96” the same year in fact Tupac was shot. Target Audience: considering all of these points the likely target audience would be the ages of the majority of males but yet still some females around the ages of 25-45 as they would have a good understanding of the popular culture and define the interests of wide range of musical styles from gospel to rap and that the majority of people would be Americans. |