Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine represents similar social groups to ‘KERRANG’ because it contains content which reflects that of the rock/punk genre, therefore there are many similarities due to the shared target audience. In the image used by KERRANG the mise-en-scene figure expression and positioning of the three men is very similar to that in my main image. The positioning of one band member in front of the others in a triangle formation is a popular way of presenting the band as it connotes power therefore due to the similar target audience I felt it was effective to repeat in my magazine. The social group typically represented in ‘KERRANG’ is white males and females aged 20-30, however I challenged this in PUNKED by using younger models in my images aged 18-25. I felt this was an effective way to attract a younger audience of 14+ year olds as they are more likely to find people closer to their age attractive and relatable which would encourage them to buy the magazine. In the same way as KERRANG I used white males and females as this is the stereotypical social group of the rock/punk genre and exploiting stereotypes like this was important in making the magazine’s genre explicit.

The two main images both represent the punk rock bad boy aesthetic through the aloof facial expressions of the two band members stood at the back, which suggests they don’t care, and the confrontational slight frown of the male at the front making them appear tough and powerful. In KERRANG shadows have been used to make the band appear moody and dark however I decided against this as I aimed for a slightly more light-hearted altitude toward the band. I represented this ‘bad boy’ personality in the band as it is stereotypical of the genre so would be easy to identify by fans of rock/punk music. The image on the bottom left of PUNKED also denotes this rule breaking attitude as the tongue stuck out and red streak in the hair connotes rebelliousness and someone who doesn’t play by the rules which conforms to the social group I aimed to represent.

The hairstyles of the two magazine covers contrast, in KERRANG the band members have quite messy unruly hair however PUNKED the first image the band members have, styled on trend hair. The male on the left has his hair tied back suggesting he is quite vain and cares about how he looks and the male on the right’s hair is clean cut and tidy, finally the man in the centre is weiring a bandanna which has connotations of rebelliousness but also suggests that he takes pride and care in his appearance and fashion. The hairstyles represent a clean cut and professional band compared to the unruly look seen in KERRANG and therefore represents a younger group of rock/punk bands as the clean cut and styled look has become more popular for young bands in recent years such as Bastille and Arctic Monkeys, as I aimed to represent younger social groups than seen in KERRANG it was important for me to also consider difference in styles due to the age difference and current trends.

I used a low angle mid shot in my main image as it causes the band to appear powerful and dominant on the cover which is a typical them associated with rock and punk artists and therefore represents them. In my contents page I also used amid shot as it allowed me to highlight the guitar and microphone which represents the genre and social group of musicians. Furthermore the thumbnail image at the top left of the contents page reinforces the punk/rock social group as the running makeup conforms to the emotional and dark themes associated with the music genre.

The costumes worm by my models was very important as it was vital in highlighting the genre and representing the punk/rock social group. I used clothing that is in fashion right now and popular with the genre for example the denim jacket and bandanna in the mail image, the Plaid shirts worn by both myself in the editorial and by ‘Emma Blackery’ in the contents, and by the black jacket worn over a hoodie in the double page spread. All of this is typical punk/rock fashion so represents the social group which connects with the target audience as they are casual clothing which they would own themselves. The clothing isn’t branded so it can target a wide audience however it is of high quality so looks attractive and professional, this suggests that the magazine aims to attract middle class people which may be reflected in the magazine's price.