I agree that music magazines tend to appeal to males..
Evidence that Q appeals more to males
· Front Cover Image- harsh, ‘in your face’ (looking directly at the camera). Most of the time male artist are used however when female artists are presented, they are portrayed as a sexual icon (not as a role model to females). Unwelcoming expressions – not smiling, serious, angry, moody. Unattractive male- therefore does not appeal to females.
· Aggressive Language- ‘Kick off’ – violent, cruel, unsympathetic (males come across as the more ruthless genders). ‘Madness, mayhem’- strong words, chaotic atmosphere (to the point) – wouldn’t appeal to females as they are calm whereas males are messy, unorganised characters. The title ‘Q’- younger audiences might not be able to understand the meaning it/ what type of magazine this is.
· Aggressive Bold Font- Title ‘Q’ is presented in a simple font which won’t appeal to younger audiences. Other headings and sell lines across the cover are normally in capital letters (harsh, you can’t miss it)- sometimes comes across as shouting which wouldn’t appeal to females as females are polite, caring, gentle ect.
· Colours- not very colourful (quite plain so won’t attract younger audiences, especially females). Main colour is red which is harsh, bold. Also uses black a lot- dark colour which attracts males.
· Sell Line Fonts – Yet again very simple, like the headline. Uses simple colours and fonts – people are clearly more interested to what the sell line is actually saying to how it is presented. The use of dark colours such a black coveys how the cover is mainly aimed at males.
Evidence that Kerrang appeals to both genders
· Scruffy Heading – Appeals to males- boys are messy characters and are less likely to care about their appearance then girls are. Title ‘Kerrang’ has an edgy look therefore links to the music genre the magazine is about – this will persuade both male and female music fans who are interested in this type of music. The style of ‘Kerrang’ is more interesting than the title ‘Q’ which will attract a wider range of audiences (more characters so more males AND females).
· Images of Male Artists – characters are more cheeky then aggressive (so are less serious and more fun). However the artists also never tend to smile- normally have more weirder, abnormal expressions which is more humorous so both males and females will find it funny and enjoy the comedy side of the magazine.
· Colours – Always use contrasting colours, are quite colourful- different colours attract a wider audience ( black, blue, red appeals to males. White, pink, yellow appeals to females).
· Free Posters – will appeal more to females as they are more likely to have posters up on their walls of their music icons or to make their bedroom look pretty/appealing to suit their character. Females would also use posters of male artists as they may find them attractive (same for males towards female artists). Although females are more likely to have female artists on their bedroom (as their inspiration) then males are to have of male artists.
· Sell line Fonts –‘Kerrang’ have many which makes the cover look busy, hectic, messy. Having a range of different sell lines will appeal to both males and females as some may appeal to a certain gender more than others. Sell lines are mostly in bold capital letters which makes the magazine look more straight- forward, to the point and informative
Evidence that TOTP appeals to females
· Colours – Always uses pink on the front cover (pink is associated with females). Covers are often very colourful and busy. Often uses two main colours that contrast each other well. (Also uses purple, yellow, light blue, orange which are quite girly colours).
· Free Posters – Sometimes include pictures of the posters inside the magazine (normally of male artists, boy bands and women who are role models to the target audience). The attractive male artists and members of the boy bands will appeal to the female audience because of their good looks. Females are more likely to stick posters of their idols up onto their walls (including a mixture of female and male artist/celebrities) unlike males.
· Free gift – these certain free gifts include make-up or girly accessories that will appeal to females (especially the younger girls who will be new to make-up products so will appreciate a small make-up gift). Younger audiences will be excited towards free gifts as they would see it as one of the main aspects or buying the magazine (they may even enjoy the idea of getting the free gift more than the actual magazine).
· Girly Heading – Frequently uses pink as part of the main headline (will appeal to females and catch their attention as the name of the magazine is one of the main aspects on the cover).
· Images Used – The front cover is normally of a successful pop artist or icon that wil be popular around the time of the magazine’s release. Many different girl pop stars are presented on the front cover with much of their outfit on display or will be wearing a particular accessory – this type of presentation will persuade girls to buy the magazine if they are interested in fashion or like the way the artist looks (they may inspire to look like them). The same thing also applies for males however male artists or actors on the front cover are normally considered to be attractive- this way they can appeal to the female audience. Each celebrity on the front cover is normally smiling, expressing happy emotions – this portrays the music genre. Many images of other celebrities are also presented to target a wider range of audiences.
