Self evaluation- Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I think the only real social group that my magazine represents are people who hate popular music. There is the problem in today’s culture, that radio and TV stations, and sometimes even magazines, focus only on the annoying world of pop-music, where there are no real role models for my generation. Many more people prefer grunge and indie music than others may realise. These are the people NOISE represents. What may be considered “noise” by some, is a masterpiece in music to others.
                However, I also feel it represents women as being powerful and independent. In my own issue of NOISE, there are only female stars. The front cover is of a friend, who I’ve represented as “Belle Hayward, legendary bassist”. The other two “stars” of my issue are also females, who I’ve named Eve Charming and Ray Jones. I think my magazine shows that not only men are interested in “heavier” genres of music, but women are too, and should be included within the genre itself. In the world of rock, it seems a taboo to include women, as they are not seen as appropriate to the genre, like men.

                I can’t think of any magazine which represents people according to their genre more than their gender. Kerrang, Q and NME usually focus, through images, on gender, men in trousers, women in skirts with ripped tights. Men are usually shown with more tattoos than women, which I personally know isn’t the case. Rockstars are renowned for tattoos, regardless of gender. Even if a woman did have a tattoo, they probably wouldn’t be shown in the article, as it’s “showing body”.
                An example of this would be an article in a recent issue of “Kerrang”, which features Lynz Way, the bassist of pop-punk band, Mindless Self Indulgence. She has a half sleeve tattoo on her left arm. Meaning her sleeve starts at the shoulder and finishes on the forearm, just under the elbow. It’s a relatively large tattoo to miss. When doing shows, she’d have them on display. She also has one on her right thigh and a few on her right forearm. In the image, she is shown wearing baggy pyjamas, which are mentioned in the article. However, the photographer could have asked her to role her sleeves up to show the tattoos.  

                Another example of this would be the special issue Kerrang released, which focused on musicians with tattoos. No female stars were interviewed for the issue. There is clearly segregation here.

               Focussing on women for the two issues we made, I think, would give the impression that it is a women’s magazine, which is not necessarily the case. It’s for both genders, aimed specifically at everyone with a taste for good music. NOISE differs to other magazines with the fact that it focuses on music, rather than gender.

                  So, overall, I think NOISE could appeal to quite literally anyone who is interested in the chosen genres.