Oh comely - language and representation

 Oh Comely Language and Representation: blog tasks

Language: close-textual analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Oh Comely CSP pages:

Front cover

1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?

The  hand- written typeface used on the front cover suggests that it is majestic and making it personal to the audience like a letter being given.

2) The words under the title introduce the content and topics addressed. What do these suggest about the potential audience of Oh Comely?

They suggest that the audience is interested in fashion, music, arthouse movies.

3) How do the cover lines use narrative to create enigma? What do the cover lines suggest about the magazine's content and audience?

The cover lines uses narrative to create enigma through giving snippets of what do expect when reading oh comely meaning the reader must buy it for find the answer and having a female on the front cover suggests it rears more into the feminist ideology.

4) Write an analysis of the central image.

The central image on the front cover is of a young white women which be around the ages of 21 with a relaxed posture and non conforming beauty standards as her face us only masked with a small amount of makeup and her eyebrows are bold and nice. This could suggest that it gives a more realistic perspective in terms of magazines and there is no airbrushing done so this could signify the real women and the what the magazine stands for.

5) What representation of gender can be found on this front cover?

The representation of gender that can be found of the front cover suggest it's a female oriented magazine.


Feature: Speaking Out

1) What does the headline and standfirst suggest about Oh Comely's feminist perspective?

The headline and stand first takes up most of the page which signify the importance of the issue being placed.

2) What do the interviewees in this feature suggest about the values and ideologies that underpin this magazine?

The interviewees in this monthe issue suggest that they are centred around the feminist Ideology and they value women from different ages, ethnicities and working industries.

3) How conventional is the page design in this feature? Why?

The page design is unconventional as it usually has the central image in an A4 size and with the writing beside it this means it gives the reader access to read the article and then get a photo graphic feel of the article. 

4) Pick out specific aspects of this feature that subvert the stereotypical representation of women in the media. Why is the absence of men a key feature of Oh Comely?

One aspect of this feature that subverts stereotypical representation of women would be the 'speaking out' article which features a FGM campaigner who is a black hijabi women which we sont see often in magazines especially in cosmopolitan or glamour and it subverts the representation of women in this industry as it time them a voice is real issues that's around time instead of just talking about looks and what their diet looks like. The absence of men is a key feature of oh comely because it gives their readers a space of talking about issues that not a lot of men  unfortunately care about and is a space of tranquillity.

5) How does the photography offer a fresh or unusual perspective on women?

The photography offers a fresh perspective of women because it provides an inner layer of women not necessarily shown in the media and gives light to more vulnerable issues that women face.

Feature: More than gender

1) How does this feature offer a fresh perspective on gender and identity?

It provides a fresh perspective on gender and identity as it talks about transitions and the intake on trans people and non binary coming to terms with who they are.

2) What is the significance of the writer and photographer? How does this fit with the Oh Comely brand?

The significance of the writer and photographer is that they both capture each article in their own terms.

3) What style of photography is used in this feature?

In this feature there is a first person photograph for each feature which makes it realistic.

4) What representations of the transgender lifestyle can be found in this feature?

The representation that transgender lifestyle is something that a hard process especially with societies standards but those are the strongest people and it will be positive for them when they feel comfortable with where they are in life.

5) Why is the biographical information at the end of the article significant? (Clue: the writer is also an editor of a niche, creative magazine called Entitle).

The biographical information at the end of the article is significant as it's a creative and niche magazine so this could be a form of macguffin for them.


Representation and identity

Work through the following questions on representation and Oh Comely:

1) How do representations in Oh Comely challenge stereotypes? 

The representation in oh comely challenges stereotypes because it forms issues about real issues and addresses them in ways which their audience can understand.

2) What representations of race, ethnicity and nationality can be found in the 'Speaking Out' feature?

The representation of race, ethnicity and nationality can be found in 'speaking out' shows that FGM is a something everyone should be fighting against to stop.

3) What representation of women and femininity can be found in Oh Comely?

The representation of women and femininity in oh comely contributes to empowering women to accept themselves and not be silenced by societies beauty and just overall rules made for women.

4) Why might Oh Comely deliberately under-represent men? (The absence of men in the magazine appears to be a largely deliberate move by the editors).

They under-represent men because they features stories that could only be known to women and gives a deep dive into femininity and it creates a safe space for them to understand these issues.

5) Does Oh Comely fit into the possible fourth wave of feminism? Or is it evidence of post-feminism - that feminism is no longer needed?

Oh comely would fit into the fourth wave feminism but some features would suggest that sexism still exist (which is does) but ti sustain long term equality we must educate to a wider audience.

6) How does the 'More than gender' feature challenge Levi-Strauss's structuralist theory of binary opposition?

The 'more than gender' feature challenges Levi-Strauss's structuralist theory of binary opposition as gender is more fluid and you can control your  own identity that fits you personally.

7) Judith Butler argues gender is a performance. How does Oh Comely challenge traditional gender roles? You should refer to both the cover and the selected CSP features. 

Judith Butler argues that gender is a performance which means it can be applied to anyone as it was created to control society. Oh comely challenges traditional gender roles as the front cover the protagonist is of a woman who conveys both feminine and masculine traits and is being objectified but not sexually but artistically.

8) Liesbet van Zoonen has suggested women's bodies are objectified and artificially constructed to present women as passive and restricted to secondary roles. How does Oh Comely challenge this stereotypical representation of women in the media? 

Oh comely challenges this theory through giving issues that affect women and not conforming to gendered and normalised magazine covers.

 This means that they use women and their stories that are realistic to the majority and that are breaking boundaries.

9) David Gauntlett argues that identity is becoming more fluid, media representations change over time and that there are generational differences. Does Oh Comely support this viewpoint?

Yes, oh comely supports this view as this magazine builds its agenda on showing real stories and issues that feature women from different backgrounds, race, religion, sexuality and nationality making a change in our society and not conforming to rules being held by society.

10) It has been argued that Oh Comely is a far more open text (Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding/reception theory) with more room for negotiation in interpretation. Do you agree with this view? Why?

Yes, Oh comely thrives with the intention of being open and is full of information that inspires the masses of women and some men and their cover pages and standfirst create a space of different decoding patterns.