Rolling Stone is an American magazine that features music, politics and popular culture and is published fortnightly. The magazine was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner – who has remained editor and publisher ever since - and music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was named after the Muddy Waters song and is well known for its controversialist manner. In the 1990’s, the magazine changed to appeal to a younger demographic by focusing more on younger popular culture. One example of the magazine’s obvious success having The Beatles (whether is be together or individually) on the front cover over thirty times.
The main feature on the front cover is of Britney Spears, one of the most famous icons from the music industry; Spears’s status in itself will immediately grab the readers’ attention because she is so well-known. This is clear when the headline next to her is ‘Britney’, even without her last name being featured most people is the Rolling Stone demographic will still know who she is. The story accompanying her photograph says ‘that kiss’; this is referring to the kiss between herself and Madonna at the last VMA’s. It has been written in this way because it is assumed that readers’ will be aware this kiss due to the publicity and media focus it received straight after.
Britney is in the centre of the photograph with the other cover stories surrounding her. Her head is covering the title of the magazine this is a usual convention for most magazines as the photograph may be ruined if the title covered it and regular buyers of the magazine will know what the magazine due to its format and style without having to see the entire title.
Britney Spears has been dressed in a pair of knickers with a shirt in front of her as she leans into the wall. Her positioning is side on to the camera to make the image compatible for both male and female readers; however if this was a magazine purely designed for men (e.g. FHM) she would most probably be directed to face towards the camera. Sex sells, so by having Britney Spears dressed this way on the front cover Rolling Stone are almost bound to have successful sales for the issue. She is in between two walls, which in the layout of the front cover, act as an ideal backdrop for the cover stories.
In each issue of any magazine, the front cover will usually include a colour scheme; the chosen scheme of this issue is blue. This may challenge expectations because blue is usually used to represent the male gender but Britney Spears, a well-known singer and possibly sex symbol, is on the cover. This might have been done because the main target audience for this issue will be from the male market.
On the left side of the cover, it publicises Spears’s interview with the words ‘on Justin, that kiss and being alone’ as well as listing celebrity names such as David Boiwe and Bill Murray. It does not explain how they have been featured in the issue, for example interviews or photographs, Rolling Stone have just depended upon their names selling the issue; this why they have probably used the more well-known names in the magazine. Below both of these, there is the cover story: ‘Martin Scorsese’s history of the Blues’. Taking in account the fact that Rolling Stone is considered music magazine, this is the only specific story related to the musical industry. Although Britney Spears is a renowned figure and is famous through her musical ability, her interview is advertised as talking about her personal life as well as recent publicity stunts.
On the right side of the cover, there is a ‘2003 Hot List’, this (similarly to the part of the left hand side) just lists names of celebrities, bands and other artists; in the hope that just the names of the names of the celebrities will sell the magazine. This may seem rather risky but our culture has now become very celebrity orientated with media being almost central in teenagers and young adult’s lives’. The last story on the front cover is about politics another regular feature of a Rolling Stone magazine.
No comments:
Post a Comment