Research: codes and convention of magazine front covers

The brand identity for both of the magazine are from the same institution Q!. The logo letter Q is always in a red box. The colour red has the representation of being important, stop and danger. Red is a powerful colour as its a primary colour making it strong. The theme for the magazine is always red, white and black. This fits into the fact that the main celebrity on the front cover is from a rock band (Dave Grohl), giving it stereotype that come with being in a rock band. They are considered to be in dark clothing and makeup. There are bold cover lines on this front cover entices the reader as they are mentioning more well known celebrities so that it will appeal to more people. This is because the Foo Fighters are a soft rock band, but there is a mention of Niki Minaj, who is considered to be more of the pop side of music. There are conventions on this front, like the advertising in the top right hand corner. The words "free" and "exclusive" are buzzwords making people even more eager to buy the magazine. these are placed in a puff, a circular shape that the words are placed in. The main image on this front cover is of the lead singer of the Foo Fighters, a well known celebrity. This image has been edited to show that he has power and authority, being dominant. His facial expression is very aggressive. This links into Judith Butlers idea that gender is a performance, but also Stuart Hall. Stuart Hall theory is that representation is the way in which meanings are produced through the signs and convention. Like stereotyping on the front cover of this Q! magazine, with both of the celebrities. The Foo Fighter cover shows how the male is very confident and dominant, how a male should be as we've grown up to have these ideas of what every male is like. The same goes for the Cheryl Cole poster. She as a women is brought up to be something that a male desires and should be seductive because that's what we've been taught. Men as stereotypically aggressive and modern woman as using sexuality as a power tool. Both negative interpretations, but some readers may read these texts this way. Hall negotiated theory can be applied as well, as the audience accepts parts of the producer's views, but has their own views on parts as well.