representation

Question 1

what movement is the black lives matter (blm)?

Answer 1

it is an international activist movement

Question 2

where did blm originated from?

Answer 2

from the african american community

Question 3

what did the blm campaigns against? why?

Answer 3

campaigns against violence and systematic racism towards black people as it started in 2013 with the spread of the hashtag #blacklivesmatter after the controversial acquittal of george zimmerman in the shooting of trayvon martin

Question 4

how did blm became nationally recognised through? why?

Answer 4

through social media and street demonstrations following 2 more black deaths in 2014

Question 5

what does this dominance of this movement on social media may possibly have to do with?

Answer 5

have something to do with the huge number of twitter followers and facebook likes pride magazine now has

Question 6

according to the pride’s website, how much followers and likes do they have than any other title in the ethnic market?

Answer 6

300% more

Question 7

when did black pride started?

Answer 7

around the time of the civil rights movement of the 1960s

Question 8

what was black pride a response to? what encourage the black people to do?

Answer 8

response to dominant white cultures and ideologies that encouraged black people to celebrate black culture and embrace their african heritage

Question 9

what was the afro hairstyle associated with?

Answer 9

associated with everything natural

Question 10

what did the afro hairstyle symbolise?

Answer 10

black pride and power

Question 11

what is the contrast of artificial hairstyles?

Answer 11

wearing wigs or having relaxed hair both of which were seen as pandering to European notions of beauty

Question 12

what cover line is associated with wigs?

Answer 12

“the wig revolution”

Question 13

what does harris hair look like? why?

Answer 13

straight hair rather than her natural curls perhaps could have something to do with the consumerist context of the magazine filled with adverts for hair care products such as relaxers and featuring photographs of black women with long, flowing, straightened hair

Question 14

how is the cover star presenting as a role model?

Answer 14

she is successful, black, british cover star (dominant image)

Question 15

who is harris also a role model to (excluding its readers) why?

Answer 15

someone from their community because she was raised in a single-parent household and came from a working class background. This very ‘normal’ upbringing makes it easier for the readers to aspire to be like her.

Question 16

what does the magazine declares itself to be?

Answer 16

be “the face of this new young black Britain; outgoing, confident and ambitious, whilst still maintaining pride in their culture
and origins”

Question 17

how is harris linked to the stereotypical representation of femininity in relation to body image?

Answer 17

she is attractive and slim as women constantly struggle to be successful by holding down a job whilst also looking good and dressing fashionably

Question 18

the very essence of all women’s lifestyle magazines is what? how?

Answer 18

consumerism -> so the images and cover lines will always seek to support this

Question 19

what other magazines relates to its consumerism?

Answer 19

vogue, marie claire, elle

Question 20

what does the cover line “how far would you go to be beautiful?” suggest?

Answer 20

suggest that the reader cannot already be naturally beautiful, there is always room for improvement. Therefore, black women reading or starring in Pride are represented as having just as many beauty problems as their white peers.

Question 21

what does not change just because of skin colour?

Answer 21

the importance of body image and consumerism

Question 22

what does “objectified, sexualised, mocked. black womenswear bodies examined” suggest?

Answer 22

readers are reminded that they could and should look better and that
they will be judged on their appearance

Question 23

what is the magazine including?

Answer 23

hard hitting journalism and doesn’t completely hold together when you read the second line

Question 24

where is the fgm held?

Answer 24

harley street - an area of london well known for cosmetic procedures

Question 25

from the fgm issue, what can you argue?

Answer 25

that the magazine’s only angle when covering this issue is wholly focused on beauty and body image

Question 26

from the fgm issue, what it perhaps could still be seen as?

Answer 26

a brave move to put it on the cover of a popular lifestyle magazine, bringing a very serious topic into the public domain

Question 27

what does the exclamation mark makes the magazine’s point of view on the topic as?

Answer 27

clear -> tone of shock

Question 28

what does the statement about fgm suggest?

Answer 28

that for some people, the practice is more about aesthetics than religion, culture or tradition showing that the magazine’s engagement with their target audience as for them, the idea that some women are paying fgm at expensive clinics is shocking

Question 29

why is the image considered as a commodity? why?

Answer 29

most of the images used on a women’s magazine cover are produced to sell and advertise the magazine.
because if there wasn’t an attractive figure on the front, the magazine many more stand out and sell as many copies

Question 30

what is stuart hall theoretical perspective?

Answer 30

that media texts contain a variety of messages that are encoded (made) by producers and then decided (understood) by audiences