ADBUSTERS

First impressions:

• no idea what genre - every cover is different, doesn't include contents on the cover
• parody
• political
• mainly central images
• mastheads are all different - identity isn't consistent 
• the magazine doesn't contain any paid-for adverts

Adbusters May/June 2016

• published 6 times a year by Adbusters Media Foundation
• £10.99
• 120,000 readership (website April 2017)
• independent/campaigning/culture jamming genre 

• confusion is a good reaction
• "post-west" - war of the west, America 
• angry gesture and army jacket - anarchy, going against social norms of society
• could look excited - we enjoy war, criticizing our culture
• masthead covered in dirt and sand - destroying identity of magazine, focus on "post-west", vandalism, don't care what the audience thinks about them
• subverts a lot of conventions of magazines - stands out as its own identity
• front cover image isn't anchored with a caption - hermeneutic code, read it to find out
• black background - subverts conventions of consumer/lifestyle magazines
• male in camouflage jacket - not a model, not there for audience to aspire to be him, hermeneutic code 
• front cover in not fully anchored - assumes a level of understanding from the audience
• cover lacks conventions of magazines - what's inside?, genre?, designed to challenge you

"Genre conventions in magazines are completely informed by the social and historical context to which they are made" - Michael Collins

Evaluate this statement with reference to Adbusters. Make reference to genre hybridity 

• genre conventions - things that make magazines and their genres
• different historical and social contexts will affect the conventions of the magazines
• global terrorism, Brexit, Donald Trump elected as president
• evaluate 

How to structure an essay:

1. Read the question and underline key terms
2. Gut reaction - whats your opinion? what argument will you make?
3. Plan - on the answer paper (social, historical, political ideologies, genre hybridity, financial reasons)
4. Introduction - (context - Adbuters Media foundation, 1st published 1989)(definition - genre, why is it important?)(arguament - "In general, Collins.....")
5. Paragraphs (point - a sentence or two, clarifies what the paragraph is about)(evidence - from a very specific source)(argument - theorists, analyse evidence)
6. Conclusion - no new information - need your opinion to come through, repeat what you've already said

• red logo against white draws attention
  
• "red soles are always in season" - lexis refers to the high-end brand but also sore feet on the child ("red soles"), dark humour
• binary opposition - brand against image, conventions of a charity advert
• makes readers feel guilty because they're spending money on expensive shoes, whilst some children don't have any, dominant reading
• lexis targeted towards middle class - more likely to own the shoes, even more guilt
• pure white background is a binary opposite to the image of poverty
• anti-consumerism ideology
• wearing the shoes gives people cultural capital 

• no language, no lexis, no anchorage
• binary opposition of image of refugees trying to escape from somewhere (colour of skin, clothes, location, facial expressions) against catwalk (clothing, location)
• we all live in the same world but everyone lives so differently, complete poverty vs absolute luxury 
• sense of helplessness and confusion
• monochrome and coloured image - emphasizes the difference 
• consumerism fills a void that people feel when they see negative images of 3rd world suffering 
• mid shot shows they're in a really small space together 

COMMODITY FETISHISM  giving a significant value to an object

MARXISM  conflict between the working class and ruling class

• working class is exploited by ruling class
• working class is kept poor, kept in their place
• Adbusters have a very marxist ideology

• dutch tilt - mystery, drama and romance
• "him" - personification, 
• white backgrounds - purity, cleanliness, elegance
• model has tattoos - unconventional for women
• tap has a lot of cultural capital - commodity fetishism
• "poor people" - identified as poor, stating facts to reader
• nothing to anchor the image - confusing, 2 readings, high angle shot with nothing in her hands shows weakness and vulnerability, hands wrinkly because she's had a bath, she's got enough water to have a bath
• we should appreciate water 
• binary opposition of the zucchetti tap - tap is the focus (fetish) 
• water is being glamourised and turned into a product (commodified) 
• you can almost see through the water - crystal clear compared to "pollution"
  
  

'The representation of women in Adbusters is consistently subversive'

I would agree that the representation of women in Abusters is consistently subversive because they are not sexualised for audience pleasure. For example, the magazine has included an image of a woman in a bath, yet only her hands, knees, and bottom of her face are shown. Traditionally, the chance to sexualise women in adverts is desirable because it broadens the target audience, especially heterosexual males; Lizbet Van Zoonen's feminist theory supports this, she also refers to this as the 'male gaze'. Therefore, this representation of the female model subverts stereotypes of magazines and adverts because she hasn't been displayed to attract an audience or to appeal to be desirable. 

The magazine also goes against hegemonic ideas of gender in the image of a female model on a catwalk, which has been covered by another image of refugees in a 3rd world country. This collage forms what Claude Levi-Strauss would call binary opposition, which is emphasized with the difference between colour and monochrome. The female legs connotate the fashion industry, however, the image is subverted because the audience is robbed of seeing her face. 

• Representation is a way to manipulate the audience 
• The dominant ideology of Adbusters is anti-capitalist, by attacking adverts and capitalism (marxist) 

• "went head on against the whole fucking industry"
• "totally dedicated to staying hard copy"
• "We have this culture jammers network, and almost 100,000 people have signed up"
• "there’s been a lot of out-of-the-box thinking, and a lot of young designers don’t wanna spend the rest of their lives kissing corporate ass"
• "Adbusters talk a lot to the converted, but you have a whole bunch of interesting unconverted people so fuck it, convert them"

WEBSITE 

DIFFERENT HOUSE STYLE (FONTS)

REINFORCES BRAND IDENTITY

• SOMETHING THEY DON'T OFFER IN THE MAGAZINE (ADVERT)
• EXTENDS THE BRAND

SOCIAL MEDIA

INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCE

It is important for print magazines such as Adbusters to have an online presence because it opens it's potential target audience to younger adults/ teenagers. For example, the magazine publishers have expanded the brand onto various social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, which are commonly used by younger people in their everyday lives; therefore, this increases the brand awareness. By posting examples of things that can be found in the magazine and on the website, this may increase interest and give new readers an idea of what they'll find in the magazine, which should increase sales. Additionally, it is much easier for younger teenagers to access the content of the magazine online because of the easy accessibility. Sonia Livingstone's Theory of Regulation suggests that because of the freedom that we have on the internet, it is much easier for regulations and restrictions to be bypassed, which makes the magazine even more available for this new audience. 

BUY NOTHING DAY

• "buying stuff will never make you happy"
• want their readers to buy nothing for a day