IPC Media

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To What Extent Should Magazines Be Held Responsible For The Social Ramifications Of The Representations They Offer?

"Our magazines are made for entertainment purposes, and shouldn't be taken as a guide to teenage girls living their lives" a quote from a spokesperson from a well known magazine, aimed at women. With these magazines there is always a catch line, for example 'Cosmo Girl' '50 WAYS TO GET SEXY HAIR', these kinds of statements give the target audience of this magazine a reason to buy it, instantly it interests a 'typical teenage girl' how to get 'Sexy Hair' or whatever the catch line may be, if it can draw the attention of the target audience then it is doing it's job, but how does this affect the people that read the magazines? are these magazines entertaining or bordering on becoming a guide for girls lives?

The way that these catch lines are written, even though they are someones opinion still suggests that they're the law, for example 'Sugar' with '63 thing you NEED to know about YOUR boobs' it is a command, you must know the information being offered, and the fact that it is made personal by talking about a physical asset women have and aren't very confident about. Another catchline example is again, from 'Cosmo Girl' - 'What he tells his friends after you hook up' this is suggesting two things, one is that you trust this magazine more than you are meant to trust your partner, and also it suggests that all of these celebrities and everyone else is 'hooking up' which twists the thoughts of the target audience to think that if they're not doing it it isn't right.

The main feature of all of these magazines is the celebrity on the front cover, who are all airbrushed, and lit up from the background to get the target audiences attention. The average age of the target audience for these magazines will be 11-16, and at the youngest age a girl is maybe at her most vulnerable and most influential, which is where in my opinion it is wrong for these magazines to advertise sex, and what is essentially being an adult to children.

All of these magazines are like peer pressure publications, because unlike another human being, you can judge their personality, and a trust is built, but with a book or a magazine there is a false sense of security, because it is seen as an authoritative figure, because it is all set out perfectly, for example in Sugar it says 'Your Summer Style...' as if to suggest if you don't dress like the way Sugar says, you won't look good this summer, which almost forces teenagers to g out and buy the latest clothes, makeup etc.

In conclusion I think that magazines of this nature should be held responsible for what they do, because even though they may defend their message it's clear a lot of young girls and teenage girls are affected by these magazines and other forms of media, but on the other hand it is also fair to say as a magazine publication it isn't the law, just like every other magazine, it is someones opinion on a fact, for example all of the style tips will be on what celebrities are wearing most, and someones opinion from the magazine.