Magazines: Heat CSP

Introduction - Heat Media pack:

1) Look at the Heat Media Pack. Go to page 2: the Heat mission. Write three things that Heat offers its readers under 'print'.

Heat states that they offer its readers a "unique, quality experience" - "A-list access shoots" that "no other magazine could pull off". They promise that their "all-inclusive approach" will result in "style for everybody": fashion and beauty recommendations.

2) Now go to page 3 of the Media Pack - celebrity focus. What does the page say that Heat offers readers?

The page says that Heat ensures readers are "always in the know", giving them "conversation starters" through the current information they provide. This suggests that Heat keeps up with trends and current events.

3) Now look at page 4 of the Heat Media Pack. What other content does Heat magazine offer its readers aside from celebrity news?

Aside from celebrity news, Heat states that it offers affordable fashion tips, tricks and products from the high street and also online. They tell audiences where to shop for the best look, providing tips for hairstyles and beauty expertise. Furthermore, they offer lifestyle guides that focus on "food, fitness, wellbeing, travel and homes, all with a unique heat twist", such as travel features or recipes.

4) Look at page 5. What is Heat magazine's audience profile? Write all the key details of their audience here.

Heat's audience profile:

• Female / Male: 90% / 10%
• Avg. Age: 37
• Age Profile: 52% aged 15 - 34; 14% aged 15 - 24; 37% aged 25 - 34
• Segment: 50% ABC1
• Marital Status: 57% married or living with partner / 43% single

Media Language:

1) How are the cover lines written to make the audience want to buy the magazine?

The cover lines continually reference celebrities: British post-celebrities; British reality TV stars; members of the royal family; etc. in order to attract a working-class audience who are interested in the private lives and drama of famous people. This audience is further narrowed through the use of slang, romance terms: "BABY DADDY"; "HEARTACHE"; "SECRETIVE"; etc., that may be targeting a less educated demographic by making it easier for them to understand. The use of rhetorical question in reference to the royal family attracts readers by leaving the question unanswered, making them want to buy it as it implies that the answers will be in the magazine itself. The exaggerated, hyperbolic nature of the main cover line - "ACCUSED OF LYING TO EVERYONE" attracts readers through its direct tone and shocking allegation. This is done again through the reference to Liam Payne's "double life", and "GIOVANNA'S SECRET HEARTACHE". The repetitive mentions of romance and love suggest a target audience interested in petty drama and relationships. At the bottom right, the magazine mentions bargains and deals for Christmas, attracting a working-class audience, without disposable income, in need of gifts for others. 

2) What are the connotations of the Heat colour scheme on this particular front cover?

The use of pink creates stereotypical connotations of femininity, reflecting the primarily female audience of Heat. Yellow is used in order for the main 'gossip' to stand out (e.g. "CAUGHT OUT" and "BEHIND CLOSED DOORS"). White is used to bring attention to the most significant areas of the cover, such as the masthead, the main cover line of Victoria Beckham and the outlines of images. Green is featured in the central background through a natural, 'unmanicured' bush, perhaps connoting that the magazine will be similarly unmanicured, and therefore not elitist, in order to appeal to the working-class target audience of Heat. Red is used only in the bottom right area of the cover to connote Christmas, as that is what that section advertises. It may also compliment the pink colours used elsewhere, or draw attention to the section as it is the only area of the cover that uses red.

3) How are images used to create interest in the magazine? Find three reasons for your answer. (E.g. paparazzi images or aspects of mise-en-scene such props, costume, make-up, body position, facial expression etc.)

 

Most of the images are tightly packed together, suggesting that the magazine will contain a lot of interesting information. These images are also quite grainy and unstaged, and are most likely taken by paparazzi in order to imply that the magazine contains real, truthful information and will have the 'inside scoop' on the private lives of these celebrities. Furthermore, a picture where Harry and Meghan's faces seem guilt-ridden and shameful have been deliberately chosen by the magazine to emphasise the cover line mention their "BIGGEST MISTAKE YET". This has been done throughout the rest of the magazine too: with Victoria Beckham's face seemingly worried to emphasise her being "CAUGHT OUT"; Dani Dyer's face seeming serious to emphasise her being "TERRIFIED"; an aesthetically appealing shot of Cheryl Tweedy compared to Liam Payne's candid, impromptu photo in order to paint her as the victim and Liam Payne as the villain, and Giovanna Fletcher's and Mariah Carey's smiles in order to entice readers. In the central image, Victoria Beckham's outfit is quite casual and informal to reinforce the fact it was taken by paparazzi, and to appeal to a working-class target audience in favour of less extravagance.

4) What differences can you find between the use of design and typography between Tatler and Heat? List at least three differences and explain the effect on audiences.

 

 

 

Tatler's cover is less cluttered, only having one image in comparison to Heat's seven. This gives it a minimalist, refined look that appeals to their target audience of the upper-class, whereas Heat's tightly-packed images maximise space to imply that the magazine will contain lots of information and celebrity gossip, appealing to a working-class audience with an interest in the private lives of famous figures. Perhaps, Tatler does this to suggest that their magazine is so iconic that they don't need clutter to attract an audience, as they already have a very specific one (the British aristocracy), while Heat is for a wider audience, the general public. Both magazines use serif fonts, but Tatler's masthead is completely capitalised, whereas Heat's is unconventionally lowercase. This suggests that Heat is quite an informal, down-to-earth magazine, while Tatler is more high-end and classy. Lastly, Tatler's cover uses less flashy, vibrant colours in comparison to Heat's, perhaps connoting that it's more manicured and rich in comparison to Heat's intentionally eye-catching, 'loud' colour scheme catered to a working-class audience.

Media Representations:

1) What type of celebrities appear on the front cover of Heat? List them here.

• Victoria Beckham - Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, fashion designer, wife of David Beckham
• Dani Dyer - television personality and actress, winner on Love Island
• Prince Harry - member of the Royal family, child of King Charles and Princess Diana
• Meghan Markle - wife of Prince Harry, former actress, media personality
• Giovanna Fletcher - actress, winner on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
• Cheryl Tweedy - member of Girls Aloud,  singer and television personality
• Liam Payne - singer and songwriter, member of One Direction
• Mariah Carey - singer, most known for "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

2) How are celebrities represented in Heat? (Positively? Negatively? Reinforcing or challenging stereotypes?)

 

The magazine reinforces stereotypes of media centred around celebrity gossip, as it shows celebrities (Victoria Beckham, Harry and Meghan, Liam Payne) in a negative light, implying that they are part of a scandal in order to draw and attract attention. The controversies that the magazine displays mostly circle around love and relationships, reinforcing the stereotype that celebrities fall in and out of love very quickly, breaking up and finding someone new only to break up again (for example, how Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are continually represented in the media). It challenges the stereotype that celebrities are 'superior to the general public' as it mentions them informally and features them in less elegant, dramatic clothing - bringing them down to 'our level'. However, it mentions Victoria Beckham using her alibi as Posh Spice (shortened to "Posh"), perhaps in order to counteract this and create more vitriol against her, by disconnecting her from the general, working-class public.

3) How are women represented on the cover of Heat? Think about both images and cover lines here.

 

The female celebrities mentioned in the magazine are mostly mentioned in reference to love and messy relationships, except for Victoria Beckham (her controversy was that she was caught travelling between her two houses during lockdown). This reinforces the stereotype that women are only interested in finding love and a 'man', and that women are more emotional when it comes to the topic of love itself. This is also done through Heat's target audience, as it is comprised of mainly women. Lastly, as there is a section dedicated to Christmas shopping in the bottom right, this cover reinforces the stereotype that women love shopping and bargains.

 

4) How do Heat and Tatler represent social class? What different social classes can you find in the features and celebrities on the cover? (E.g. middle/upper class / working class)

Tatler only uses Emma Weymouth, a member of the upper-class, representing her as elegant and graceful through her dramatic dress and posture. Through this, we see quite a glorified image of the upper-class, illustrating them as the epitome of beauty and grace. This is done further through the fact that no working-class or middle-class people are mentioned (only Emma Weymouth and Boris Johnson). Heat uses a variety of celebrities, from the middle class (Giovanna Fletcher) to the upper-class (Prince Harry), however, it brings these celebrities down to a level where they seem 'on par' with the general public by mentioning them quite casually ("CAUGHT OUT", "BIGGEST MISTAKE", "DOUBLE LIFE", etc.). Heat magazine refrains from idolising the upper-class, instead focusing solely on the drama that their private lives produce.

Grade 8/9 extension tasks:

1) How does the front cover engage audiences with possible narratives? Look for stories, cliffhangers, dramatic cover lines etc.

The front cover engages audiences with multiple cliffhangers (enigma codes), such as "CAUGHT OUT" (Why was she caught out? What for?), "BIGGEST MISTAKE YET" (What was their mistake?), "STANDS TRIAL" (For what?), "SECRET HEARTACHE", "double life", etc. These entice readers by dropping clues, but not giving the full story away immediately, compelling them to look in the magazine to find out the rest. These stories are deliberately catered towards a stereotypically female audience interested in love and messy relationships, as seen by the mentions of: "BABY DADDY", "HEARTACHE" and  "double life". Moreover, these are also more colloquial terms that would attract a less educated target audience, interested in a more informal magazine instead of something like Tatler, which would be seen as somewhat elitist. Most of these cover lines are also extremely hyperbolic - "LYING TO EVERYONE", "BIGGEST MISTAKE", "TERRIFIED" - in order to exaggerate the stories, enticing audiences by making these controversies seem more serious then they actually are.

2) What are paparazzi images and why are they crucial to the front cover of Heat?

Paparazzi images are photos taken of celebrities by the paparazzi, people who pursue celebrities when they go outside to capture often personal, private moments. These photographs are commonly sold to media companies, like Heat, to attract attention. This is because the candid, impromptu style of paparazzi images can make it seem like magazines and other forms of media have information on the private lives of celebrities. They are crucial to the front cover of Heat to emphasise the cover lines, such as "CAUGHT OUT", "BIGGEST MISTAKE", "TERRIFIED", etc. One interesting case is with Harry and Meghan's photo. A picture where there faces are shameful and guilty is deliberately chosen by Heat to emphasise their shame over their supposed "BIGGEST MISTAKE", however, the photo was taken from a funeral, where they are rightfully mournful, and is cropped to remove the gravestones in the background (although you can still see some). This example shows the extent media companies will go to in order to attract audiences and increase sales.

3) How does the front cover juxtapose text and images to create contrast and narrative on the front cover of Heat?

Some examples of juxtaposition in text and images include:

• Giovanna Fletcher: the cover lines mention her "SECRET HEARTACHE", yet the image of her shows her smiling brightly. Perhaps, this emphasises the "SECRET" factor of her controversy by making it seem as if Giovanna is attempting to hide her heartbreak, enticing audiences.
• Liam Payne and Cheryl Tweedy: these images are juxtaposed - Cheryl Tweedy's image is aesthetically pleasing while Liam Payne's is quite unflattering; these photos are deliberately chosen by Heat in order to paint Cheryl Tweedy as the victim, 'princess' and innocent person, and Liam Payne as the villain and cheater. This creates a narrative. where audiences become interested in what Liam Payne did to hurt Cheryl.

4) What do these two magazines suggest about representations of social class in the British media?

These magazines suggests that representations of social class are varied depending on the target audience of the company - Heat does not elevate and idolise the upper-class, they deliberately focus on controversies associated with them in order to entice their primarily working-class audience. On the other hand, Tatler emphasises their rich, manicured aesthetic (the hedge background, Emma Weymouth's ball-gown, dramatic dress, etc) in order to appease the upper-class, their target audience. They mostly refrain from including working and middle-class celebrities as it is not their target audience, and the lives of the aristocracy are centred around their own social class (so they have no need of knowing about the working-class). Heat mostly doesn't include these celebrities either, but not for the same reason - a working-class audience would not be interested in learning about their own lives in a magazine centred around celebrity gossip, they would want to know of the latest drama concerning the upper-class. This suggests that representations of social class in the British media hinge on target audiences, instead of one being underrepresented or overrepresented. The absence of working-class people on these magazines is clear, but it does not seem to offend anyone as most magazines are centred around celebrities anyway (most celebrities are upper or middle-class).