Woman Magazine Lesson 2

 Woman magazine

The use of a 'present' suggests this kitchen is something you want but not need, and therefore suggests this is something women should aspire for, of which reinforces hegemonic ideas that women should stay at home in the kitchen and are good for nothing but cooking and raising children. This is anchored by the happy looking photo of the women cooking with her child. The target audience for this 30-50 year old heterosexual women.

The idea that women can make this kitchen themselves might make them feel empowered as normally they have to go through their husbands, and that through this they can explore their arty skills. The sexist term of 'any girl' suggests that women can weak and that they are not as capable as men. Female audiences may have skimmed over this article and read it and feel inspired but not have the motivation to do it. 

The idea of getting the 'man in your life to do it' suggests that you must have a man in your life in order to be successful. This also makes an assumption that the audience are straight. It says you need to be smart with your money, which suggests that women are paid less, and should prioritise being at home and not spend too much or the 'man' will be angry. It is odd that she is teaching her son how to cook as stereotypically men did not cook, which is a positive message. This cultivates the view that women belong in the kitchen. It also cultivates the idea that women must clean the house and fulfil the role of a typical housewife. This constructs a target audience - this is very specific. The advantages of reinforcing these ideas with a female readerbase provides something familiar as they have been used to being suppressed throughout their entire lives - this reflects the society in which it was published it in. If you control women then you can control society through hegemonic power - this then enforces a more peaceful patriarchal society.

Lisbet Van Zoonen - Feminist theory 

Gender is constructed through codes and conventions of media products, and the idea of what is male and female changes over time. 

Women's bodies are used in media products as a spectacle for heterosexual male audience, which reinforces patriarchal hegemony. 

The male gaze - The audience, the characters within the media products ; everybody is looking at somebody. 

Alfred Hitchcock 

Women's purpose is to make men happy and to sexually surprise them. He suggests they are exotic which connotes that they are mysterious and different. This is an example of patriarchal hegemony. He objectifies the women by saying they are 'snowcapped volcanoes', of which further reiterates that they are only good for sex. He makes the point that it is okay to objectify women if you are married, as that is their purpose. The pictures make Alfred Hitchcock look assertive and confident, even though he is not stereotypically attractive. The proairetic code of him looking like he is speaking makes the text look like he is telling the article like a story. The image of grace kelly makes her look vulnerable and makes her seem passive. The article is a monologue of which suggests hat he is powerful and important. It does not mention his career or anything about him, it just objectifies women, it says that without sexual appeal his films could not succeed.