Kristina's Media Blog: Magazine 2

the practice of criticising and subverting advertising and consumerism in the mass media, by methods such as producing advertisements parodying those of global brands.

Genre of Adbusters from looking at 3 front covers

The genre is not automatically clear on first glance due to all covers being completely different and no inside into what stories are featured so we have no clue.

Informal.
Main image.
All different mastheads so that is a big deal as its not consistent with their brand.
Barcode is in a different place every time, on the 3rd image its directly on his moustache so he looks like hitler and it shows he may be in power only due to his wealth.
Adbusters does not feature paid adverts if it does include adverts its because they're hijacking it and detournement.

The sans serif so it seems quite modern and is directed to a more high class audience maybe due to its high price point.

Dark images, not colourful shows a deep meaning and perhaps no happiness in the meaning behind the image.

'Post - West' - Going against ideas of western society and is very much anti western.

Critical of our culture in the idea that we are obsessed with war, as the model seems to be happy and cheering for war.

The masthead with dirt over the top it looks as if they have ruined there own front cover, the spray paint tool has been used in order to achieve it, shows it is self vandalism, they dont care what we think about them, its more about what they've got to offer inside the magazine.

We do not know what we would be getting for our money if we spent £10.99 on this, its not clear on what were paying for so we are unable to justify due to the unconventional magazine layout of the front cover.

Masthead is plain white sans serif font clearly visible top of cover, although partially covered over by the 'spray paint' effect, it looks vandalised. The reason why this is unconventional as usually we need to know what the magazine is. Adbusters are also known for deliberately changing the masthead into something different which isn't easy recognisable as an adbusters magazine so we as the audience and consumer are unsure on what were buying as mastheads are conventionally in your face and they stand out whereas this masthead does not and in fact changes to make them less recognisable and identified.

Black background, main image of male in camouflage jacket, angry expression, clenched fist, image partially spray painted over - subverts codes of consumer/lifestyle magazines, the meaning behind the man screaming is unknown which is an example of a hermeneutic code as we are in the unknown so we are off put by the subversive magazine due to the conventions it is breaking in just the front cover.

Title of front cover 'POST-WEST' in same white font as the masthead, dominantly positioned in the lower third of the cover, 'POST-WEST' could be considered as the magazine's name as it is unclear what the masthead is so it is easily confused with being the magazine rather than just a story title due to it shouting out and being so in your face.

Social/Political message - image linked to article 'Time for a radical rethink of what is considered a normal life in the decadent west'. Also suggesting a link to 'post-truth'.

Intertextuality is the use of taking references or knowledge from other forms of media or occasions and using it in their own form of media, as we need a not of knowledge to understand the title of 'POST-WEST'.

Front cover image not fully anchored - assumes a level of understanding in the audience.

Anchorage - how a media product fixes its meaning. We see poor anchorage in this media product as we have no idea there is no meaning behind anything and we have to make assumptions about the magazine rather than knowing for sure due to what the producer is giving us, but the producer gives us nothing and leaves us questioning.

Kristina's Media Blog