Kerrang! Double Page Spread Analysis

Target Audience

To get a better understanding of the common conventions of feature articles, I will am now going to analyse the current features in the this double page spread and relate them back to theory as well as media language. The magazine double paged spread is from Kerrang!

The current target audience for this rock genre magazine is straight white middle class men who will be aged between 14-24 years old. The social class for the target audience would be all across the scale from E-C because of the stereotypical views of this day and age. This target audience will fall under the Marxist theory as he stated white middle class men are the main people running the media. But another theorist that will be mentioned will be Stanley Hall who states in short, adolescences are rebellious with sex, drugs and alcohol; they also are usually involved within criminal activity and teenagers are usually depressed.

Another theorist that will be applied into this piece of analyzing for the target audience will be the Blumer and Katz theory (1974); who in short state that audiences may consume media because of many reasons, Diversion (to escape from everyday problems), personal relationships, personal identity (Following role models) and etc.

Layout And Colour

Then secondly the main story line in terms of connotation is very upfront and stands out because of how it is looks as if its been scribbled upon the page; this is important for the target audience because it will catch their attention. The title on this page is “My dinosaur life,” this will inform the reader what this content will be about and it will encourage them to read on. Therefore this shows that the content presented; in terms of denotation is very rough and rebellious like, meaning it is suitable for the target audience who fall under the Stanley Hall theory as he states adolescences are rebellious.

Then just beneath this huge title is the quick brief introduction of the page that states “Mark Hoppus has lived around the corner from!...California to London.” In terms of denotation this is important to the target audience it will encourage them to continue reading the story to the main storyline and purpose of the double paged spread. Therefore this shows that is suitable for the target audience because within the text is a few rock star vehicles mentioned and will attract some of the people who fall under the Blumer and Katz theory (1974); reading this piece of information for personal identity and diversion.

In terms of connotation for this magazine double page spread, it is very simple by how the main story information is placed within columns like a newspaper and is crucial for the double paged spread because that is the purpose of it being featured in the magazine and will attract the star vehicles (Mark Hoppus & Blink-182) fans who fall under the Blumer and Katz (1974) theory because they are reading for personal identity and diversion from their real life. Therefore this shows that this double page spread main storyline is suitable for the target audience.

In terms of connotation the colours presented upon the magazine double page spread is mainly green, white, black and red. These colours that are chosen specifically because in terms of denotation they are suitable for the target audience because of how rebellious and slightly emotion representing with the red being anger and black as depression. Therefore this will fall under the Stanley Hall theory because he states in short that teenagers are usually involved with criminal activity and depression.

Imagery

In terms of connotation, the main image upon the page is of the star vehicle Mark Hoppus from the blink-182 rock band, this is important for the magazine double paged spread because this will attract attention of fans from this star vehicle and encourage them to read on. This is suitable for the target audience because it will attract people who fall under the Blumer and Katz (1974) theory, the target audience would read this magazine for personal identity and diversion to escape from reality.

But in terms of mise-en-sense the rock star is wearing black clothing, so this could connote depression because of the choice of colour. Therefore this will be suitable for the target audience who fall under the Stanley Hall theory because he states that teenagers are usually depressed.

In terms of attractive the target audience into reading the main story within the double paged spread, the star vehicle slightly brags about his fame to his fans by stating “I love being recognised in the street” and “Superstar.” This would be suitable information for the target audience who fall under the Blumer and Katz (1974) theory because the target audience would read this magazine for personal identity and diversion to escape from reality.

“Gob Smacked” and “8^th Grade” In terms of connotation this selection of Lexical features sounds very Americanized. This type of language will attract a target audience who not only will be mainly from America, but will fall under Blumer and Katz (1974) because the star vehicle is speaking about his childhood location where he had been raised. So the target audience will be reading this piece of information for the personal identity and diversion to escape from reality.

Also other lexical features that stood out to me whilst analysing the main story was “Getting Naked.” and “Dick Jokes. These chosen words make the star vehicle sound like he once again has a wild lifestyle as he discusses his lifestyle on tour away from his home life. Therefore this would make this information suitable for the target audience who fall under the Blumer and Katz (1974) because the audience will be reading this piece of information for the personal identity and diversion to escape from reality.

“Missiles” and “Bombs.” These words were chosen to describe the star vehicles Dad working in the department of defence. This will be suitable for the target audience because it connotes violence and people will want to read more about this inforamtion falling under the Blumer and Katz (1974) theory; reading this piece of information for the personal identity and diversion to escape from reality.

Typography

There are two main colours for the texts are red and black in terms of mise-en-sense. These colours in terms of denotation could connote emotions like hate and depression. This will be suitable for the target audience who all under the Stanley Hall (1904) theorist because in short he states “Adolescences are rebellious with sex, drugs and alcohol; they also are usually involved within criminal activity and teenagers are usually depressed.”

Although the text has two styles to it, the main story is typed with a simple black small font. This is important for the target audience because if they are interested from reading the larger fonted headline they will want to know more about the information upon the double page spread about the star vehicle from the famous band Blink 182. This supports the theorist Blumer and Katz (1974) theory because the target audience will be reading reading this piece of information for personal identity and diversion.

Lexical

The first main word I came across within the paragraphs is the word “Loud.” This could connote that the star vehicle has a wild lifestyle and this would be important to feature inside this magazine as a main story because it will attract the audience who are fans of this rock star. Therefore this will be suitable for the target audience who fall under the Stanley Hall theory (1904) “Adolescences are rebellious with sex, drugs and alcohol; they also are usually involved within criminal activity and teenagers are usually depressed.”

Semantics

Also upon the page in terms of connotation and imagery is the picture of the small dinosaur, this is useful for the double paged spread upon the magazine because of it becomes a part of the semantic field that is building. Therefore this shows that dinosaur is suitable for the target audience because of how the star vehicle is speaking about his life relating to dinosaurs. This will attract fans who fall under the blumer and Katz (1974) theory because they will be reading it for personal identity and diversion (to drift away from everyday problems).

Another link to the semantic field will be in terms of mise-en-sense is the red dinosaur claw tare through the paper. Through denotation this will attract the target audience as it will link back to the star vehicle on the page speaking about his ‘dinosaur life’. It will also be important because of the colour choice of the claw, it could connote anger. Therefore the claw could attract the target audience all together with both Blumer and Katz theory (1974) theory for diversion and personal identity and Stanley Halls theory because of the colour choice representing anger and violence