Unassessed HW 1 HEALTH Noah Nishihara

 

Homework Assignment 1 Noah Nishihara HG: T09

Choose 2 magazines (eg Womens Weekly, Dolly, Mens Health)

Magazines Name: Mens Health and AU Womens Weekly

Genre: Fashion and Lifestyle

Date of Publication: July 2016

 

1.         Observe the following points:

a.         the number of ads in the magazine ________

b.         the number of ads that use women to sell the product ________

c.         the number of ads that use men to sell the product ________

d.         the number of ads which focus on only part of a woman’s body ________

e.         the number of ads which focus on only a part of a man’s body ________

f.          the number of ads that include slogans about women to sell the product ________

g.         the number of ads that include slogans about men to sell the product ________

 

2.         Analyze your findings and answer the following questions.  If there is not enough room in the space provided, feel free to attach another page.

a.         Do these ads represent the approach taken by other advertisers?  Explain. These ads do incorporate a certain level of exaggeration in order to grab the interest of readers towards the product.

b.         Are these ads realistic?  Why?  Why not?  Explain.

Most of them are, since the preservation of readers is important, however some of them do begin to incorporate extreme levels of exaggeration in order to generate readers and attention.

c.         Is this a positive representation of women in general?  Explain.

They are all positive representations however they can still cause negative thoughts and feelings in some people. It is still depicting in some ways the ‘thin is beautiful’ culture. Photos of younger women are more likely to be heavily edited. Photos of older, successful women show us that health is the most important aspect.

 

d.         Is this a positive representation of men in general?  Explain.

There were no obvious negative representations or unrealistic portrayals. Muscular and healthy men would be positive for most viewers. Their faces and bodies are characteristic of healthy people. Most people on the front pages are famous and successful, and readers can guess that they lead healthy lives. Not all of them are extremely muscular. Some people are more aged; the focus is sometimes on health rather than just body image.

 

e.         How might women feel if they do not look like the women in the ads?

They may believe that the women in the ads are the ideal, and may think themselves to be not attractive enough; or experience lower self-esteem.

f.          How might men feel if they do not look like the men in the ads? They will feel different depending on how the men think of themselves and how satisfied they are with their own body image. They may want to try out the product being advertised. They may try to meet unrealistic standards through unhealthy ways. Depending on the ad, some men may notice the actions of the man in the ad, and try to act as they do.

g.         How might these ads affect perceptions of body image and decisions people make? The photos are entered into the memory of the reader and will influence them when making decisions during shopping. Perceptions of body image may change after viewing the ads

h.         Why is it important for people to set their own standards instead of being influenced by the advertisements? People who set their own standards usually make choices that are more suited to themselves. The products may not be the best choice or even necessary for people to achieve their various goals regarding body image. People must choose what is best for themselves, and not what is recommended to them. It is important for people to feel completely satisfied with their appearance, otherwise, the ads may have major impacts.