Semiotic analysis
The magazine is called Kerrang! Which sounds like a the crash of a cymbal, these words are called onomatopoeia words which means they resemble the sound an object makes for example, bang, crash, splat. This is appropriate for a heavy metal magazine because the ‘kerrang’ sound maybe heard by heavy metal bands when playing, so the audience can associate the word Kerrang with heavy metal, punk rock genre bands. Kerrang! Was initially aimed at 14-25 year old males, but as Kerrang! Gained more fame, its audience seemed to change, as girls showed interest in the magazine, so the editors made certain issues more adaptable for the female readers (hence the pink, black and white colour scheme). The magazines mainstream audience are punk rockers.
The black leather jacket that the main woman is wearing is a very stereotypical view of punk rockers, it connotes she’s tough, as leather itself is tough, and most people recognise them from Hells Angle bikers wearing them. In addition she’s wearing sunglasses which connotes that it’s either a fashion statement or she is shy and doesn’t want to show her full face. Although she’s not quite smiling (as stereotypically, punk rockers never do, they are scary people) she’s not pulling a scary face or frowning with is the typical stance for a punk rocker on the cover of Kerrang!. The fact that she has her jacket zipped all the way down, enough so that audiences can see a little bit of her bra, suggests Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, but this also connotes that she’s a tease as she hasn’t revealed a lot but she is showing some. This gives the impression that audiences of the magazine may dress the same, in leather jackets and showing a little cleavage, trying to portray the ‘sexy punk’ look. It also suggests that the targeted audience wears a lot of black as nearly everyone of the front of the poster are wearing black.
As this issue’s double page spread features a female punk, they have decided to use pink colours to accompany this, it also makes her appear more feminine. Although there are a few different typefaces that have been used all of which are san serif, as this connotes that the magazine is aimed at teenagers and young adults. Words that would intice the reader to buy the magazine are in capitals and in a different font to make the stand out more for example; ‘FREE POSTER’ and ‘PLUS!’.
The magazine uses a fluctuating mode of address to ‘speak’ to its readers.
Kerrang! Mainly features bands, and what they get up to on a day-to-day basis. Album reviews, live reviews, interviews with band members, news about the artists and concert information. Most of the subjects are directly to do with the bands, such as, concert information and interviews. But all the subjects are to do with music, as it’s a music magazine. All the artists featured in Kerrang! All make the same genre music, ‘rock’, ‘punk’. The ideal self representation that Kerrang! Gives its readers tends to be a; average weight, bark clothed, unhappy individual. But in terms of how they behave would be rebellious, cheeky and somewhat promiscuous.
I don’t think that gender is represented in a negative way on the cover of Kerrang! Although there are more men on the front but the biggest picture is of a woman so it balanced it out. Both of the men and woman featured in the magazine all have a connection with heavy metal music, whether they are part of a band or used to be. The ancourage juxtapositioned to the woman suggests that she wants readers to know that she’s not want the media represent her as ‘a bitch’, she’s trying to appear feminine to the audience of the magazine as this will enhance her sex appeal, attractive-ness or appear more of an ‘ideal partner’ to the opposite sex.
Kerrang! Represent rock fans as being ‘hard’ individuals, independent (don’t like being told what to do), rude, rebellious, and altogether unhappy, scary people, which is a stereotypical view of a heavy metal fan.
I think that to fit in with the heavy metal culture and overall representation, men and women are limited in showing a positive emotion as mainly they don’t smile on the front cover.
All the men and women in Kerrang! Are part of a heavy metal, punk band or was. They all have a connection with heavy metal music; they are specifically chosen to keep up the overall reputation of Kerrang! Going, which is a heavy metal music magazine aimed a heavy metal fans.
