Audience in Relation to Media (+ Photo Editing Style)

 Belles-Lettres is aimed at a younger audience, and focuses in on queer girls. The magazine aims to normalize the different experiences of sapphics and show that no experience is invalid, nor that every sapphic is the same. Though this demographic is dependent on relationships with other people, I aim to highlight individuals and how they’ve been affected by their experiences as queer women. I want to be able to showcase the different facets that make up each individual/ group that is included in the magazine. This style of editing called out to me because of this. It’s balanced, busy, and can be as muted or as vibrant as the color scheme allows— it can easily showcase someone’s personality based on the different types of poses. 

[Photos by (1) Red Velvet, SM Entertainment, (2, 3) Ca Chou]

I think that this style will appeal to an audience who wants to feel understood after looking through my magazine. I know focusing on such a specific demographic won’t bring much attention to the publication, but I know I wished I had something similar to what I aim to do when I was still figuring out my identity, so I hope at least some people can look at it and feel better/ understood. 

Magazine Cover Analysis

 

I think the audience for this magazine cover is, at large, any fan of Lil Nas X and the LGBTQ community. Honing into a smaller audience, it would be queer black fans who understand that Lil Nas often waters down his image to appeal to a larger audience, but always stays true to himself. This is shown through the framing of Lil Nas X’s two bodies— him clad in leather with a straighter face holding another version of himself in a suit to look more polished.

Ad Analysis

The audience for this ad would be husbands and men in relationships. Her lack of clothing and position makes her vulnerable, encouraging the message of men controlling their wives and keeping them at their feet. Her eyes draw the viewer to the shoe and keep the focus on the product while still giving a strong message about the perceived place of women in society— especially those in relationships. The context of being in a Playboy magazine and being in the 90s brings a lot to the ad, as one similar to this wouldn’t be shown today. This ad emasculates men, making them want to buy the shoes more as it will remind them of the ad and keeping them in a higher place than women.