Magazine Cover Project- Gender Stereotypes Counter-Message

In this magazine cover I named myself “person of the year,” and aligned it to our purpose of challenging mainstream gender roles.  Here are the techniques I used:

Media language techniques- The two main types of language I used in my text were teasers and exclamations.  Both of my purple statements are teasers designed to generate some interest in the theme of the magazine.  Before I explain the first one, I must ask you to imagine that I am famous enough or important enough to be named “Person of the Year” by a legitimate magazine… Let’s pretend I’m a cross between George Clooney and Michelle Obama, and I’ve spent all year babysitting Angelina Jolie’s children while she was recovering from surgery.  Can you imagine how a simple statement like “At Your Service” from a person like that would entice you to want to know more about his story?  Certainly the text relies on ‘star power,’ but so often, that is why magazines name a “person of the year”- to capitalize on the fame of an interesting or well-liked person.  The teaser at the bottom of the page does two things: first it presupposes that being macho “holds men back” inviting you to go along with the idea, and it promises to prove that claim with six points.  I don’t know why, but a certain portion of the population seems to like short numbered lists (“Top ten things you never say on a first date”, “Three sex secrets”, “Five things Mitt did wrong in 2012”).  I think lists like that promise an easy, entertaining read.  Finally, the yellow exclamation, “Person of the Year!” looks as if it is trying to proclaim some news readers have been waiting for… As if they can now get the results of a yearlong competition.   

Persuasion techniques- As for persuasion there are a couple of emotional appeals embedded into those purple teaser statements as well.  In the first, using the term “servant leaders” borrows a term from Christianity, so a large number of Americans will respond to (perhaps even those who aren’t sure where they first heard the term).  In the second teaser, by creating a comment that presupposes that machismo inhibits men, I have attempted to persuade the audience to agree without asking the question, “Does it really?”  Those who are curious to find out how may consider buying the magazine. 

Design choices-Some magazines frequently choose to create black and white covers in order to make a statement about the artistic or philosophical depth of the individuals featured.  Rolling Stone, for  example, goes black and white when featuring  Bob Dylan or someone known for being thoughtful.  People use this choice to appear smart in headshots for acting or on the back cover of a book.  The starkness of the colorless image seems to cut out the distractions, and causes us focus on tone and shape instead of hue.  I used this black and white image to take advantage of the precedent.  The image itself contains the subtext of me carrying luggage, and possibly serving someone.  This supports the text in both teasers.  The color choices in the title and text are based on the photo itself.