Close Analysis of a Media Text
Cover 1
Cover 1
The type of shot that has been used is called a medium long shot/ aerial shot. The image is framed so that you can’t see the bottom of your legs and the photo is more focused on her midriff and face. I think this type of shot has been used so that her features stand out far more to the reader and because it also clearly expresses her sexuality.
In the picture Britney is wearing an unbuttoned lose top with a bra and she is wearing briefs. This suggests she wants her image to be sexy and provocative. This image will appeal more to men because they will like the way she looks but it can also appeal to some women because they may admire her confidence and aspire to be like her.
The props that have been used are a telephone and a teletuby bear. The bear suggests that she is still young and innocent, like a child, and the telephone may suggest she is speaking provocatively to a man because of the way she is dressed while she is talking on the phone.
The setting used is pink sheets which suggest she is lying on a bed. The connotation of this is very provocative because beds are usually linked to sexuality.The intertextual reference being made is the teletuby bear. The connotations of this are that she is being portrayed as a young, innocent child because a lot of really young kids like the teletubys. It may also suggest that like a young child, Britney is also still very naive and venerable and needs protection, which is linked to her personal life.
The colours used are pink and purple accept from her bra which is black. These colours are used because pink and purple are usually linked to girls, making Britney seem very girly so very young girls will also like her because they will feel like they have a link with Britney. I also think black was used to show she still has a serious, adult side to her although ultimately she stills wants her image to be more girly because the brighter colours overwhelm the darker colours much more.
Cover 2
The shot of Britney is a long shot and it has been cropped so that she is on the centre of the cover. I think they used a long shot of Britney because they wanted to fully show of all of her features and they cropped it in the middle because they want Britney to be the centre of attention and the main attraction for the magazine.
Her costume is just underware and I think a piece of cloth to cover her breasts. She is also conveying a seductive and premiscuis pose as she is trying to show of all of her curves and features by the way she is standing. I think this means she wants quite a close, personal or even sexual relationship with the reader because of how she is posing and the lack of clothes she has on. The setting used seems to be a narrow hall way. The connotations of this is that she feels claustrophobic and that she has no space in her life bacause she is such a high profile celebrity. Also it is plain white which could meen even though she has a hectic and colourful life she would prefer to have a more plain and easy life.
The lighting thats used is bright and clearly shows Britney in the middle. It is used in a way to fully show and clearly show the way Britney is posing and how she looks. There isn't much colour used for this cover. Her costume is plain white and the hall way is also plain white. This could mean she urns for a more simple and easy life. On the other hand, her hair clearly contrasts with the rest of the cover as it is blonde. This could enforce the stereotype that all blonds are just dumb models but it could also mean she want to show the reader that she still has a fun side to her.
Cover 3
I think this image has been chosen because it shows really clearly how serious Britney is after every thing that went on in her private life. The look on her face also makes me think she looks guilty or sorry becuse of her actions. The use of black and white is also significent because it shows she doesn't want any more drama in her life and she justs wants to be a normal person. If they used colour it would be contradicting because you wouldn't think she was as serious or upset if they used lots of bright colours compared to just black and white.
The image has been cropped to make her face completely dominate the screen. This could be because they wanted to atract Britney fans to buy her magazine or it could of been done to show that Britney is the focal point of that edition of the magazine. I think she wants a more serious and personal relationship with the audience and that she wants to use them to let out all of her feelings. The title 'Britney Spears inside an American tradegy' makes me think she is extremely upset and wants to tell the audience her feelings and explain to them her side of the story.
