General:
The type of people that read Tatler are more posh and upper class typically 41 year old aristocrat females. They are most likely to be part of the Aspirer psychographic group due to the fact that they are not only materialistic but are also conscious of their appearances. Readers would mostly be into fashion and current day news despite it being a traditional magazine. It is very likely that the readers would be of white descent with 70% of them living in either London or South-East England, places populated by the rich. I think that the type of people that produce Tatler are also living in the same kind of world as the readers all being wealthy and thinking of things that we think as a luxury as the norm. The average household income of a Tatler reader is £261,572 whereas the average household income for those living in the UK is £28,400 which is almost ten times less than that of Tatler readers. This just goes to show that Tatler readers do not live in the same world as us and are much wealthier. Additionally, the percentage of AB social class readers is slightly over half at 51% and the percentage of ABC1 social class is 83%. This confirms that Tatler readers are really upper class and don't have many working class readers. Not to mention, majority of the readers are females adding up to 73%.
The editor introduces the magazine as targeted at the 'richest readers in the country' this shows that Tatler is not interested in lower classes but only those with large amounts of money. As it is targeted at the 'richest readers' we can expect that most of the content in the magazine will involve high end products that only those in the upper class can ever hope to afford. Additionally, the line 'And boy. Do they love to shop' not only emphasises the fact that readers have money to spend but are also using it to buy the things they desire. Fashion is almost always featured in Tatler magazines and so due to the fact that their target market is so wealthy they don't even have to worry about their products being too expensive because no matter the price it is very likely that the readers will still be able to afford it. After seeing the products advertised in the magazines, the chances of readers purchasing the product significantly increases. As a matter of fact 62% of Tatler readers agreed with the statement, 'I often buy fashion products after seeing things advertised in magazines' with there being a number of similar statements about different products and over 50% of the readers agreeing across all the products.
Tatler readers think that Fashion is important and is a part of their everyday life and not owning anything fashionable is quite rare for a Tatler reader. This is shown by the fact that readers have spent £843 million on fashion alone in the past year. It is to be noted that there are also 80,035 magazines in circulation and in order to get to £843 million each reader would had to have spent over £10,000 each on Fashion. Additionally, considering the fact that 96% of the readers own designer fashion really emphasises the fact that they are very upper class and have no idea what it's like to be a part of the working class. This fully intensifies that Tatler readers and really want the best of the best and the amount of money they spend in order to get those things is not important to them as their budget is endless.
In January, the special edition of Tatler that comes out is the travelling guide, this would appeal to the Explorers as they like seeking and discovering. The travelling guide is a perfect way to reel in all the Explorers and get them to not only travel to the places listed but also purchase the magazine, creating a larger profit for Tatler. The wedding guide is aimed at the Mainstreamers, this is because they are all about family, domestic life and thinking of the 'we' rather than the 'me' all things that can be attained through marriage. By advertising for weddings in March, it can also give couples time to plan and leave the actual wedding for sometime during spring. The Beauty & Cosmetic Surgery Guide is aimed at the Aspirers, this is because their priority is making sure that their appearance and image is attractive to others. By getting the surgery your external features are supposedly being changed to meet the beauty standards of our society which is something an Aspirer would not hesitate to do. The spa guide would also appeal to Aspirers as spas have not only help with your health but also with beauty, yet another aspect that Aspirers yearn for. The Watches & Jewellery guide would appeal to Succeeders as watches don't only allow you to know what time it is but also help you to keep organised which is what Succeeders strive to be. Additionally, Succeeders tend to seek rewards, prestige and the absolute best when it comes to brands which is just what Tatler is able to offer for them. Finally, the School guide is aimed at the Reformers who are mostly intellectual and independent, qualities that are quite prominent in students. The guide however may not be targeted at those who attend public schools but private schools as the fact still remains that Tatler is an upper class magazine company.
Media Language:
A vast majority of the key conventions have been used in this edition of the Tatler, this includes: the title of publication spreading across the whole of the top third of the cover; the central image of Georgina Bevan; the cover line dotted around the sides of the magazine cover along with the flash line which takes up the majority of the bottom third of the magazine cover; the colour scheme involves green & pink and black & white colours that compliment each other very well making the magazine look aesthetically pleasing; the name checks that give readers an idea of who will be featured in the magazine; the language used seems to be the typical word used by those of the upper classes; the direct address used allows readers to feel as though the magazine is communicating to them directly shown by the use of "everyone's" on the cover; the date which is located in a very small font below the title of publication. The fact that Tatler does not have a slogan makes it seem like they think that due to the fact that it is so well known and such a long running magazine, the need to sum it up in a few words is not at all necessary. The absence of the price makes it seem as though Tatler readers are not concerned with the price of things because they know that no matter what they will be able to afford it.
The font used in the title is serif, this connotes that Tatler is a posh, old fashioned and traditional company that has been around for a very long time which is actually very true. However, the fact that the cover lines are sans serif also suggests that they're not staying in the past and despite being both old and sophisticated they are also becoming more modern and suited to the times. This could also connote that their news is up to date and you can expect the very latest things from them and nothing old. As they are quite a long running company readers know that it is a trusted source and so if readers are unsure about any recent rumours Tatler may gain real information on the topic for the readers.
The cover lines appeal to the target audience due to the fact that they are big and eye catching due to the contrast in the colour scheme (black and white). Additionally, the sans serif font makes for an easily readable and attention grabbing cover line that is sure to grab the attention of those reading. Not to mention, the main ideas of the cover lines are written in bold this is to make sure that readers know exactly what they're buying and what exactly they're going to get. In addition the Tatler colour scheme on this particular front cover connotes nature by the use of green and also gives quite a mature and sophisticated vibe by using the hot pink & gold. The black and white also creates a good contrast and pretty much completed the magazine cover.
The central image is designed to create interest in the magazine by using Bevan's eyes as the focal point of the image. The eyes are seen to be the most expressive part of the face and so by using it as the focal point of the image it is the first thing that readers see. Additionally, the beautiful costume that is being worn could also turn some heads and in turn interest some readers in case they are interested. Also, the jewellery she is wearing is also quite fancy as well and so some may want to buy it for themselves. A lot of make-up has been used in this image in order to manipulate the face of Bevan to look less natural and more 'beautiful'.
Representations:
The different groups of people shown on the front covers are all aristocrats who are able to get anything they want with their money. Georgina Bevan is seen wearing high end clothes and James Corden was in LA with his 'aristo buddies'. The fact that he is friends with aristocrats suggests that he is most likely an aristocrat himself.
The cover lines suggest that they are really living a completely different life to us, the fact that they referred to 'everyone' when talking about party guest lists makes it seem as though it is very common to hold a party. Additionally, pearls themselves are quite expensive items and so those of the working class may never even hope to own any. Not to mention, the one month gap year makes it seem like upper class people are able to afford travelling to multiple places which is why they are able to achieve what they want in a month.
The cover line 'oops, all my clothes fell off!' reinforces the stereotype of girls only needing to worry about accessories and of girls not being intelligent. Such a reaction could be seen as offensive or sarcastic to girls making it seem as though they wouldn't care if they were in such a situation which is definitely not the case.
The preferred reading is that Tatler is a trustworthy, traditional and informing company that keeps the sophisticated feel why'll still being modern. Additionally, they advertise all kinds of different topics including special editions that could appeal to all different kinds of people. Furthermore, it is read by people that are upper class and expect high quality items and own high quality items expecting the very best.
The oppositional reading of this is that Tatler doesn't care about those of the working class and to them it seems like they don't even exist. Additionally, the fact that they're constantly photoshopping images of people used as the central image could suggest that they don't think they're good enough and need to be changed in order to 'look good'. This could cause a lot of controversy with Tatler as it could suggest that they believe that the models need to be photoshopped in order to attain 'true beauty' when they are beautiful just the way they are.
Social and Cultural Context:
In this clip, the whereabouts of the working class are not mentioned even once. This suggests that Tatler wants to make it seem as though the only people that exist in their world is those of the upper classes and so they completely disregard the whole existence of the working class as to Tatler they're not important. This is because those of the working class would probably not be interested in Tatler and so instead of wasting their time on advertising to them too their full focus is the upper class.
This suggests that the magazine's representation about life in Britain is that it's pure luxury and there are many things that you are able to do. It also suggests that Britain is a place flourishing with money as residents are able to afford all these premium things and this would encourage people from other countries to visit in hopes to experience a few of these luxuries. This however is not the case as a lot of British Residents are actually of the working class rather than the upper class so it is quite misleading.
The Tatler 2017 cover may be offensive to some readers as the model is 'beautiful' which could suggest that Tatler readers should be on the same level of beauty as the models. Additionally, it creates the stereotype that rich people are also 'beautiful' as they are able to afford a lot of different surgeries if they think they do not meet the criteria. It could also be said that in these 3 covers a lot of skin is being shown and this could be offensive as Tatler is overly sexualising females. Furthermore, they are wearing a lot of make-up this could suggest that Tatler doesn't believe that their natural complexions are good enough.
Grade 8/9 Extension Tasks:
The front cover engages audiences with positive narratives by the cover line "James Corden's LA life...". Many audiences who are familiar with James Corden may become quite interested in what exactly his trip with his 'aristo buddies' involved. Additionally, the cover line "Most invited 2017..." may be interesting to those of upper classes may want to know who's on top. A reason why is because they themselves may want to hold a party but could not be sure of who exactly to invite which this list can heavily aid with. Finally, the cover line "Oops, all my clothes fell off..." is very dramatic and could attract audiences to read it just for the purpose of discovering what it's all about.
The costume and make-up in the central image suggests that the character featured on the front cover of the April 2017 edition of Tatler is upper class, wealthy and also 'beautiful'. This is shown by the fact that Bevan herself is quite popular and is able to afford many things due to her high status.
