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Samantha Oncea
Content Analysis
November 10, 2010
CMC 100
Ted Gournelos
Abstract
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In the Fall 2010 issues of Rolling Stone, MOJO, Spin, and Venuszine magazines,
indie culture is constructed through the sexualization and de-sexualization of the models
in the magazines. From all the magazines, I use ten images that represent a content
analysis of the indie culture. I argue that the images can be sexualized and desexualized
at the same time to represent the indie culture. There is repetition of colors in the ads
and/or tattoos on the models in them, which furthers my argument on rebellion. I am
explaining how the images, from the four magazines, appeal to people who follow the
indie culture based off sexuality and rebellion.
A Content Analysis of the Indie Culture
Have you ever felt misunderstood? If so, then you feel how an indie person
would and you should be reading indie magazines such as Rolling Stone, Spin,
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MOJO,and Venuszine to feed your identity. Indie culture is made up of sexualization
through hardly clothed models or de-sexualization, conveyed through the lighting, setting
and/or expression of the models in the indie magazines and together they can be used in
the same image. Rebellion is shown through the tattoos on the models bodies and the
repetition of the same colors. I argue that the sexualization, with de-sexualization, and the
rebellious aspects in the October issues of Rolling Stone and Spin, the November issue of
MOJO, and fall issue of Venuszine magazine construct indie identity. According to
Rolling Stone’s press kit, the average age of the readers were 65% male and 38% female
readers. Spin is the next big music magazine, with similar demographics as Rolling Stone,
their average of 61% male and 39% female readers. Venuszine’s demographics are
directed more towards women, but their overall music content does not target a specific
gender. MOJO magazine focuses on classic rock and appeals to an older audience with
articles focusing on musicians from the 1960‘s through today.
I looked at 109 ads from all my magazines combined. Out of all 109 ads, 64% of
them featured people in them. 35% were men, 14% women, and 16% had both men and
women, similar to the demographic of readers. It is not a surprise that men were in the
majority of ads because indie identity is more focused around men. They usually form
most bands, and if any bands had girls in them they would be featured with the men. That
is why the percentage of both men and women in ads is higher than those with just
women in them. Since there are more men in the magazines the sexualization is not as
present than with just women, making ads with bands have a rebellious look to them.
Sexualization in indie magazine ads there were not very present. Out of all the
images in Rolling Stone, the total sexualized ads in the magazine ended up being 22%.
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My image of Freja represents sexuality for the obvious fact that her whole breast is out
(see figure 1). In the Jackass image it shows the men all naked and cuddled together.
Since they are all naked it is sexually appealing (see figure 2). Spin and MOJO total
sexualization was 2%. Spin put in a picture of Lady GaGa from a concert when she
decided to look nude with ripped up fishnet stockings on the outside, making out with a
fan. This image is clearly sexual (see figure 3). The only sexualized image in MOJO that
stood out was the David Sylvian album cover which features a half naked girl with a cat
ear hat on (see figure 4). Venuszine percentage of sexualized women was 3%. My
original image of Zoe is sexualized because she is wearing a shirt that is considered
lingerie and her purse strap across her chest makes her looks like she has a breast. The
presence of sexualization to form the indie identity is important because it makes people
sexy in a different way and makes one want to know more about the person.
On the contrary to sexualized images, there is a lot more desexualization in all the
magazines. The total desexualization of all the magazines was 26%. Although that seems
just a little more than sexualization, the individual magazines had higher percentages.
Example number one, Rolling Stone had 22% of desexualized ads in them. The
image of Die Antwoord, a South African hip-hop duo is totally de-sexualized. Their
setting is on a rusted van in front of a graffitied brick wall. The man has multiple tattoos
and ugly teeth. His partner, looks like she is wearing a blonde weave of some sort (see
image 5). Venuszine had a lot of desexualized ads, 45%. This statistic is high because ads
with women in them were mostly shot de-sexually. A good example of this would be my
textual analysis on Zoe Kravtiz and her desexualized look, yet still sellable like the supersexualized models in high-fashion magazines. In Spin, there was 23% of desexualized
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images. There is an ad for “New Era” which features Tristan Eaton, a toy designer. The
building blocks in the ad say, “Create Your Own World,” which is how he promotes his
identity and there is nothing sexual about him(see figure 6). The less sexualization there
are in the ads, the more individuality is shown through the models and without that their
identity would be lost.
So far I have concluded that there is little sexualization in indie magazines, but
more desexualization in them. However, the interesting thing about all the ads is that they
are both sexualized and desexualized at the same time. The images that have
sexualization or de-sexualization can have them together. Having the two together is
what sets apart indie magazines from others.
A total of 48% of all four magazines I sampled had images that were both
sexualized and desexualized. Furthermore, individual images from each magazine had
high numbers as well. Rolling Stone had 41% of both sexualized and desexualized
images. MOJO had 33%, Venuszine had 72%, and Spin had 46%. Figure 1 in Rolling
Stone has both because her pose and lack of clothing make her sexual but her boyish untouched body make her de-sexual. The Jackass image (figure 2) is both because they are
all naked and trying to make sexually innocent faces. However, their hairy legs and chest
and the black and white shot make them de-sexual. David Sylvian’s album cover in
MOJO magazine (figure 4) has sexualization and de-sexualization because the image is
farther away so the viewer can see her chest, but the cat mask takes away from her
sexuality and it makes the viewer more confused than turned on. Moreover, the duo of
sexuality and de-sexuality is present in Spin (figure 3) of Lady GaGa because she looks
like a hot mess, making-out with her fan, the unattractive outfit, and the setting at a
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concert makes her de-sexual. In Venuszine, Zoe’s ad sparked the trend of sexual and desexual images. The unusual outfits, random shots of skin, and unsaturated colors are
prominent in indie magazines to form an individualized identity. With those elements, it
is easy for people to look at them and want the same identity.
Lastly, one of the most important parts of the indie identity is how rebellion is
formed in the ads. The most popular, repetitive elements in the magazines were the
presence of tattoos and the same colors. These two things bring the indie identity together
in the magazines.
The most popular colors in almost every single is red, black, and white. Out of all
the ads 77.3% had white, 59.4% black, 58.4%. These colors are the most popular because
they symbolize rebellion. The next most popular colors are blue, green, and yellow,
which put a retro-feel to the magazines and ads. 51% blue, 33% green, and 26.4% yellow.
Rolling Stone’s image of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley directly shows the white, black, red,
blue, and yellow colors (see figure 7). Spin magazine’s Ray Ban ad (see figure 8) has all
the colors mentioned. The ad has a retro feel to it by having a cartoon saying things like,
“no war,” “I love happiness,” “60’s rule,” etc...There are lots of stars, doves and peace
signs that all are liberal symbols, which is another sign of indie culture. MOJO’s ad of
Jim Morrison (see figure 9) have lots of color too. There are a lot of cd’s from all
different kinds of artists in his hair, face, and around his arms that have colors of black,
red, yellow, green and blue. These artists are probably all people who were inspired by
him, his work, and independent image as a non-conformist in the 60’s. The “Party
Pitchfork” image (figure 10) from Venuszine, screamed rebellion because they are all
pictures taken from outdoor music festivals, of unknown artists, which is a clear sign of
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indie culture. They all have a retro style of clothing and they all have the same bright
color schemes as well.
Moreover, five out of the ten ad’s I analyzed have people with tattoos on them,
another signifier of rebellion: Lady GaGa, Jackass, Freja, Die Antwoord, and Zoe. Indie
magazines accept tattoos because it is apart of a persons’ identity and it makes them stand
out from the mainstream.
It is important to know that indie magazines have a lot desexualized ads than
sexualized. But at the same time just about the same percentage with the two combine.
Most likely because of the way they are taken or the people in them don’t want to be retouched. Also, the same color trend and presence of tattoos are seen in the ads and on the
models. This all ties into indies un abbreviated name “independence” because it is what
the people in the ads are expressing and that is why it is all allowed. So, if you like
running around naked, tattooing your favorite band quote on your wrist, and wearing lots
of black, white, and/or red, or just being yourself then you have successfully listened to
what the indie magazines are projecting. If you have copied any or all of these elements
then people will probably label you as indie and this is how the demographic grows.