Magazine Cover Deconstruction Week #4 Muscle Fitness...

  1. What do you think about this person based on the cover of the magazine? How does he look?  How does he make your feel?    Muscle fitness magazine used Arnold as a cover picture due to the fact that he is thought of as the ultimate representation of fitness.  Arnold looks tan, fit, his glasses are stylish and expensive looking, hair is perfectly styled, he is wearing leather gloves to indicate hard work, and the scars on his face indicate that he has "participated in a battle to achieve power or strength" and survived!  Honestly, exercise is important to me, so it does motivate me to some degree to work harder and eat healthy.  Just being honest... However, I do understand the use of popular actors to influence readers or viewers to feel as if they need to look like the image to be successful.  The large font and colors scream out the word "power".

2 What is the main purpose of this magazine?  One purpose of this magazine is to promote Joe Weider's workout equipment, magazine, and the contents and articles are most likely plush with advertisements for supplements.  The cover also promotes quick fixes to physical fitness.  The magazine wants the reader to purchase the magazine based on wanting to read articles that promise a "quick remedy" to look like Arnold.

3. Describe who you believe is the magazine's intended readership.  I believe that this magazine is intended for middle to upper class men.  Men that have busy lifestyles and don't have the time to exercise to get results, so they want to hopefully read an article to make workouts fit in their schedule.

4. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted?   A lifestyle of fitness, money, and popularity are emphasized.  The cover is demanding that readers value body size, and that if Arnold follows these fitness routines, then you should too if you want a muscular body.  Omitted?  Important facts about age, present physical condition, equipment needed,  and supplements used.  Did Arnold really use these specific techniques listed as part of his workout routine?