Vogue Audience

Who is the primary target audience of Vogue?

Female audience likely aged 20+ in the ABC1 socio-economic group.

How does Vogue target a female audience?

Representations of women throughout e.g. front cover and targeted adverts about makeup etc.

Focus on childcare (a 1960s female pursuit)

Money article directly targets "women", advising them on how to spend money.

How does Vogue target an ABC1 audience?

The excessive use of adverts e.g. for beauty products shows that the audience is rich and enjoys spending money to achieve an aspirational lifestyle.

Picnics article shows holidays which was a luxury in the 1960s for people with money.

Money article targets women who have money.

How does Vogue target a 20+ year-old audience?

In the 1960s, most women in this age would be married with children. This lifestyle is represented through images of families e.g. Imperial Leather ad and Picnics.

Beauty adverts focus on being sexual and appealing to men which may be aimed at a young adult audience.

What is the preferred reading of Vogue?

The preferred reading reflects mainstream views which enforce women as domestic or sexualised for the male gaze. This will likely be held by the target audience of ABC1 married women.

What is a negotiated reading of Vogue?

A feminist reading (1960s 2nd wave feminism) would be against the representations as women are shown to be passive, weak and lacking agency.

However, the money article may reflect feminism as women are shown as owners of money, suggesting their power.

What is an oppositional reading of Vogue? (hint: contemporary)

A feminist audience today will similarly dislike Vogue for representing women as passive objects to be used by men.

They may dislike representations of childcare as many women do not have children at this age today.

They may dislike the money article as it simplifies financial concepts, suggesting women do not understand these.

What ideas about femininity does Vogue cultivate?

Vogue cultivates the idea that women are objects of desire for men e.g. through Cutex & Revlon adverts.

It also cultivates ideas of the domestic 'Angel in the house' from the 50s e.g. through Imperial Leather & Picnics.