Magazine Analysis Of Livingetc Magazine

Interior design is often perceived by society as a feminine interest. This skewed perception comes from the belief that a woman’s place is in the home and it is her job to provide her family with the best home possible. As a result, a majority of publications dedicated to home decoration are targeted towards women. Whether or not it is directly stated, a magazine’s desire to reach women can be observed through both the subject matter and visual designs. Livingetc magazine is one of six home and style magazines produced by House to Home, a British company. Livingetc is described on the website as “the homes magazine for modern living,” “perfect for design conscious homeowners with inspiring ideas.” Although the magazine does not claim to be

Of the people shown in the February issue of Livingetc, including the advertisements, less than ten are males. Additionally, every person is white, except for a colored couple featured in a “Bensons for Beds” advertisement (74). Similarly, a smiley couple is shown sitting on a couch in a Crown Paint advertisement (67). Every one of the magazine’s advertisements with a man in it also has a woman. Even though Bensons and Crown are outwardly selling beds and paint, they are both indirectly selling romance through the use of couples. The incorporation of romance is extremely appealing to women in particular, which was probably Livingetc’s motivation for including those two advertisements. In an advertisement for Baxab, a coating for walls and floors, a woman is shown crouching in a short black dress, holding a knife to the floor (50). When first looking at the advertisement, it is unclear what it is for. A reader’s eye would most likely notice the attractive woman before realizing what is being sold. This is an example of the sexual objectification of women in advertising to sell products. Sadly, advertisers know the best way to arouse excitement about something as boring as wall and floor coating is to incorporate an good looking woman. Although using female models is a common tactic used to advertise products, “advertising messages can gender products as masculine or feminine whether human beings are present or not”(Arend 56). Like most home magazines, not many people are found within the pages of Livingetc, but there is still a prominent sense of femininity that accompanies a majority of the products being sold and