Applying Audience Theory to Rollingstone cover

The media text, Rollingstone is a famous music and political focused magazine that is biweekly. The main audience to consume this media text would be a well educated male who is interested in politics and music. This is evident by the fact that on the cover of issues the titles refrence politics, such as "Inside the war... Religious Right". This supports the idea that a reader would be educated as they would have to be aware of political issues. As "war" is presented it associates the reader as being male as stereotypically they are interested in war. Rolling stone also cover cultural events that are relevant to Americans. For example, "Brodie Miller" who is a sports star that is well known in America that again supports the stereotype of the reader. Above the masthead, there are a list of artists that suggest the age of the reader being older due to the time period where the artist was most successful, such as "Billy Joel" who was well known in the 70/80s.

 In the Febuary 9th issue, the magazine features Kayne West where a medium close up shot illustrates him as Jesus as he is wearing a crown of thorns with a bloody forehead. Kayne West as an artist contrasts the typical audience of the rolling stone magazine. The fans and followers of Kayne are younger and interested into controversial issues. As this issue has created two audiences for the magazine, one regular reader and the other a fan of Kayne West. This means that it is easy to apply Stuart Hall's audience theory as it indicates that the prefered reading for fans of Kayne is that Kayne is powerful and Godlike. The secondary audinence (a strong supporter of Kayne) would have the knowledge and understanding that Kayne is religious. However the primary audience who most likely would not be aware of his relgious would believe the opposition reading of the cover being offensive and balsasfermous. Another opposition reading of the February issue associates with the race of Kayne being conntoed as a black jesus which many readers would find offensive.  

Fans and followers of the artist idolise him meaning that for this front cover applying the Hypodermic Needle theory as a reader it would support the idea of him being a legend in music as well as in society.  The other audience theory that could be applied is the Cultivation theory that says that an idea is reinforced the more an audience consumes the media where the idea is repeated, applying this to Kayne would support the theory as most of his image demonstrates him being presented as religious and godlike.

The masthead and the colour scheme of being gold and red implies the concept that Rollingstone is an authentic and classic magazine. However, it could be interpreted that Kayne west being a wealthy rapper where some of his songs focus on the issue of money and gold suggests the magazine selling the perception of bling that is not typically highlighted to the primary audience of "bling" and "gold".