For Your "Entertainment"

Entertainment Weekly's Batman cover, courtesy of justjared.buzznet.com

Thesis:

"Entertainment Weekly" is a magazine designed to show readers all across the United States the latest in the Hollywood stars, new movies, and the best and worst that pop culture has to offer.

Five Facts:

1) Nicole Kidman and Nicholas Cage are in a new movie titled "Trespass," and they are playing a wealthy couple who are living in a lakefront house that gets broken into.

2) For season 10 of "American Idol," the new judges will be Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson.

3) Parents of children watching "Sesame Street" were shocked and appauled at Katy Perry's outfit choice for the episode; she was supposed to be singing with Elmo.

4) Gloria Stuart, the old woman who threw the blue diamond into the sea in the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic" recently died of lung cancer on September 26, 2010.

5) "The Social Network," a movie drama about the creation of Facebook from the many different perspectives of the people that were involved in the process, is getting lots of praise from viewers and critics alike.

Triune Brain:

"Entertainment Weekly" is heavy on the Neocortex because there are many magazine articles that talk about upcoming movies and television shows. There are bits of the Limbic brain involved too, for the reader may become emotional when reading about the death of Gloria Stuart or the change of the "American Idol" judges. The Limbic brain is also used throughout with the large advertisements for film, especially in the article about "The Social Network."

Entertainment Weekly's Cover for "The Social Network," courtesy of erickwithnok.com

8 Trends:

Epistemological Shift- There are many images throughout the magazine representing different scenes of movies to make the reader want to go out and see what is coming up in theatres.

Personal Shift- This magazine shows the lives of celebs and how they have exploited themselves for everyone to see. It is no longer a personal life they hold; they now live in a world where their lives have become the entertainment for everyone in America.

7 Principles:

Reality Construction- "Entertainment Weekly" constructs a reality in which the newest and greatest upcoming celebs in Hollywood are the biggest talk in America. Also, they advertise and describe the perks of new movies and television shows because the reader just has to watch.

Value Messages: This magazine is targeting those who love to keep up with the current status of movies and actors/actresses, and it is sending the message that everyone should be keeping up with the hottest shows and movies in order to be on top of pop culture.

Emotional Transfer: Some images and passages tap into emotion, such as the one about Gloria Stuart and her death and the article about the reissue of John Lennon's albums that were recorded under his name. There are also funny bits, such as the map of Justin Timberlake's previous roles in movies and music.


Photo of Gloria Stuart from "The Titanic", courtesy of bluemarvine.blogspot.com

29 Persuasive Techniques:

Symbols- Giant poster about how the "Geeks Inherit the Earth" regarding "The Social Network" grabs the reader's attention.

Bandwagon- When discussing the new film "Let Me In," the magazine claimed that "nearly everyone who saw it loved it" even though people were skeptical of the remake.

Humor- Using the Justin Timberlake montage/map to show funny moments in movies that he has been in, and thus supporting why he makes the perfect "geek" for "The Social Network."

Beautiful People- The entire magazine is in support of Hollywood actors and actresses, making the reader want to go see these movies that they advertise.