Miley Cyrus

Representation of Celebrity

Text 1. Album cover: Hannah Montana Concert CD

Here we see Miley pose for an album cover back when she was the popular child Disney star, Hannah Montana. Cyrus represents herself through her facial expression, with her eyes in contact with the camera. Her smile helps emphasis her glowing youth and her hand pointing towards the audience while holding the microphone in the other allows the younger audience to feel connected with the child star and aspire to her as a role model. 

The encoders reinforce the representation of her being a child superstar through the use of foreground and background being bright spotlights connoting her stardom and fame which is anchored by the spotlights featured in the main typography being her name. As well as this, the copy 'best of both worlds concert' indicates anchor the image of her being up on stage performing to an audience. The encoders also frame her in a medium shot revealing her outfit which seems typical of a child pop singer but also reveals her holding her microphone signifying her musical ability but again, reinforcing her pop star status. 

The target audience would presumably be particularly young, around 7-12 who tend to aspire to young pop icons like Cyrus therefore they would be expected to respond with the preferred reading of her being a new upcoming child pop star who they will also feel they'll be able to relate to due to her encouraging a connection between her and them.

We live in a society which immensely values celebrity as well as success and here we see Cyrus represented as not only an entertainer but also an iconic role model for young girls. 

Text 2. Star magazine cover 

The main image of the magazine is of a Cyrus however we see that being a tabloid magazine, she hasn't posed for the picture. Her eyes are directed towards the floor and her facial expression seems natural yet slightly distressed. 

The encoders of the text being the journalists and editors of Star magazine have represented Cyrus as a drug addict through the copy 'Miley's Secret Drug Problem'

The Star magazine audience would be expected to take a preferred reading as stories of this particular problem are repeatedly featured within the tabloid