The use of the ‘Hat in Crochet’ brings a social appeal to the magazine, as it would be attainable for women who had learnt crochet through the war. The magazine cover attracts lower class women even though the target audience is more middle class. Expressions on the front such as ‘Chic’ that would have more connotations with the middle class and people with more money however attracts a lower audience who can strive for the same lives and possibly buying into the product for the escape from reality, adding to the popularity.
Being a relatively new addition to journalism the market expanded quickly and began to adopt a similar pattern. Covers appeared throughout the 1940’s with the same layout. One edition of Britannia and Eve in September 1943 sports the same cover girl who is well dressed in fashionable clothes and uses the line ‘with complete home and fashion sectors’ which shows the topics which were appealing to women at the time.
The use of the agony aunt ‘Mrs Marryat’ through the name shows the social necessity for marriage, which was expected at the time. The accompanying picture of an older woman helps evoke a sense of wisdom. Also being a ‘Mrs’ gives her a form of credibility, being older and having more life experience, making the text more influential to younger women.
The response the woman gives holds very old-fashioned views, which encourage the woman to be a ‘perfect housewife’ By advising the woman ‘helping your husband on his way through life’ and ‘never reproach him with what you have lost’ almost dictates that the way to be happy is through taking car of your husband. The use of abstract nouns though the article such as ‘love’ and ‘fulfilment’ combined with absolute words such as ‘never’ reinforces the idea that you gain these feelings from undertaking certain obligations. This may have influenced women at a time where many thought women should be reverting back to the home.
Men also use the agony aunt page. ‘Cool off’ asks advice about women. ‘My mother is a regular reader of your paper’ not only shows the appeal to all ages but also suggests that men would use the magazine as well. The issues include an insight that men have not before had to women other than stereotypes but can also be used for gift ideas in advertisement.
Advertisement through the edition is another key factor in women’s magazines, not for the finance in production but to understand the audience the magazine catered for.
With little money after the war and the demise of servants different machines such as ‘ACME Cleanser Wringer’ would have been sought after by middle class women to make life easier when keeping house.
This however did not exclude the lower classes who would enjoy these advertisements for the desire of the purchase. The use of the ‘no coupons required’ sign used in the Movie Cleaner would have appealed to all families with the shortage of coupons through the war.
The accompanying article entitled ‘Overheard in camp’ could almost contradict ACME’s home connections. Being based on cleanliness would suggest a housewife image however the illustration shows two women in uniform rather than a mother or wife that you would stereotypically associate with such products. The use of the two women in full uniform could almost represent the modern woman who can ‘have it all’ which would have appealed to women at the time who wanted who were enjoying being out of the house.
All of the advertising continues to relate to the home, cleaning and cooking which probes at the question of whether magazines were trying to make the home a more desirable place.
