Deconstructing Arnold

Photo 1

1. What do you see? How does he look? 

In this photo, Arnold is wearing a muscle shirt, gloves, and sunglasses. All of his clothing and accessories are shades of black, which give the impression that he is tough and a little mysterious. He also has a mean look on my face, which reiterates that he is a tough guy. The background is orange and red, which is very eye-catching. The cover also makes a lot of promises to get the reader looking fit quicker, which would probably be enticing for a lot of readers.

2.  How does he make you feel?

This photo makes me feel that Arnold is strong and maybe a little mean, and would probably beat the crap out of someone for looking at him wrong.

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

(Answered in question 2)

4. How does he look?  How do those "looks: influence how you feel?

He looks tan, muscular, and kind of intimidating.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted? 

This is definitely targetting young to middle-aged men (and maybe women) of all walks of life who want to pursue a lifestyle of athletics and body-building. I think it's portraying to readers that this is the best body for men to have, and all men should want to strive to look like this, which is definitely not the case in real life.

Photo 2

1. What do you see? How does he look?

In this photo, Arnold is dressed in red, white, and navy, with a lighter blue background, obviously trying to look patriotic. The cover tells us that he will be "the next Governor of California", so it's evident why he chose to dress this way. He has kind of a sneaky grin on his face and is pointing at the reader (Uncle Sam-esque), obviously trying to grab your attention.

2.  How does he make you feel?

I feel like he has a secret behind his seemingly fake smile... not unlike most politicians we see today. 

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

(Answered in question 2)

4. How does he look?  How do those "looks: influence how you feel?

His looks give me the impression that he wants to be viewed as a serious politician now and not just as a body builder or really buff actor. However, I personally don't really take him seriously just by looking at this photo.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted? 

I think it's obvious that this magazine is directed towards middle to upper class men, judging by the stories being portrayed, the picture of the scantily clad woman, and the language being used on the cover.

6. What are the differences between the two covers? What techniques are used to attract your attention? Pay attention to body language, clothing, camera angle, lighting, color, eye contact ect.

There are many differences between the two covers. In the first, he is wearing little clothing to show off his physique. In the second, he is dressed professionally and covered up. In the first, he looks carefree and we can't see his eyes behind his sunglasses. In the second, he is smirking and looking right at us, even pointing. The first photo is shot from below, making Arnold look even bigger and dominant than he really is. The second is taken from slightly above, making him look more vulnerable.