The end of Teen Vogue’s print run and the emergence of editor Elaine
Welteroth corresponds with their evolution into even more political,
partisan coverage that instils a greater amount of controversy. The
online op-ed column ‘Thigh High Politics’ written by Lauren Duca claims
to “break down the news, provide resources for resistance and just
generally refuse to accept toxic nonsense”. ‘Thigh-High Politics’ was
inspired by Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson who told Duca to “stick
to the thigh-high boots” (Fassanella, 2017). The title epitomises the
ways in which Teen Vogue systematically attempts to unite the worlds of
fashion and politics, disproving myths that categorise the female body as
“unsuitable for political work,” (Railo, 2014, p.49).
At the top of the web page, readers are presented with different sections
to choose from: ‘Style’, ‘Politics’, ‘Culture’ and ‘Identity’. Ytre-Arne (2011,
p.252) found that some women want “something more than just fashion”
from women’s magazines, whilst others, despite being interested in
information about the world, did not want it in women’s magazines. She
concludes that “these divided opinions underline the potential tensions
between light and pleasurable lifestyle journalism and articles of social
and political problems.” Perhaps Teen Vogue’s online version succeeds
in doing so, as the readers have the ability to choose which area interests
them and personalise their own experience of the magazine.
The title ‘Donald Trump is Gaslighting America’ is particularly prominent
as it relies on its cultural context in order to make a critical stance. The
word ‘Gaslight’ is common to young people, as a “buzzy” word used
when an individual manipulates others into questioning their own sanity,
usually within a relationship. The title connotes the idea that the reader is
in a relationship with Trump and he is manipulating them. McIntosh (2017)
comments on how Teen Vogue’s online headlines “make zero sense to
anyone outside the target audience”, revealing how closely the writers
interact with youth culture in order to stay relevant with their readers.
The use of phrases like “trolls” in the article indicates the presupposition
that her readers understand, or are involved in, internet culture.
The image of Donald Trump shows him smiling, giving a thumbs up.
Whilst the image denotes a happy, friendly tone, the context of the
article interrupts this meaning, as it connotes an awareness of his own
manipulative ways as he effectively gives a ‘thumb’s up’ to the population
he is gaslighting. This representation of Trump penetrates the the article,
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