An Analysis of an Image: Time Magazine
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| [source: TIME Magazine] |
- Surface Details: An older child, breastfeeding from an empowered-looking mother. They both are simply casually standing there as if it is completely natural.
- Explanation: A risky cover brings more readers. Since the controversial topic has surfaced, many people are curious to know just why some people continue this trend for so long. This cover also suggests that the magazine is taking the accepting side of the argument and portraying it in a good light.
- Question: Why did the director of the shoot position the models in this manner, and what does it say about them specifically?
- Answer: Time Magazine is trying to portray one side of the argument in showing that it is not a big deal. The mother is simply standing there with her hand on her hip while the child is nonchalantly looking around.
- So What? This cover reveals a whole world of controversy between when a mother should stop breastfeeding her child. The media has taken this issue to another level by even proposing the idea for a television show. The series would have consisted of topics such as the benefits of nursing past infantry, the cons to that approach, slowly weening a child off of it, and so on and so forth. Some parents think that it should be the child's choice when to stop, but many disagree. TIME could have taken the opposite approach for the cover with something along the lines of a child reaching for the mother, but have her turning away. The effects of switching to that story may have caused a bigger spark than this, though. It is likely that when one says something is wrong or bad, it will cause a bigger splash than simply accepting it. The story then could have had interviews from parents that are against breastfeeding at any age, or ones that are only against it past a certain age. My personal views on whether to put that something is right versus something is wrong is to stick with the positives and be generally accepting.
I like that you chose this magazine cover because this is a very controversial topic. I agree that because this is such a risky cover it does attract readers. Personally, I think that breastfeeding a child past 1 year is way too old. I have this opinion because I have a friend who studies children's behaviors. Study shows that children who are breast fed for too long become way too dependent on their mother and it stays that way until adulthood. I think that I would have added something about how he is standing on a chair. The fact that he is able to stand on a chair and his mother doesn't have to hold him should say something. He is way too old. I like how you pointed out the fact that the mother does have her hand on her hip because she does make it seem like it is totally normal. She also seems to be very proud that she is breast feeding her child still. TIME makes it seem like good mothers will let their children stop breast feeding when the children want to stop based off of the cover. I think that if TIME took the opposite approach with the cover and used a photo of a mother ignoring her child, the magazine wouldn't have caused a bigger spark.
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