This is where a female, considered sexy, (most of these females are upcomings music video models) is featured for that particular issue and is interviewed as to how she got into the industry, her likes and dislikes, and her aspirations. Although the XXL magazine provides its readers with information, but what the reader very often does not recognize is the bias within the articles. It might cover all aspects of hip-hop, but there is certainly bias that's present, which implicitly tries to shape our moral views, and the positive and negative views/images that are projected. .
This magazine is an example of how the print media sometimes sends the wrong messages, for example, some of the featured articles on the celebrities do give an inside scoop on their lives but sometimes, certain things are to be edited. In the January 2004 issue of XXL magazine, there's featured article on G-unit, the rap group with leader, 50 cent; although the article talks to them about the tour they were doing at the time, there was alot of description and discussion of alcoholic beverages, marijuana, etc. Nevertheless, the young reader gets to see/read about a more personal side of the celebrity, but at the sametime, glorifying drugs and alcohol. Another example are the ads of different products in the magazine, mostly shoes, clothes, jewelry and drinks. These products usually grab the reader's attention through sex appeal i.e. a sexy female clothed in skimpy clothes. With all these ads promoting what is beyond the reach of most, the magazine is, in a sense, advocating a certain lifestyle to its audience. A lifestyle that can be destructive to the morale: drugs, alcohol, and women. It's shaping our views and making us think that we need these things to look a certain way, or to live a certain way, or even to achieve a certain status. The manipulative language used by these adds also play a role, Not only do the words promise things that will not happen it also sends a.
