Cosmopolitan's Valentine 2014 (Kasey Ventura)

Cosmopolitan, one of the world's most successful magazines targeting the “modern” female 18 to 35 years old with advice on love, sex, fashion, and popular culture. Often featuring classically beautiful women in revealing clothes, this year's February Valentine's issue displays 20 year old break out singer Ariana Grande. In this midshot that pans from her head to her knees, the singer is dressed in black mini skirts paired with a black crop top that revels her mid drift and overall slim physique. She is accessorized with a couple of small trinkets finishing her look with a blown out hairdo posed in a slight bent position. Being that this image is a magazine one would expect several headings and words but the one's that are emphasized due to sheer size and fonts are the title, a heading stating “we're obsessed”, and a subheading that reads “let's get naked! Sex! 26 ridiculously hot movies”. There are of course other headings that mention articles that covers sex, working out, finance, and love.

Grande who gained fame on Nickelodeon's television programs before releasing her hit single in 2013 can explain her somewhat less provocative look as compared to other covers this organization has featured. The fact that these articles are targeted towards women and that the model is young lady can further back up that hypothesis. However Cosmo may not want to completely erase sexual appeals as it does display some skin and a sub headline stating fantasy sex. The title that most connects to the cover however is the one claiming “we're obsessed” which either implies that Cosmo as whole legitimately has interest in her, wanted this photo to ride on her rising popularity, or Grande's team paid for this feature to market her image (possibility 2 or all 3 scenarios). Her outfit of course reflect articles of clothing that are rising in woman’s fashion that when worn by someone of interest (like a singer) it may appeal to an audience to purchase the items. Overall this image reflects a slight sensual young lady that still upholds a means of innocence it order to not alienate the audience that aided in her success. But there is some questions that pops into my head: does a woman have to be sexual in order to be marketable and sell to mass audiences? Most big female celebrities take photos similar to this cover some even more scandalous: what does that say about our culture? What does it say about our thoughts concerning the female form and a person in general?