Intertextuality Question

The next type of question related to The Big Issue is an Intertextuality question. 

It would likely look something like this...

How does The Big Issue use intertextuality in extract A?

Extract A: Front Cover No. 1214

This front cover was release in July of 2016. The all female remake of the popular movie The Ghostbusters was released in this same month along with Donald Trump receiving the official Republican Party nomination for his first run for U.S. president. Here his face has been placed onto the body of Slimer, one of the more iconic ghosts from the Ghostbusters franchise. The heads of the ghostbusters have been replaced with the heads of (From left to right):

Hilary Clinton - The Democrat Party nominee running against Trump.

Theresa May - The new UK Prime Minister, only the second woman to hold that office.

Taylor Swift - According to Forbes magazine, the highest paid celebrity in the world. 

Serena Williams - The highest paid female athlete in the world. 

Definition:

Intertextuality is when a media text references, copies, or echoes another media text (such as a film, TV show, celebrity, artwork, slogan, or genre) so that the audience recognises it and brings their existing knowledge to the meaning.

In short: Texts gain meaning through their relationship with other texts.

Magazines use intertextuality to:

• Engage the audience quickly – familiar references are instantly recognisable

• Create humour or irony – especially through parody or pastiche

• Add depth and meaning – one reference can communicate complex ideas fast

• Position the reader as “in the know” – making them feel clever or included

The Big Issue often uses intertextuality to:

• Connect with a broad, mainstream audience by referencing well-known films, celebrities, artworks, or cultural moments

• Challenge stereotypes by placing homeless or marginalised people within familiar, high-status cultural imagery

• Create empathy – recognisable references make serious social issues feel more relatable and human

• Blend activism with popular culture, making political or social messages more accessible and less confrontational

For example, when The Big Issue references iconic film posters or famous figures, it invites readers to rethink social issues through a familiar cultural lens, helping the message feel relevant rather than distant.

Introduction:

Intertextuality helps magazines like The Big Issue engage audiences by using familiar cultural references to communicate social messages quickly, challenge assumptions, and create a sense of shared understanding with the reader.

Task 1: As you can see, this introduction is very vague. Rewrite it so that it relevant to the extract. You should include something about the messaging of the extract and you may wish to include something about the audience demographic. 

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