Big Issue: In Bob We Trust Essay

You will analyse the media language and media representation of the 1333 issue of the Big Issue “In Bob we trust”. To what extent does the Magazine diverge from mainstream/rightwing depictions of the poor/homeless. Why are the magazines remit an important factor in the way the magazine represents homelessness? Discuss the social and political context of homelessness…Discuss the impact of homelessness in Britain today from your research.

The Big Issue - launched in 1991 in response to the growing numbers of homeless people in the street - offers the homeless the opportunity to earn an income through selling a magazine to the public. Vendors buy the magazine for £1.25 and then proceed to sell it for £2.50, making each seller a mini-entrepreneur who is working and not begging; allowing The Big Issue to give them"a hand up not a handout" - this meaning to help them earn money for themselves and not just give the money to the homeless. 

Issue 1333 - In Bob We Trust, written by James Bowen, is about a cat, who is is named Bob, who has adopted an owner, James, who is homeless; a true feel-good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat. His homeless owner is an addict, however, upon meeting Bob, the owner begins to heal himself in order to care for Bob - who he had named Bob. The whole picture would remind any viewer of winter - the blue, white, gold/yellow and red colours covering the image. The blue in the background could link to the spirituality, loyalty and trust that Bob has shared with James, his owner. The white in the lower third of the background could represent to protection, cleanliness (which Bob does, in fact, help James clean his addictions), and purity. The red of Bob's scarf could serve as a semantic code for the strength that he gives his owner in order for his owner to stop his addictions and become clean, and the love that James has for him. The yellow of the lettering could speak for the happiness and joy that Bob brings for James. The semantic field of winter colours that is present in the poster could represent the coldness that the homelessness have to be put through, and the dangers that they have to face - such as hypothermia - because they have no home. However, the winter colours could act as a representation for the faith and confidence - possibly to keep each other alive that the two have in each other; Bob being that James is there to keep him alive, and James being that Bob is there to stop him from being addicted and healthier. The wide long shot of Bob is showing all of the cats and his background, however as much as this shot emphasises on the conditions that the homeless have to plough through, it also emphasises on the clean. The wide shot overall introduces the beginning of what In Bob We Trust is about, setting the viewer's perception of time, place and logical action of the writing that is about to transpire. By looking straight into Bob's eyes, it is almost a way to get the viewers to sympathise with him - getting them to not follow in the views of the right winged newspapers. Bob the cat looks proud, and having a scarf around his neck could indicate that the homeless owner looks after the cat more than himself. Being outside, it emphasises the fact that Bob's owner is, in fact, homeless and Bob is a companion of his; Bob is the light of his owner's life. The focus of the picture is all on Bob, him being the sharp point in the image, the background being blurry, this could be a metaphor for the owner's new life - his background and past activities are near to nothing in comparison to his new life with Bob. The wordplay of 'In Bob We Trust' is similar to the words that Americans have on their dollar bills - words that they worship. This could be an indicator of Bob being the hope and trust that is needed for James to pull through and get better. Although this image isn't that realistic with a healthy looking cat being the portrayal of what the cat looks like in real life after being cared for by a homeless man, there are some realistic traits where the cat is the only thing that is helping James get better. The use of big lettering for Bob highlights his importance to James since he found his way into James' life.

Throughout the magazine, homelessness awareness is what is being spread, telling the public that what the right winged newspapers portray them as is not true. The right winged newspapers tend to represent the homelessness in a negative light and those who are people who beg from money rather than get a job. Newspapers such as the Telegraph thinks living on the streets is a lifestyle choice and should think that it is something that could be dealt with advice. The Big Issue magazine parallels to the right winged newspapers - helping those who are homeless no matter how they got there; portraying them in a light that isn't dark. It is important for this magazine to spread awareness of homelessness and not in a negative light as it proves that the right winged newspapers are wrong; showing the public what being homeless is really like and how it invades peoples lives in the first place.