Comm 2302 Spring 20

Reading Summary

The signification systems that result from assigning names and logos and products is what permits advertisers to create effective as and commercial texts. Text is translated into a visual and verbal connotation of different types of signification systems. The textuality generated by ads and commercials is an intrinsic feature of the advertising method. This textuality can also be reinforced through slogans and jingles. Also creating characters on purpose in order for them to become the main protagonist in the products textuality helps the products recognizably be enhanced. It is important to provide the right context for an ad and you want it to attract the right kind of market for the product. Layout and design are also very important aspects of an ad. Layouts can suggest who the ad intends to target. Many symbols such as the V-shape can symbolize sex and things pertaining to have a sexual connotation.  Connotation results from several cognitive processes including similarity, difference, contiguity, intensity, and association. The human mind seems to be predisposed to link meanings together in many ways that has their own culture-specific logic. Advertising combines layouts, textually and different symbols to create meaning for their customers.

Outside Example

This Carl’s Jr. commercial featuring Kim Kardashian advertises a new salad Carl’s Jr. is trying to promote. They try to appeal to their customers using sex appeal and the symbol of Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian is a famous celebrity, but also symbolized sex for many people in her generation. This ad attempts to use sex as a way to attract new customers and old ones by introducing not only a healthy meal, but putting a spin on it to make people actually pay attention to the commercial.

Reading Connection

The reading spoke very much about different symbols being used to attract a certain type of customer base. Carl’s Jr. is trying to attract men in general as Kim Kardashian is seen as a symbol of sex. I believe the goal of the ad was to attract men and if men react to this ad and hence go to their local Carl’s Jr, they will subsequently get the satisfaction from the salad the same way they would get satisfaction from sex. It is important to provide the right context for an ad and you want it to attract the right kind of market for the product, therefore it seems that Carl’s Jr. is trying to advertise to their already largest consumer market of men. It is more typical to see a man at Carl’s Jr. than a women just due to preferences and the ads they produce may have something to do with it. Could the majority men consumer base be because men go there more often because of the sexual nature of their ads, or could it be because the ads push away more women than attract them.

Reading Summary:

The article analyzes an ad for Marilyn Peach, a sparkling wine. The ad contains many subtexts, as it suggests the Genesis narrative and contains sexual undertones. The Genesis narrative is called mythization. Connotative chaining is when each signifier evokes a connotation which in turn evokes another, and then another, and so on. Textuality is the specific mode or modes of making ads and commercials on the basis of specific signification systems built intentionally into products. Ambiguity is the ability to generate various kinds of subtexts from the same layout. When there are multiple interpretations of a text, it has a high connotative index to the product’s textuality.

Outside Example:

When thinking about symbolism, I instantly thought of the Formation music video, because I feel like literally everything means something in the video and everytime you watch it, you find something you didn’t see before. Even when the music video was released sends a message, as it was released on Trayvon Martin’s birthday. The music video starts out with Beyonce sitting on a police car submerged in water, a reference to both Hurricane Katrina and police brutality. Throughout the music video, Beyonce evokes imagery from Katrina and shows scenes from the Lower 9th Ward, a predominantly Black area of New Orleans that was completely devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Later in the music video, there is a black child dancing in front of a line of fully-armed police officers and a wall painted with “stop shooting us,” both obvious references to police brutality.

Connection to Reading:

The Formation music video connects to the reading, because there are so many references and symbols throughout the music video. Sometimes, once you find a symbol, you realize that it leads to another symbol. This is an example of connotative chaining. Additionally, many of the symbols are pretty ambiguous. For example, some people think that there is symbolism in what Beyonce is wearing – whether it be black or white – while some people think that these people are just looking too much into it. This music video would have a high connotative index, because people can get very different things about what this music video means as well as how many undertones there actually are.

Summary

These articles discuss the differences in marketing strategies and the way certain demographics are targetted in advertisements. Many businesses use sex appeal to advertise to men and women; making women think a product will make them more desirable and making men think a product will make them seem more manly. Traditionally, oral consumables sell very well and make up the majority of goods consumed. Therefore, when telling a group to stop using a product that would be used orally, such as cigarettes, then they often push for another product that can be used orally, like chewing gum. Food can also be very powerful in conveying feelings, rich foods can convey satisfaction and excitement and bland foods could mean comfort or dissatisfaction.

Example

While reading the section about oral consumables, I was reminded of my high school tennis coach that would go through a pack of chewing gum during a tournament. She would go through a whole pack, sometimes more, during matches or tournaments because she was nervous. Sometimes, she would eat sunflower seeds as an alternative, but she would usually have something that she could chew or such on during our matches. If she ran out of gum, then she would sometimes chew on her pens or would anxiously bite her nails.

Connection

My coach’s habit of anxiously chewing gum or eating sunflower seeds is a strong example of the release of tension through the act of chewing. She would chew gum to help her be less tense while watching us play matches. Sometimes she would eat sunflower seeds because the act of sucking on them and them breaking them open can be a tension releasing action. In the article that discussed gum and marketing it as an aggression reducer was very apparent in my coach. She was usually more relaxed during matches rather than practice, and part of it was probably due to chewing gum.

Reading Summary

Together, these excerpts explored the construction of advertisements through breaking down their meaning with semiotics. Semiotics is a multiple meaning understanding specific to the viewer and their translation. In order to complete this deconstruction of advertisements, the authors focused on the “connotative chain” (Danesi, 47). The connotative chain was simply a continuous word chain of words, concepts, ideas, and visuals seen in an advertisement and how they flowed into a singular main idea at the end of the summarized meaning. An important aspect of this article to consider is that like semiotics, these connotative chains are also open to interpretation. Therefore, there may be multiple connotative chains with different conclusive ideas for the same advertisement. All aspects of semiotics belong in the creation of advertisements and are what is being interpreted in these connotative chain. The goal of all advertisements is to make it recognizable in some aspect to the viewer so that whenever they are introduced to an advertisement they immediately recognize a part that connects them to a product.

Outside Example

With the focus on creating a recognizable advertisement, the goldfish advertisement came immediately to my mind. Through symbols, slogans, signs, colors and sounds; the creators of Goldfish ads whether through film or image have produced a product that is easily recognizable and known to all viewers. Every ad contains the goldfish symbol and their slogan “the snack that smiles back” either voiced through video or written on the ad. The ad below takes a more simplistic turn compared to majority of their vibrant, animated ads but is still recognizable in advertising Goldfish through their symbol, slogan, and package.

Connection to Reading

Like Danesi’s reading, there are many components that go into conveying a singular message in an ad. This particular add is unique in comparison to other Goldfish ads adding to why it stands out and leaves an impression. This add focuses more on the natural ingredients used to make Goldfish targeting mothers directly who are most likely to buy this for their children. The background is limited in color and the ad itself is compromised of 3 colors, white, orange, and blue. Orange and blue compliment each other, not to mention the additional calming presence of blue to compliment the idea of a nurturing mother. This is just one interpretation of the advertisement but nonetheless is recognizable and leaves an impression with the repetitive features of the goldfish and slogan.

Reading Summary:

The semiotic method states that signs have meanings and its important that signs differentiate from each other to convey different meanings. However, to determine the meaning of a sign you must first understand its denotation then its connotation. The denotation is the surface or face level meaning. Underneath that is the connotation, or the cultural-political meaning. To arrive at the connotative meaning, one must use abduction and over-determination. Abduction is a search for the most likely explanation of something. An over-determination says that there are multiple explanations or interpretations. 

Personal Example:

In the reading they talked a lot about gender roles especially in old sitcoms and ads. This made me think of old superhero movies, especially “Superman.” In Superman there is a male hero who is Superman and he fights other male bad guys. He is seen as indestructible and always does the right thing. He also has a wife, Lois Lane, who is depicted as this pretty reporter who always needs saving. There are multiple scenes where Lois is falling or needs Superman’s help. However, recently there has been a big spotlight on woman superheroes like Wonder woman and Captain Marvel. There are still depicted as beautiful and powerful like their male counterparts. 

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Reading Connection:

In the old Superman the denotation is that superman is powerful and saves lives. The connotation is much deeper. Some will argue that the old superhero movies reflect and push gender roles of that time. Meaning that men were seen as head of the household and woman were responsible for looking pretty. They show this by depicting the wife of Superman as helpless and in danger if superman is not there to save her. Since gender roles have smoothed and become more equal, the superhero universe has too. In movies like Wonder Woman the main hero is a strong woman. She does not need a man to save her. Thus, the denotation is more or less stays the same showing that superheroes are strong. However, the connation has changed with culture and shows that woman have equal powers as their male counterparts. 

Pop culture is always changing. Therefore, our ways of studying must change as well. A sign is something that carries a meaning to the audience. Pretty much anything can be a sign in pop culture. The semiotics method uses these signs. It is a method where you focus on these signs and interpret the meaning behind these signs. It’s often times more than what you can just visually see. The second principle in semiotics is finding the connotation and denotation behind the signs you see. The third involves over-determination which is when there is multiple reasons behind a sign. The last one involves cultural myths and how they are different with different cultures. The example they gave involves vampires. Back in the day vampires were scary. Dracula was a nightmare that would sneak up and suck your blood. Nowadays because of twilight and vampire diaries and other shows like that, these vampires are tendy, sexy, and attractive. You can use semiotics to analyze this.

When reading about this I thought about The Dark Knight. The movie features multiple references to dogs such as Batman being bit by dogs in the beginning of the movie, Joker putting his head out the window like a dog, always licking himself like a dog, Joker wondering “how loyal his dogs really are”, or in referring to Joker, Joker’s just a mad dog! I want whoever let him off the chain!” and even in the end when Batman takes the blame, being chased by dogs

Many fans speculate that all these dog references are Christopher Nolan creating a distinction between the “trained” society that Batman lives in and Joker, who acts like a dog, being wild and anarchal. In the end, Joker succeeds in making Batman like him, Joker wants to break Batman and make him break his rules. In the end Batman ends up being chased by dogs, symbolizing that he succeeded. This is the use of semiotics. Symbols and signs have meanings and connotations.

Maasik, S. & Solomon, J. (2012). “The semiotic method.” Excerpt from Signs of life in the USA., 17 pages.

change to syllabus

check MWF days

Summary

Studies in advertisements and consumers’ reaction to advertisements has shown great differences in what appeals to different sexes. Early 1900s advertisements marketing perfume used a technique that manipulates women’s desire to catch the eye of an eligible male. Research, however, showed that the sexual promises promoted in ads led to disappointment casing lack of customer retention. Marketers moved away from the “get your man” approach to depict women as professional equals in their advertisements. This had a direct effect of male sexual security. Studies found that although most males bought sedans, convertibles displayed in the viewing rooms attracted more men because they viewed the idea of a convertible as a mistress. Regardless they would purchase the sedan, but seeing the convertible fed men’s desire to be young and adventurous. Women progressively infringed on men’s views of role separation between the sexes. This shows the psychological effects of deeper meanings in marketing. Studies were also done to find the connection between oral fixations and relaxing effects. Research found that smoking, eating, drinking milk, chewing gum and other oral activities relieved stress because of the direct relation to childhood breastfeeding. Breastfeeding give comfort to an infant, similarly smoking, eating, drinking and chewing gum relieve stress in adults.

Outside Example

When I was searching for outdated advertisements for the project I came across advertisements that would not be allowed in todays time. Many of the advertisements depicted a woman as an object that belongs to a male. The women were often serving their husbands dinner or bringing them a beverage. Even in advertisements directed towards women was aimed to please the husband. In the advertisement below, it shows a woman on Christmas morning receiving a Hoover vacuum as if this is exactly what a wife would want for Christmas when, in fact, it is the male who wants the woman to use the vacuum to clean the house. When I first saw these advertisements I believed them to be a joke, but apparently these are real vintage print ads.

Connection

The reading connects to the example because it addressed the underlying views of men and women when it came to early marketing. Clearly, the marketing strategies of the early 1900s had a misogynistic view. When marketing campaigns began to appeal to women in a way that did not benefit men, men’s masculinity began to be questioned. This resulted in more advertisements appealing to the rugged man, although majority of men were suburban husbands. It connected them back to that sense of dominance and masculine power. I can see the immense progress in marketing strategies when I see an advertisement such as the one above.

Reading Summary

This excerpt focuses on the meaning of signs and the different tools and methods that influence our understandings and analyzation of those signs, otherwise known as semiotics. A critical piece to interpreting signs, defined as something that carries meaning, in ensuring we are examining them in their appropriate systems. These systems gives us reference through association and differentiation of different signs that we know in order to give us a true meaning of a sign in the context being examined. Signs can be examined through multiple lenses, such as a political one, the denotative interpretation, connotative interpretation, through abduction, or through overdetermination. Essentially, the key is to put signs in a system of a related phenomena where they can be easily associated and differentiated. However for those that study semiotics, it is important to remember that we are apart of our own cultural mythologies. These are outside value systems that shape our viewpoints, the way we view different facts, and our subsequent interpretations of signs. While these do not hinder ours or other’s interpretation of signs, it is important to remember these as influences on our determinations.

Outside Example

The first thing that came to mind for me was an old video that John Oliver did on the mascot of the small town in Japan called Susaki. The mascot, who goes by the name “Chiitan” is designed after the extinct river otter since the city of Susaki is a port city. To many, this mascot represents the culture of this small town through its important relation to the rivers and sea life. Chiitan also wears a hot pot ramen dish as its hat, an important and popular dish to the town’s residents. However to many around the city, continental Japan, and the world, Chiitan is known through his violent videos where he harasses citizens and engages in reckless and violent behavior. While these videos and the city’s association with Chiitan were controversial, many either loved or hated the mascot.

Reading Connection

Chiitan is a sign. Denotatively, he is the former mascot of Susaki presented as a playful otter. Connotatively, Chiitan represents many things. From an abduction perspective, most would view Chiitan as a violent harasser that brings harm to the city. However overdetermination leads us to believe that perhaps many enjoy the antics of the mascot, as the videos have thousands more likes than dislikes, or that the increase in tourism and revenue for the city outweighs some potential criticism. Both of these views are justified, but our cultural mythologies will lead us to believe one of these interpretations of the sign more than others. Likely, for younger interpreters and those with an enjoyment for violence, they will be attracted to Chiitan and the antics. Additionally, those whose primary concerns are the economic well-being of the city will be in support of Chiitan’s behavior because of the economic gains they bring. However if someone’s views are shaped on strong moral character and non-violence, then the antics of of Chiitan are not worth the headaches and would thus seek Chiitan to be suspended.

This article is about how food photography and video has close parallels with pornography. The way sensual language is used, close ups, the effortlessness, and inability to replicate are present in both forms of food media and in porn. Barbara Nitke, a porn photographer analyzes these parallels and points out how popular food network shows resemble the storylines and the character archetypes of pornographic film. This article also uses evidence from biologist, Michael Gershon’s research in the “second brain” which is his word for the gut . He explains that this gut reaction, the feeling of awe, is what makes food film so successful and is what producers look for when casting food network stars like Rachel Ray and Giada De Laurentiis.

This article reminds me of a series of fruit photography I saw from the portfolio of famous photographer, Tyler Shields. Shield’s is known for his provocative images that involve sex, celebrity, beauty, and violence. He also tries to capture interesting and controversial relationships, continuing to draw in the media with his rebellious and sometimes disturbing ideas. In his photo titled “Grapefruit,” Shield’s positioning, the choice of red nails, and the juicy sliced fruit, all allude to seduction and the wow factor that draws viewers in. While this picture may seem much more suggestive than the food network, the same ideas and techniques are used to make people want to see more.

Many of Tyler Shield’s photos are said to have a “wow” factor that is shocking but also intriguing. This same wow feeling was also mentioned in the article “Debbie Does Salads,” when Dr. Robinson discusses the feelings in your gut and brain that happen while viewing “gastroporn.” Barbara Nitke also talks about the presentation and the close ups involved in man handling food comparing it to the way pornography is staged. She uses the example of Rachel Ray cutting apples when she says, “”A good whack. Then I run my knife through it.” Her glistening fingers closed around the dripping fruit. (pg23).” This is similar to the grapefruit photo because of how the fingers are positioned and the close up shot of grapefruit juice covering the manicured hands. In both food network shows and food photography, whether it’s apples or raw chicken it is not portrayed that way, in the same way the grapefruit in the photo isn’t just a grapefruit.