Just Looking ...

With regards to Barthes' ideas about myth and language, I thought of how beer ads are great examples of his notion of "double articulation". In most beer ads, they always show you images of really "hot" or sexy young girls, a great party going on, or just a refreshingly cold-looking glass of beer. This is the language of most of these ads -- the hot girls, people having fun at a party holding beer, and refreshing beer. Simple facts and images of what is shown in the ads are these and they are the "language" that Barthes talk about. On the other hand, the myths that these language elements give us are a variety of bourgeoisie associations we like to make with beer. We like to think of beer being associated to girls, sex, a good time, a crazy party, or just pure refreshment. The ads do not explicitly say "beer = getting laid" or "beer = having cool friends and a great time". They just show you pictures and clips (if it is a commercial) of these ideas and desires to reassert such associations. This method of marketing through double articulation is extremely persuasive, although it is done subtly. It has nothing to do with an argument or what is right or wrong. It simply presents these images, and indirectly make you associate beer with such ideas and events. But if you really think about it, what the beer ads present is obviously n ot the case. There are people who drink beer alone, without getting a girls or the intention of getting sex. There are people who are sad, lonely and frustrated and sit alone in their basement drinking a beer. THere are people who get drunk, and then do crazy violent things -- like drinking and driving, or mindless fights due to drunken rage. And obviously, if you think hard, a cold refreshing-looking beer has NOTHING to do with the beer. It is the REFRIGERATOR that makes the beer cold, and reasonably thinking, it is not the beer that gives you that cold shiver. Indeed, these are all images that are possible, but are never shown by the beer companies -- and for good reason. Otherwise, they're sales could be in great jeopardy.

It is interesting how Barthes articulated this idea about myth and language in images. In the modern world, I think it is a great break-down of a good marketing campaign.