Semiotics: Blog tasks

Part 1: English by Tarun Thind analysis

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film?

The audience are misled to believe that they are "hoodlums", and delinquents because of their age, and appearance, which reinforces the negative stigma around young adults.

2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?

The end of the film emphasises that de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic through: 

• The responses, attitudes and the interactions from the boys with the people around them. 

This can be interpreted as both:

1.  Their inability to respond to others is viewed as disobedient, immature behaviour naturally associated with the youth. This means the boys are displayed with typical, errant behaviours which are expected of adolescents e.g knife crime, fighting, drug handling etc

2. Their inability to respond draws questions and pity from the audience, as there seems to be signs indicating that they have trouble communicating, negating the aforementioned interpretation as now they seem vulnerable and innocent.

 

Part 2: Media Magazine theory drop - Semiotics

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?

Ferdinand de Saussure  suggest that signs are made up of: 

The signifier.

The signified.

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

The idea that two different interpretations can co-exist.

3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?

The process by which culturally-specific worldviews which are constructed in society over time. 

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

Hermeneutic code or ‘enigma

code'

Proairetic code or ‘action code’

Semantic code

Symbolic code

Cultural code

5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?

The title is a symbolic code, which hints to Russian matryoshka dolls, which get smaller

and smaller, reveals the narrative.

The rotten bowl of fruit is a enigma code, because the audience question why the character is not bothered by this.

Part 3: Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon: 

 

Index: 

Symbol: 

2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?

They are important because they convey a meaning and connote something which can be communicated to the audience without actually having to say it.

3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?

This is because signs can be interpreted in al kinds of way, so thy would want to avoid misleading the consumers of their products and mis-marketing their products. 

4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail? (This web feature on bad ads and marketing fails provides some compelling examples).

5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.