http://www.romanceeverafter.com/images/Ahk50098.jpg
1. This painting depicts a well-dressed mother and daughter standing together outdoors. Because of both the style of painting as well as the fact that the scene was not photographically captured, the image itself may not be regarded as objective. It still does, however, perpetrate the iconic myth or ideology of motherhood in which the mother is shown in relation to her offspring as a nurturing individual. Here, she appears to be taking her daughter out for a walk, and the fact that the child appears both well-fed and clothed seems to indicate that she has been well-cared for by her mother.
On another level, the image also conforms to the myth of femininity. Both of the individuals depicted therein appear to be adorned with flowers, which blends them in with their surroundings. The similarity between the colors of the background and those within the young girl’s hat is especially striking; it may be said that the similarity itself connotes the way in which girls were, from a young age, brought up to follow the traditional values for ladies during that time period. They were to keep themselves well, and be found only among such appropriate surroundings.
The painting, then, functions as a representation of the ideal female and presents it as an uncontested truth. The subjects are made to appear content with their situation.
http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/Sudan.jpg
2. This painting of a battle scene does not carry much value as “truth”; it appears, even through the style of painting, to be unrealistic. Rendering the image even less believable is the “metal man” situated among the red coat soldiers on the left of the picture.
Even though the painting lacks a believable quality, it is still able to send strong messages about the two sides depicted and may be seen as a representation of British (or white man’s) might as compared to the colored “enemy”. The British army appears determined, trained, and in uniform. They charge ahead against the enemy and take the offensive. They are shown in the foreground and appear more numerous than the opposition. In the background there is also visible a British man in uniform leading a group of what appear to be Indian (colored) soldiers (who are not dressed in uniform).
In comparison, the opposing army appear to be scattered and few; they have little order and already seem to be losing the fight. One of the clearest indications of this myth of “white” power can be seen in the profiles of the two leaders. Whilst the British leader appears to be charging ahead on his horse and points his sword forward in an apparent attempt to draw his troops to the front, the leader on the right points his stick (instead of a sword) backwards as his horse seemingly rears back in fright.
With all of these details put together, the image appears to function as a representation of the white man’s invincibility.
http://beforeithappens.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/muslim_women.jpg
3. This is a photographic image of a group of Muslim women in their chadors. The “truth value” assigned to such pictures is much greater than any painting or drawing due to the fact that it was captured through apparently unbiased machinery. Yet the framing of the picture, as well as the manner of depicting the subjects themselves can greatly alter what the image serves as a representation of.
The connotation of this picture is that Muslim women (covered with their chadors) have no identity. Their faces cannot be seen, and so they cannot be recognized or differentiated. Each woman appears to simply be one among many, without a mind or personality of her own. There is no uniqueness.
The only woman whose face is visible appears to be in distress, not happy or content. She looks backwards, as if to try and find a way out. It almost seems as though she is trapped within the sea of black. Her apparent inability to escape also seems to indicate a lack of free action and thought, as though the women are simply supposed to do as they are told.
*** Using Barthes’s model, the signifier would be the picture of a group of Muslim women, all wearing black, and almost all facing away from the camera. The signified would be a lack of individuality. Together, they form the sign.
The fact that the women are shown in a negative light without personalities of their own seems to be reversely promoting the American ideologies of independence and individuality. The image appears to put the Muslim/Iranian/Arab culture against that of majority Christian America. By showing an image of something which is not routinely seen in the USA (the hijab/chador), the image appears to create a larger rift than is necessary between the groups. The fact that the only woman whose face can be seen appears to be in distress also shows the “triumph” of the Christian ideology over Islam, which is many times wrongly portrayed to be suppressing women through the hijab.
http://octave6.tripod.com/webpages/toonpage/toons/alladin.jpg
4. This is a cartoon image which focuses on the characters of Jasmine and Aladdin. Aladdin is holding onto Jasmine, who clings to him for support. He is also holding a rope with which he appears to be planning to swing them to safety. Aladdin has a smile on his face and is looking at Jasmine, who looks the other way in fright.
Being a cartoon, the picture itself is not at all realistic and does not attempt to mirror the world around us. It does, however, still portray a myth, a seemingly universal truth, in which the men come to the aid of “damsels in distress”. Even though both characters are in trouble, and both have a means to escape, only Aladdin seems sure of the situation. He is the one who takes control and leads the distraught princess away. The connotation is thus that it is a man’s job to protect the women in the face of danger.
*** Using Barthes’s model, the signifier would be the image of Aladdin and Jasmine about to swing away from the danger surrounding them. The signified would be the traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity, especially with regards to a relationship between the two. Together, they form the sign, which seems to promote the ideology of male protection within a relationship. It is made to seem natural for women to seek physical and emotional care from the men. This is depicted in the picture through the fact that Jasmine clings physically to Aladdin who appears to be extremely calm compared to her. His smile, though she does not see it, appears to be self-sure (once again a part of what is considered to be masculine) and reassuring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGQf9dn0pDk
5. This car commercial denotes an Indian man doing whatever is necessary in order to try and make his normal car look like a Peugeot. Once again, it is not something that is likely to occur in real life; there is not much “truth value” in the commercial. It is interesting to note, however, that the ad does draw upon stereotypical views of Indians and the Indian culture. This includes the depiction of not very well-off Indians walking the dusty streets, elephants (the most obvious stretch), and crowds of onlookers. Also important is the fact that the Indians in the ad do not appear to be able to purchase a “nice looking” car such as the Peugeot; they ride in rickshaws and settle for a simple imitation of the original.
Regarding the car itself, the ad represents the Peugeot as being the height of envy. It is as if to say that people all across the world want that car above all others, no matter what the cost (in this case, destroying your initial car). The sacrifice is made to seem worthwhile. The end of the commercial with the men in the car attempts to send the message that the car makes the person; if you have a Peugeot, you will be considered “cool” wherever you go.
High vs. Low Art
High: http://www.rollins.edu/pr/photogallery/campusscenes/campus_ben_2.jpg
Low: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/0/00/Honey_Nut_Cheerios_Mascot.jpg
One method of classification which can be applied to both works (the representation of Ben Franklin and the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee) is simply the way in which the works are displayed and used. Franklin’s representation is not a common sight; though it resides outdoors on campus, it still has a place of honor in front of one of the buildings and is situated on ground slightly different from the other pathways; it is “whiter” and contains a quote. Contrastingly, the Cheerios Bee is a common sight for most people. It is not given any honorable position in relation to other works, and may actually be lower in status due to the fact that it is used for advertising purposes instead of aesthetic ones.
Another difference which may be used in classifying one above the other is the level of detail. The sculpture of Ben Franklin appears to have taken a lot of time to create. Many details are present within the image itself that make it appear almost life-like. The bee, in comparison, is a simple cartoon which appears more in the line of pop-art than “high” art.
Also, and most obviously, is the fact that the sculpture would be much more admired by other people than the bee; people may pay to have such a representation of Ben Franklin, but nobody would give a significant amount of money to own an image that appears on hundreds of thousands of cereal boxes around the country.
Mass Media: Democratic or Oppressive function?
Overall, I believe that mass media has a democratic function in our society, especially as the types of media which are used become more open with lines of communication flowing in both directions.
Before mass media existed, it was easier for those in power to cover up or fabricate events in order to exert greater control over the masses. The advent of such media as newspapers, the radio, and later the television allowed people to become informed about occurrences around them. News reached homes faster as time went on, and it became harder for those in control to keep things secret.
Still, at this point, media also could have played an oppressive function. If those in power were able to control the news before it went out onto the air or in print, it would be possible for them to manipulate the thoughts of the people to a much greater degree than before; instead of simply covering the truth, it now became possible for them to create and sustain lies.
Now, however, technology has progressed even further. With the advent of the internet, it has become increasingly possible for the general public to become involved in the conversation that occurs in the media. Instead of simply being fed information as was previously true with the newspapers, radio, and television (all of which it would have been difficult to gain access to), people now have the ability to reply to others and post their own views for all to see. This allows for a greater and more equal and fair flow of information, which in turn promotes the democratic ideals of the freedoms of thought and expression. The general public is able to create blogs and other webpages, join chat groups, and even utilize e-mail as a quick method for submitting, for example, editorial articles to the newspaper for print. In this way, the internet and other technologies (such as the cell phone for calling in to radio shows and youtube as a response to tv) have also evened the playing field in the other forms of media.
3 comments:
First of all I would like to say, Fatema, as was voiced by Dr. Levis recently in class, that your post for assignment 1 was damn good. You were able to comment on specific aspects of the images you chose that I never would have even taken a second glance at, let alone considered as being possibly relevant to the meaning of the image. For instance, in the cartoon image you chose depicting "Metal Man" and the British Army in a Sudanese battle, you made note of the fact that the apparent leader of the British troops had his sword confidently pointed forward towards the opposing army of Sudanese fighters, while the leader of the Sudanese Army seemed to point his own sword in the direction of retreat. Obviously, as you elaborated on, the significance of this detail in the image was that the British general was supposed to be seen as leading his troops to a sure victory, while the leader of the Sudanese was skiddishly resorting to admitted defeat. I would never have thought about this aspect of the cartoon image were it not for your comments on it.
I'd also like to mention that I found it a very corageous move of yours to choose the image of the matching Muslim women for commentary. Living in a nation that, especially following its leader's initiation of a "War on Terror", doesn't seem to give the other side of the story regarding Islamic people, their beliefs, and practices, it is nice to keep my own otherwise inevitable ignorance in check by hearing the opinion of opinion of a person who does practice the Muslim faith. I completely agree with you that the photograph of the Muslim women, because of the angle at which it was taken, and because of the expression on the face of its "centerpiece", could cause misconceptions about the nature of the life and emotions of an Islamic woman.
Anyway, your post was a very interesting read, keep 'em coming.
When Dr. Levis singled out your blog in class, I must admit that my curiosity was aroused. After reading your blog, I now understand why he said that yours was excellent. Your ability to look beyond the surface and see the underlying message is impressive. I was very interested in what you had to say about the painting of the mother and daughter. The painting really does capture the ideas of that time period. Women viewed to be almost like trophies - valued for their surface appearance, yet not appreciated for any wisdom or imagination that they may have possessed. Their role was to blend in and not make any ripples. From their early childhood, the females were brought up to avoid confrontation, and to keep their opinions to themselves. That painting truly captured the ideal female of that time period.
I think that your commentary on the cartoon of Aladdin and Jasmine further highlighted the myth of what a female should be like. The man is always viewed to be the brave one, the hero, the conqueror, the seeker of truth. In many movies or stories, there is a "damsel in distress," who could not get herself out of her predicament, and needed a man's assistance. This myth makes women out to be weak, vulnerable, and unable to support themselves. It goes along with the myth from that painting. Women are not supposed to be heroes; they are not valued for their minds or strength of heart, but valued for their outer appearance. However, on the other hand, the cartoon also shows the myth for males as well. Many women daydream about finding their knight in shining armor, the one who will sweep them off their feet. Men too have to fufill big expectations. They have to be the providers for the home, the conquerors, the heroes to the ones that they love. Like women, men have something to live up to as well, and those expectations can be seen just as clearly in the media too. Fatema, I enjoyed reading your blog, and I thought that it was very well thought out and written. You deserved the recognition that Dr. Levis gave you, and I am looking forward to reading your future blogs.
As everyone else has already said, your post was awesome, and I especially liked the images you chose. I actually wanted to say something about the one we discussed in class of the movie poster portraying the war between the white and colored men. We discussed the metal man and how we couldn't really decide what its purpose was, and I think I have an idea. I think it represents not only the advantage the white man had with its more advanced weapons and stronger armor, but in a more general sense the more developed and industrialized aspect of the white man's culture, which I think could be seen as a cause for the war portrayed, as the white man may have felt compelled to overtake the colored men in order to "civilize" and maybe colonize them into a more developed and industrialized culture. In this sense I think the metal man may also historically represent the coldness and mechanical nature of the white man feeling an obligation to overtake other cultures in order to "improve" them.
In response to part two of your blog about the media, I agree with the idea that you presented that the media, because there are so many available sources for individuals to access and become involved in, is democratic. However, I do not really believe that just because these options are available to individuals means that they actually take advantage of them. Although the intent of these new forms of media like the internet is democratic, I think many individuals, especially individuals in America, still rely on mass media forms that do not take so much effort on their part. I feel that a good amount of Americans are more likely to sit back on the couch and turn on the local news station and let the news be told to them based on what the networks think is truth and less likely to seek out the truth on their own. So I guess this makes it difficult because you can either blame the laziness of individuals to seek out their own truth, or you can blame the major news corporations for manipulating what they broadcast and making it necessary for these new but less used forms of media that require the individual to make an effort to find the truth.
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