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1. Signifier
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2. Signified |
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There is, of course, more than just one signifier in this photo. In addition to the peace sign, there's the placard with the peace emblem scrawled on it; the hair style, headband, and beard are also signifiers of the 1960's peace movement; and there is the black & white photography that helps carry connotations of history.
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Tracking the signifier
Place the mouse over the lavender box. The gesture or sign made by this person in the photograph is associated with the Peace Movement (aka the "Anti-War" movement) of the late 1960s. The hand gesture is a signifier and "peace" is its signified. So, when we move to the second row and the lavender box, we see "the peace sign." So far, so good. But in this same box, the peace sign can also become a second-order signifier. In this case, Aiwa acoustic products has created a photographic reproduction of this sign to turn it into a second-order signifier of their product. The sign of the peace movement is hollowed out (Barthes calls this the "hemorrhaging" of meaning) and made to stand for a more general kind of "retro" or "nostalgia" thing. With a caption that reads, "you've waited thirty years," Aiwa turns the meaning of the signifier to refer to stereo equipment.
Now let's look at some applications of Barthes' concept. The first is an analysis of a Cuervo ad and the second is an analysis of an ad for Camp Beverly Hills clothing.
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