Symbolic Annihilation
Description: The soap opera Home & Away consisted of an Australian cast that is entirely white with no ethnic minority characters or background extras.
Commentary: This soap opera demonstrates symbolic annihilation because not only are there no minority main characters but there are no characters with speaking roles whatsoever that are of color. There are not even any minority extras in the background of the scenes that take place in public places. It appears that this entire community is white and everyone on the show seems to be fine with no diversity. Since London is so diverse this show poorly reflects the reality of London and its inhabitants
Hegemony
Description: While watching the Australian Soap Opera Neighbors I realized Weight Watchers sponsored the entire show. The first commercial was just a typical London street sign with the numbers 36-24-34 on it. The second commercial was the same street sign but this time it said You, Happier.
Commentary: These Weight Watcher sponsored commercials contained hegemony because it gives the impression to the viewer that a woman must be thin in order to be happy. It is specifically addressed to women because the first commercial only obtained the supposedly “perfect measurement” of a woman. Then the second commercial reaffirms the hegemonic value that women need to be thin in order to be happy. The entire soap opera is cast with beautiful actors and actresses that would make a viewer feel inadequate if they compared their looks to themselves and that’s where Weight Watchers comes in to help people lose weight so they can feel better about themselves.
Closed text
This humorous advertisement symbolizes a closed text because there is only one way to interpret the copy. The ad simply states that it was designed for you to remember a British search engine. It is very simple with a black background and the website globrix.com in the bottom right corner. There is no way anyone could interpret this advertisement as an ad for something other than globrix.com. It is refreshing because it makes fun of the fact that the advertisement is so simple and not more complex like most ads.
Open Text
This advertisement for Head & Shoulders is an open text because there are different ways to interpret the wording of the ad. The copy tie me up again sounds like a kinky sexual request, but when one reads the smaller copy below this, it is realized that the ad is talking about tying up hair into a ponytail. It’s as if the hair is talking and pleading to be tied up again now that the hair is clean and radiate thanks to Head & Shoulders.
Visual Framing
This represents visual framing because this ad draws your eyes to the center of the sunflower to the words sale and 25% off in the frames of the sunglasses worn by the flower. You can tell this is the focus of the ad because these words are in a bigger font in white and this color really pops out against the orange of the sunglasses behind it. The website easyjet.com is also in this same font and color scheme because they want the reader to know where to book their vacation needs for this 25% off deal.
Socialization
The Tube is a big part of British culture and those who are foreign to London soon understand that there are certain rules to using the underground. By the use of these various signs in the underground, newcomers are initiated into certain rituals like standing on the right side of the escalators, minding the gap between the train and the platform, and not smoking while underground. If one doesn’t follow these rules they soon learn on their own by stumbling out of the train for not minding the gap or being pushed aside by commuters trying to get by on the escalators.
Cultivation
The idea of “going green” is seen in all forms of media in recent years and this eventually leads to consumers buying in to this trend. By recycling or buying eco-friendly products, the consumer feels good about themselves because they are helping the environment according to the “green” messages around them. These messages hope that over time as more and more media messages are released dealing with the negative effects of global warming, people will react and start buying more and more of these kinds of products.
Description: The soap opera Home & Away consisted of an Australian cast that is entirely white with no ethnic minority characters or background extras.
Commentary: This soap opera demonstrates symbolic annihilation because not only are there no minority main characters but there are no characters with speaking roles whatsoever that are of color. There are not even any minority extras in the background of the scenes that take place in public places. It appears that this entire community is white and everyone on the show seems to be fine with no diversity. Since London is so diverse this show poorly reflects the reality of London and its inhabitants
Hegemony
Description: While watching the Australian Soap Opera Neighbors I realized Weight Watchers sponsored the entire show. The first commercial was just a typical London street sign with the numbers 36-24-34 on it. The second commercial was the same street sign but this time it said You, Happier.
Commentary: These Weight Watcher sponsored commercials contained hegemony because it gives the impression to the viewer that a woman must be thin in order to be happy. It is specifically addressed to women because the first commercial only obtained the supposedly “perfect measurement” of a woman. Then the second commercial reaffirms the hegemonic value that women need to be thin in order to be happy. The entire soap opera is cast with beautiful actors and actresses that would make a viewer feel inadequate if they compared their looks to themselves and that’s where Weight Watchers comes in to help people lose weight so they can feel better about themselves.
Closed text
This humorous advertisement symbolizes a closed text because there is only one way to interpret the copy. The ad simply states that it was designed for you to remember a British search engine. It is very simple with a black background and the website globrix.com in the bottom right corner. There is no way anyone could interpret this advertisement as an ad for something other than globrix.com. It is refreshing because it makes fun of the fact that the advertisement is so simple and not more complex like most ads.
Open Text
This advertisement for Head & Shoulders is an open text because there are different ways to interpret the wording of the ad. The copy tie me up again sounds like a kinky sexual request, but when one reads the smaller copy below this, it is realized that the ad is talking about tying up hair into a ponytail. It’s as if the hair is talking and pleading to be tied up again now that the hair is clean and radiate thanks to Head & Shoulders.
Visual Framing
This represents visual framing because this ad draws your eyes to the center of the sunflower to the words sale and 25% off in the frames of the sunglasses worn by the flower. You can tell this is the focus of the ad because these words are in a bigger font in white and this color really pops out against the orange of the sunglasses behind it. The website easyjet.com is also in this same font and color scheme because they want the reader to know where to book their vacation needs for this 25% off deal.
Socialization
The Tube is a big part of British culture and those who are foreign to London soon understand that there are certain rules to using the underground. By the use of these various signs in the underground, newcomers are initiated into certain rituals like standing on the right side of the escalators, minding the gap between the train and the platform, and not smoking while underground. If one doesn’t follow these rules they soon learn on their own by stumbling out of the train for not minding the gap or being pushed aside by commuters trying to get by on the escalators.
Cultivation
The idea of “going green” is seen in all forms of media in recent years and this eventually leads to consumers buying in to this trend. By recycling or buying eco-friendly products, the consumer feels good about themselves because they are helping the environment according to the “green” messages around them. These messages hope that over time as more and more media messages are released dealing with the negative effects of global warming, people will react and start buying more and more of these kinds of products.
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