Score 1967 Flashcards
What’s the strapline of the advert? (ML)
Get what you’ve always wanted. Adds to the desire of the heterosexual male audience.
Props - Gun (ML)
The gun in his arms reflect the hypermasculine symbolic sign of power and violence. Which is intensifies through it’s place in his muscular arms.
Props - Animal Skin (ML)
The animal skin is an indexical sign of domination and success, also reflects caveman-like barbaric male imagery that developed into traditional expectations of men.
Props - Watch (ML)
Watches often suggest the wearer is reliable, responsible, and values timeliness. A myth according to Barthes, so it appeals to the audience’s values.
Setting (ML)
The jungle setting refers to the Vietnam war which was occurring at the same time, offers a usp. While also constructing a narrative, the safari costuming and leaves in the background depict an exotic unfamiliar landscape. The product likens itself to the feeling of exploration.
Positioning (ML)
The male seems to be ‘captured’ but is still positioned on top, so he still holds the power signified through his relaxed body language and cheerful smile. While the females are reaching and looking up in admiration, encoding him as king/godly figure.
Facial Expressions (ML)
Three of the women’s faces reflect utter amazement and desire. With the dark-haired woman barreling towards the audience, communicating the message of the advert. Appealing towards the male fantasy.
Apply Barthes, Saussure, Pierce (ML)
Barthes - Myths, Watch as a sign of reliability. Men as superior.
Saussure - Sign + Signifier, Mise-en-scene aspects.
Pierce - Indexical sign, Animal skin. Symbolic sign, Guns and violence. Iconic sign, Facial expressions.
Narrative, Propp and Todorov.
Propp - The man’s appearance positions the audience to see him as the protagonist of the advert, with the setting encoding an adventure, and the women being the ‘reward’.
Todorov - The new equilibrium could be achieved by the product changing a man’s appearance, transmitting the idea that the audience’s story can receive restoration in the same way.
Apply Van Zoonen (MR)
She argues that femininity was traditionally represented as passive and subservient. Their bodies are seen as natural and didn’t need any work, whereas men’s are a result of hard work and are a spectacle.
Score reflects this by positioning women in the same way while showing off their ‘natural bodies’ while the man’s muscles are shown off.
Apply Hall
Preferred reading - Positioned to buy the product and admire the man.
Negotiated reading - Some women especially housewives may buy it for their husbands but not agree with the message.
Oppositional reading - Some may completely disagree with it and see it as misogynistic, degrading and objectifying.
