As a psychology major, I am constantly bombarded with in-depth analysis of advertisements, social cohesion, internalization, and theories of persuasion. I've taken social psychology classes and sociology classes, qualifying me as far from an expert as possible. To pontificate about Barthes and signification perception or Bourdieu's concept of reflexivity as metaliteracy may be an academic necessity, but the thought experiments truly are worth the confused notes and befuddled, contorted faces. Rene Magritte (my absolute favorite artist of all time) does provide wonderful commentary on our addiction and dependence on images. He paints a pipe with a caveat. This is not a pipe, he says. It is a painting. An image. A two dimensional representation of an object.
Delving into neuroscience, this epistemological crisis evaporates. We have neurons in our brain that are specifically devoted to recognize objects. We live in a three-dimensional world, and our neurons must respond to their specific object at any angle. This is why two-dimensional representations are so powerful in our daily lives. We recognize the image not as a picture, but as the item itself. Print ads of say, food, still activate areas of our brain that produce gustatory responses and release hormones and neurotransmitters signaling good taste and hunger. Two-dimensional representations are not, as Magritte and existentialists might suggest, just pictures. They activate our brain in the same way the real thing would. In a culture where ubiquitous images of sex, violence, and female sexual degradation permeate our daily lives, it is important to note our brain recognizes these not as advertisements or harmless two-dimensional pictures, but as true representations of the act.
One of the most powerful articles I have read is a comparison of the leaked images of the abuses of Abu Ghraib and the circulated photographs of black lynchings in post civil war south. The author brilliantly conveys an analysis of a culture both enamored and desensitized to gruesome, sadistic, and homoerotic images. Opponents of abortion have long since abandoned scripture and appeals to reason and emotion, but now instead display posters emblazoned with pictures of Rwandan genocide next to photoshopped pictures of bloodied, ripped up aborted fetuses. How do we innoculate our children against the internalization of the violence shot at them from every direction?
As a society, we come to expect the next shocking celebrity photoshoot. I'll use tween heart throb Robert Pattinson as an example.Warning: Nudity and Implicit Degredation A naked woman lies submissively spread eagle in a bathtub while the clothed and dominant male lies disinterestedly on the floor. These images don't sell a product, they sell a cultural standard. Barthes's model, for instance, we see Mr. Pattinson in the trendiest white slacks and relaxed button-down shirt, signifying modern success and masculinity. Enforcing the signifier, the naked woman solidifies the meaning of the ad--Mr. Pattinson in his smart slacks and sexy shirt has conquered the beautiful model, making the sign of fantasy masculine dominance concrete.
Have we really gotten any better?
No comments:
Post a Comment