Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Designer handbag advertisements consist of a select set of signifiers, of which are noted in the infographic above. I chose to highlight them by indicating the elements within an existing ad for Louis Vuitton. The meaning of these elements, when combined together, is very interesting.  It takes a very simple image of a bag, known for functionality in carrying around necessary supplies and pairs it heavily with the idea of  appearance, especially appearance associated with the label. Through combing the bag with an attractive model, placing it in an exotic or beautiful outdoor landscape, and associating it with celebrities, the bag becomes a symbol for much more than simply functionality. It depicts social class and financial status, the flaunting of wealth, and represents a lifestyle punctuated by prestige. I believe the meaning of the individual signs (signifiers) is narrowed through the combination in creating a handbag ad. The rough and tumble sense of outdoor life and functionality over appearance are especially narrowed, as they become much more tied in with the wealth, prestige, and attractiveness of the famous model. These signs become very representative of a lifestyle that is easily identifiable by the fetishism of the commodity.

Furthermore, this specific set of syntagms serves to emphasize class barriers, as the adverts definitely appeal to those who would have the ability to spend the money on a real $10,000 designer bag. This is reinforced by the presence of a celebrity, As celebrities are clearly well known for being wealthy. It also points more towards women, perpetuating the idea that bags are a women’s item, rather than an item that can be freely used by men as well. Designer handbags are very much based in the realm of high class woman. Or, woman who have high class partners. There is also a disparity created through the syntagm between ethnicities, as the models in the ads are white women, or presumed to be white, far more often, which again says something about who exactly is considered to be ‘higher” in class.

This semester in Media Literacy began with a seemingly chaotic endeavor into the world of media, containing seemingly random topics, ideas, concepts and much more that fell like splattered paint on a clear canvas. At first, I didn't necessarily understand the point of all these disjointed specks of varied color. They didn't seem to mean anything to me.

On the second day of class, the term "perspicacity" was thrown out, written on the board, and offered as a suggestion for use in future papers. Perspicacity, as shown above, is the "quality of having a ready insight into things." It is the ability to see things that other people might not necessarily see or know, it involves critical thinking and research, and offers an almost clairvoyant glimpse into unclear concepts. I now understand that perspicacity was the point of that splattered canvas, as it grants you the power to connect those dots and construct an image in a way that others might not be able to do.

This semester gifted me with the ability to look beyond the curtain and find the man hiding under a false guise.