Connotations and Deconnotations

Boy a fashion brand established in 1977 by Stephane Raynor, has made it’s way into popular fashion. The logo of this brand sparks massive debate about the use of the Parteiadler – The Nazi Party Eagle.

The following Image posted by Marriott (2012), displays the logo of the Parteiadler (Nazi Eagle) on top, and Boy’s Fashion label using the very same eagle. The signified aspect of the image represents the Nazi’s, however this has connotations of punishment, repression, fear, death and power. Not only does the Eagle have contextual links to the Nazi’s but also to Rome, and it’s once mighty empire, which stretched from Spain in the Far East to Asia Minor in the West. This allows us to make assumptions that the Nazi’s wanted to replicate former glories of powerful civilisations, in order to make the world Germany.  Boy see’s this ideal of global domination as a way of making the world wear their brand, resulting in power. “They all bought BOY shirts and BOY knives running around like wolf packs burning, looting, killing it spread everywhere that summer” (Burroughs, 1971). This excerpt from the book The Wild Boys written by William Burroughs communicates this ideal of product and consumerist domination. They have achieved this notion of power by using a very controversial logo, which has given them notoriety in the fashion world.

The denotation of the left facing eagle brings up historical links to the Nazi’s, and their leader Hitler. Here we instantly picture the German war machine that swept through Europe, killing of 6 million Jews as part of their regime. “Boy’s modern consumers, unlike their 1970s counterparts who knew the connotations of the symbol they wore and who wore it as a cultural statement” (Marriot, 2012) This excerpt captures the problem with wearing such an infamous sign, for the history and context decide whether it can be classified as controversial or not.

Burroughs, W.B, 1971. The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead. 1st ed. United States: Grove Press.

Daniel Marriott. 2012. Extremist Symbolism in Fashion – a Cultural Statement or Unacceptable? You Decide…. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/daniel-marriott/extremist-symbolism-in-fashion_b_1930025.html. [Accessed 01 April 14].

Now or Never! The 2nd Worst Anarchist Website In The UK. 2013. Leave the BOY Alone. http://www.nowornever.org.uk/leave-the-boy-alone.html. [Accessed 30 March 14].

Google Glass

Google Glass has taken the technological world by storm, however . This new invention combines a conventional pair of glasses with a built-in screen and camera. The functions carried out by the machine are voice activated using Siri. This allows the consumer to have a hands free device, which keeps the user in touch with their surroundings.

Surveillance is a major issue with this new product. The user could secretly film or take photographs of their environment without the consent of others. This goes against the Surveillance Devices Act (2007) Sect 4, which protects the public from the use and maintenance of optical surveillance devices without consent. This act includes “any device capable of being used to record visually or observe an activity, but does not include spectacles, contact lenses or a similar device used by a person with impaired sight to overcome that impairment.” (Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2007) This concern paired with the price of $1500 US dollars, starts to detract buyers from this emerging technology.

This video of Google Glass shows the simplicity and easy to use voice commands to carry out the functions of this product. Whether that be face time, taking photos and videos or searching the Internet etc… 

http://www.google.com/glass/start/how-it-feels/#video=hif-video 

Nick Pickles (2013) states that Google sees everything we see, hear or do. This effectively makes us Googles own CCTV cameras, where we record and report back to the mothership, Google. If the government was to introduce such a product, imagine the uproar and hostility towards this invention, so why would we act any different towards Googles product? Pickles then goes on to say that Google Glass is the link, which bridges our digital life to our real lives. In our daily lives, we strive to have a balance between the physical and virtual worlds of todays society. I believe that Google Glass is in the right direction to achieving this goal.

 

Nick Pickles, 2013, Google Glass: Orwellian surveillance with fluffier branding. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9939933/Google-Glass-Orwellian-surveillance-with-fluffier-branding.html [Accessed 20 March 14].

Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2007, SURVEILLANCE DEVICES ACT 2007 – SECT 4. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/sda2007210/s4.html#optical_surveillance_device [Accessed 21 March 14].

 

 

 

 

Alcohol and the Media

Alcohol has now become a socially acceptable pastime, where adults and teenagers alike ruthlessly indulge in the addiction of the drug. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation “the repetition of alcohol-related content reinforces alcohol use as a cultural ‘norm’. Secondly, negative reporting of alcohol use may deter young people from drinking.” (H.Sumnal 2011) This statement of alcohol consumption being the cultural ‘norm’, exemplifies the media’s control and power over the general public, which can then be exploited through advertising in a bid to sell their product.

I believe that the media has used its power to enforce the ideal that drinking alcohol is the ‘norm’. This can be seen in the following commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbib-A6NpW8

This 2011 Virgin Atlantic advert showcases the notion that drinking has become a standard practice, even when flying. Virgin Atlantic shows passengers drinking expensive cocktails, endorsing the fact that, you too should engage in this socialising activity. This advertisement’s sole focus is to persuade consumers to fly with them, by using desirable benefits to attract a larger clientele. The inclusion of alcohol as an added feature, counters the intended purpose of flying and enjoying the experience without alcohol. Adolescents can see this exploitation of alcohol as an acceptable way of life. The constant exposure of this drug makes it necessary in the eyes of the consumer to indulge in.

Gender inequality also plays a massive part in the 2011 Virgin Atlantic advert, as only males are depicted with alcoholic beverages. This then gives the impression that males should drink alcohol. The exclusion of women in this excerpt of the clip introduces a sexist approach.

 

http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/young-people-alcohol-and-media

Sumnal, H, Atkinson, A, Elliot, E, Bellis, M, 2011, Young people, alcohol and the media, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Cambridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbib-A6NpW8

Accessed Friday 14^th March 2014

Introduction

Image above: http://theuniquemonique.wordpress.com/2012/12/25/208/new-york-city-black-and-white-photography-0l_2/ (December 25^th 2012)

I’m new on the scene of blogging. Never created one, or even thought of getting one, but here we are…

It’s my first year at University of Wollongong studying a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies. The first week I had no clue what I was doing or where I was going. Luckily my brother, now a third year at uni, showed me the ways of navigating the buildings and rooms. I’ve only become completely lost twice, so I’m doing well so far… As soon as you cross the front gates, you are submerged into the fashion, music, atmosphere, and laidback culture of university life.

I love listening to music, especially the radio channel Triple J. Each car ride to Uni consists of listening to music, where almost every day a new song makes its way into my expanding ITunes library. Watching films is another hobby of mine, especially admiring movies with beautiful cinematography. The Tree Of Life (Tenerece Malik, 2011) is the perfect example of cinematography done right. The film takes a gamble with minimal dialogue, to perfect the journey of life through a visual masterpiece.