Common Diamonds?

I really connected about how images are losing their value because of their constant reproduction. On one hand, any industry has the ability to mass-produce an image to make it available to the public, but at what cost? For example, the in the movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the main character talks about making the diamond available to the mass population. He states it will become more popular and therefore more profitable. So why does not the Diamond industry allow diamonds to given to anybody? Because a diamond is only profitable based of its rarity and uniqueness. If you make it available to the common man, then it is no longer associated with the higher class or higher level of taste. So technically, the rarity and uniqueness of a diamond is socially constructed. Society has defined diamonds to be interchangeable with beauty, money, wealth and fame. Diamonds are simply tools that society uses to create a social hierarchy.

Spectatorship, Power and Knowledge

The Sturken and Cartwright text continues to discuss the viewer's relationship with the image, especially in terms of the psychoanalytical theory. Since learning about the psychoanalytical theory, I have seen it being referred to on multiple bases in marketing and advertising. The notion “Sex sells” is the main position of this theory in advertising. The text refers to many examples of gazing upon a sexualized male/female model with interest and curiosity. This inquire is directly associated with the brand name and their product. Personally, I feel that I will look, feel and make others feel sexualized by using their product.

IML Blog #2

I enjoyed this chapter because it explored the many system of interpreting an image. It helped clarify how society reads images: from the image itself, the context and personal experience. I agree with the text that these three factors play the major role to express a certain meaning to society. Personally, I am majoring in Business, with an emphasis in Marketing and Image Promotion, so I had a certain interest to learn and hopefully master the system of communication between image and viewer. Also, I was interested to see how cultural differences played a major role in determining definitions of beauty and taste. Although both ideologies shared basic characteristics, such as coordinating colors in fashion or elegance in beauty, there were major differences and patterns between cultures. I have personally experienced these differences because of my bi-cultural childhood. I have exposure and knowledge of not only the American definitions and standards of taste, but also the Indian Asian perspective. I highly value both cultural teachings because it allows me to identify and contrast standards and expectations.

Sign System Statement

My leaflet can be dropped within the first week of the fall semester over the major USC-owned residential halls. It will help encourage involvement, interest and participation with the USC Panhellenic Council. On the front page, all ten sorority’s crests are represented as ten symbols for their respectively houses. These symbol’s meanings have to be learned and agreed upon within society, thus these crest are symbolic of their house. In addition, these crests are connotations of the ten Sorority houses. They represent the houses, histories, values and members in the means of image. Also, the four sentences around the pictures show what skills and qualities female students can expect from sorority Greek life. On the backside, four pictures represent some major events hosted through out the years from fun House events, to formal gatherings, to football game days to finally Graduation. These pictures are icons for special moments during the Greek Sorority life. The pictures resemble and imitate the actual moments in time.

Studium/Punctum Statement

A brand-new shiny music machine is housed within a poor, worn home with less than necessary furnishings. At first the new machine seems out of place in this rustic setting. Its impressive nature is compared towards the tiny baby besides it. Tucked with the simple furnishings, the baby seems to struggle with his or her blanket and surroundings. There is nobody or nothing there to help the defensiveness child reach the blanket, except this grand machine, with its curved metal sides and large record selection. Then I posed this question: The only company this struggling baby has is this machine, how can this machine help? How can this huge, grandiose music machine help the baby? I placed this question in a global setting, how can fake and decorative possessions help the defensiveness in a time of need? I saw the machine as any industrial developed country, such as the United States, that only seems to care about its needs and wants. It observes the baby in conflict, yet does not do anything to help it. The machine can create noise and awareness about the baby, but does not take the necessary step to improve the baby’s condition. I emphasized the machine presence within the broken-down room, to give it value and wealth with warm wood colors. While at the same time, I tried to show its fakeness and superficiality in the fake gold in the decorative rods.