Semiotics of Roland Barthes Chapter 26 Making of Myth: Stripping the Sign of its History p. 336

Semiotics of Roland Barthes A sign is the combination of signifier and signified. A sign does not stand on its own: it is part of a system

Intercepted Scud Missiles Signifier 2.Signified Convicted Prison Term Repentant Forgiven Relief Denotative System Sign Welcome home Yellow Ribbon (forgiveness) Guided Smart Bombs Intercepted Scud Missiles Shock and awe Toppled Saddam Mission accomplished II. Signified Figure 26-1 p. 336 Denotative sign system is a descriptive sign without ideological content. A connotative System is a second-order semiological system built off a preexisting sign system. The sign of the first system becomes the signifier of the second. The transformation of the yellow ribbon symbol has transformed into an ideological sign. “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” was a best-selling pop song of 1972 in the US. Connotative System I. Signifier Yellow Ribbon Pride in Victory Welcome-home II. Sign

Levis: Made in China? The classic American clothing company, Levi Strauss, is shutting its domestic factories and moving all production to China, leaving behind an increasingly anxious U.S. garment industry. Sharpen your focus What are the signifier and signified of a favorite item of clothing or jewelry? http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Visual_Rhetoric/Semiotics_of_Fashion Signifier 2.Signified Working Man Comfort 1853 Durability Masculinity Levi 1853: http://collectibles.about.com/od/cowboyheroes/a/joecarolevi.htm History of jeans: http://jeans-history.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html Can you think of a way that this sign has already been stripped of history? http://www.alternet.org/story/13095/levis%3A_made_in_china/ Sign American Iconic brand