According to Roland Barthes, Semiotics is “the study of the social production of meaning from sign systems”, also known as “the analysis of anything that can stand for something else” (Griffin 324). Every sign in his eyes was a combination of a signifier (the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses, also known as an image), and the signified (the meaning we associate with the sign (Griffin 325). According to Saussure, “semiotics tells us that we are always sending messages to other people and they are sending messages to us. But interpreting what these signs mean is a complicated matter” (Berger 7).
As seen in this video, there are many different interpretations and meanings behind roses and the different colors that they hold. Seeing as Valentine’s Day was somewhat recently, I thought that this example was fitting, because of how taxing it can be sometimes for men and women to interpret the meaning behind the different colored roses and flowers that they receive from others, whether it is on Valentine’s Day or not. I know that when I was in high school, around Valentine’s Day there was always a rose sale where one could send different colored roses to friends and loved ones, white, pink, or red, and it was always a challenge to decipher what it meant if you received one from a boy. I recall that if you received a white one it meant friendship, a pink one it meant I like you, and a red one it meant I love you, and yet it could not always 100% of the time be assumed that way.
I think if Barthes theory shows us anything, it is that different signs can really stand for a number of different things, and I think that is exactly what the above video fails to show. I know that in watching the video, I thought beforehand that a number of those different colored roses stood for different things then what the video said, but I think that is what the video does not portray. For example, I always believed that the yellow rose stood more for mourning and funerals and such, seeing as you tend to see them displayed so much in death situations, but the video instead said that the white rose stood for that. I think it is an interesting concept to think about, and I’d be curious to see what all of you think on the topic. What do you all think the different colors stand for? Do you think that they all have multiple meanings and can stand for different things, or can be interchangeable?
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Hey Group A! Brian's post on group D's page wouldn't let me leave a comment, no matter how hard I tried- so I decided to come on over and comment Sarah's post. I would totally agree with the roses and their colors being semiotic signs in themselves. As I was watching the video, I realized that I held many of the same views for the colors of roses they were explaining or describing, and I can only imagine this is from high school when we too used to send different colored flowers meaning different things to each other. I'm pretty sure I tried to memorize the list, just so I would know if I received one, what message it was meant to send or what emotion it should symbolize. These roses throughout the years (and after the four years of high school) must have stuck with me and forever engrained the "meanings" for these colors of roses into my head. Now, every time I receive a rose (the image/"the signifier"), I do not have to ask myself "what does this color mean?," I simply assume ("the signified").
ReplyDeleteI noticed in Berger's second chapter he reinforces the idea of the signified and signifier with a concept and a sound-image. He also notes that, "concepts are purely differential and defined not by their positive content but negatively by the relationship with the other terms of the system." This made me think, is a yellow rose a sign for mourning; and if so, what is the relationship between the sign, the concept and the sound-image? Like Sarah, when I see a yellow rose (sound-image), I think of a funeral and the mourning of someone's death (concept); both of which perpetuate the assumption. Above in the clip, you can see that a yellow rose signifies something entirely opposite. Berger further notes, as this example shows, that "signs function, then, not through their intrinsic value but through their relative position." It’s interesting to think that the signs I know and understand only exist on the basis of another.
ReplyDeleteAs none of my group members have posted, I also decided to post on Group A's blog.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that colors play an important role on how we react to things or on how we feel about something. The difference can even be seen everyday on our planet. How often do we think of darkness or dark colors as being cold, gloomy, or depressing? The color black is simply just a color that we see things in, but often these colors give a deeper psychological effect.
Also, the way we dress shows that colors can be attributed to certain times of the year. In the winter, often people where darker clothing. In the spring, you start to see people wearing lighter colored clothing. This to me resembles warmth and happiness. As I see lighter colors, I feel the sense of summer, a time I've always appreciated and associated with warmth and freedom.
It is interesting how Barthe's theory is applied to everyday life.
We've been invaded!!!..... I would agree with the roses and their colors being semiotic signs in themselves. Colors certainly play an important role in our society. For instance at my job, there are three different colors, Black, White, and Green that signifies whre you work. Black Chef coats works in the cafeteria, White chef coats works in the kitchen, and green shirts work in the dish room. The color of these shirts determines where you work and how people can differentiate between what you do. To answer some of Sarah's questions:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you all think the different colors stand for? Do you think that they all have multiple meanings and can stand for different things, or can be interchangeable?
To me, a red rose means that you like the person and I would think that a yellow rose would be for celebrating something or friendship. I think a yellow rose is used in funerals, because they are celebrating that person passing through to the next life or something to that effect. I think that the flowers can have different meanings to different people. Like they have on this post by everyone here. I think it is up to the person to decide and then let the other person know what it means to them when they give flowers that could be construed as a differently intended meaning, like sending a yellow rose
Sarah I think the idea of different colored roses to represent the theory of Semiotics. I do think that although the video gave a pretty good summary on what the different colors mean I agree that the colors of roses can also vary from situation to situation. The video itself even shows that both the pink rose and the deep burgandy rose both represented admiration along with other things. I thought the same as you about the yellow flower, I thought it stood for remembrance but maybe I had that idea only in my head from reading the chapter and knowing that remembrance is one of the many things the yellow ribbons stood for.
ReplyDeleteI agree in that that the colors of roses represent Barthes' theory of Semiotics. When I was younger, I remember buying a flower for someone I cared for. I went in and looked at the flowers. I ended up purchasing a yellow flower, because I thought it was pretty. I did not realize that yellow flowers represented friendship, instead of love. The flower colors are perfect examples of Semiotics, because they each stand for something else, in our society.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go out on a limb here and somewhat disagree with the people about me. I could be misunderstanding the concept but the colors of the roses seems like an almost forced form of semiotics. I feel that if most people were to get a orange rose they would thing 'hell, thats a nice flower' not 'oh this means we are passionate and exciting!'. Sure its a clear display of some sort of affection, and for some it may hold those deeper more direct meanings, but the concept is entirely too subjective to each individuals knowledge and experiences.
ReplyDelete