Media Theories!!!

    Hi there ^-^! Today, I want to dive into one of my absolute favorite media theories: Semiotics. Originally developed by Ferdinand de Saussure and later expanded by Roland Barthes and Jean Baudrillard, semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, and how they shape our perception of reality.

    At its very core, semiotics is the idea that everything in media—images, words, colors, sounds—functions as a sign that carries meaning. These signs are broken down into two main components:

• The Signifier – The physical form of the sign 
• The Signified – The meaning of the signifier in the mind of the viewer

    For example, a red rose (a signifier) might symbolize love or romance (the signified), but depending on the cultural context, it could also represent danger or politics. That’s the power of semiotics—it’s not just about what is shown, but how it’s interpreted. It also really ties into color theory in the media and how different colors can represent different social statuses.

I'd really really love to incorporate semiotics into this portfolio project because media doesn’t just tell stories. It holds implicit ideologies within in, along with biases and power structures. Whether it’s film, marketing, or social media, semiotic analysis helps unravel deeper meanings behind seemingly neutral visuals.

If I were to incorporate semiotics, this is how I'd use it:

1. Deconstructing Anthropocentrism – Many mainstream narratives (that reflect the modern world) are centered upon the human experience and often marginalize or demonize non-human life. By analyzing the different "signs" used to depict animals, nature, and non-human entities, I can probably find hidden biases and offer alternatives. Personally, I could go on a rant about anthropocentrism, because it always goes deeper than these few sentences I'm giving you; I may write another blog post solely dedicated to that, though.

2. Unpacking Political Violence – The way violence is depicted in the media isn’t just about what is shown, but how it is shown. A protester could be labeled as a "terrorist" or "freedom fighter," depending on the semiotic choices made in language and imagery; these "semiotic choices" could also manifest themselves in the form of racial profiling, etc. Identifying these coded messages is crucial for resisting media manipulation. A recent example of these kinds of depictions that comes to my mind is the story of Luigi Mangione; it's an interesting story... read about it! (excuse the Wikipedia link, it was the most "unbiased" source I could find.)

3. Interrogating Oppression Across Species – Semiotics isn’t just about human culture; it extends to the way we conceptualize other species. Why are some animals seen as food while others are seen as companions? Where does the hierarchal system come from, and why are some animals treated more fairly than others?  Because these categorizations are part of a social construct, these ideas can also translate into human culture through things like racism or sexism.

Ironically enough, I found this meme explaining semiotics
(through Baudrillard's POV in his books)

Source: background knowledge, mostly from Jean Baudrillard's collection of books and independent research on anthropocentrism.