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Mean Girls Movie Poster Analysis

1461 Words6 Pages

Interpreting Objects

“On Wednesday, we wear pink” circulates the internet and occasionally appears in conversation between teenagers. It summarizes the plot of the famed Mean Girls film from circa 1990 into a concise theme – the physical attributes determine your place in society. Culture, in general, operates visually with members asserting their status with their display of physical items. Children up through the elderly have selected decorations and clothing as projections of their personality and their desired social affiliations. In a college dorm room – since most Americans consider college as the self-realization years – there probably will be the iconic band or movie posters tacked to the white walls above piles of clothing, food, …show more content…

Starting in the early 1900’s, posters communicated the fares of a theater and the upcoming attractions. Individual advertisements were not coined until circa 1915. To draw in consumers, poster designers focused on the dramatic responses people have within the brain such as shock, fear, or romance as the draw for crowds. However, concerned citizens complained about movie posters “spoiling the innocence of the youth” and forced theater operators to take down explicit images. There is a trend in the rising implementation of “ethical standards” to restrict inappropriate images. Modern posters take new risks to communicate the difference between the popular blood and guts versus romance films. They reflect the cultural shifts towards acceptance of darker and more sexualized …show more content…

A homeless man will want to buy a comb to gain a greater deal of respect from others. A woman purchases a nicer ornament to mimic a celebrity. The style and nature of the usage enables the class conflict to continue. The lower classes work towards gaining the materials necessary to “be rich.” This latent function of the comb creates a demand for the product by appealing to the conscious need to display status in comparison with others. Though often, fashion accessories that move into the lower classes lose their value and fashionistas move on to the more elaborate. Elitists replace the mass adopted items with newer variations or new innovations which aggravates the stratification efforts. It continues on steadily as upper classes distract the lower classes with the next item necessary to fit in. For example, the traditional black comb and the slicked down part faded in the wave of men converting to combs suited for taming a longer haired fashion. Women shifted their culturally assimilated painted combs over the years for high-priced pieces of diamonds or flora. This is to keep them in the bourgeoisie position by constantly adjusting the wealthy bar higher and

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