Connotations and Myth

Semiotic systems were been implanted in our mind since we were little kids. It does play important role in human behaviour. We act based on different signs in our daily life. Had we ever been exposed to other different signs, we might act differently and if the signs has different meaning to it than what we usually thought, we have a difficult time to adapt and to interpret it differently. So if by waving hand means goodbye in our country and it means differently in other countries, we might and might not offend someone. 

The simplest example that we can give is the toilet signs in our daily life. In our daily life we always and usually knows that the image on the left is a figure of a woman standing  so it simply give the meaning " this toilet is for WOMAN ONLY". So does the figure on the  right  which show us the figure of a man standing which is simply give the meaning of "this toilet is for MAN ONLY". If this mean differently in our life from the beginning, we might act and thought differently about this image located in public toilet everywhere across the globe.

This sign are what we usually thought would be. Had we use this kind for different purposed, it might give confusion to everyone. By giving and getting used to this symbol of figures, we don't have to write woman or man on every toilet that we have. So if these sign that we used are different from what we have used to, we might have a lot of confusion. In Arab, when man meet another man, kissing on the cheeks and hugging are normal as this show how close they are. BUT, if this were done in USA or heck even Malaysia, they will think that both of them are GAY man.

 

Connotation is the second meaning of a word/sign. It is easier to understand certain signs because of connotations. Myth from what we understand from lecture notes is combination of paradigms and syntagms associates with an off-told stories. It led and also associate with "stereotypes" which mean media usually make us believed what they told us. If every day they told us that queer guy is a gay man than we  believed to that stereotype. They will create the "myth" and spread it.

One myth that I regularly sees on tv is an image of a tough boy, an image of toughness, power are shown when they add a man with a big bike to their advertisement or video. This myth show us that everyman with big bike is a cool, tough and powerful man. Myth help us to imagine something better.