John Berger - "Subliminal Advertising", Ways of Seeing, Episode 4 (1972)
Advertising is not merely an assembly of competing messages; it is a language itself which is always being used to make the same general proposal — John Berger
John Berger's seminal work, "Ways of Seeing" on the theory of visual culture has provided people with a new perspective in viewing the world. Seeing, as described by Berger is a historically constructed process which in turn influence how the present is constructed through the eyes of the beholder. Berger addressed images from European paintings to modern advertisements posing questions on "what we see and what we know", suggesting that images have always been tapping into our subconscious thoughts, the representations of images entices and stimulate peoples imagination, advertising a way of life. In today's digital age, we are constantly inundated with images, from books and magazines, billboards, social media, and many more, the way in which advertisement functions remains deeply relevant today than it ever was before.
The difference between the social presence of men and women is the most notable chapter by Berger, suggesting that different representations of visual culture entices different "gazes". While the presence of men are extrinsic, while women are intrinsic. Berger claims that potency, power and ability is what a man's presence is all about, women's presence on the other hand relates to itself, she represents what could be done to her not by her, she is constantly engaged in a constant project of monitoring their self-presentation rather than focusing on external tasks. (Cultural Reader, 2011). The male gaze has established itself through history, the representations of women across media continues to constraint femininity, a woman is observed by both men and women, objectifying the image of women. Paintings of nude women in traditional art and the depiction of women in modern advertising reflects the culture of in which the nudity of women are not necessarily a need for the narrative but constituted for the male gaze. The manner in which femininity is viewed is built on and embedded in the visual culture and it still remains deeply pertinent today.
Contemporary advertising promotes an alternative way of life. Advertisements persuade consumers that they would be transformed through the act of purchasing by showing images of models who have been transformed through the used of the product, thus ought to be envied. Glamour, as stated by Berger is constituted by envy and manufactured by publicity in conventional advertising. Publicity images creates aspiration and promote adequacy, taping into the people's imagination, embodying ideals and inciting the desire to be envied, thus manufacturing glamour. The advertising, marketing and fashion industry rests on these foundations, propagated by celebrities and public figures who, described by critic Emma Allwood as living, breathing advertisements, existing for consumption. Advertisements imposes false ideals through publicity,a political phenomenon of great significance that evokes the sense of envy through the visualization of a hypothetical future, which could be satisfied through consumption, thus reinforcing the culture of capitalism.
Since Berger's publication, images have become more omnipresent as technology advances and his theories have become more relevant that it ever was before. Publicity has evolved, becoming a symbiotic relationship between the product maker and the model, the product being advertised reinforces the model's public image, thus the product promotes the model as much as the model promotes the product (Iqbal, 2016). It is apparent that the issue of the objectification of women on the other hand has escalated, advertisements have in fact become more sexually provocative, drawing both men and women to them. However, in recent years society have gone through a staggering degree of changes, adopting different perspective on the depictions of of genders, race and culture in mass media, gradually accepting and implementing diversity in visual representations. Consumers have also become more skeptical of advertising as people are more aware of the influences of advertisements on their choice yet advertising will exist as long as there is consumerism and vice versa as the culture of advertising will adapt to the changes in consumer behavior and technological advancement.
References
Allwood, E, H. (2017) "Why we still need John Berger’s Ways of Seeing", DAZED, Jan 3. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/34166/1/why-we-still-need-ways-of-seeing-john-berger (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Bahadur, T. (2017) "JOHN BERGER ON MALE AND FEMALE PRESENCE (FROM “WAYS OF SEEING”)", On Art and Aesthetics, January 12. Available at: https://onartandaesthetics.com/2017/
01/12/john-berger-on-male-and-female-presence-from-ways-of-seeing/ (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Berger, J. (1973) "Ways of Seeing", Penguin, pp.1-14. Available at: https://booksite.elsevier.com/
samplechapters/9780240516523/9780240516523.PDF (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Berger, J. (1973) "Ways of Seeing", Penguin, pp.1-14. Available at: http://waysofseeingwaysof
seeing.com/ways-of-seeing-john-berger-5.7.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Cultural Reader. (2011) "Summary&Review: Ways of Seeing / John Berger", May 21. Available at: http://culturalstudiesnow.blogspot.com/2011/05/john-berger-ways-of-seeing-summary-and.html (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Gerke, G. (2010) "John Berger on Publicity", BIG OTHER, March 11. Available at: https://bigother.com/2010/03/11/john-berger-on-publicity/ (Accessed: 27 February 2019).
GradeSaver. (2019) "Ways of Seeing Study Guide". GradeSaver, February [Online]. Available at: https://www.gradesaver.com/ways-of-seeing (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
Iqbal, U. (2016) "Ways of Seeing Online: An analysis of John Berger’s ideas in the Digital Age.", Medium, August 22. Available at: https://medium.com/dodesign-iit-guwahati/ways-of-seeing-online-an-analysis-of-john-bergers-ideas-in-the-digital-age-1f6c980c62b0 (Accessed: 20 February 2019).
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