Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things an Introduction to Semiotics

MARCEL DANESI CIGARETTES, high heels & other INTERESTING things AN INTRODUCTION THIRD EDITION TO SEMIOTICS Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things Marcel Danesi Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things An Introduction to Semiotics Third Edition Marcel Danesi Victoria College University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada ISBN 978-1-349-95347-9 ISBN 978-1-349-95348-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95348-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018935183 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 1999, 2008, 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover credit: Michael Godek/Moment/Getty Images Cover design by Tom Howey Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Nature America, Inc. part of Springer Nature. The registered company address is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004, U.S.A. Preface to the Third Edition Among species, human beings seem to be a peculiar lot. Why is it, for exam- ple, that certain members of the species routinely put their survival at risk by puffing on a small stick of nicotine? Why is it that some females of the species make locomotion difficult for themselves by donning high-heel footwear? Are there hidden or unconscious reasons behind such strange behaviors that seem to be so utterly counter-instinctual, so to speak? For no manifest biological reason, humanity has always searched, and continues to search, for a purpose to its life. Is it this search that has led it to engage in such bizarre behaviors as smoking and wearing high heels? And is it the reason behind humanity’s invention of myths, art, rituals, languages, mathematics, science, and all the other truly remarkable things that set it apart from all other species? Clearly, Homo sapiens appears to be unique in the fact that many of its behaviors are shaped by forces other than the instincts. The discipline that endeavors to understand these forces is known as semiotics. Relatively unknown in comparison to, say, philosophy or psychology, semiotics probes the human condition in its own peculiar way, by unraveling the meanings of the signs that undergird not only the wearing of high-heel shoes, but also the construction of words, paintings, sculptures, and the like. This is not a comprehensive textbook on semiotic theory and practice. My aim is to present the basic notions of semiotics that help us probe how humans “produce meanings” and how these constitute small-scale versions of the larger-scale need to unravel the “meaning of life.” Studying the raison d’être of the latter has always been—and continues to be—the aim of philosophy, the- ology, and various other disciplines; studying the raison d’être of the former is the specific goal of semiotics, which can be defined simply as the “study of produced meaning.” I have left out many of the technical details of sign theory v vi Preface to the Third Edition and I have not gone into any in-depth discussion of the pivotal contributions made by theorists, since these belong to a more comprehensive treatment. My hope is that this book will engender in the reader the same kind of inquisitive frame of mind with which a semiotician would closely examine people and cultures and why they search for meaning. Perhaps the greatest mental skill possessed by Homo sapiens, literally the “knowing animal,” is the ability to know itself. Semiotics helps sharpen that skill considerably. The first edition of this book came out in 1999. To my pleasant surprise, it struck a chord among many readers. One of the reasons may have been that, in it, I decided to contrive my presentation of semiotics around a seemingly trivial scene, but one that nonetheless appears to reveal a lot about the human need for meaning. The scene was a fashionable modern-day restaurant—an urban courtship setting where wooing rituals are performed in a “sign-based” manner. The fictional actions in that scene allowed me to tell the semiotic version of the human condition in concrete terms. A second edition was published in 2009. Much has changed in the world since that edition. Therefore, in this updated third edition I have retained that scene as a framework for describing semiotic ideas, although even there some radical changes have taken place such as, for instance, the virtual elimination of smoking from public venues due to changes in social attitudes towards cigarettes and their meanings. The world has also become much more digitalized and technologi- cally sophisticated since then, with the Internet practically replacing all other media systems for the routine transmission and recording of information. Such changes have informed the revision of this book. Similar to the previous editions, however, I have taken nothing for granted. I have defined in clear language and illustrated with common examples any concept that is basic to semiotic theory. I have also avoided making constant references to the technical literature. The works that have informed my commentaries, descriptions, and analyses are found in the endnotes. I have tried to cast as wide a net as possible, attempting to exemplify within two covers how semiotics can be used effectively to probe human nature in specific ways. As in previous editions, I wish to assure the reader that I have made every possible attempt to emphasize method of analysis, rather than my personal views. Whether one agrees or disagrees with any or all of my commentaries is, in fact, beside the real purpose of this book, which is to spur readers to identify and reflect upon the unconscious meanings that flow through the system of everyday life in which they take part on a daily basis. The first edition of this book was the idea of the late Professor Roberta Kevelson of Penn State University, a leading semiotician. She will be missed greatly. It was Michael Flamini of St. Martin’s Press who brought it to fruition Preface to the Third Edition vii as editor. The invitation to put together a second edition comes from Farideh Koohi-Kamali, also of the Press. This edition is made possible by Shaun Vigil, my editor at Palgrave. I cannot thank them all enough for their support and enthusiasm. I am also deeply grateful to Victoria College of the University of Toronto for granting me the privilege of teaching semiotics for many years. This has allowed me to learn a great deal about human nature from the enthu- siastic students I have taught. I have learned more from them than they have from me. Finally, a heartfelt thanks goes out to my family, Lucy, Alexander, Sarah, Danila, Chris, and Charlotte, for all the patience they have had with me over the years. I would like to dedicate this book to my late father, Danilo. He was a simple and kind soul who inspired generosity and benevolence in all those around him. Toronto, ON, Canada Marcel Danesi Contents 1 Cigarettes and High Heels: The Universe of Signs 1 2 What Does It Mean?: How Humans Represent the World 25 3 Makeup: Why Do We Put It On? 49 4 Tell Me About Yourself: What Is Language? 71 5 Kisses Sweeter Than Wine: Metaphor and the Making of Meaning 99 6 Now, You Tell Me About Yourself: Why Do We Tell Stories? 121 7 At Arm’s Length: The Meanings of Spaces 145 8 What a Beautiful Ring!: The Meaning of Clothes and Objects 165 9 Art Is Indistinguishable from Life: The Artistic Nature of the Human Species 187 10 There’s More to Perfume than Smell: Advertising, Pop Culture, and Meme Culture 205 Index 223 ix 1 Cigarettes and High Heels: The Universe of Signs A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want? —Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) It’s eight o’clock on a Saturday night. Two cool-looking people, both in their late twenties, are sitting across from each other at an elegantly set table in a trendy restaurant, located in the downtown area of a North American city. For convenience, let’s call them Cheryl and Ted. Other couples are seated at tables in other parts of the eatery. The lights are turned down low. The atmosphere is unmistakably romantic, sustained by the soft, mellifluous sounds of a three- piece jazz band playing in the background. Cheryl and Ted are sipping drinks, making small talk, looking coyly into each other’s eyes.

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