Replies to Assignment 1

Just to clue you all in- this is a picture I took right outside of a Purikura booth. You can see the purikura machine in the right corner. It was advertising for the "New Version Up" of the 美人 type machine shown above.

Here is another example of a Purikura Booth.


NATE'S COMMENT: Ah yes, an advertisement..the classic interpretive image. Well, I can make out some of the kanji and the hirigana, but not enough to read what it is advertising. I also (for hopefully obvious reasons) do not have an interest in modern female fashion in Japan. But, I will take a stab at it.

There are four female models and what appear to be some kinds of sweet treats in the bottom left hand side of the picture. One model looks like she is wearing a wedding dress while another wears an outfit that looks like it was inspired by sailor fuku (once again, I am probably wrong). If this is an advertisement for cakes or sweets, than the signifier is not the food, but the models. The signified (at least from a man's point of view) is that even these gorgeous women eat these treats, so if you eat them, women will like you. However, this probably also has a significant meaning to women. Girls will probably interpret the signified as saying that eating these snacks won't make you fat. I mean, COME ON, look at these gorgeous women! They're not fat!! They are everything that you want to be and yet are not!! They can eat these treats and not even have to worry about becoming unattractive!! It's the perfect snack for the girl who wants to fit in with the popular crowd of skinny, perfect-bodied girls!! Buy now!! Because not even the high sugar and fat content in these snacks will make you fat!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!!!

...ahem...at least...that is what I think it signifies....

------ My Reply------

I like your idea. As I just wrote above you- it is not food that this ad is selling- it is a popular game of sorts. My idea on this was that the new version was just so wonderful- like sweets! I agree on your point about the models having all this delicious food around them and if they are still skinny then you can be too. I did not think of that when i first saw this.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MEGAN'S COMMENT: Hey Claire!
When we were talking about this the other day in the library, I seriously did not realize at the time just how ridiculous the images of the women are – you pointed out in particular the foremost face’s flawlessness and lack of pupils, but now I see it more as a sell-out. The figures in the image indulge themselves with a European-American aesthetic, right down to their dyed-brown hair. I wonder what opinion you have, as an American, as to the implications of this imitation. I’m sure that you found it noteworthy, because you made the decision to take the image back with you. Westerners might find it funny, since to us it appears to be overkill, rather than just imitation.

In terms of what the poster advertises, I’m more inclined to believe that it’s trying to sell perfume; it may be a weird assertion, but stick with me for a moment. For one thing, the focus is primarily on the women / models in the poster, rather than the flowers around them or the four or five cakes - if I were selling food (or any other product) I would have that product on full display. Meanwhile, many perfume or cosmetic ads that you find in magazines follow a format close to that of your image above; that is they make NO logical sense (i.e. lack of pupils) and they feature beautiful women. Another thing that I found very interesting was the French-ish, almost ‘couture’ tone of the poster, broadcasting the Western ideal of fashion and elegance. And while the “New Version Up” in the lower right hand corner seems more like a video game phrase, the fact that the poster’s creator chose to have it in English rather than Japanese, adding allurement to their advertisement by introducing the exotic..


-----My Response-----
I also like this idea of perfume. I would not have thought of that. I agree- if you are selling food you want the person eating it to be second to catch the eye, not first. argh... the lack of pupils.. I still don't understand why. I mean.. not really attractive. As you know, in Japan they love using english words every chance they can, so i think that is why they stuck in that english phrase at the bottom there. But if you noticed the eglish words, did you not notice the Purikura booth right next to it?


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

BRIANNA'S COMMENT:
This does relate to "This is not a pipe" as it is not a collage of "美人" but a photo of that collage. Of course, we have the context of the photographer, so we can guess that this photo was taken out of intrigue of the depiction of the ideal Japanese beauty.

What I like about the collage depicted is the way it really drills that image into the receiver's head. The word 美人(びじん) and the kanji for beauty　(美) are relentless in stressing that this is what beauty looks like. And Megan, I agree with some of the things you said - I mean, we all know that advertising these days follows little particular logic, but those cakes are kinda funny... But I digress... There's a lot packed into that collage, but since this is not about the collage I will end my comment here..


---------My answer--------
you make me sound fancy, but really I just took it because I had a project on Japanese vending machines- and a Purikura booth is a example of one. I agree, all four of these woman look simply gorgeous and flawless and that really stuck with me- until i notcied the lack of pupils.. then I got creeped out. I wondered why on earth they decided to get rid of them.