The semiotics of sunglasses struck me as interesting because I wanted to find a product that we use for entirely the wrong reason most of the time. They look cool. Here is a deeper dive into this simple yet effective phenomenon in fashion.
The sign: Sun-glasses. In the most literal sense what do they do? They block the sun from your eyes so you can continue in safely with your current sunshine-ridden task. Often useful for driving and other outdoor activities.
The signifier: The sunglasses signify that you are in a situation involving an intense amount of light that needs shading. But how true is this to today's culture? With the concept of sunglasses in mind (being that they dim light) there should be few types of sunglasses - those ranging from barely dimming to nearly blocking out all light. Since we are interested in appearance, however, we have countless different sunglasses in various brands to fit everyone's style and needs. Why do we need different types of glasses when they all serve the same purpose? Because we don't use them to block the sun' we use them as a fashion statement.
The signified: The concept of sunglasses refers to giving you an advantage in sight during a sunny situation, but the connotative reason for wearing sunglasses is both anonymity and a general "cool" factor. As the video provided shows, the hit series CSI: Miami utilized a clever one liner in the beginning of every episode. What makes this one liner significant is that it is always accompanied by the same motion of putting his sunglasses on before delivering the pun. This definitely adds emphasis to the cool factor, as the addition of the sunglasses and the pun go hand in hand. What is also to be noticed is that he puts the glasses on regardless of the weather conditions are around him. Granted it is in Miami Florida. but the mention of the sun being in his eyes is never an issue, he simply puts the glasses on to emphasize the point he is making - and that is what appropriately describes why sunglasses have turned into more of a statement of "coolness" than a device to protect ourselves from harmful ultraviolet rays.
The mythos regarding sunglasses is that while wearing them you can protect your identity for the most part, and I agree with this entirely. The idea of wearing these devices to not only shield the suns rays but to also have yours eyes be completely concealed is a lot more than just an added bonus, as we often buy sunglassses based moreso on style than actual effectiveness. This thoroughly explains how America views our safety products. Sacrificing safety for beauty is a perfect explanation for sunglasses and other products of the like.
No comments:
Post a Comment