Reading Response #3 Chris Peake

This commercial I thought in particular was good example of a sign. In this old advertisement they use the children’s cartoon The Flintstones to sell cigarettes to an audience that more than likely going to be the children. The commercial as a whole is sort of one big denotation because it being a cartoon immediately directs it in my mind to kids. It starts off with Fred and Barney talking to one another alongside a fence. Then they show both their wives working around the house. This signifying a typical family role being played and being friends with your neighbor culturally reinforces what socially was the norm back in the day. As Fred and Barney are discussing the cigarettes and why they taste so good, Barney says “here in front of the pure white filter”. White has always symbolized innocence and purity, so the connotation that a cigarette be that it’s clean and pure and also maybe healthy is what the company wants. As they are talking by the fence they eventually both run out back to get away from real work that the wife’s were doing in the front yard. So they go out to the back to get some “fresh” air and take a break. These are the things that the cigarette companies want you to associate with their brand. That it’ll be a breath of fresh air and a nice relaxing break from the chores of the day. At the end of the commercial it shows the roles being reversed and the wife’s both want Fred and Barney to pick up doing the chores they started. After this both a male and a female hand reach for a cigarette, implying that both genders can enjoy this brand of smokes. Also the cultural knowledge that narrates this commercial lends to the myth that “boys will be boys”. Overall I was a little appalled by this commercial. It was made featuring a cartoon that would be watched by majority of kids.