Communication Strategies

The theory of semiotics can be used to interpret meanings in our everyday lives and in our surroundings. As Berger (2000) noted, the very simple objects such as eyeglasses and teeth can be used to convey meanings from a signifier to the signified. According to Berger (2000), eyeglasses are used as fashion statements to mean a variety of things and to become a costume, manifesto, clothing for the face, and social fetish (p. 49). A variety of meanings are associated with different types of glasses to show that the structure (shape, color, etc) of the object affects or introduces variety to the messages conveyed by the use of eyeglasses. For example, Berger (2000) cited that eyeglasses with black plastic rims are used to convey the message that the person wearing it uses glasses and there is no regard for being handsome or beautiful while wearing it. In other societies, the use of eyeglasses can be used to mean that the person is a nerd or an intelligent person.

Similarly, several meanings can also be attached to the teeth (Berger, 2000). When an image shows a pale man, a person would know that the image belongs to a male individual. However, when two sharp teeth are added, the person looking at the same image would interpret it to be a vampire (Berger, 2000). The importance of messages conveyed by the teeth of a person is further emphasized by the advertisement of Morley and an associate that is cited by Berger (2000). According to the advertisement, the alignment, shape, color and condition of your teeth are powerful communicators to friends, family and business associates (Berger, 2000, p. 50). For example, disarrayed teeth may show that the person is not beautiful or dumb.

However, it is to note that the meanings associated with the both the teeth and the eyeglasses are subjective based on a persons experience and cultural standards (Berger, 2000). One of the well-known examples where eyeglasses and teeth are used to convey a meaning is in television show, Ugly Betty. In reality, the person acting as Betty in the said television show is beautiful according to the cultural standards of the American Society. In order for her to be well-suited for the role, thick rimmed eyeglasses and braced teeth were used. According to the American culture, the use of braces and eyeglasses is associated with the need to correct a facial feature and a desire to make the person beautiful. Surprisingly, an observation of the television shows of Ugly Betty in other countries showed that the characters still wore eyeglasses and braces to signify the ugliness of the person. While the uniformity can be attributed to the fact that the producers in other countries may want to imitate the original Betty, the use of eyeglasses and braces are still accepted in the show as factors that make the character ugly. Nonetheless, it is possible that other societies view braces to be a form of fashion statement, which shows that norms and culture play a significant role in the understanding of semiotics.

A more common application of semiotics theory is found inside the toilet. When a person enters a public toilet for the first time, chances are heshe does not know whether the water flowing out of the faucet is hot or cold. However, it is easy for people to understand that when a faucet is colored red, it means that the water coming out of it is expectedly hot. On the other hand, a faucet that is blue is expected to give out relatively colder water. The association of heat with the faucet colored red is because the meaning usually associated with red. Moses (2007) mentioned that red is the color that is associated with anger, heat, fire (p. 33). Thus, people easily understand that the red-colored faucet is the one that gives hot water even without a sign that says so. The same is true with the blue-colored faucet where people associate colder temperatures with the color blue.