Week 3 reflection

I agree with the statement that mythology is present everywhere. Even our social media posts and stories are sort of myths that we create about ourselves. We only post pictures and images that we feel will form the image of us that we want to create in other’s minds. Our lives are so much more than that. Smiling is just one way of expression and we express ourselves in so many different ways even in a single day. But what people mostly post is pictures with smiles, pictures of trips, trips are also just an annual thing for the majority of people. Hence we try to show only the best part of our lives. The secondary meaning which can be found from the social media profiles is that people are trying to portray themselves in a way that more people will want to follow them. More followers assure more likes and hence social validation. Influencers, through their reels, try to satire the common man’s problems. So we feel they are just like us. But the millions of followers, likes and views they have along with partnerships with brands make us feel like they aren’t so ordinary. I also feel myths are created around corporate offices by the way in which their staff speaks, their dressing and the environment they have created. Ordinary people are bound to accept them as far more professional and talented.

Earlier myths were built around royal families. The way they interacted , their dressing, their etiquettes and the security guarding them, everything told people that they were something different than the common people. Like they were born to govern the masses. In the current times, the celebrities enjoy that status of being not so normal. The speeches of the politicians make them sound ordinary but having powers to rule. The way in which advertisements use myths is also interesting. Facts are presented by wrapping in myths. Mostly advertisements depict happy and rich people. It makes the viewers subconsciously feel that using the product will give me a similar experience or make me like them. Many advertisements use narratives which show using a product makes the lead character famous and likable. Indirect symbols are shown that relate to the concepts of success. So users are subconsciously programmed to think that this product is what I need in life to be successful. I think this relates to the zizek’s concept of excessive surplus. Though the product might be ordinary, the surplus is shown to attract the customers. Like a coke drink is nothing if it is warm and without the fizz. The chilled coke with fizz is the excessive surplus. Along with that, the actor’s struggle to find a single bottle of coke in a dry desert, makes us desire the drink even more.

I also thought about how we desire and what conditions us to like things. I think culture, background, the people around you and your genetics contribute in shaping your personality which dictates your likes and desires. But again not necessarily, people coming from the same cultures, backgrounds or even same families will have the same liking. That made me research more and I read an article which says genetics controls most of your choices. What food you like, whether you would commit for a long period of time or if you would vote for a conservative party, many of these things are indirectly dictated by your genes. We feel that we have free will. But it’s weird to think that we are controlled by so many factors.

The analysis of the movie parasite was really insightful. It’s interesting to see how symbols are used to emotionally sway the audience. The paths shown are going from dark to light whenever Ki Woo traveled to work, subtly indicating his journey towards a brighter future. Also two families from opposite economic spectrum are shown to build the contrast along with the balance of light and darkness. The two main symbols, the viewing stone and the smell are used to show different meanings at different points of the film. The reference to smell comes at many points, to create a motif. The journey of the Kim family to become rich, starts with the viewing stone and also ends with it. It symbolizes Kim Woo’s aspiration for wealth. He’s also shown clinging to it, when things aren’t going good. It shows how badly he wanted to achieve his goal. The film also poses a question, ‘who is the real parasite’, as the Park family is the one, outsourcing all the jobs which common people tend to manage along with work and other responsibilities.