A 1999 anti-smoking billboard depicted the usually rugged and individualistic Marlboro Man as sick with emphysema. According to Barthes's model of semiotics, this advertisement was intended to change the ____________ associated with Marlboro from masculinity to death.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Barthes's model of semiotics involves the signifier (the form a sign takes) and the signified (the concept it represents). In this case, the anti-smoking billboard uses the image of the Marlboro Man, typically associated with masculinity and ruggedness, as a signifier to convey the concept of death and illness (the signified) associated with smoking. Therefore, the answer is D) signified.

A 1999 Anti-Smoking Billboard Depicted the Usually Rugged and Individualistic