Roland Barthes (born in France, 1905) was a French philosopher. Barthes describes a variety of myths in his book Mythologies. We can learn about myths by reading The Blue Guide and Toys. In this essay, we will use the fashion magazine example of female attractiveness to describe Barthes’ myth.
Barthes describes myths using concepts developed by Ferdinand de Saussure. Saussure states that a sign, consisting of a meaning, sound, or image and the concept related to it, is produced by a combination of the three. Barthes extends this idea by stating that the sign is the initial level of signification. Second level signification is the connotation. This refers to associations connected with the denotation. Connotations become myths when they are widely accepted within a given culture. Myths can reveal the culture’s ideology at a specific moment and its way of giving meaning to life. It’s a way to spread the values and norms of the middle class. French toys have a way of imposing their myths. The toys make children passive, so they don’t want to change anything. Myths are not the whole truth; they show only stereotypes. The Blue Guide does this when it describes geography as a “world of monuments without people”. “
Modern culture perpetuates the female beauty myth. When we casually look through a magazine such as Vogue, models are advertising clothing, perfumes, and jewelry. The denotation is this. Over time, these images become associated with female beauty. Women that appear in magazines are often regarded as being the epitomes of beauty. Women must have beautiful skin, hair and clothes. We begin to believe that these are the characteristics of beauty. This connotation has become so common in our society that it is now considered a myth. These images reveal a culture norm that makes women think they must look like the models in order to be beautiful. The myths do not reflect reality, but only the essence. It is possible to be beautiful despite your appearance not being the same as what you see in magazines.
A myth is simply a culturally normalized belief. These beliefs are oversimplified and give middle-class adults the opportunity to propagate their values and norms. Fashion magazines are a good example. They portray a beauty standard that all women should strive to achieve. This myth shows an unrealistic, simplified standard.
