INTERPRETATION OF INTERNET MEMES AND ADVERTISEMENTS THROUGH SEMIOTIC AND RECEPTION STUDIES

The study focuses on gauging how the communication occurs when a viewer is exposed to a meme and advertisement. It attempts to understand the creation of meaning by deconstructing the visual and verbal components. This study is an attempt to explain how the relation between images, text and meanings connect with each other to form social messages, political, universal emotions and entertain users. A further analysis is conducted to decipher the impression on the mind of the viewer, i.e. an attempt to ‘understand his understanding ‘of the subject. Thus, a combined analysis should evaluate the gaps and merits in the communication channel. The viewer of an advertisement might access and use socio-cultural values, norms and presets of preloaded notions to interpret the message which deviates from direct logical meaning. Lack of familiarity and knowledge can hinder the communication process to a great extent as the viewer lacks the tools (assuming him/her a faculty of mind) to interpret the underlying message, i.e. only purported logical meaning cannot necessarily embark upon the viewer’s impression. Hence, mind can exhibit confusion or face hindrance while interpreting the message. Keywords— Internet memes, advertisements, semiotics, reception analysis, Semiotic Theory of Charles Sanders Pierce, Saussure, representamen, object, interpretant.