Introduction to Semiotics of Cultures, 2010

Ronald Barthes – Myths: examples

Vesa Matteo Piludu

University of Helsinki

Modern myths

The book mythologies shown a large set of example modern myths

Some of them (striptease, wrestling, steaks) are clearly provocative

Systems: food and drink, cinema, literature, products

Myth of the French wine

Totem drink of the French nation, as tea for British

Wine mythology: wine connected to vital substances, life, blood

It’s alchemical, converting the weak into strong and the silent into talkative: myth of “becoming warm”

Even the writer became bohemian, proletarian The intellectual became virile and escape from their cerebral cage Scientific symposia

It creates situation ex-nihilo (from nothing)

Drinking is not the end

In France, as in Italy, drinking is not the end: the goal isn’t getting drunk (unsocial)

The goal is sociality, is research for pleasure and fun Focus on culture: the real French/Italian should be able to taste and

recognize different types of wine and their origin

Getting completely drunk is socially condemned: unsuitable for virility and femininity

Be “able to drink” means drink without give any exterior sign of being drunk

Knowing how to drink is a national technique, a performance of control and sociability

Drinking is connected to collective morality: the excess is tolerated, if it is expressed “with style”

Wine culture is also conformism

Who is not believing in wine: is a child, a sick, a depraved

The poor man ”doesn’t understand or comprehend it”

Other myths: Wine of other nations are not considered at all Beer or whisky cultures considered barbarian or too popular

Behavioral etiquette: The wine should “breath” for a certain time quality much more important than quantity the glass shouldn’t be completely full It’s not allowed to drink red and white wine in the same situation: its

an “offence” It’s not allowed to drink wine and other “barbarian” alcoholic drinks in

the same situation certain wines should be consumed with certain foods

French wine and French imperialism

Barthes noticed that the French colons impose wine culture in Muslim countries (Algeria), but they don’t care if the local people have bread or not

Milk mythology

Substance opposed to wine

White: white, creamy, cosmetic It joins, restore, calm

Connected with purity and children

Steak and Chips

Other French national myths

Steak: suitable for all, bohemians or middle class

Heath of the meat, the blood is visible: similar to wine

Steaks has the same alchemical power as the wine The intellectual become more ”popular” and took redemption from his

dryness

Steak joins succulence and simplicity

Associated with chips: a product that is often nostalgic and patriotic

Match: The generals in Indochina asked for chips

Wine glasses

Wine and femininity

Woman as glass of wine

Nationalist FINNISH milk

Finnish beer - ultra-masculine, nationalist, quantity: bear-beer, the gold of Lapland, Karjala

Italian beer: the Peroni’s blonde”Call me Peroni, I will be your beer”