Image, FETISHISM

Image, FETISHISM

By Dr. Sohail Ansari

Conceived and worded by DR Sohail Ansari (originality of concepts and originality of words).

He believes that there can never be a zero scope for improvement and appreciates criticism if it is not for the sake of criticism.

·       The work of various researchers analyzing the same phenomenon can be original if each work adds in its own way the nuance to our understanding.   

Logical absurdity 

·        My all friends are good; therefore all good friends are my friends.

Image 

·        The view that the term image evokes negative connotations is based on the belief that image-makers can conceal everything they want concealed and reveals all that they want revealed and sell a largely non-existent person. This belief is too simplistic and built on the premise that people are generally skeptical about image-making effort. People do not respond in pre-determined or conditioned ways because they have their interpretive behavior; thus do not always dismiss image. Image can have positive connotations as the visible public personality if it does not rest on a tension between what is seen and what is really happening. Image must be distinguished from an inward private character but image must not be overshadowing that covers up whatever may really be there. Image must be improved, repaired and refurbished, apart from the spontaneous original to be the public portrait but must not be synthesized, doctored; it must be created by manipulating existing characteristics so that it cannot be dismissed as a ploy of selling non-existent attributes.     

FETISHISM

·        The notion of fetish is helpful for investigating to what extent the fixation on particular objects has changed in industrial societies. In pre-industrial societies certain material objects were regarded as embodying forces that affect human behavior, material objects like Scepter; Cap; or Flag of a spiritual leader were thought to carry special power.

But such objects are replaced by money in consumer society: fetishes of modern world are goods accessible through money. Happiness and relief are achieved not through spiritual power of certain object or by the blessing of one having such objects; but through material objects. There is no longer any halo around anyone; the health of nation lies in the health of economy. The political marketing consultants capitalize on this shift in fixation by tying economy to leader they wish to project.  

A market society is a masked ball. Here we bring our needs to dance with their satisfiers (leaders) in close embrace to the melodies of an unseen orchestra (Political marketing practitioners).

The discourse through and about material objects is carried on from behind elaborate masks; Political marketers fashion huge numbers of masks(Image/Persona); and in selecting some, consumers allow themselves to be persuaded that they can serve their dreams. In fashioning masks for leaders, Political marketers apply metaphors; idioms and similes to move back and forth across the interface between the production of message and consumption spheres, restlessly creating and refurbishing zones of encounter between aspiration and parties.

Ads mirror the identifying sign of the consumer society_ the unending play with new possibilities for better life. This sign is reflected concretely in the general characteristics of leaders themselves.  As represented in ads, leaders are bearers of powers; and have all ingredients that can enrich and make our life better. In ads, we encounter a lush and entertaining realm where our fetishes of modern world (goods) are promised to us.

“In modern society goods themselves are not fetishes, rather, through marketing and advertising good are fitted with masks that ‘show’ the possible relations between things on the one hand and human wants and emotions on the other. These masks are our fetishes.”

In modern society leaders themselves are not fetishes, rather, through political marketing leaders wear masks that ‘try to establish relations between masks (our fetishes) and the mask (persona/image) they wear.

Change in fixation on object holds enormous potential for the growth of political marketing as it leads to emergence of new leadership by undermining leadership that elicit voters due to assumed spiritual power or possession of object that assumed to have such power. Any one capable of making electorate believes that he can deliver comforts and luxuries of life can win. New leadership has no permanent following it has to be established and retained through media campaign.