Re: New Memes Book

From: Kate Distin (memes@distin.co.uk)
Date: Sun 27 Mar 2005 - 13:57:42 GMT

  • Next message: Bill Spight: "Re: Henson on the Nazi meme"

    Kenneth Van Oost wrote:

    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: Kate Distin <memes@distin.co.uk>
    > You wrote,
    >
    >>I think I still *tend* towards seeing them as behavioural, but I'm
    >>certainly open to persuasion. I'm actually a bit of a cultural freak
    >>when it comes to fashion, as I was brought up in a home where it was
    >>just not important. More than that, in fact: not even noticed. Partly
    >>this was due to financial constraints, but more significantly the result
    >>of parental values. Consequently I just don't get it. My friends buy
    >>new clothes and I think things like, "but your old ones aren't worn out
    >>yet." So you can see that I'm just not qualified to respond to your
    >>suggestion! But I'm still pondering it . . .
    >
    >
    > Well here is something to think about,
    >
    > Hidden messages behind chique dressbrands,
    > It is all about Extreme- Right winged kids, but I think you will understand.
    >
    > The wreath of laurels of the emblem of Fred Perry is for skinheads the
    > symbol of victory. Especially sweathers, T- shirts and polo's are extremely
    > popular.
    > Alpha Industries is a fashion line that designs for the soldiers of the US-
    > army.
    > Neonazi 's do find that the logo of the company resembles that of the SA
    > ( Sturm Abteilung, Hitlers strong boys.)
    >
    > Consdaple is designed by neonazi's. The group of lettres in the middle
    > points
    > to NSDAP. The word is diverted from the ' constable ', what you all know
    > means ' guardian ' or ' keeper '.
    >
    > Even numbers can be seen as holding hidden messages,
    >
    > 192 stands for ' Hitler is back '
    > 88 stands for 'Heil Hitler '
    > 14 stands for ' We must secure the existence of our people and future of our
    > people and a future for white children ' ( David Lane )
    > 28 stands for ' Blood and Honour '.
    >
    > Dresscodes with hidden messages are,
    > White boot- laces stand for ' white power '
    > White Nike- cap, stands for ' white power ',
    > The combination of a black bomberjack, red braces and white boot- laces
    > stands for the colours of the Nazi flags.
    >
    > ( Let me remind you, I am NOT all for this kind of nonsense, it is just an
    > indication of what can be ' said ' without saying anything. )
    >
    > But now something more pleasantly,
    >
    > Wearing little bracelets can mean something too,
    > Lance Armstrong wears yellow fillits around his wrist, meaning that he is
    > supporting the good cause ( LAF, Lance Armstrong Foundation, cancer).
    > Thierry Henry, ( football) wears black- white fillets to show he is against
    > any form of racism.
    >
    > Blue fillets stand for actions against nagging at school.
    > Orange fillets stand for respect towards any other, in spite of one's
    > religion,
    > skincolour etc.
    > Pink stands for support, in the US, of women with brest cancer.
    > White fillets are especially used by US youngsters to show that they don 't
    > believe in sex before marriage.
    >
    > Hope you get something out of this,
    >
    > Regards,
    >
    > Kenneth
    >
    >

    All of these look like examples in which systems of representation have been set up - and like any such system, you have to understand the system before any one of the individual representations makes sense to you. If I see someone wearing a ribbon then I know it stands for something even if I'm not familiar with what that particular colour means. But if I saw someone wearing white boot-laces then it wouldn't
    (before hearing from you) cross my mind that this meant anything. To me it doesn't. Quite possibly it doesn't to that particular wearer either
    - but now I learn from you that it might.

    Do you think that this sort of thing is also true of fashion more generally - not just fashion that has been co-opted into a particular representational system like the examples you give? So that when people wear clothes (almost any clothes) they have chosen those particular ones to give out a particular message to people who see them? (Except that people like me don't get it because we don't understand the broader
    "fashion" representational system.)

    Kate

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