Derrida & Deconstruction

Hello Readers!

"If this work seems so threatening, this is because it isn't simply eccentric or strange, but competent, rigorously argued, and carrying conviction."

- Jacques Derrida

Jaques Derrida (1930 - 2004)

Structuralism and Post-structuralism is the knot from which the two branches of philosophy separates. Click here to know more about both dialects. Jacques Derrida was one of the famous post-structuralist critic who gave the idea of Deconstruction. In his essay Structure, Sign and Play he discusses the process of Deconstruction at length. He has refused to define the term because even in the process of giving the definition it loses the meaning and deconstructs itself.

* Blog for further understanding of deconstruction by Dr. Dilip Barad, Click Here

* Blog on Flipped Learning - Derrida and Deconstruction

Click Here

Here, for the application of deconstruction a TV advertisement is taken.

* Sprite commercial advertisement



Title : Talking Bottle - LIKES (Hindi)
Voice artists: Vijay Raaz as Bade/Bottle and Anand Tiwari as Chhote/Glass
Telecast Year : 2017

---- Transcript of the Commercial ----

C : बड़े !
B : हं...
C : वो कपल कितना कुल है ना !!
B : अबे जो खाने के नहीं, लाइक्स के भूके होते है वो कुल नहीं, फूल होते हैं।
C : ओहह...
B : हम्म, कुल तो वो टोपीवाला है छोटे, वो सिर्फ खाने का भूका है
C : ओहह, पर हम किसके पास जा रहे है ?
B : ठंड रख छोटे, जाएंगे तो टोपीवाले के पास ही...
C : तू इतना क्लियर कैसे है यार !?
B : क्यूंकि...  स्प्राइट, क्लियर है।

This advertisement can be read as post structuralist critic. Here one should be clear about the medium of art, which is advertisement and to be more specific, the advertisement in audio visual mode. If one wants only to listen the advertisement may not get the real essence of meanings taken in the video. To analyse the TV advertisement, one should be ready for both, audio interpretation and visual analysis.

To be keenly interested in such analysis, keeping Derridean though in mind, it's visible that meanings deconstruct on their own from their face values. Binaries like Bade and Chhote itself reflect the privileged and unprivileged sides. The ice breaks (it is a phrase which is commonly used for taking the initiative to start the conversation) by Chhote, exclaiming upon the coolness of one couple. Again a binary occurs here. There can be two different possibilities for the listener and for the viewer. The listener may take multiple meanings of the word couple. It can be of two females, two males or male-female. Viewer will be more privileged to see the contextual meaning of the word couple. Moving ahead, Bade speaks in authoritative voice about the difference between coolness and foolishness of the people, who seek for likes over the food. In the meantime, the couple click photos of the dishes and take selfies to put on social media. All of a sudden, phone falls in the bowl full of soup or some liquid food item. The camera frame moves on the solo guy who is deliberately taking the big bites of burger, interested in nothing else than eating. Bade speaks of this topiwala's coolness and appreciates his hunger for food over soical media likes. Lastly, Chhote puts a question to Bade that for whom they were about to serve, either for a couple or for that guy. Bade, in the air of finality, answers that they are going to be served for that topiwala guy. Chhote asks in amazement that how come Bade is so clear about it. And then the tagline of the commercial, is uttered. Sprite... Clear Hai !!!

Without disturbing the core of advertisement one can simply observe that how deconstruction happens on its own. Going through meanings, various binaries like listener and viewer, Bade and Chhote, clear unclear, (unclear is not a privileged side so it is invisibly present in the advertisement) one comes to know that the text or a work of art be it an audio visual art or written one, can be read against itself. Literal meanings of the words stand responsible for the deconstruction. Topiwala can be meant as a person who sells caps. Couple can be of anybody as mentioned above. The last tagline of the advertisement is also questionable. Things, especially food items differ by their respective appearances and taste. Here the drink Sprite, looks clear in appearance, similar to water, but when tasted, it's different. 

The behaviour which is labelled as cool and foolish is also becoming questionable. For the listener who is not at all watching the visuals may not understand why and for what the couple is labelled as fool until the listener knows the contextual meaning of likes.

Another underprivileged thing for the listener is that, it cannot be seen that what food the topiwala is eating. It can happen that topiwala might be eating something which is harmful for metabolism and in addition of consuming this drink may be resulted as dehydration or diarrhoea. Now this is not at all a cool practice. :))

On the contrary, for the listener it can be believed that the couple might have ordered some healthy and nutritious meals, then they might be putting photos on social media. Here it becomes legible for the couple to receive likes, and the overall behaviour can be looked as cool.

One can see some signs here. Couple, Food, Likes (the invisible sign) and Drink. They play the key role in understanding the exact situation of the advertisement, they're of good help to make deconstruction easy.

Thank You!