The Ways of Seeing: Images and Publicity

“Publicity does not manufacture the dream. All that it does is to produce to each one of us that we are not yet enviable- yet could be.”

Without a doubt, I found the most interesting and thought provoking section of John Berger’s book, The Ways of Seeing, to be the section on art/advertising and publicity. The section starts off by confirming what many of us already know, that we are constantly viewing and are the constant target to public images or publicity (advertising). However, I never thought of how we are really “seeing” this publicity. According to Berger, publicity suggests to each person that his or her life may become more glamorous or enviable if they buy the product. The idea that publicity is the process of manufacturing glamour (131) was an idea that I had been aware of before, but this book really expanded my understanding of this concept.

Berger makes an interesting point when he states that publicity, “…Offers him an image of himself made glamorous by the product or opportunity it is trying to sell. The image makes him envious of himself as he might be” (132). I believe that this section could be used to explain how many of today’s big-name brands use people’s insecurities to make money. Someone who is insecure about their looks may see an advertisement for a beauty product and see how well it worked for the person in the ad, and the insecure person will then see themselves in that same position. However, the person will not really be happy until they buy the product and use it themselves. By doing this, the advertisement’s target has fully bought into what the product has promised- glamour, beauty, and a better life as a result.

After reading this section I came to agree with Berger when he says, “The purpose of publicity is to make the spectator marginally dissatisfied with his present way of life” (142). Of course when we seeing ads we wish we could have what it is showing us; but how can we fight of this publicity guerilla warfare? I think the key lies in understanding where our feelings are coming from, namely insecurities that the publicity touches on. If we understand what will affect us, we can anticipate and be prepared, by doing this we will be “seeing” the true nature of the ad.

One final thing that I thought was very important about this section was how it highlighted how images play a major role in understanding someone’s social status. People are constantly attempting to make their life better in any and all areas especially since everyone wants to appear “glamorous” and enjoy the “good life.” The “glamorous people” rub off these wants/desires onto others who continue the epidemic of images and publicity, because they want the good life too. As Berger says, “Glamour cannot exist without personal social envy being a common and widespread emotion” (148). However, I think that by knowing ourselves, we can control our desires, not the images.