Semiotics #2

Signifier: I love this picture of the swimmer because I used to be one. Let me tell you, standing on the bottom of a pool and staying there is not an easy thing. At first glance, this just looks like a guy under water, hitting a manly pose. He's got a pink jammer on, which is the only item colored in the image besides the flag on his cap.

Signified: When breaking down the picture and looking into the meaning of it, it's not as it seems. First off, as I said earlier, it's not easy staying on the bottom of a pool. The swimmer is posing like a stud, when in reality, he probably feels a lot of pressure in his body due to the air he's holding in and slowly letting out in order to stay on the bottom of a pool. The picture is like an oxymoron. Being on the bottom of a pool isn't easy (like it looks); it's quite difficult. He's also under water: a place where air isn't available. He looks so comfortable down there when really, being under water can become dangerous. The pink jammer signifies manliness in a teasing way, like the saying "real men wear pink". It adds to the pose he's making.

What I'm trying to get across is that this pose is the exact opposite of what the swimmer feels. "I'm a man that can conquer anything. Nothing stands in my way" when he's actually concentrating hard on staying on the bottom of the pool and making sure he has enough air, as well as letting out enough to stay grounded. He's also in an element that voids him from taking a breath; something we humans sometimes take for granted. There is more to a picture than meets the eye; that's for sure.