The Intertextuality of Famous Figures in IRIB Advertisements

Abstract

Advertisements, as one of the most important sites where national identity is articulated, circulated and revised have been the matter of recent scholastic research. Currently, the famous historical and fictional figures are used more frequently than before in the advertisements of Iran’s national TV. The use of such figures has brought controversy. For some, it is debasing to bring distinguished scientists like Avicenna or legendary poets like Shahriyar as a marketer of shampoo or bank. However, some find pleasure in that intertextual anachronism or the blurring of cultural borderlines. This tension represents the rivalry between the centripetal and centrifugal forces in culture. Cultural stratifications finalize all interpretations when ideological and cultural conflicts are examined. In Mikhail Bakhtin’s (1895-1975) dialogic world, one unified or unifying ideology to decide if famous figures can travel from high to low culture does not exist. Dialogism replaces these binary oppositions of high and low by gathering them within the concept of relation. It does not strive towards transcendence but rather toward harmony of the oppositions. Thus, rather than evaluating the advertisements, this paper analyzes their dialogic and intertextual quality in terms of shaping national identity. With the meticulous study of all advertisements in IRIB covering 2010 to 2015, we have chosen eight cases. Their overpopulation with famous figures-- be in national or international-- shapes an intertextual dialogue with the audience.