(I only put the summary part here, the evaluation of mine, well, dun want to show everyone my terrible logic+English)
Divided in to two major parts, Part I “Advertising Work” and Part II “Ideology Castle: Referent Systems”, Williamson read into and criticized on over a hundred advertisements at that time. She indicated in the preface that “my background of left-wing activism and a delight in ‘popular’ media, meeting the work of Barthes and the others in my school days.”; precisely, the book borrowed many theories, ideas and terms from Barthes, Lacan and Saussure to explain how to read adverts and how it works on audience’s ideology. Williamson used both semiology and psychology to decode the seemly not-so-complicated advertisements, in which she showed us what concealed in advertisements and how these things were constructed as signs and as a system of creating meanings. Advertising content, from colours, celebrities, positions, layouts to every single word, all work together as a sign which requires and urges the readers to participant in creating the meaning of it. Signs as a kind of currency in the referent system, they can replace something or someone, and actually invite the readers to finish the replacement actively. In other words, the consumer creates themselves in the advert. Williamson was alerted of the sign currency system can and will change the consumer into products in her conclusion, i.e. the buying power is buyable. From her point of view, the implication is exactly what she quoted in the conclusion chapter: “Capitalism has the power to turn into a drug immediately and continually, the poison that is thrown in its face and then to enjoy it.” (Brecht on Theatre)
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