A cognitive Semiotic Analysis of Messi-Ronaldo Rivalry in Spanish Newspapers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol21.Iss4.1290Keywords:
Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Conceptual Blending/Integration, Pictorial Semiotics, Qualitative MethodsAbstract
This study undertakes a cognitive semiotic analysis of Messi-Ronaldo rivalry in Spanish newspapers. The study fills an existing gap by addressing the sporting interest of the rivalry, specifically dealing with how the visual communication's involvement in the narrative of rivalry and audiences' cognitive conception of the rivalry. The study incorporates three theoretical models: Lakoff and Johnson's Conceptual Metaphor Theory (1980), Fauconnier and Turner's Conceptual Blending Theory (2002), and Sonesson's Pictorial Semiotics (1989), by a qualitative method. Four chosen images, namely “from rivals to allies," “timeless greatness,” “creativity and discipline,” and “end of an era,” are the foundation of the analysis. Each image is dissected to expose the way metaphor, conceptual integration, and pictorial codes produce meaning and reflect the intricate relationship of the two football legends. The results indicate that the pictures are very powerful cognitive-semiotic artifacts, influencing the people's perception and the cultural mythology related to the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry.
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