Money does not talk: The image of money talks

Abstract

There is an observable discrepancy between the real and virtual economy, as money stopped being the tool and essence of capitalism and the economy in the postmodern era. Money has become a purpose, a simulation, a viral virtual image. For this reason, we should rather say that it is no longer money, but the image of money that talks. The transparent digital convergence culture creates a borderless second world for the economy. This economy and our attitude towards it have never been so far removed from reality. Communication, information and economy have lost their referential nature. As soon as we get in contact with the virtual/digital world, we open our eyes onto the image and the transparency of images. A visual metaphor is a visual rhetorical tool that strives to express messages, to place emphasis on certain aspects of messages, and to convey a persuasive message. This paper aims to demonstrate visual metaphor chains that set a mirror between the real and virtual economy and that serve to show the changed attitude towards money. We illustrate our theoretical approach by analysing the multimodal metaphors that appear in a video clip from popular culture.