Advertising’s Self-Reference: From Early Cinema to the Super Bowl

Abstract

This chapter takes up the notion of self-reference and self-reflexivity so present in cinema, media and literature studies, if only to redefine it. Self-reference is no longer understood as a textual feature of revelation that produces knowledge about media, but as a particular mode of address: when looking at self-reference from the perspective of screen advertising and screen ads, it becomes evident that rather than displaying the medium itself, self-reference acts against reactance in that it exhibits the assumed media knowledge of the viewers and celebrates media expertise. Thus, the chapter contributes to discussions about the many notions and layers of self-reference and self-reflexivity in cinema and media studies.