Levi Strauss (1958) came up with the idea of binary opposites. He believed that we understand words not solely based on their meaning they directly contain, but of our understanding of the opposites they reflect, hense 'binary opposites'. The ideas of these terms are culturally constructed. Our understanding of the word 'hero' depends on our understanding of the word 'villain'. Within the media world, binary opposites are used on a frequent basis. They are usually the basis of our understand of a story as it is a conventional narrative and enables an equilibrium. Binary opposites are used in films to help plots, they are also used in music videos are part of a narrative to re-inforce song lyrics. Levi Strauss' theory links heavily with our ideological values of how we feel we should 'perceive' the world.
Why use binary opposition?
This theory enables us to have an understand of a narrative before it has even begun. Representations re-present themselves to an audience to assure an understand, meaning and recognition from a text is understood. Having opposites within a text enables climax and interest. However more recently this can be challenged for example; in Lady Gaga's music videos' Judas, or films that have a narrative with no clear protagonist/antagonist.
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