Bathroom Semiotics

(Photo by oltremara)

Sensemaya has a great post about the semiotics of gender identification in bathroom signs, in which bathroom signs are divided into groups according to how they depict gender: coital metaphors, genital shapes, body shapes, comparative urination, gender transference from animals to humans, reference by material possession, direct portrayal, culturally specific references, arbitrary/conventional symbolism, etc. With pictures, of course.

(via Alanna Shaikh)

P. Kerim Friedman is an assistant professor in the Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures at National Dong Hwa University, in Taiwan, where he teaches linguistic and visual anthropology. He is co-director of the film Please Don't Beat Me, Sir!, winner of the 2011 Jean Rouch Award from the Society of Visual Anthropology. Follow Kerim on Twitter.