PROPAGANDA

What exactly is it about pictures and words that gets the American public so excited, so devoted to a cause, or even against a cause? What about a flashy commercial drives people to buy a car, consume like crazy, change their entire life perspective? What about government issued posters catches so many young people, makes them want to enlist, want to help? To answer these questions, one would need to study the innermost workings of the human subconscious. However, wee can start by studying propaganda, a thing used to control, to manipulate, or to promote. What is propaganda? Propaganda is the advetising, and the tactics used by a group when they are trying to persuade the public. One large example of propaganda is during war time, especially WWII. This included the seven main types of propaganda, shown here:

1.PLAIN FOLKS:

2.  CARD STACKING

Here, a woman sits with a letter from her husband who is off at war. The caption below says: "Longing won't bring him back sooner. Get a war job!" This is called "plain folks" because during this time, many woman were longing for their husbands. Here, this is a typical woman who misses her husband at war, showing people they are not alone, and they should all help in the war effort.

Here, a missile saying "more production" is headed for a swastika, inidcating that if the Americans were to produce more, they could defeat the nazis and win the war. This is an example of card stacking because it shos one side as good, the otheer as bad, and really makes one side look bad...the red represents not only that swastika, but also communism, and the black missile that is rather large, represents the "good" USA and its immense power.

3. GLITTERING GENERALITIES:

Here, men work under a flag and over a slogan, United We Win. Most Americans take that slogan at face value; it makes them feel patriotic and together as a country. The slogan is an example of a glittering generality because no one would question it since it is so powerful and a well written three words that promote a united feeling.

5.  TESTIMONIAL:

4. NAME CALLING:

While Private Joe Louis may not be a well known man to our generation, during the war, people wanted to hear from those fighting. It didn't matter who was saying it, as long as they had an idea of what they were endorsing- they were credible. Here, Private Joe is saying" We're going to do our part and we'll win because God's on our side." This is testimonial because he is endorsing not a product, but the war and its victory.

Here, a foot of an American (you and I) stamps out a snake. The snake could either represent a rat (someone who told secrets) a communist, or a nazi.Whatever it represents, it is cleraly bad, shown by the fact that it is a snake, the most evil serpent from the Garden of Eden.  This is name calling because it is blatantly insulting something else or another viewpoint,thus promoting the American way.

6. BANDWAGON + 7. TRANSFER

In this poster, it shows a strong man working for the Navy. This poster, to me, says "you should do it, because everyone else is." It also says, "you should do it because the strong man does it, and you will be strong too" thus also functioning as an example of transfer, where it has nothing to actaully do with the product or cause, but is instead a somewhat false claim.

All posters from "powers of persuasion archives"