WWI Propaganda

1.     What do you already know about the word, “propaganda”? (How would you define it?)

The word propaganda makes me think of pictures that are persuading you to think a certain way about a political subject, or just advertise situations. 

2.     Find and definition of the word, propaganda, along with a link to where it came from.

Propaganda - Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/propaganda

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-7jsJa5YaWrRU8temdLZkMyZTQ/view

1^st poster – When looking at the poster I first notice a man on a horse waving a flag, and then the words “Come on boys! Do your duty! By enlisting now!” The man on the horse makes people in the army seem heroic and noble. The words “your duty” are in all caps and larger than the rest of the words, and each phrase is followed by exclamation points to create emphasis. The artist is trying to make men feel obligated to join war effort, and that they owe it to their country to join the army and protect. The ideal audience is young men, which is shown by the man on the horse as well as the word “boys”.

2^nd poster - When looking at the poster the first thing I noticed was Uncle Sam’s stern face, his finger pointing, and the big bold “you” in the words “I want you for U.S. Army.” The colors are all red white and blue as well. The stern face is meant to intimidate, the bold you and the finger pointing is supposed to be inclusive and persuasive, while the colors are supposed to represent patriotism. The artist’s intent is to get a lot of people to join the army. The artist’s intended audience is everyone that it a part of the U.S., which is shown by the colors as well as the finger and the “YOU.”

3^rd Poster – When looking at the poster the first thing you notice is a pretty woman in a navy uniform and the words “I want you for the Navy.” The girl has blonde hair and it looks as if her dress is poking out at the bottom, her attractiveness is trying to appeal to men. The other two posters were approaching men with a manly approach but now they are appealing to a different side of them. The artist is trying to persuade men to join the Navy by giving them the idea that women come with the decision. The intended audience is straight men because the image of the pretty girl is appealing to men’s attraction to women.

3.     How comfortable are you with the idea of the federal government spending tax dollars to create a propaganda campaign to convince you of something?  I didn’t really know, but it doesn’t surprise me and I think it is reasonable.

4.     Why do you think the federal government felt it was necessary to invest in producing propaganda posters during WWI? I think they felt that it was necessary because they needed more men to join the army, and in order to appeal to many different types of men they needed many different posters in different places. The government was trying to increase their army to protect their country.

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

     During the time of the United State's conquering and becoming of an empire during the 19th century they formed a strong trade with the Hawaiians, but that wasn't enough for them. The Americans who wanted more began purchasing land and establishing sugar plantations. When the American's came into settle in Hawaii, they brought devastating diseases with them that destroyed their population by half before 1850 and then again by 1900. Not only did they bring diseases, they also brought liquor, fire arms, and a commercial economy, which completely began eroding the original Hawaiian culture. They had taken over, and in 1898 Hawaii was annexed by the United States.
      The film, Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau provides the Hawaiian's perspective on the 19th century imperialism. The film showed that even though the United States had taken bits and pieces of their culture, their passion for surfing still remained. In the film, imperialism was represented not by the United States, but the Australians. Not over land, but the ocean. The movie talked about how the Australians had taken over the surfing world, and how one year no Hawaiian's were invited to the Duke invitation surfing competition, which was a huge tradition. The Australian's were also very boastful and cocky, infuriating the Hawaiian's for many reasons. But when Eddie Aikau went and spoke with them and reminded them of their culture, everything calmed down. The Hawaiin's had fought for their right and tradition to surf and had won, they eventually reestablished themselves as the top surfers. Then, later on in the movie Eddie Aikau and 10 others embarked on a journey on the Hokulea in order to prove that the Hawaiians had great navigation skills in their past. Basically, everything went wrong and Eddie ended up sacrificing his life to try to get help for those with him. Eddie's continuous dedication to his people as well as their culture represented how strongly the Hawaiin's fought to keep their culture after the American's had taken over.

How do you analyze a political cartoon?

Political cartoons can be hilarious, but they have a lot more meaning than just making you laugh. They can be analyzed and convey many different messages about the subject being illustrated. In order to analyze it you must read the captions and observe the pictures with close attention. Every detail means something whether it's a word misspelled or the way a person is standing. But to understand the meanings, you have to understand the politics behind it as well so you must be aware of what is going on around you. You also must understand the audience the artist is approaching, but also be able to look at it from different points of view because people with different political views could view it different ways.

I found a guide to analyzing political cartoons, and in summary it says: Identify the symbols in the cartoon and think about what the artist intends each symbol to stand for. Look for any characteristics that seem exaggerated, and decide what point the artist is trying to make. Look for any labels that make the object's or person's more clear, and decide why the artist chose to label that particular object or person. Decide what the cartoon's main analogy is. See if you can find any irony in the situation the cartoon shows, and think about what point the irony is intending to emphasize. When you've done all of this ask yourself the following questions: What issue is this political cartoon about? What is this cartoonist's opinion on this issue? What other opinion can you imagine another person having on this issue? Did you find this cartoon persuasive, why or why not?

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/political-cartoon/cag.html 

This guide was very similar to what I believed to be important in thinking about when analyzing a political cartoon, but more in detail. When I look at cartoons I will follow the guide that I found on line.

This political cartoon shows a Cuban woman begging for help from the American man against a Spanish man. This represents the United States war with Spain in order to free Cuba. The man from Spain is portrayed as a villain-like character due to their brutal treatment of Cubans. The fancy hat on the American represents the wealth of the US, while the bare feet of the Cuban woman represents the poverty of Cuba. The American man is also much taller than both of the characters in order to show that the United States is the dominant country. All of this shows that the artist is in favor of the United States and is trying to share the message that the United States is desperately needed to help the Cubans and free them from the rule of the cruel Spaniards. 

This political cartoon shows a large, American military boot stepping into the Philippines, and a small man with a hat that says Aguinaldo poking it with a stick. The small sign in the background says, "Notice the US is requested to withdraw PDQ signed Aguinaldo." The boot represents the American military coming into the Philippines, while the small man with the stick represents the Philippine's weak attempt to keep them out. The boot is much larger than the man as well as the Philippines as a whole to represent that the United States is larger and stronger than the Philippines. The artist is in favor of the United States and is trying to share the message that the United States military is unstoppable and will take over the Philippines with ease.  

This political cartoon shows Uncle Sam standing with a Puerto Rican man and a Cuban man behind him, and a Filipino in front of him. The order of the people represents that Puerto Rico and Cuba are already controlled and in support of the United States, and now America is planning on taking over the Philippines. Uncle Sam is much larger than the people from the other countries, and also looks much older in order to represent that the United States is larger and better and should be looked up to, and that these countries need their control. The people behind him are fully clothed, with some American attire, and have smiles on their face while the Filipino is almost naked. This artist is in favor of the United States and is showing that those behind America are much more fortunate than those who are not, so the Philippines should join.