Propaganda Project
“This is America” – Childish Gambino
Recently in the United States, gun violence has been a recurring case. From police shootings, mass shootings of popular public areas, and school shootings. “This is America” sung by Childish Gambino portrays and symbolizes the significant events regarding gun violence in America. In the music video there were many symbols illustrated such as: the Jim Crow Pose, Charleston Coir Massacre, viral violence, society blinded by media, and also the Parkland, Florida school shooting. All of which pinpoint significant events throughout America regarding gun violence and racial discrimination which has led to the society we live in today.
The music video holds much of the significance, as the smiling Childish Gambino dances throughout the video all the while shooting an unarmed man, and a black coir. The main point I want to grasp out of the video is the use of guns and how this video shows an anti-gun propaganda. The video has many meanings, but sticking to today’s society, the prominent cause of destruction is gun violence. As Childish Gambino shoots the unarmed man, the next scene shows the dead man being dragged out while the gun is handled with care. This indicates that we protect the right to bear arms more than the protection of our children and humanity. He repeats this action after shooting down the Black coir, and repeating “This is America”. The repetition of “This is America” almost slaps a label on America as being a chaotic and a dysfunctional pro-gun country causing all the negative activities happening in the background.
This piece of propaganda has gone viral since the day it dropped. However, the effectiveness hasn’t been as powerful as intended. It hasn’t moved all of America to change their ways and improve their gun laws. Everything happening in the video (the riots, the shootings, the police brutality) still occurs even after the video was released. It goes to show that America won’t be able to change unless the higher authorities (The President) can actually make a change to our laws and constitution. Releasing this video only shed the light on all the issues we are facing today however it only did so little to make any changes. This video was the hot topic of the week however, just like any other viral video it was forgotten just as quick as it became viral.
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18505041/
“Gee I wish I was a man”
During the first world war, there were many posters hung up in order to encourage American men to join the war. In that time, it was the white man’s duty to join the war and the white women’s duty to take care of the children and the household. A recurring theme in the U.S. World War I posters is the depiction of a woman during wartime in order to enthuse the male population to join the armed forces.
The poster showcases a white women known as “The Christy Girl” wearing a sailor suit while standing in a masculine position. Women were never allowed to join the war, so showing a women dressed in this attire wishing to be a man makes the man feel less of a man. Many could say that this poster motivated men to join the war and do the right thing and serve their country. This poster being posted all over United States threatens the male population and somewhat gives a rise to the female power. The way she poses and her facial expression ignites a feeling of a excitement and an urge to join the war.
The effectiveness of the poster was just as effective as the Uncle Sam poster “I Want You For the U.S. Army.” This poster ridiculed men into joining the navy which helped the U.S. Navy recruit more and more men. This poster also gave women a voice and a sense of power as they posed a threat to man’s ego. These types of posters reminded many citizens to send war bonds to help the U.S. Navy. With all these posters urging men to join the war and the women at home to send war bonds impacted the navy positively and strengthened it as well.
https://uki16.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rationing-food-is-a-weapon.jpg
“Food is a Weapon”
During the second world war, rationing was a crucial and essential practice. Many propaganda posters were showcased throughout the U.S. urging many citizens to participate in rationing their food. The situation was far worse in parts of Europe, however, the U.S. took better precaution and put forth rationing throughout the country. This way the soldiers at war will have enough food to eat. This poster displays an empty plate with everything eaten and nothing wasted. Food was limited because of the food being sent to the soldiers. Americans were expected to ration their food and cook and eat wisely. Goods were scarce due to the high demand for war supplies, therefore victory gardens were established in order to limit the need for commercial goods. Overall, the U.S. went into the war without stockpiling on goods therefore rationing was the simplest and most methodical way of saving food and distributing it equally to everyone.
The effectiveness of this piece of propaganda was most impactful with women considering they were the ones who stayed at home. Many women were the face of most the rationing posters in order to push other females to think more carefully about the goods they consume. The use of guilt was executed through rationing advertisements directed at women. Many posters showcased soldiers that were hunger stricken and deprived of food due to the ones at home doing less to provide for the soldiers. The guilt forced more women to ration their food consumption and portraying food as a weapon made the women feel less of a need to waste valuable goods.
1984 George Orwell
https://www.google.com/search?q=big+brother+is+watching&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii5PCD6sTbAhWMjVkKHZ3CD5YQ_AUICigB&biw=1440&bih=826#imgrc=oXf_ZNWLVnPc6M:
1984 written by George Orwell depicted London thirty-five years into the future, and the world has no more secrets. Orwell writes of Winston Smith, the protagonist, and illustrates his life under the regime of Big Brother. In this futuristic society, otherwise known as Oceania, a society in which the citizens are constantly controlled by the Party. In Winston’s world he is being watched 24/7 by the telescreens, hidden microphones, a secret police, as well as by citizens that alert the government of any illegal behavior. Following the life of Winston, readers are presented with what a totalitarian society under eternal surveillance can look like and how a governmental structure uses elements of panopticism in order to keep citizens law-abiding by removing the sense of privacy and trust for each other.
Orwell writes about this totalitarian society in order to warn citizens in the West to oppose this form of government. Orwell was disgusted by the rise of communism during 1949 before the Cold War had escalated and predicted the rise of a totalitarian society in the near future. It is obvious that he was taken aback by the use of technology which invaded everyone’s privacy and controlled peoples lifestyle through television and false propaganda. This book was written depicting the future after WWII, after the controlling leaders Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, he predicted this form of a society would rise and cause more destruction and loss of freedom of thought.
After Orwell published the novel, he passed away a year later. The novel is incredibly powerful and poses as a new perspective of our systems and governments. The novel led people to question the way their government and rulers worked in order to make their nation a “better place”. The novel was sold worldwide and taught in classrooms to this day offering a creative outlook of our world.