This print by South Carolina born (and now famous, especially in the "indie" culture) Shepard Fairey depicts now president elect Obama, along with the word "hope." This print is a work of art, but can also be viewed as a propagandist piece. Drawing from the "hope" campaign set in place by Obama, this work displays not only the word hope, but Obama in a proud and "hopeful" stance, staring straight ahead and upwards. This image doesn't assault the viewer, but this is perhaps why it is even more effective. It subtly suggests that Obama is the right choice for president, without beating you over the head with the message.

During WWI, in my opinion, the thing that might have been the reason for America's success was the use of this poster.  This poster is, obviously, about purchasing war bonds.  War bonds were used throughout the war to supply and provide for the troops overseas.  As you can see in this picture, the black swastika is overshadowing, what looks like. patriotic, American children.  This symbolizes that the Nazi power is getting closer and closer to American soil.  Furthermore, this poster is telling the public that if we purchase war bonds then we could be saving these children's lives because we would be contributing to the American war effort.  

 I would say this ad accomplishes the exact opposite of what it was intended: to draw away public support from Obama.

This series of pictures says a lot!  In the top right you see a picture of a Nazi soldier looking out at you with dark eyes.  At the bottom of the picture the caption reads "He's Watching You."  This picture was used to inform the public that no matter where or what the people might be doing, there is always someone out there who is for the Axis power and they are watching your every move.  The picture at the top left was a common poster used to persuade the public to ration all they have and to not do any unnecessary things in a time of need.  For example, the picture shows a man driving alone and the caption says "When you ride alone, you ride with Hitler."  This common poster was trying to get the public to realize that anything unnecessarily done is helping the Axis Power.  This picture in the bottom right corner was, probably, one of the most inspiring for women in the WWII era.  This picture was used to persuade women to give to their country by joining the armed forces and do their patriotic duty by taking over the jobs to get supplies out to the men overseas.  This poster was a true inspiration to women because it meant that they were needed for something that could lead to a United States victory in WWII.  Finally, the bottom left poster has the saying "Are you doing all you can?"  This poster was meant to inform the public that it was their patriotic duty to give more than just "average."  This poster was. almost, making the United States citizens feel guilty for not giving as much as they could to help the cause.

Of course these four posters were not the only ones that made an impact on the American society!  There were many, many more that presented the same message and they all contributed to the Allied victory.

If the Other Party Wins

This popular YouTube video shows a comedic reaction to propaganda put forth by both the Democratic and Republican parties. It is suggested here that no matter who wins, because of the radical views of both sides (toward losing), disaster will follow. This is a veiled negative reaction to propaganda. It is obviously being suggested that everyone in both parties should calm down and not let thoughts of defeat get in the way of rational judgement. On the Republican side, it is suggested that if Obama were to win the election, the country would be overrun by terrorists and illegal immigrants, liberal supported policies on abortion, gay rights, and the legalization of marijuana would be enforced, and there would be an all-around lack of patriotism. On the other, hand, it is suggested that if McCain had won, there would be no separation of church and state, public funding for things such as schools would be insufficient, war would be a constant fact of everyday life, global warming would be increasing and counter-productive measures against it would be in place, and all of our actions as citizens would be closely monitored by the federal government. Oh, and moose would become a popular dinner item.

2008 Election Propaganda Poster

Last month, hands down, made history,  In the 2008 presidential election Barack Obama became the first black male to become the next president of the United States.  Weeks before the election, however, attempts to persuade voters to vote otherwise was at an all time high.  More propaganda was hitting Republican candidate John McCain rather than his opponent Barack Obama, however Obama still had his share of propaganda.  The poster above was made to persuade the Democratic voters to think twice before voting for Obama.  Depicted as a snob in this poster, the creator's intended message was to make Obama supporters realize that all he does is care about himself.  He wants the viewers to think that Obama believes that he is a "special individual" or an "Elitist".

This poster was a popular form of American propaganda during the World War II era.  During this time the American government kept emphasizing the importance of not saying anything about the war and about the American involvement overseas.  This was said because it was believed that the Nazi power had spies in America and any leaked information would result in a Nazi victory in World War II.