Unknowingly, we experience propaganda constantly in our everyday lives. These things stick with us throughout the day without us even realizing it. After paying close attention to the propaganda that surrounds me, I've realized that the propaganda we deal with today is not necessarily recognized as that. There was an insane amount of propaganda used during the presidential election, on both sides. When thinking about the race, the one thing that stands out to me most is Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again." Whether you are for or against Trump, this slogan means something different to either side. I am going to focus more on what the slogan means for the pro-Trump supporters. I think the reason this piece of propaganda was so helpful to Trump throughout his campaign is because it satisfied a lot of Americans' want for change. Since America had 8 years of a Democratic president, Republicans were feigning for change. Even if they did not necessarily agree with Trump, they felt they wanted a change for the country and agreed with some of his views. This is why I think this slogan had such an impact on the race. It simplifies what Trump wants to do and makes everything sound positive, which, to anyone who wants something different for America, sounds like a great idea. It is amazing to see how just 4 words greatly impacted the entire country. TV shows, movies, documentaries etc. are also heavily loaded propaganda. Recently, I watched the documentary, Cowspiracy, which explains how the meat industry is killing out planet and basically tells the viewer the only way they can help is to go vegan. By the end of the documentary I was shocked. I never knew how bad the meat industry is for our planet. They used a bunch of different propaganda techniques to make this into a powerful film. They filled the documentary with statistics and graphs and interviewed reputable people. The film focused on the amount of damage the meat industry does to the ozone layer and environment. The film also used the idea of unity to get the viewer on board. They would tell the viewer what they could do to help and if everyone did help, we could save the planet. Whether or not the whole film was biased, or swayed one way, the propaganda techniques used were successful and helpful in getting their point across. Specifically in the New England, Dunkin Donuts is advertised everywhere. Without knowing why, I automatically think, if you don't drink Dunkins, you're not a true Bostonian. As ridiculous as that sounds, the company uses propaganda techniques which makes people feel this way. They often use celebrities from Boston or just a regular Bostonian with a heavy Boston accent saying "I'm drinkin' Dunkin". I think this is successful because it makes people feel like they belong to a community and that they should give business to them. The company also gives deals the day after professional New England sports team win a game. They push the fact that they are a casual, everyday business, which attacks their competitor. It is the opposite of Starbucks, one of their competitors, which is a more up-scale expensive business. Advertisements on TV, in newspapers and online also use a lot of propaganda. The commercials that stand out to me the most are the commercials trying to get kids and young adults to stop smoking. They emphasize the idea that cigarette smoking costs more than you think. There is one commercial that is played quite a bit where a girl goes into a convenient store to buy a pack of cigarettes. When she goes to pay, the cashier tells her it will cost more and then the girl starts to peel skin off of her face. This type of propaganda tactic attacks the viewers’ emotions. A person who smokes cigarettes might see this commercial and imagine themselves in this situation. These commercials are very uncomfortable to watch which makes the message even stronger to the viewers. Another commercial that appeals to the emotions is the ASPCA commercial. These commercials have been on TV forever. Their technique includes showing sick, injured or abused animals to affect the viewer's emotions. Naturally, someone would feel sorry for the animals being shown on the screen and would probably be more likely to donate money to the organization. They repeat a few times through out the commercial, "They need YOUR help". This tactic makes the viewer feel like it is their job to help the animals. They also often use celebrities to be the spokesperson for the commercials, which also increases the chances of a person to donate. I think that many people have a soft spot animals and this propaganda technique has probably helped the organization immensely in making money. Protests and advocacy events are full of propaganda. The whole point of a protest is to express how strongly the attendees feel about the issue. For example, the women's march that occurred a couple of weeks ago was probably one of the biggest protests I have ever seen. The signs they women held were full of propaganda. The signs mainly targeted how women feel oppressed and feel as though their rights are being taken away. Instead of moving forwards in regards to women's rights, a lot of people feel as though we are moving backwards. Signs were held that directly affected anyone's emotions. The point was to make everyone feel affected. The messages addressed the fact that they were walking and protesting for your mom, sister, friend, wife, etc., so that men would also join the protest. Before the protest took place there was a lot of advertising for it. It was all over Facebook and used the propaganda technique of making women feel united and also made them feel as though they could be a part of something bigger.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |