Friday, March 27, 2009
Propaganda and You
Now that we have really discussed how propaganda works, at least according to Adolph Hitler, think about how you can recognize propaganda when you see it. First define it and then give examples of how you might have been influenced by propaganda and when you recognized it and resisted it.
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After reading Hitler's "War Propaganda" I learned that propaganda is aimed at the general masses rather than the intelligentsia. The intelligentsias prefer scientific and mathematical explanations and would analyze the information provided by propaganda. The intelligentsia would use their reason and would be able to form well thought, rational responses. However, propaganda is aimed at achieving emotional responses rather than rational responses. Advertisements lie by omission, meaning that they only provide the information that will benefit their cause. Furthermore, propaganda use slogans that are easy to remember. Today, advertisements are mostly seen through commercials. Commercials usually last from thirty seconds to one minute in order to grasp and keep our attention. If a commercial is too long or confusing we are likely to change the channel and will not pay attention to the product that is being advertised. Furthermore, commercials sometimes rely on models or celebrities to announce their products. For example the brand CoverGirl uses models to announce their beauty products. In addition, their slogan “Easy Breezy Beautiful CoverGirl” gives the impression that all women who use CoverGirl products will look as beautiful as the model in the commercial. Adidas also uses a slogan to promote their apparel. The motto “Impossible is Nothing” supports the misguided idea that if you buy Adidas footwear you will become an athlete who can run for miles. I try not to fall for advertisements but sometimes the product being advertised looks good. Whenever I see a commercial for IHOP I crave pancakes. After all according to their commercials I will "Come hungry. Leave happy."
ReplyDeletePropaganda is advertising to the lowest common denominator in order to convince the masses of a certain message. The key to propaganda is to appeal to the emotions of the audience rather than encouraging them to think about the larger cause you want them to support.
ReplyDeleteMost advertising utilize the principles of propaganda. Typically the only thought provoking ads I see are business to business or how a feminine product provides ultimate wetness protection. The goal of most messages in media target peoples desire fueled by their five senses and other physical responses to certain stimuli. For example, most sports car ads want you to imagine the adrenaline rush and the wind through your hair. The executives are hoping that the masses do not consider the maintenance cost, gas mileage or the fact that most commutes consist of wall to wall traffic.
Since I am a research nut, I can’t help but to look into everything. I must have as much of the story as possible. I recognize propaganda immediately and I usually try to get down to the bottom of whatever claim is made. For example, one ad that drives me crazy is the new message of the Corn industry. The ad shows two people and one is eating a product containing high fructose corn syrup. The person without the food states eating food with high fructose corn syrup is not safe but is unable to articulate why that is the case. The other person concludes that high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation. This where the ad gets me. The Corn lobby is hoping that people will not do their own research and find out that high fructose corn syrup is the bastard child of a variety of sugar molecules that have also been bastardized. They are hoping that people will not find out that this type of corn syrup is so chemically altered that it is unrecognizable by the human body. (Eating it is kind of like putting a DVD in the player upside down. Yes the disc fits but if you keep forcing the player to read the backwards disc, the player with ultimately rebel.) So the corn lobby states that all you have to do is eat it moderately. Sound great until you remember that high fructose corn syrup is in pretty much every mainstream product in America. The ad literally states that research is for suckers.
I generally accept propaganda from entities that I already support. For example, I am part of the Apple cult of consumers who accepts and supports virtually any action taken by the company. I can give a whole technical spiel about why Apple products are superior. However, at some point I had to own up to the catalyst of my Apple love. I like the way owning their products makes me feel. I like that many people resent Apple and their consumers. I like that Apple computers scare some PC users because they believe the propaganda from the PC industry that Apple only works with Apple or that Apple is hard understand. While I believe that Apple products are better made and more reliable, I recognize that my assumptions about the quality of their work is not the only reason why I am a crazy Apple lady. Apple knows that people like me exist and that they could probably put a logo on a Yugoslavian car and we would buy.
Propaganda, as defined by Hitler, is aimed at the masses who are presumably of lower intelligence. It seems horrible to call such a large group of people stupid, but in reality, on a grand scale, most are pretty ignorant and/or gullible. Many people will accept whatever they are told without question and some can be convinced to believe whatever the propaganda insists is true. For those members of lower intelligence, even the slightly brighter people can change their minds once they see that the majority believe in one thing.
ReplyDeleteWe have all fallen victim to propaganda at some point, even something so small as commercial advertisements. How could we resist when we live in a large consumer society where everything we could possibly want is held under our noses as something we have to have? Some people give in to propaganda willingly when they know that what they see or hear is not necessarily true. But who bothers to read the fine print or pay attention to the fast talking at the end of a commercial? All people care about is the item that is being sold and how they are going to get it.
Propaganda aims at our emotions, causing us to have an inside war against our rational minds. We know that we don't need something, yet this is a world in which people generally rule with their hearts over their minds. Why go against the grain and over-rationalize everything? In fact, that is something that people need to get in the habit of. There is the old adage that money can't buy happiness or money isn't everything...but nobody seems to pay any attention to it. I know when a product is being forced upon me, but I also know how to exercise my right to say no. People don't see that material wealth is just like a drug in its own way.
Propaganda sells people as well as products. Especially when election time comes around. The candidates are placed high on a pedestal promising all kinds of things. We as voters ooh and ah over all that is promised but rarely do we stop to think if their goals are plausible. Campaigners know how to sell their candidates and propaganda is their mightiest tool. When viewing propaganda, to consider oneself part of the intelligentsia may be helpful in making our own decisions based on what we know to be true rather than what others would have us believe.
I don't let commercials tell me what I need, nor do I let the media tell me who I need to vote for. Only I can make that final decision.
BiancaNWright,
ReplyDeleteI find your rant about the corn commercial interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it but I do love the fact that you challenge the commercial's validity by doing your own research. Perhaps people should follow your example so they don't make dangerous excuses for themselves like this commercial suggests.
Propaganda is using messages or art to promote or persuade something whether it be good or bad.Back then, Hitler used propanganda to appeal to the masses who he believed weren't that intelligent and therefore would buy into whatever he was saying. Propaganda is basically using subliminal messages.Of course, a lot of people including myself have bought it propaganda. For example, when I see Nike ads or commericials showing people running and looking good it makes me want to go out and by a pair of Nikes, so I too can be fit. Another example is Victoria Secret ads, they show these beautiful, thin models which triggers that need to go out and buy so that you could feel and even look like them. And lets not mention the endless commericals and ads of alcohol, usually they will involve attractive people drinking and having a good time, so that causes people to go out and purchase that alcohol. These ads serve their purpose which is appeal to the masses and cause those masses to act upon what they have been shown.
ReplyDeletePropaganda is the ability to persuade the mass of people to act, feel, or buy whatever a person or group is selling. Propaganda is usually targeted for the people they are unintelligent or naive. A person who cannot think for themselves because they are easier to pursuade. Though propaganda is not limited naive people because if someone is convinct ing ,you can fool the smartest of them. I have seen first hand propaganda on tv with shoe commercials , they you feel once you put their shoes on you will be able to jump as high as NBA players. It physical gifts to be able to do the things they do. Im not willing to pay $160 run in some shoes that will get scuffed eventually and will need to be replaced. Also when my uncle was trying to buy a car the manager was trying to persuade that buying a new car was the best way to go. What avoided telling him was that once you drive a new car off the lot its value depreciates something terrible, and the financing is horrible he would pay made 10% extra of what he actually owed on the car. You have to think for yourself and make decisions that are most comftorable for you.
ReplyDeletePropaganda is any item mainly a piece of artwork that the goal is to persuade the audience to a main point of view. The most evident form of propaganda in our society is advertisement. The main goal of advertisement is to convince a consumer that they need an item or a service: that without this then their life will not be complete. Advertisements plague America nearly every moment of our lives, while we are driving, watching TV, surfing the web and reading a magazine. With repeated images of a product or service a person is more likely to incorporate that item or service into their daily life. It can be hard not to fall prey to propaganda. Propaganda is also used more subtly by organizations and the media. For example the presidential election was filled by propaganda fueled by both political parties, organizations and the media. The propaganda played a major role in how the masses made their presidential decision.
ReplyDeleteI found what Stephanie said about the use of celebrities and models to promote Covergirl products to be useful. The message that they are sending out is buy our product and you too and feel and be beautiful and breezy. I found Stephanie's comment about IHOP to be funny I never thought about that being a clear sign of propaganda. I mean IHOP is appealing to the hunger in us basically, and after a hungry individual views that commercial it is likely they will go to eat. I also found Bianca's comments about the corn industry to be interesting. I mean I've seen the commercials but never gave it a second thought because it didn't appeal to me. Anyways, I found Bianca's comment on the Apple industry to be useful because the ads are trying to sway people from using PCs instead of Apple. Everyone had convincing comments overall.
ReplyDeleteMerriam-webster.com defines propaganda as the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. One example I can think of where I was influenced by propaganda happened after I watched one of the numerous Axe cologne commercials advertising the "Axe Effect." The Axe Effect is supposed to occur when a guy sprays axe on himself. Usually lots of rather attractive women flock after him like madness. I'm not sure whether that is why I use Axe now but I am sure that I was not totally repulsed by the idea of being like one of those guys in the ads.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion advertisements are pretty much the most common form of propaganda today, so I can not think of a situation specifically when I decided to firmly resist one. I think showing indifference to an ad is a kind of resistance so I suppose I resist propaganda daily.
Propaganda is the ability to influence the people about that product. According to Hitler the propaganda is aimed at the low intelligent which he calls the masses. Propaganda appeals to emotions, it’s amid at low intelligence and it’s a simple message that they are trying to get across to the masses. There are many examples of propaganda, makeup ads and commercials, Covergirl, Maybelline and etc. I fell for the waterproof mascara, when that product first came out; I just had to try it. It was amazing mascara that doesn’t smear. How cool right, but when I went to buy it, the product was all that good. I have fallen for many types of propaganda, because in my mind it doesn’t hurt to try it, but sometimes it can be disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephanie, when she is mention how CoverGirl uses model to announce their products and that their catch slogan is Easy Breezy Beautiful CoverGirl. This does make people thing that all woman who use CoverGirl with look as pretty as the models used to promote their products. I know that’s how I see it, but of course deep down inside we all know it’s not true. We are not going to look like the models. Sometimes we just want to try something new to see if it’s good for us. Stephanie that was a good example I total forgot about their slogans and how that makes people feel and think.
ReplyDeleteAs Amy said, advertisements are all around us at all times these days. Even this site has a small google "Friend Connect" ad that promises an increase of traffic to your website if you embed its social features into your site.
ReplyDeleteI also liked what Stephanie said about the easy to remember slogans and the short amount of time ads use to get their point across. Short ads with catchy phrases are best used so the masses do not get bored and so they can be left with something to remember about the ad-giver's message. I'm craving some IHOP now by the way.
I agree with Claudia’s statement that the general mass is both ignorant and gullible. People accept the information they receive from propaganda/advertising because we like being told what to do; it avoids us the trouble of thinking for ourselves. Even if an advertisement gives us false information most of us will accept it before we do any further research.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kimesha’s statement that there are endless amounts of alcohol related advertisements. These advertisements give the deceitful idea that in order to have a good time, like all the young, attractive people in the commercial, you need to purchase alcohol.
I agree with Kimesha that a main tactic of propaganda is to portray a product a way to have a better life. Advertisements are constantly using beautiful, rich, young people in their ads to promote their product through a way of life. Kene gave the example of the Axe commercial. The Axe advertisement tape in to the wish of men to be flocked and stalked by beautiful women. I also agree with Stephanie about the simple short slogans that are repeated throughout advertisements. I also wanted to point out how jingles are used in propaganda. These songs take a simple slogan and a catchy tune to make the image of a product almost haunt the consumer. Some of the jingles have become so popular you can even by theme as ring tones.
ReplyDeleteI think that propaganda is anything that is used to persuade the masses. Propaganda does not have to be used in times of war or when trying to persuade someone to do evil things. I think that all major companies use forms of propaganda when advertising their products. The gel insole shoes with the slogan "are you gellin?" Making it seem like if you buy their products then you will no longer stress about your life. Or Mc Donald s"have you had you break today" I didn’t realize how much restaurants use commercials to advertise their food until I started dieting. I had to stop watching TV because every time I would turn the TV on there would be at least 10 commercials persuading you to eat what their restaurant had. I also think that certain food commercials such as I hop, Wendy’s, and taco bell purposely play their commercials at night because they are the only restaurants open during the late hours of the night.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lisa. I think that the types of propaganda today are very convincing. I think that they spend hours thinking of advertisement slogans for their products. I will have to agree that I fell for the mascara commercial as well. It’s amazing what a commercial can do for a product. Children are the worst about falling for propaganda techniques. If they see it on TV then it must be awesome and they immediately have to have it.
ReplyDeleteWow that is so funny how kene mentioned about the axe comercial because i have that commercial probably five times today. the truth of the matter has no influence on your love life, but the main point is people or any company use all means to try and convice you to do buy, or believe something whether it is true or not. Ithink Lisa's point about propaganda being more influential today because their is more means or access to do so.
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