Tag: 21-A3

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Context: An alarming advertisement (date unknown) encourages men to beat their wives. It offers a pamphlet on how to properly keep your wife in line. *The modern version, written by Dr. Steve Ogan in 2013, is available on amazon under ‘self help’ books with the description: “Most men do not know how to treat their wives, especially when these women fail to play the roles divinely stipulated for them. In this book, you will discover how a husband can help his wife overcome the negative traits in her character while correcting the wrong foundations that may have been laid down in their union.”

The companion book ‘How to Beat your Husband,” also written in 2013, has a similar description: “Crucial issues are discussed here which will improve and save any marriage. Issues such as: understanding spiritual foundations in marriage, what a wife must do to win back an unfaithful husband, what a wife must do to rekindle the love of a husband who treats her with contempt.”

*Note- I find it hard to believe that this is a real modern set of books, but my research shows that it is. Please comment if you know this to be true or otherwise.

Caption Writer: What is this ad implying? Why do you think there is a modern version? What does this say about women’s role in society during the time the ad was published?

Response: The ad gives you two options- Yes and No. Both imply that ‘the husband’ has beaten their wives at some point, either currently or in the past. Sexism remains rampant and dangerous in the world. It is always the woman’s fault and they must ‘win back’ the affection of their husband, even if that means ‘getting the sense beaten into them.’

Context: 1953: Alcoa Aluminum’s ran this ad for soda in 1953 describing soda with bottle caps so easy to open “without a knife blade, a bottle opener, or even a husband.”

Caption writer: I will say, seeing this ad got me straight to the fridge for a cold Coca-Cola. Thank god I was able to open it without my husband! Otherwise I really don’t know what I would do.

Who is the target audience for this advertisement? What is it implying about women?

Response: This ad is clearly directed towards women. It implies that women are both weak, stupid, or both. This sort of marketing was widely accepted during this time period. It could also be appreciated by a kind and loving husband, picking up his wife a soda from the grocery store. Wait, no. Women do the shopping.

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Context: Cigarette ads from the late 60’s (Picryl)

Caption Writer: I could’t choose just one with these powerful cigarette ads. One implies that the best and most worthy women are thin and rich. How does this perpetuate body image in the 1960’s? is it so different than the targeted ads of the following decades?

What is the second ad saying? Are either one of these ads problematic. Why or why not?

Response: These ads are dangerous perpetuations of negative female body image. The first one is saying that the best women are thin and rich. Two clearly defining characteristics of what it means to be a ‘worthy’ woman during this time period. It is saying that it is a woman’s job to fit into these categories in order to be desirable to a man. The second image shows a man blowing smoke into the face of a woman. This is both disrespectful and disgusting. However, it is widely acceptable to degrade women in this way. Many men still hold these actions to be acceptable. A modern example is ex-governer of New York Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after multiple allegations of sexual abuse were reported. In Cuomo’s resignation speech he stated “”There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate”

Image 1: Don’t Be Careless!

Context: Propaganda poster during World War I. Pictured is the wreckage of an American plane into what seems to be a swamp or quagmire. There is a pilot looking out towards the sea and spots a boat heading his direction, with another plane below him. Caption reads: ” Warning! Consider the possible consequences if you are careless in your work.”

Caption Writer: Look at the caption, does it do an effective job conveying its message? Write a new caption for the pilot standing on top of the wreckage. What would he be thinking or going through his head?

Response: I don’t think it does an effective job conveying it’s message because it’s a bit wordy. A much better caption from the pilot would read “‘Loose lips sink ships’? I think they meant ‘Sloppy work crashes planes’!” This is better because it gives the pilot in the poster some personality, as well as riff on the other message the Government was putting in their propaganda pieces about the spreading of information.

Image 2: Uncle Sam’s Guilt Trip

Context: World War I drawing. Uncle Sam is staring at the viewer while holding a Liberty Bond in one hand and pointing to soldiers running into enemy fire only to be mercilessly gunned down. Caption reads: “Remember, they are giving their lives!”

Thought Bubbles: Uncle Sam is shown here talking directly to the viewer. What do you think he is thinking? What about the soldiers? What thoughts they might be having? Create thought bubbles for Uncle Sam and at least two of the soldiers.

Response: Uncle Sam: “For the love of god people, just give us more money so we can beat those Germans already!”
Soldier 1: “Wait, why are we fighting again? They never did anything to me!”
Soldier 2: “I know that even though my death will be meaningless, I am honored to die here in this trench with y’all.”

Image 3: All Together Now, “Let’s All Be Americans Now!”

Context: Cover of a World War I era songbook. It shows a soldier standing out in front rows of other soldiers under the banner title “Let’s All Be Americans Now.” These type of song books, typically for piano and voice, were popular both in the home and in public places like movie theaters, parks, and cafes. They were predominantly circulated by the Committee on Public Information.

Symbols: Analyze the image for any symbols that you can identify. In what context do they fit in? What context would make those symbols confusing? Do these symbols still hold up today?

Response: The most obvious symbol is the shield behind the soldier. The shield is most often used in imagery pertaining to the U.S., and is meant to denote some kind of official capacity. These days we most often see this type of shield being used to mark state highways. The clothes that the soldier is wearing is something that people of the time would automatically recognize as a soldier’s uniform, from the boots to the shirt and the hat. In the present day one might associate the hat with a park ranger’s hat, but the fact the person is holding a gun would show that he is a soldier of some type.

Featured image found on PICRYL.

Featured Image by Jordy Meow from Pixabay

Image 1: Anti-Japanese Propaganda

Context: This propaganda poster was created by the U.S. Army to be seen by the American people during WWII.

Bias Icebreaker: What bias is this image trying to create in the viewer?

Expected Student Response: The caption in this poster makes me think that its goal is to instill hatred of the Japanese people in American citizens. The creator wants the viewer to create a bias toward the Japanese so that Americans would support the invasion of Japan during WWII.

Image 2: The Bomb’s Aftermath

Context: This photo is a view of Hiroshima, taken after the bombing.

Caption Writer Icebreaker: Using what you know about the bombing of Hiroshima, how would you caption this photograph? Why?

Expected Student Response: The caption I would give this photo is “Hiroshima left devastated after the American bombing. How will they recover?”. I chose this caption because this photo shows the aftermath of the bombing. There is very little left of the city.

Image 3: Years Later

Context: This photo is of an area affected by the bombing in Hiroshima.

Questioning Icebreaker: What questions do you have when looking at this photo?

Expected Student Response: How could the people of Hiroshima rebuild the city? What was this building before? What does Hiroshima look like now? Where was this building located? Did all of Hiroshima look like this?

Context: American Progress by John Gast was painted in 1872 and depicts an angelic woman, Columbia – the personification of the United States, moving west across the continent.

Icebreaker Prompt: Analyze this painting. What symbols can be found in this work. What was John Gast, trying to express with this painting? What might it reflect of American Society’s views on expansion for the time?

Response: Columbia is depicted leading a host of white settlers and explorers, while Native Americans and bison flee before her. She holds in her hands a telegraph wire and we see railroads, stage coaches, and wagons trailing in her wake. Perhaps most notably Columbia is seen a being of light which she brings with her from the east while before her is darkness.

From this painting we are lead to believe that American Expansion is an almost holy experience. The angel of American Civilization tames the land and drives away the “savage”. For Americans at the time Manifest Destiny, the expansion west and the development of the land for economic exploitation, was a birthright.

Context: “A Trifle Embarrassed” by Keppler, Udo J. for Puck Magazine from 1898. Print shows Uncle Sam and Columbia standing at the entrance to the “U.S. Foundling Asylum” as a basket of crying children labeled “Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hawaii, [and] Philippine” is presented to them by arms labeled “Manifest Destiny”. Within the walls of the asylum are four children labeled “Texas, New Mexico, Cal. [and] Alaska” playing together.

The caption at the bottom reads: “Uncle Sam: Gosh! I wish they wouldn’t come quite so many in a bunch; but, if I’ve got to take them, I guess I can do as well by them as I’ve done by the others!”

Icebreaker Prompt: Look at this cartoon and come up with a series of questions you have about what you see.

Response:

1. How did Manifest Destiny lead to colonies outside of the Western Hemisphere?
2. How did Americans view themselves when it came to occupying lands in the continental West and for colonies that were in the Caribbean and Pacific?
3. How is a race a factor in this cartoon and what does it say about American attitudes at the time about non-white peoples?
4. What does Uncle Sam’s quote about getting “so many in a bunch” tell us? What lead to the US getting dominion over so many far flung lands at once?

Context: Union Army General during the Civil War and then 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, is seen here as a juggler while standing on a cigar box titled Habana. He is juggling rings with the names of potential U. S. possessions and spheres of influence written on them. Rings include Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Chile, Peru, and Brazil. The large ring on the right has United States of America written on it and includes the rings Alaska, Texas, Washington Territory, Arizona, New Mexico and California.

Icebreaker Prompt: With a partner draw a map or a cartoon that depicts the US sphere of influence. Then discuss how you think all these territories relate to America’s Manifest Destiny.

Response:

1. While the US didn’t directly control places like Canada, Mexico, Central and South America its military and economic prowess dominated these areas.
2. The US was composed of continental acquisitions like Texas, California, and Oregon that would be made into states, but areas outside, especially islands like Samoa and Cuba were treated as colonies for economic exploitation.
3. American Politicians were expected and judged by their ability to bring more areas under US economic and political domination.