Propaganda in animation became a means of documenting, seeing that it could be better distributed to the masses. While there are various types of propaganda animation, in the end they all have the same goal where they are designed to persuade you and manipulate your level of political consciousness. "Persuasion - 'a deliberate and successful attempt by one person to get another person by appeals to reason to freely accept beliefs, attitudes, values, intentions or actions". ~Tom L. Beauchamp, Manipulative Advertising, 1984 "At that time (WWII), I fervently believed just about everything I was exposed to in school and in the media. For examples, I knew that all Germans were evil and that all Japanese were sneaky and treacherous, while all white Americans were clean-cut, honest, fair-minded, and trusting." ~ Elliot Aronson in Pratkanis and Aronson, 1992, Age of Propaganda, p. xii Matches an Appeal by Arthur Melbourne Cooper (1899)
Melbourne-Cooper made for Bryant and May what some animation historians consider the earliest surviving stop-motion advertising film, "Matches Appeal". The film contains an appeal to send money to Bryant and May who would then send matches to the British troops, in support of an unspecified war. Daddy, what did you do in the great war?
Britain's army at the beginning of the first World War was relatively small and professional. There was no conscription of population before 1916, and so recruitment of volunteers in large numbers became a huge challenge.
The poster was designed to induce a sense of patriotic guilt, trying to capture the British men that were unwilling to volunteer for the war. The picture depicts a situation in the future, after the war, where the daughter asks her dad expectantly how he contributed to the war. Posters like this used that powerful sense of duty to family, but instead that suggested that, in the future, children would hold their fathers to account on the service that they performed for their country rather than the social protection that they ensured for their immediate family. The Sinking of Lusitania (1918) by Winsor McCay
The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner RMS Lusitania occurred on 7 May 1915 during the First World War, as Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The ship was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 and sank in 18 minutes. The vessel went down 11 miles (18km) off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, killing 1198 and leaving 761 survivors. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into World War I and became an iconic symbol in military recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought. Winsor McCay spent nearly two years working on this animation, and at twelve minutes, it was the longest animated film on record at the time and was the first animated documentary. It was in the interests of the British to keep US citizens aware of German actions and attitudes. It was particularly notable, that in this film, the names of several prominent Americans were listed and focused upon. There was possibly also a reason as to why this film seem to drag on, perhaps to evoke stronger emotions out of its audience.
Evil Mickey attacks Japan (1936)
A pretty obvious but still strange piece of Japanese propaganda animation to all that get the chance to watch it to this day, it would seem that by that time, Disney's Mickey Mouse was known to the Japanese to be one of the Americans' biggest and most beloved icons, seeing as a pantless caricature of him was created as the villain of this film... Their own beloved icons, Momotaro, the "Peach boy", Kintaro and Urashima Taro, whom are heroic and pure and representing all that is good about their country, go up against that evil naked mouse and his army of inbred bats. What age group was this animation aimed at anyway? Despite its seemingly cartoony and childish style, why was there a need to include machine guns into the mix?
Der Fuehrer's Face (1943)
Originally titled "Donald Duck in Nutzi Land", the cartoon features Donald Duck in a nightmare setting working at a factory in Nazi Germany. The film is well known for Oliver Wallace's original song "Der Fuehrer's Face", which was actually released earlier by Spike Jones. It was made in an effort to sell war bonds and is an example of American propaganda during World War II. Due to the propagandistic nature of the short, and the depiction of Donald Duck as a Nazi (Albeit a reluctant one), Disney kept the film out of general circulation after its original release. Its first home video release came in 2004 after the release of the third wave of Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets.
Victory through Air Power (1943)
This Disney feature film was based on the 1942 book of the same name by Alexander P. de Seversky (With him even appearing in the film), that had been extremely popular, influential and controversial upon its release than six months after the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. Walt Disney felt that the book's message was so important that he personally financed the animated production. The film was primarily created to catch the attention of government officials and to build public morale among the US and Allied Powers. The film played a significant role for the Disney Corporation because it was the true beginning of education films, that are to this day, still produced and used for the military, schools, and factory instruction. The company learned how to effectively communicate their ideas and efficiently produce films while introducing their characters to millions of people worldwide. Throughout the rest of the war, Disney characters effectively acted as ambassadors to the world.
When the Wind Blows (1986)
A British animated drama film directed by Jimmy Murakami based on Raymond Briggs' graphic novel of the same name, the story shows a nuclear attack on Britain by the Soviet Union from the viewpoint of a retired couple,Jim and Hilga Bloggs. The film seems to be taking swipes at Britain's post WWII patriotism and the perils of blind faith in government during the Tatcher era.
The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984)
A picture book also by Raymond Briggs that was apparently for young children (Yeah, sure it is, Raymond...), it satirises the Falklands War. The book presents the story of the war in the format of a picture book for young children. It is written in a simple style with large, brightly coloured illustrations. Neither the Falkland Islands, the belligerent countries, nor their leaders are named in the text. Instead, the British prime minister Margaret Tatcher and the Argentine dictator General Leopoldo Galtieri are presented as a pair of metal monsters who send men to fight over a "sad little island" populated by a few shepherds who eat nothing but mutton. The book mentions several ways in which the soldiers (Who were all made of flesh and blood unlike the leaders they served) were killed or maimed; the pictures accompanying these parts of the text are monochrome pencil sketches, as opposed to the full-colour (Also frankly quite terrifying) caricatures in the rest of the book. The refusal of either side to admit responsibility for civilian casualties is satirised with the statement that three of the islanders were killed, but that "nobody was to blame".
Discuss the links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
Explore the Ideas and Concepts Created and Developed by Sigmund Freud and Edmund Bernays
Consumerism as social control
Refer to: "Century of Self" (2002) by Adam Curtis and "No Logo" (1999) by Naomi Klein if interested
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist, now known as the father of psychoanalysis, had created a theory oon human nature, the hidden primitive sexual forces and animal instincts which need controlling
All of these unconscious desires begin to act out and manifest themselves into some shape or form when one is asleep
Freud argued that there is a fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual, we retain a sense of violence, aggression and sexual instincts as part of our biological make up
Human instincts are incompatible with the well being of the community, with civilised society we repress our basic human instincts, constantly frustrated from not carrying out our deepest desires
The Pleasure Principle is the instinctual seeking of pleasure and the avoidance of pain in order to satisfy biological and psychological needs. Specifically it is the driving force guiding the ID
The engagement in behaviours that are bad for us feels good
Edward Bernays (1891-1995) was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of PR and propaganda, known as the father of Public Relations, and was of course the nephew of Sigmund Freud
He was employed by the American government as a propagandist of sorts during WW1, soon enough writing the book "Propaganda" (1928)
Post war, he set up "The Council on Public Relations"
If instinctual desires are being met when they buy things, not only will they be contented, a demand will be created for these things
Edward was pretty intent on improving the sales of products by creating a larger appeal to them to draw in more customers, such as an ad for cigarettes, he was able to get past the social taboo of women smoking
Women began to equate these cigarettes with being more independent, free than repressed and sexually desirable
The birth of PR was seen as a disciplinary wartime propaganda
Attempts to attach products to instinctive human desires
Celebrity endorsements (Seeing that they are symbols of success or the ultimate models of independence and glamor) and pseudo scientific reports were used to make these products more appealing
Fordism came about during the same time during the development of PR
Standard producton models built as they move through the factory (I wrote this stuff before but why not?)
Requires large investment, but increases productivity so much that relatively high wages can be paid, allowing the workers to buy the product they produce
Proliferates the world with things, at a more rapid pace
It became more important for companies to distinct their products from their own competitors as production grew more efficient, this is where the idea of branding comes in
Car ads seem to base themselves around male sexual potency to draw in their customers
From a Need culture to a Desire culture (Getting people to buy stuff they already have or don't really need at all)
Refer to "The Hidden Persuaders" (1957) by Vance Packard
Analyses marketing techniques used at the time and the hidden needs that they are able to draw out from their customers
Selling emotional security, reassurance of worth, ego-gratification (Makes you appear better as a person to others, particularly when these products are endorsed by celebrities, who were so much more admired at the time), creative outlets, (Jemima) love objects, sense of power of a sense of roots (Most cars seem to do that) immortality
Aunt Jemima's Pancake Flour in a way tricks buyers into thinking that they are being creative by using this product to create their pancakes (HAHA)
During the emergence of PR, a new attitude to the governing of society emerged
Walter Lippmann wrote "Public Opinion" in 1920
A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered heard, capitalists and consumerism society
An educated elite advising the government in controlling this society, seeing as politicians were seen as hopeless and useless
The idea of consumerism is employed as a mechanism to control citizens
Create a system to rationally satiated over their desires for anarchy? Consumerism creates the illusion of freedom
Communism was a threat to capitalism
The stock market crash was a significant event in history as it was the first moment that the political class realised that society could be destroyed if all decisions were made by thes big business folks
Soft socialism, regulate markets again, increase taxation with the aim or redistributing this money, recreating state control
New York's World Fair was this giant PR exhibition of sorts, pioneered by Edward Burnays
Celebrate everything that's apparently great about America as compared to the rest of the world, like the Soviet Union with the repressed, American consumerism
The message pretty much reinforced through out "You are a free American to buy whatever you want."
Free choice is being able to buy what you want, unlike Russia
Your participation in the buying of a product signifies that you are aiding the country in a positive direction
Big business knows what's good for the overall country than the politicians themselves
Giant bit of propaganda for consumerism
Democracity, the ultimate expression human freedom, the supposed vision of the future
This however does not represent citizen control, there is no true democracy represented in it, it instead centralizes power, a bankrupt illusion to keep humans docile, making them think they are living meaningful lives
Consumerism is an ideological project, we believe through consumption our desires can be met
The legacy of Bernays/PR can be felt in all aspects of 21st century society
He felt that this manipulation was necessary in society, which he regarded as irrational and dangerous as a result of the "herd instinct"
The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation continue to this day
To what extent are our lives free under the Western Consumerist system
