Writing Journal
A photograph is transformed into an iconic work due to a plethora of reasons such as its effect on a cultural impact, a call to action, and inciting change against injustices. A photograph must be able to withstand the test of time; its influence should be multigenerational whilst maintaining the visual strength needed to convey the message. In the summer of 1969, the civil unrest movement most notably known as “The Stonewall Riots” erupted due to the discriminatory actions targeting the LGBTQ community. The image above, though not named but copyrighted by Getty Images, was taken succeeding the Stonewall Riots, as LGBTQ community members took the streets to protest the police’s raid of the famous New York City gay bar, Stonewall Inn. During the raid, law enforcement brutally dragged out and arrested both employees and customers for violating the illegality of same-sex relationships and cross-dressing as the opposite gender you were assigned at birth. The crowd within the gay bar retaliated against the police brutality and the unjust arrests, resulting in the escalation of an all-out riot. This image became an iconic statement within society; the event became a symbol of resistance to social and political discrimination, as the raid sparked an outcry for equality among those deeply oppressed. The chosen photograph represents the endurance and perseverance that the gay community possesses, as the determination to gain acceptance in the modern world was only amplified following the incident. The photograph thus embodies the zeitgeist, the spirit of the time, by enforcing the resolve and solidarity among the LGBTQ community for decades. The Stonewall Inn raid was meant to enact fear in those who refused to conform to the oppressive laws, however, the gay community came out stronger than before, using this instance as a reason to demand change for the mistreatment placed upon all those who suffer. Furthermore, this monumental photograph shapes the way in which we reflect on times of civil unrest or crisis by highlighting man’s resolve in overcoming periods of hardship. To remember such an unsettling event which occurred only 52 years ago, emphasizes the importance in understanding the causation of progression in our society.
Trump’s Propaganda Techniques
Among the seven techniques presented within the short film, Propaganda Techniques, the three I have chosen to explore are Glittering Generalities, Transfer, and Name-calling. Starting off with the first term, Glittering Generalities is defined as the use of virtuous words such as democracy, patriotism, and family. This action enables one to link a person or an idea to a positive symbol the audience can appreciate, and more importantly can relate to. In the case of former President Trump, he utilized the technique during both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. This utilization allowed for former President Trump to paint the illusion of himself being the face of patriotism and wholesomeness. In an attempt to appeal to those radically enough to support Trump’s ideals, Trump announced last September that he would promote “patriotic education”-a pro-American curriculum which strays away from addressing the core issues within the country. Trump, in a speech given at Mount Rushmore, stated that “for many years now, the radicals have mistaken Americans’ silence for weakness. They’re wrong. There is no more powerful force than a parent’s love for their children. And patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children are no longer fed hateful lies about this country.”(NPR) The effect of Glittering Generalities within the quotation is seen within the choice of words former President Trump has used. The inclusion of key words such as “patriotic” and “parent’s love” allows for Trump’s following to link his cause to a positive symbol, as both terms invoke nationalistic and familial values.
Sequentially, the next term, Transfer, is defined as a device in which a propagandist links the authority or prestige of something well-respected and revered, such as a religious organization or a nation, to something they would have us accept. A rudimentary example of this would be a political activist closing their speech with a prayer. However, in context of a more current and worldly basis, one could look at a politically driven campaign via former President Trump. One of Trump’s most famous campaign slogans was “Make America Great Again!”, as pictured on the right. The implication that America was once great, and under the leadership of other presidents it has become not great, Trump has transferred with his election as President he will restore America to its rightful glory. This nationalist push onto his audience creates an respected view of Trump in relation to the United States of America.
Lastly, the third technique left to be defined is Name-calling, which opposes the idea of Glittering Generalities. According to the definition, Name-calling links a person or idea to a negative symbol. Former President Trump has utilized said technique in his election campaign speeches, in which he famously and openly slanders opponents. During the 2016 presidential election, Trump repeatedly attacked fellow opponent Hillary Clinton, referring to Clinton as a “vessel for a corrupt global establishment that is raiding our country and surrendering our sovereignty.”(Pacific Standard) By equating Hillary Clinton, a candidate for the presidency, to a corrupt political vessel insinuates her election as Madame President would ruin the sanctity of America. This negatively charged symbol of his opponent only enables Trump’s political success through manipulation tactics.
Works Cited
Ryan Howe Thu, et al. “Make America Great Again Campaign Meme.” Mind Over Media, https://propaganda.mediaeducationlab.com/rate/make-america-great-again-campaign-meme.
Staff, Pacific Standard. “Donald Trump’s Appeal to American Nationalism.” Pacific Standard, Pacific Standard, 17 Oct. 2016, https://psmag.com/news/donald-trumps-appeal-to-american-nationalism.
Wise, Alana. “Trump Announces ‘Patriotic Education’ Commission, a Largely Political Move.” NPR, NPR, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/09/17/914127266/trump-announces-patriotic-education-commission-a-largely-political-move.
Hacksaw Ridge and Hollywood’s Biases
The extent in which Hollywood shapes our understanding of history is astronomical, especially in the modern era. Hollywood and the production of films has been around for almost 100 years, yet the most culturally influential pieces have only been released about 50 years ago. When reflecting on the short clip, Hollywood and the War Machine: A Look at the Pentagon’s Influence on the Film In
dustry, it is evident that the role the United States government has among military film production is of the utmost importance. War films such as Hacksaw Ridge(2016) utilize subliminal messaging to heavily push the agenda of recruitment and American military strength. The main character, Desmond Doss, is seen as a weakling and cowardice for his religious pacifism in time of war(in this case World War II). Regardless, Doss is still revered as a hero for his act of saving the lives of his fellow soldiers who were injured on the battlefield. The army finally accepted Doss’s religious obligations, for he refused to fight on Sabbath. Thus, in this isolated and dramaticized light, Hollywood has glorified the act of fighting for your country. By focusing on the triumphs rather than expounding on the hardships, the film producers fortify the military’s presence within our society. Referring back to the short clip assigned, the narrator speaks of the establishment of military recruitment booths in the movie theaters when Top Gun was released. This is not a mere coincidence, as the government funded the movie’s usage of military equipment and machinery. The military’s involvement within the world of entertainment indirectly distorts the unbiased nature of cinema. After watching this short clip, it is hard to not see the military’s constant tinkering in scripts and of the betrayal of military personnel. Even television shows such as Law and Order and Criminal Minds only display law enforcement in a positive, self-righteous light. If there was ever a major crime committed by one of the law enforcement members, it was made clear through the dialogue or actions within the show that the individual was being reprimanded.
Our “Progressive” Society
The leaflet shown above is in visual reference to the epic of Shahnameh which was composed by Abolqasem Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010. During the second World War, the British Ministry of Information commissioned artist Kimon Evan Marengo to create anti-Nazi propaganda that would appeal to Iranians. The illustration is based on the story of Shahnameh: Adolf Hitler is Zahhak and Joseph Goebbels is Ahriman. The two snakes growing out of Hitler’s (Zahhak’s) shoulders are Benito Mussolini, leader of the National Fascist Party, and Hideki Tojo, general of the Imperial Japanese Army. In this specific cartoon, Hitler (Zahhak) has a nightmare where three heroes-Winston Churchill, prime minister of the United Kingdom, Franklin Roosevelt, president of the United States, and Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union-are coming to destroy Hitler. The leaflet is upholding the period’s sensitive, Western belief of Democratic and Capitalist supremacy; those views were up against the ideals curated by the Fascist Party. As an American citizen, the leaflet empowers the patriotic and nationalistic pride I have for my country. The increase of patriotism thus enables myself to admire the ideals and actions of my homeland. In order to shatter the ideals of the past
propaganda, I chose a contemporary image depicting former United States president Barack Obama and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler together. The only words shown on the image are “national socialism”, which was the party Hitler was a part of in Germany. This image acknowledges the fallacy of American superiority in the modern world; the American ideals are just as corrupt as Nazism. By equating this explicit corruption of a former society, the creator intends to debunk the sense of patriotism one has for the United States, and more so directed at the former president Barack Obama. The message presented within the contemporary demonstrates that as a society, we have not progressed fighting against the injustices of the government. Although there have been many strides to correct laws and procedures deemed unconstitutional or unethical, there are still many major injustices remaining throughout our society such as equal rights, racism, and prejudice against minority groups. Even now, our quote on quote “progressive” society is still plagued with the issues thought to be handled almost one hundred years ago.
The “Patriotism” of Anti Vaxxers
Over the course of two years, Covid-19 has ravaged our society, and thus has created a split of judgement between those who endorse the vaccine for the virus and those against it, known as Anti Vaxxers. These anti-vaccination conspiracists believe that the Government’s attempt in enforcing the vaccination of its citizens is not only wrong, but directly goes against their constitutional freedom. The group and its subsequent sub-groups thrive on the propaganda and false claims spread throughout social media, such as the vaccines containing microchips and a claim of infertility directly caused by the vaccine. The four images I have chosen, all taken at rallies protesting the vaccine, demonstrate one’s willingness to be guided by invalid and incorrect claims. The posters displayed by those protesting all contain words invoking that their rights are being taken away, as to persuade those around them to their noble and patriotic cause. In the case of the image displaying the sign, “Hitler mandated a pass too”, the sign is relating the discriminatory branding of Jewish people to that of the Government’s mandate of the Covid-19 vaccine. This visually causes an onlooker to be disturbed by the Government’s movement for national inoculations, as one would not want to be associated with the practices of Adolf Hitler. Though to us this outrageous comparison seems to be farfetched, people legitimately believe the posters they are publicizing due to the information fed to them via non reputable and biased news sources such as Facebook community groups and Fox News. In addition, the contradictions presented by those rallying is ironic, as many of the signs have the words, “my body, my choice”, which is usually in reference to women’s reproductive rights. The irony stems from those endorsing the phrase, as most Anti vaxxers belong to the right side of politics; those belonging to the right side on the political scale usually do not endorse the practice or belief of women receiving abortions. The rebranding of this controversial phrase thus shows their ignorance and their uneducatedness within the realms of science and social problems.
Bell, Guy. “An Anti-Coronavirus Lockdown Protest at Hyde Park in London in May.” The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jul/07/almost-one-in-six-britons-say-would-refuse-covid-19-vaccine. Accessed 24 Oct. 2021.
Lum, Cory. “Dozens of Demonstrators Protested Covid-19 Vaccination Mandates Outside Honolulu Hale as the City Council Met inside. .” Civil Beat, https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/09/covid-vaccine-opponents-try-to-drown-out-the-mayor-at-a-honolulu-city-council-meeting/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2021.
Tracy, Alex Milan. “Anti-Vaccine Activists Joined Hundreds of Protesters at the Capitol in Olympia, Washington, on 19 April to Protest the State’s Stay-at-Home Order. .” Spectrum News, https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/how-anti-vaccine-activists-are-using-covid-19-to-boost-their-movement/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2021.
Widak, Artur. “A Protester Holds a Placard during the Irish Freedom Party an Anti-Vaccination and Anti-Lockdown Rally Outside the Custom House, on Day 39 of the Nationwide Level 5 Lockdown.” Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-vaxxers-concern-covid-19-vaccine-unhelpful-experts-say-2020-12. Accessed 24 Oct. 2021.
The Zeitgeist of the Civil Rights Movement
The photograph I selected from the Civil Rights Movement is of Martin Luther King Jr. leading the march from Selma to Montgomery. The photo, captured by Steve Schapiro in 1962, was taken during the protest for African Americans to attain equal voting rights as their white counterparts have had for hundreds of years. Beside King is John Lewis, Reverend Jesse Douglas, James Forman, and Ralph Abernathy. The Civil Rights Movement took place throughout the mid 1950s into the late 1960s in hopes of desegregating America, as discrimination towards African Americans was a normalized practice in this time period.
Those who were not white were subjected to discriminatory treatment such as being forced to sit in the back of the bus, given separate and worse facilities to use, and many were unable to dine inside restaurants. Similarly, a photograph taken in September of 2020 highlights the zeitgeist of the continuing fight for civil rights. Photographer Troy R. Bennett captured the protest against the police brutality and the mistreatment of African Americans by law enforcement. George Floyd, an African American, was detained harshly by police; officers were physically pinning him down and kneeling on his neck while he was saying the three famous words, “I can’t breathe”. The death of George Floyd reignited the sentiment of fighting for equal rights for African Americans and other marginalized groups; many realized the fight started almost 70 years ago has not ended. The differences in the photos can be seen by the types of people who are protesting. Many, but can’t definitively say all, who protested during the Civil Rights Movement were African Americans whereas in the case of the Black Lives Matter protest there was a mix of all different races and ethnicities. The progression of other groups realizing the faults within their own circle has exponentially increased, as more White Americans see the problematic behaviors in our society today. Furthemore, the visual representation of protesting from the mid 1950s to today has not dramatically changed, but there are evident differences. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, silent activism was highly promoted; silently protesting or rather protesting without starting a riot was seen as the proper way to go about enacting positive change. Today, however, there were various ways in which people protested the violence against African Americans: rioting, looting, and reenacting the way Mr. Floyd died as the photograph selected depicts. I believe the way protesting has changed is due to the fact that African Americans and those in support of equality have felt silenced in the political climate curated in America. By being more rebellious and bold with their actions, activists have shown that they are done having their voices be unheard by those in power. I would like to believe that we are making more progress than we have done 70 years ago, however, it is disheartening and ultimately disturbing to see the injustices still present within our modern society. Our slow progression into achieving universal equality shows the lack of initiative present within the older generations in America; young people were more willing to take action and protest the discriminatory actions directed towards Black Americans whereas the older generations were quick to criticize the methods in doing so. In order for America to show its acceptance in progressing towards an equal and tolerant future, there must be an indication of all Americans willing to transform the foundation of their country.
Works Cited
Bennett, Troy R. “A Black Lives Matter Protest on Commercial Street in Portland in June.” Maine Public, 6 Sept. 2020, https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2020-09-06/portland-black-lives-matter-rally-canceled-after-threats-of-violence. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.
Schapiro, Steve. “Martin Luther King, Jr. Leading March from Selma to Montgomery of Voting Rights for African Americans. Beside King Is John Lewis, Reverend Jesse Douglas, James Forman and Ralph Abernathy.” ABC News, 16 Jan. 2017, https://abcnews.go.com/US/photographers-lens-martin-luther-king-civil-rights-movement/story?id=44768267. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.
Humor in Crisis
dia platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The first image, Where’s Waldo? Social Distancing Edition, is a spin of the famous drawings of Waldo hidden among a crowd of people. Children usually gravitated to such drawings as a brain teaser. This humorous take on the old comics infers society’s reluctance to hold onto the old by conforming it to the present. The second image, Breaking News: 2 reported cases of a new virus in China, is a jab at the out of fashion search engine, Internet Explorer. The search engine is infamous for processing information at a painfully slow speed, thus resulting in the joke that it only processed the outbreak of COVID-19 now after all this time. The third and final image, This episode of Black Mirror sucks, was taken at a protest during the climax of the COVID-19 shutdown. A protester, amon
g a crowd of angry republican citizens, brandishes their sign alluding to the Netflix show, Black Mirror. The show is known for depicting modern social issues in a disturbing manner such as social media, the inclusion of technology within child care, and unequal power struggles. Comparing the real outbreak of COVID-19 to a fictitious show highlights the outrageous condition our world finds itself. By presenting a situation usually fueled by fear and trauma with humor allows the brain to digest the material in its own time. As someone who uses humor to cope with personal and worldly problems, it is easier to associate an issue in a comical light than to take the time to reminisce in the negativity. Presenting a travesty like COVID-19 in the media via humorous images also allows a mental break from the horribleness everyone was subjected to listening to among news channels and on online news resources. From my own experience, my family always had the news on during the height of the pandemic; statistics of how many people were infected, how many people have died, and how many people could have avoided dying under different leadership played on loop. Seeing these images among social media allowed me to di
ssociate from society plagued with trauma. Furthermore, enabling those to use outlets of humor in order to process difficult topics creates room for civil discourse void from politics and other trivial matters. Humor connects those by positivity and smiles, a necessity in times when positivity is rare.
Works Cited
The Ohh Dear Team. “The Weekly Meme Round-Up: 19 COVID-19 Memes.” Ohh Deer Blog, 20 March 2020, https://blog.ohhdeer.com/home/the-weekly-meme-round-up-19-covid-19-memes. Accessed 7 November 2021.
The Scarlet Tattletale
20 years ago, a deadly virus swept both the immune and political systems of the world. The virus took the lives of more than 5 million people worldwide as well as robbed the world of its contemptful normalcy. In order to reestablish the virus’ impact within the 21st century, I have chosen a curation of five photographs. The Scarlet Tattletale highlights how the Covid Crisis has molded the prejud
ices and disharmony apparent in the world of today. Through visual rhetoric, the five images will capture the volatility present in the minds and bodies of humankind. The theme specifically illuminates the scapegoating and stereotyping that those of Chinese descent faced amidst the height of the pandemic; the Covid-19 virus is speculated to have 
originated via a Chinese laboratory. Those who have a resemblance to Chinese features were persecuted all around the world, from America to Australia. The first image, I Am Not, was shot by famous photographer Ringo Chiu circa 2020. Tracy Wong, the woman wearing the facial mask, is holding a sign while participating in a rally against Asian violence. The rally was meant to create awareness to not only the residents of Los Angeles, California, to also create global awareness for the mistreatment given to those who are Asian. The second image, Two Hearts, photographed by Sara Li in 2021 emphasizes the impact Asian scapegoating had on the Asian youth. Both girls and boys alike were subjected to not only horrible discussions on virus policies or to vent about a bigoted, newfangle liberal view. The image of the heart captures the essence of youth and the fun once we had together. The third photograph, Hope U Die, shows the Ramen store being desecrated by machinery and by uncontrollable bodily functions. Last but not least, the fifth and final image is named fittingly as, Dog (2021), which depicts how crime is written on the storefront of both a restaurant and on campus cleaning. The similarities of the color scheme within the five photographs, such as the touch of red in every picture, a slight hint of gold in order to create some adherence, and the use
of visual media to insight change. Our world in which we have seen her during thanksgiving break we are gonna be severely ill. The prejudice and thick stillness isn’t just from New York and other locations within the north east. I personally claim a decent room with an air conditioner; it would be amazing.
Oskar Schindler’s Sincere Apology
The short speech I chose to analyze is the speech from the film, Schindler’s List. The speech is of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi party munitions manufacturer, who is addressing 1,200 Jewish Brunnlitz factory workers as well as Nazi guards. Schindler utilizes tone of voice in order to direct his message to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the Nazi soldiers who endorsed the mass genocide. When word of the war’s ending had reached the factory, Schindler addressed the Jewish factory workers directly, “Many of you have come up to me and thanked me. Thank yourselves. Thank your fearless [Itzhak] Stern — and others among you who worried about you — and faced death at every moment.” (0:40-1:00) Schindler addresses the Jewish factory workers, who he has seen suffering for the duration of the war, with such sympathy and concern. He directly praises the ones who have survived and endured all the travesties of the war, and by doing so redirects all praise away from himself. Schindler demonstrates his own guilt for the actions committed in the name of the Nazi party. On the other hand, when Schindler addresses the Nazi soldiers, he does so with bluntness and disgust for their actions, “I know you have received orders from our Commandant, which he has received from his superiors, to dispose of the population of this camp. Now would be the time to do it. Here they are; they’re all here. This is your opportunity….Or, you could leave and return to your families as men — instead of murderers.” (1:33-2:03) Throughout the speech, Schindler purposely pauses when addressing the two options the nazi soldiers have in front of them: to kill or to be humane. Schindler’s stern and blunt tone when showing the Nazi soldiers their wrongdoings illuminates his own self reflection of the travesties committed with his hands. Thus, the contrasting tones given by Schindler demonstrates to the audience viewing the peech the sincerity Schindler has for his actions, and the hope that his fellow men follow his lead.
On the basis of rhetorical strategies, Schindler establishes his own ethos to convey to not only the Nzai soldiers, but to the audience themselves, his understanding of the devastation the war has brought, and his hope of humanity in the future. After Schindler addressed the Jewish factory workers, he interjects his own position and role within the war, “I am member of the Nazi Party. I’m a munitions manufacturer. I’m a profiteer of slave labor. I am…a criminal.” (1:00-1:14) Schindler’s acknowledgement of his role during this period of human slaughter establishes his authority towards those he was harmed and those who adhere to his words. The Jewish factory workers take in his words out of sincerity, whereas the soldiers adhere to his remarks with dignity and guilt.
Lastly, to reflect on how the verbal messages align with the non-verbal messages, Schindler coordinates what he says with the position of his body to emphasize the message he intends to employ. Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, is apart of a group who endorsed the mass genocide of over 6 million Jewish lives. Schindler is now faced in addressing those who have been affected the worst from the Holocaust: the Jewish survivors. When addressing those beneath him, Schindler points with his hands, extends his arms out from his sides, and grip the bar in front of him. His bodily awareness of his words enforce his message and his seriousness of what he has to say. Likewise, when addressing the Nazi soldiers who have aided him in the killing of those deemed “inferior”, Schindler faces his whole body toward them, restrains his arms, and looks to them with a look of decisiveness. If the men choose to not follow the words of Schindler, they would each know deep down they are betraying humanity as a whole, continuing to be the source of human pain and suffering.