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I’m stuck on a English question and need an explanation.
Hi. I would like to continue working on Uncle Sam meme. we want to add more about. we want to focus about three or four of the traits you mentioned and discuss them more on the paper. I would like ta add around 400 – 500 more words if possible. I would look forward for one academic reference that we can use for this paper.
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Meme Propaganda
In my definition, Propaganda is misleading and used to promote or make public of an
issue and usually used in political issues to distance both sides. Propaganda is never used to
create a common ground but to trench in the different beliefs around the issue or create talk. This
meme I chose reflects the components that make advertisement propaganda. The reason for that
is because I believe it follows two forms of propaganda; fear appeals and testimonials. The
definition for fear appeals by (Saif) is “to scare people into believing it is true and make them act
on that fear” The testimonial type is very different when it comes to propaganda; (Rivera) states,
“Advertisers use the testimonials of influencers, authority figures, or experts in the field to
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convince you that their product is worth your efforts.”. The first one shows fear appeal because it
centers on COVID-19 and how people are staying in due to the current public health crisis. I also
believe it would fall under testimonial because the meme uses Uncle Sam, a common figure used
to recruit people back in World War I and II. Again, I chose this meme as a form of propaganda
because it is misleading, provokes an emotional response, and creates a reaction that makes
others take sides against one another.
I believe this meme is misleading because it never states anything about the pandemic or
COVID-19. It simply shows Uncle Sam wearing a mask and does not justify why he wants you
to stay home even though it may seem obvious. We can not assume that everyone in the US is
clear on what this piece advertisement stands for. Instead of promoting a clear idea of what this
meme is attempting to show, it does not provide any factual details or even references the topic it
is based on. Uncle Sam only makes a statement showing one side of the argument and opinion
but does not include the full picture or evidence to exhibit why he feels this way. As the
pandemic is a very controversial subject, any information promoted should provide clear
evidence of why an opinion is justified.
I also think it provokes an emotional response because of what the meme was created
about, as the topic has created intense fear in society (Saif). Our society is experiencing a state of
fragility that has not been this severe in many decades. Anything related to having to stay at
home only provokes anxiety and stress within those who may financially, emotionally, socially,
and mentally suffer from this type of isolation. Further, those hoarding toilet paper is already in a
state of emotional distress about what the future holds, which can create offense or anger to these
individuals.
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Finally, it also creates and sways people’s opinions. It does not acknowledge that some
people do not have a choice to stay at home. Some people even believe that staying at home is
worse than potentially falling ill because there are many negative implications to being isolated
and unable to go out to complete necessary tasks. Apart from this, some people do not believe it
is necessary to have to stay at home, and the meme provides no evidence to support why it is
needed. Therefore, it works to sway people’s opinions surrounding the lockdown orders and
remain isolated at home. Not everyone agrees on this matter or what the best course of action is
to take.
Many of the characteristics of why it is misleading are because of how it is worded and
expressed through the meme, and it does not explain why they want you to stay home or stop
hoarding toilet paper. With the addition of choosing Uncle Sam as the face of this advertisement,
it creates a disconnect from some generations as not everyone knows who that man is or what he
stands for. I also saw many things that caused this propaganda to provoke an emotional response.
For example, Uncle Sam in the photo is pointing at you and mentioning the toilet paper hoarding,
which people may not take seriously, but others think is one of the essential items during this
time. Overall, it causes many emotions to fire and usually ends in a disagreement. These
opinions get swayed; we all have strong beliefs, and if we do not agree with others, we tend to
distance ourselves, which can make things even more opinionated instead of factual.
In the end, Propaganda is used to manipulate everyone’s thinking on a situation. That is
why I chose this meme because I believe it shows exactly how propaganda works. It targets
everyone who has experienced the current health crisis. It is scary because the photo itself could
have been made up in enemy territories like we have seen in the past to cause tension and panic
amongst others. We must consider how impactful and serious these memes are and how
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Propaganda is used today, as it can be just as dangerous if misused as physical weapons
(Donovan). Therefore, the definition of propaganda is met because it is misleading, evokes an
emotional response, and works to promote a certain opinion.
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Works Cited
Donovan, J. “How Memes Got Weaponized: A Short History.” MIT Technology Review, 2019,
https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/10/24/132228/political-war-memesdisinformation/.
Rivera. “7 Types Of Propaganda Techniques Advertisers Use – Canz Marketing”. Canz
Marketing, https://www.canzmarketing.com/7-types-of-propaganda-techniquesadvertisers-use/#4._Testimonial_Propaganda. Accessed 31 Jan 2021.
Saif. “11 Types Of Propaganda Techniques In Advertising (With Examples)”. Motioncue.Com,
2020, https://motioncue.com/types-of-propaganda-techniques-in-advertising/. Accessed
31 Jan 2021.
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