Propaganda

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Propaganda

• English II

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Propaganda

• Propaganda
• A type of persuasive monologue or one-sided
  messaged intended to coerce others to agree with
  an idea or take a particular action.
• What does this mean
• Basically propaganda is used to convince the
  general public to agree with someone or something
  or to do something.

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Propaganda

• Two types of propaganda
• Good propaganda
• Encourages people to do something positive
• Raising money to support a charity
• Staying in school
• Say no to drugs
• Bad propaganda
• Attempts to convince people to do something that
  might be harmful to themselves, their beliefs, or
  their financial situation
• Spending money on products you dont really need

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Propaganda

• Why is this important?
• As a young adult, you are the most targeted group
  for bad propaganda.
• Groups and companies want to take advantage of
  your insecurities (and especially your money) to
  make you act a certain way.
• Here are some propaganda techniques that you
  should recognizeFYI they will be on the OGT!

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Testimonials

• Testimonials
• A common technique where famous people endorse
  products although they are not qualified as
  experts.
• This is the Got Milk of propaganda techniques

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Testimonials

• Michael Jordan endorsed Hanes underwear for many
  years
• Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, but
  is he an underwear expert?
• So why would he be used to endorse this product?

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Testimonials

• Got Milk advertisements are another perfect
  example of advertisements that use celebrity
  testimonials.
• Think about itwhat do the Olsen Twins or Misha
  Barton know about milk?
• Are they dairy farmers?
• Are they nutrition experts?
• NO!

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Appeal to Emotion (Emotional Words)

• Appeal to emotion is used to create a strong
  reaction in readers or viewers of advertisements
  and speeches (YOU!)
• These advertisements often use words with strong
  connotations and visuals that appeal to sympathy
  to get you to buy or to do something.
• This is the Tammy Faye of propaganda techniques.

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Appeal to Emotion

• Have you ever seen those late-night
  advertisements for the Christian Childrens Fund?
• These advertisements employ an appeal to emotion.
• For just seventy-five cents a day you can feed a
  starving child.
• If you dont do it, who will?

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Appeal to Emotion

• Politicians often use appeals to emotion in their
  speeches.
• This helps politicians get elected and push laws
  and issues through.
• Other charities and non-profit organizations use
  appeals to emotion in their advertisements.
• By using appeals to emotion, charities are
  tugging at your heart strings, making it much
  easier to ask for donations.

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Bait and Switch

• To define bait and switch we need to look at the
  typical set-up of a bait and switch tactic
• A seller advertises a product for a ridiculously
  low price (the bait)
• When the buyer comes in to purchase the product,
  its been sold out.
• The seller then pressures the buyer to purchase a
  more expensive item.
• This is the Day After Thanksgiving Sale type of
  propaganda.
• THIS FORM OF PROPAGANDA IS ILLEGAL UNDER FEDERAL
  AND STATE LAWS!

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Bait and Switch

• I know it is difficult to see, but if you look
  closely at the Comp USA advertisement, you will
  see that HP laptops are on sale for a very low
  price.
• If you look at the fine print, you will realize
  that less than 50 laptops are available.
• This would become a bait and switch tactic if
  when the buyer got to the store the HP laptops
  were sold out, and a salesperson pressured the
  buyer into purchasing a Dell laptop for a much
  higher price.

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Bait and Switch

• Just because there are laws prohibiting bait and
  switch tactics doesnt mean that companies still
  dont use this method.
• Your age group is the most-targeted audience for
  this tactic since you have the most expendable
  income.
• Generic brands of some of the pictured items are
  often used to lure you in, but once you get
  there, bait and switch tactics are employed.

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Bandwagon

• Bandwagon is a technique in which the reader is
  make to feel that a great movement is beginning.
  Readers are made to believe they will be idiots
  or outcasts if they do not join the movement.
• This is often associated with In-Crowd Appeal a
  kind of flattery which encourages viewers to
  identify with an admired, envied group.
• This is the Debunkify Myths form of propaganda.

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Bandwagon/In-Crowd Appeal

• We discussed good propaganda and bad propaganda
  at the beginning of this slide show. Although
  the Debunkify tour is a good form of propaganda,
  it incorporates bandwagon techniques.
• The advertisement to the right says, Only 1 out
  of 5 people smokeSo much for everyone smokes.
  The poster shows four attractive women and a
  person dressed as Death.
• This campaign/advertisement attempts to gain the
  support of teens to stop the teen smoking
  epidemic.
• The Debunkify campaign wants to make teens who
  smoke feel like outsidersthey want these teens
  to feel like theyve missed missed out, and they
  arent cool because the smoke.

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Bandwagon/In-Crowd Appeal

• Although only two people are shown, the Hollister
  advertisement uses in-crowd appeal.
• These two beautiful people are wearing Hollister
  clothes dont you want to be beautiful like
  these two?
• Soda commercials use in-crowd appeal too.
• Dont you want to be as happy as this beautiful
  woman you can infer that her friend is very
  happy too.
• D.A.R.E. uses bandwagon techniques to get
  students involved.

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Glittering Generalities

• Glittering generalities are descriptions that
  sound great, but they are praises that you cannot
  prove.
• Glittering generalities are used to describe
  products, issues, and political candidates.
• This is the GI Joe form of propaganda.

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Glittering Generalities

• GI Joe is not a real person, but the GI Joe
  jingle contains excellent examples of glittering
  generalities.
• GI Joe is the Real American Hero, but what does
  that really mean?
• What is an American Hero
• What makes GI Joe more real than Spiderman or
  Superman?

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Glittering Generalities