Visual Images

July 30, 2008 mjbisign

“I’m Digging My Grave Today… Yours Tomorrow!”
1940’s Propaganda Remixed- CafePress
August 2006
www.cafepress.com/warposter/11049

This image is a part of the Propaganda Remix project, which took images from the 1940’s and redid them to relate to the current war in Iraq. Instead of holding a gun, the soldier is holding a shovel. This relates to the text of the image because the soldier is digging his own grave. The obvious message of this poster is that war kills many of its soldiers and by enlisting in the war you are possibly killing yourself. By having “WAR: GET USED TO IT” written on the bottom of the poster in large letters, it implies that the war is not going to end anytime soon. There is also an emphasis on various words in this poster. The ‘my’ is italicized while the ‘soon’ and ‘your’ are in caps. I think this was done to show that every soldier in the war could potentially be dying before they make it out. The font works to stand out in this image because it is a lot brighter and bolder than the image. Although the image is a key part of it, the text is what sends the message to Americans. This poster is biased in the sense that the creator feels like no one is going to make it out of the war alive. They make shovels the weapons as opposed to the guns to make it more dramatic and emphasize the face that by joining the military you are going to be digging your own grave. The audience is essentially anyone who knows what’s going on with the war in Iraq, but more specifically people who are thinking about enlisting in the war. It seems that this poster is intended to discourage Americans from joining the military. I think that this can relate to my research paper because it can be used to show that even other Americans don’t want to be fighting in this war. The soldiers should be optimistic and positive when fighting and have feelings that they are doing the right thing. During this war more than anything, these feelings have disappeared. People are focused more on the deaths and injuries then on the progress being made. If Americans did not step up to fight in this war, then there would be no one overseas. We went into this war because we were lied to and now our soldiers have to face the Bush administrations consequences.

“Dead Marine Poster”
Gathering of Eagles
June 28, 2007
Gatheringofeagles.org/2007/06

The font is something that really stands out in this poster. It uses a catch phrase of the army, “be all that you can be,” but puts it in a different context. The image helps to clarify what this context is. The poster was originally put outside of a Military Recruiting office, so that alone lets you know it was created by people who are opposed to this war. The underlying message that I got from this poster was that too many marines are dying. Various coffins are shown along with a falling over marine. The lack of color used allows you to focus on the red, white, and blue of the American flags. The message that this is relaying is that you can go into the marines thinking you are going to be all you can be and reach your goals, but you will most likely come out dead- and if not dead then injured. It is biased in the sense that it is clearly stating the opinion of someone who is against the war. The audience is intended to be anyone who is considering joining the military and that is why it was placed outside of a military recruiting office. This ties in with my research paper in that people do not want to be fighting this war. Ever since it began, people have lost more and more respect for the United States as a whole because of the poor decisions made by the Bush administration. It is being said that because Americans disrespect the war, they disrespect the soldiers. This is untrue but it is easy to understand why it is being said. I think as time goes on and the war continues to go on, the American people are going to become less and less in support of the war (if they are not already) and although they do not mean to be, they are going to focus less and less on the people who are oversees fighting for us.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized

3 Comments Add your own

• 1. rhetoricsofwar  |  July 31, 2008 at 4:02 am

  Morgan, These are very interesting and appropriate images to include in your essay. Realize too with the bottom image that there has been an ongoing controversy about how the media under the Pentagon’s request is not showing Americans the realities of war mortalities. Check out this article:

  http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/08/23/iraq_gallery/

  Therefore, the depiction of the coffins also alludes to this controversy and, I think, comments on it….

  Anyway, when I look at your images, I feel worried for those recruits who may be signing up. I also feel a bit angry that as you said, young adults are signing up for a war that was started under false pretenses and has turned out to be a disaster for all involved.

• 2. sraisner  |  August 1, 2008 at 1:51 am

  I also really like your images. I think you really seem to understand them. After looking at the second image, it as well worries me for what is to come. I feel as if it is really only getting worse overseas and therefore what is going to happen to the young men and women who are going over there? Are they being lied to when they are getting recruited? I think this poster would incorporate some good statistics about why people feel they should sign up for the war today, especially if they are over the age of 18. If they could have signed up for the war lets say 2 or 3 years ago, why are they doing it now?

• 3. sraisner  |  August 1, 2008 at 1:58 am

  Thanks for the blog site that you gave me! Here is one that I came across that might interest you. I really liked the image on the right, I think the images goes really well with your topic and I thought you might find it interesting. I am not sure the website is relevant…

  http://bloodforoil.org/gallery.php

Trackback this post  |  Subscribe to comments via RSS Feed