Propaganda has been utilized primarily, and most memorably, for times of war and the need for national involvement. The official definition of of propaganda, from
dictionary.com is: "information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc." The information it afforded and the big idea that, "YOU," could make a difference in the World War was all the people in the people of the United States needed in that time to act and make a difference. Propaganda's effectiveness played on the nation's high patriotism as well as the, to the point, call-to-action message tactic.
Some of the pieces feature women as independent homemakers, but in others, they are seen as slightly provocative showgirl type characters. Treatments of women in the propaganda of that time was to satiate two different audiences. On the one hand, there were some young men who were enticed by the pride, honor, and respect they would gain with their contribution. They would think of how something such as the "women back home" and how they would treat a military man returning from war. On the other, there were women who wanted to be perceived just as strong as the men of that time of national distress. Here are some examples of the portrayal of the "strong and successful" type of women in some WWII propaganda pieces.
Women in WWII are always a topic of interest, especially when it comes to the iconic piece,
"Rosie the Riveter." There was a huge increase in work productivity, due to the women working on the home front as well as over
350,000 women working in military uniform. The images and ideals were strong and the messages worked. I believe the women portrayed in propaganda made a huge statement for their "new-found" capabilities. During the time of role changes and gender expectations, the women depicted on these call-to-action art pieces proved that the idea of a strong, powerful character did not only lie in men. It proved that women had a voice and it posed a kind of emotional, humble connection to the kinds of contributions made to the war. Women had just as much to give to the country as their male counterparts and then some.
In comparison to this,
this time last year we saw women in some modern day pieces of propaganda in efforts to aid in President Trump's protest. The same artist,
Shepard Fairey, who created Barack Obama's
"Hope" image in 2008, had released these.
These politically charged pieces were
released before Trump's Inauguration and the Women's March. Trump did not provide his public with the best image of himself when it came to his treatment of women and people of different ethnicity; and these are assumed to be a way to fight back and stand up to Trump and his lack of professionalism and courtesy. The art also calls upon the rest of the nation to realize their own humility and personal connection to the women portrayed. They are just as important as anyone else and have a voice just as loud. It is pieces like these that help us to reflect, entice us to change, and call us to do.
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