1. Propaganda and Cartoons - WWII
Before completing this worksheet, please watch these two videos which both negatively
portray Germans and Japanese.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8fjvfmnMqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YDO8HR_2Xg
Please keep in mind that it is very easy for us to judge other societies and other cultures.
Strengthen your own empathy by answering the following questions. Two to three
sentence answers should suffice:
1) How are Germans and Japanese depicted in these cartoons? Please complete the
following “T” Chart:
Visual example (noun) What does the example represent? (adjective)
Germans 1) Ex: hungry wolf Ex: untrustworthy
2)
3)
Japanese 1) Ex: buck tooth Ex: unrefined
2)
3)
2) Which propaganda devices were used to promote these stereotypes?
Appeal to fear: Appeals to fear seek to build support by instilling anxieties and panic in the
general population. Example: “No colored allowed.” (A prominent sign during Jim Crow laws)
Appeal to Prejudice: Using loaded or emotive terms to attach value or moral goodness to
believing the proposition. Stereotyping or Name Calling or Labeling: This technique attempts to
arouse prejudices in an audience by labeling the object of the propaganda campaign as something
the target audience fears,hates, loathes, or finds undesirable. For instance, reporting on a foreign
country or social group may focus on the stereotypical traits that the reader expects,even though
they are far from being representative of the whole country or group. Example: "Any hard-
working taxpayer would have to agree that those who do not work, and who do not support the
community do not deserve the community's support through social assistance."
Argumentum ad nauseam: This argument approach uses tireless repetition of an idea. An idea,
especially a simple slogan, that is repeated enough times, may begin to be taken as the truth. This
approach works best when media sources are limited and controlled. Example: The technique is
described in a saying, often attributed to Lenin, as "A lie told often enough becomes the truth"
Black-and-White fallacy: Presenting only two choices, with the product or idea being propagated
as the better choice. Example: "You are either with us, or you are with the enemy."
3) Why do you think the United States used propaganda to slander the enemy?
4) How do you think German Americans and Japanese Americans felt about this
slander?
5) Do you think the slander was justified?