More Propaganda

Yes I'm procrastinating from my work again and have therefore found the time to check out a couple more cartoons.

These ones take the bashing a step further to become insulting, which in my opinion makes them even more hilarious (maybe it's because I'm not Japanese nor am I Hitler). In any case, what I find most amusing is the feeling of déjà-vu since a couple of the gags presented here have been frequently reused in later Looney Tunes cartoons which gave me a chance to discover them as a kid...ah, what wonderful memories!

So here are the newest additions to my politically charged collection of cartoons:





What I find even funnier is the sinking of Tokyo in the second cartoon. Now am I the only one who immediately thought about Hiroshima and Nagasaki? And the best part is that this cartoon aired 3 years before the atomic bombs were dropped! Talk about clairvoyance! (Of course, it could also be just a coincidence, which most probably is the case, but I like to read too much into things)

Propaganda

Even though I'm way past the age, I still watch cartoons once in a while and especially the old classics (this makes me feel even older than I already am haha). However, recently, I came across some very old Looney Tunes cartoons that were made during World War Two and it amazed me to see the blatant propaganda that was displayed. It actually makes me wonder. Did the kids that were watching them at the time understand what they were about? Maybe. Figures such as Hitler and Stalin were frequently mentioned in that period (in any case, more often than nowadays). It also makes me wonder if I ever saw those cartoons as a kid (because some of them were actually banned). In any case, even if I did, I probably didn't understand them since I had no clue who Hitler was until I started having history classes in school.

So I think I'll start a little collection of these classics here and I'll post them whenever I find them. The topics will not only be limited to World War Two propaganda, but will encompass anything that is remotely political. The reason for this is simply because I find these cartoons to be a paradox (or a cleverly disguised brainwashing machine) and anyone who knows me will be aware that I thrive on paradoxes. The fact that the main audience is composed of children who are therefore not interested in politics and, depending on the age, might not even understand them, is mind baffling. Of course they're still funny and will still entertain younger crowds, but there are references that are completely wasted on that audience. It's a bit like the Simpsons: cartoons for adults. Which from my point of view takes the best of both worlds: the innocence and carefree atmosphere associated with cartoons combined with the political bashing which makes the jokes all the funnier.

So here is the first couple of additions to this collection: