In this famous "Fun with Real Audio" segment, outrageous visuals undercut Bill Clinton's apology for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. © J.J. Sedelmaier Productions.

A fascinating, but rarely discussed form of animation is the work designed to persuade the public to think about political issues. There are different ways to do this, including creating works of propaganda that have specific objectives in mind. As we head towards an important election in November, you might want to know a bit more about how propaganda works. It can be helpful to know some of the "secret" techniques that may be used to try to persuade you how to think and vote.

Propaganda 101
Propaganda has become necessary in a society where people have short attention spans. Propaganda has replaced well-thought-out discussions as a way to deliver a message to the masses. Most people do not want to read long carefully written articles or even to watch serious TV documentaries. Many people seem content to get their information in very short sound bites.

Years ago, a sociology professor explained that if we, or our government, agree with the message, it is "public information." If we see flaws in it, it is "propaganda." I take a broader view in defining the word. If the message is designed to persuade, even if it is presenting our point of view, it is still propaganda. In some parts of the world, including parts of Europe, TV commercials are simply called propaganda.

The oldest examples of animated U.S. propaganda include works made during World War I (Winsor McCay's Sinking of the Lusitania from 1918 is the greatest example) and World War II, and the film Hell-Bent for Election, made in 1944 to help reelect Roosevelt. With the rise of television, the lessons learned making wartime propaganda and radio commercials were employed to persuade the public to buy products, to support charities and, in at least one instance, to tell us who we should vote for -- Ike.

Ike for President
When I lecture on animated propaganda, one of my favorite TV ads to show college students is Ike for President, from 1952. The producer was Roy Disney. Former Disney employees believe it could not have been made without Walt's approval and, since Roy was not known as a producer, Walt may have been involved in the production. If that was the case, Roy might have been given credit for this work so the public could assume Walt was apolitical.

The ad opens with a voice saying, "Higher taxes, lower taxes, unemployment, record employment, peace, war, highest wages..." As the words flash on the screen, a little animated man in the center of the picture says, "I'm still confused. Who's right? What's right? What should I believe? What are the facts?" Then a well-dressed authority appears and tells you, "Well my friend, you're not alone... You've heard the pros and cons and cons and pros. Beyond all the words, beyond all the claims and promises, there's actually only one big thing most people base their final decision on -- the man." At this point the film goes back to animation and we hear a catchy song: "I like Ike, you like Ike, everybody likes Ike, hang out the banners, beat the drums, let's send Ike to Washington..."

The ad starts with a lot of confusing double-talk and concludes that there is only one thing the voter needs to know. You don't need to know the man's qualifications or what he stands for. You certainly will not learn them from this ad. Instead, just hum or sing the "I Like Ike" song. Don't think. Just go along with the crowd and vote for "the man." (Wasn't Adlai Stevenson a man too, even if the Republicans portrayed him as an intellectual egghead?)

Several basic propaganda techniques are used in this ad:

Simplification. Simplification reduces Ike to "the man." That is all you need to know in order to make the right decision.

Musical jingles. Jingles can be a very useful way to have people remember something. Can you recall the jingles for some of the breakfast cereals you ate growing up?

Bandwagon. Another form of propaganda is called the bandwagon technique. Join the parade and be on the winning side. All your friends will be there. The ad even shows a parade of happy people marching behind an elephant pulling a giant drum. The animal is beating it in time to the music with a stick tied to its tail.

Negativity. At one point, the lyrics say, "Adlai goes the other way, but we all go with Ike." The happy, nicely lit crowd marching to the right passes the silhouette of a person on a mule moving to the left. (Get it?) By showing the other major candidate as a faceless dark silhouette, the ad suggests a negative impression of Adlai Stevenson. Negative propaganda discredits the opposition and helps distance the candidates. So who will you vote for in November, Ike or Adlai?