American Art & Propaganda

The Ideal American Couple

• White- Blond• Heterosexual• Few worries• Leisure time

Role of Women• Happy to be in the

kitchen- appliances!• Dressed up- even at

home• Being a housewife is

EASY!!• Carefree role of women-

little responsibility

Traditional Role of Men• Dad is getting son ready

to go “off” to work• Mother is staying home

and preparing breakfast• Math/ Science careers

Childhood Activities*Children have “free

time”- aren’t expected to work all the time

*Parents leave children with the TV as babysitter

Consumer Society

• You ‘ve worked hard- you deserve it!

• No delay of gratification• You are an individual-

you want it - you get it!• Nothing is good

enough-need the newest and latest- Ex. knob to SLIDE

Entertainment & “The Car”o America’s love affair

with the car: Sunday drives, washing the car, drive-ins

• B 52 Bomber – now B58 Buick- superior to Soviet models

• Lots of money

• Lots of leisure time to spend it

Science is a Positive Thing

• DDT is Good for Me- would Americans say that today?

• Science is God-- don’t question it!

Race and Advertising

• Stereotyping• African Americans as

children• African Americans as

happy with the simple things

• What does it say about class?

Contrast the way two societies see Josephine Baker

United States France

The Ultimate in Americana

• The American hero is a lone single white male

• The car replaces the horse as the image of power

• Rugged individualism is the epitome of US standands

FDR’s Four FreedomsArt by Norman Rockwell

• American capitalism is a success- it leads to hard work and abundance of goods

• Americans have freedom under a democratic system

• Americans don’t have to worry about totalitarian systems of control and don’t need to fear their government

• Americans have the freedom to choose to worship as they wish

• This is unlike their Soviet counterparts, who are not allowed to practice religion at all- religion is the opiate of the masses.

• Americans value freedom of speech- guaranteed in the Bill of Rights

• This is in contrast to the Soviets who were not free to critcize their government

Soviet Art & Propaganda

The Future of the Soviet Union• Soviet youth are

expected to study the past and prepare to make Russia great- no TV and biking for them!!

• Lenin is “one of the people”- the people can approach their leader

• By 50’s standards, the people are well fed, housed, and even have boots.

We will build everything!

• Contrast this working Soviet woman with the American women

• Soviet women accept and are proud to be part of building a better Soviet Union

Anti-American Propaganda• How much

freedom of speech do Americans really have?

• Americans say “All men are created equal”??

Andrei Andreevich TutunovFisherman and his Sick Son

Vasily Mikhailovich Arapov

Babushka

Olena Stepanivna Kirichenko

Virgin Land Dinner

Vladimir (Lado) Osmanis dze Seidashvili

The Workers in Batumi

Semon Aronovich RotnitskyThe Impassioned Years: The Partisans of Pskov