What's interesting about this image is the comment on masculinity--the implication is that "pacifist" men (whatever "pacifist" is taken to mean) aren't "real" men because they can't or won't fulfill their role of protecting women. The gun becomes a replacement for sissified men.
You can find the image here. You might compare it to this post.
Thanks, Bill F.!
Here is the trailer for Resident Evil 5, which is not yet on the market:
The player is the sole white person in a dismal, threatening city, apparently in Africa. The locals engage in torture (which we see in some detail) and gleefully cheer at a hanging. At one point the hero is accosted by an angry mob, all of whom just make gutteral, animal-like sounds. In a beleagured voice he tells us he just doesn't know "if it's all worth fighting for. Who knows?" Oh, the white man's burden, indeed!
Thanks once again, Patrick C.!
These images come from the Panasonic: Ideas for Life website. This is the "home of the future." What do we learn about the home of the future?
Men work in the office:
The only other image of a man alone is in the home theater room. There are no images of a man focusing on or interacting with a child.
Women make sure the kids are ready for school:
And women teach the kids to cook:
The caption to the kitchen image says, "In the kitchen, the mother is the teacher and her children are the pupils."
Thanks, Patrick C.!
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The coining of the term "frankenfood" to refer to genetically-modified food is an excellent example of the way in which words matter. As of today, a search for the word in google returns about 57,000 hits. It's been quite an effective frame for the anti-GM food activists. Here are some examples of their work:
Sources, in order, Green Acres Farm, Monsterzine, and Democratic Underground.
Despite all kinds of "truces" and "promises" in the media lately about "leaving race and gender out" of the democratic primaries, gender and race are obviously a part of this presidential election cycle.
But, here's a newsflash: even when the candidates are all white men, gender and race are STILL a part of the decisions made about who should be president.
Think back to 2004 for a moment-- remember all those political cartoons criticizing Kerry for being too "French" (as opposed to American Cowboy) and generally feminizing his image (feminine = bad for politics) in political cartoons. Here are 2 examples:
I'm fascinated by the anti-Hillary Clinton facebook groups. There are dozens of these groups, but four groups have the most members.
These posters were made by Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics (COYOTE), an association for sex workers' rights.
This campaign ad from 1988 is part of the larger politicization of the black underclass. "Willie Horton" and the "welfare queen" both emerged as symbols during this period with which to demonize poor blacks for political clout. Ultimately, using the name Willie Horton became a powerful tool to criticize politicians for being weak on crime and not protecting the innocent white population from the guilty black population.
Ultimately, increasing toughness of the criminal justice system led to a situation, today, where about 1/2 of all black men are in the prison system.
See an interesting entry on Willie Horton on wikipedia here.
Government propaganda films from the 1940s and 50s that trumpet the virtues of capitalism and warn about the dangers of communism.
Notice that Gardasil is now trying to make a connection between its product and being a good parent--you are protecting your daughter by getting them this vaccination. Interesting way to counter the criticisms of the product.
The top one says "I don't strive for success, I am success." The bottom one says "Celebrate who you are with a diamond right hand ring."
Some nice examples of the use of particular images (the Twin Towers, the flag) to imply patriotism.
