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MCWP 50—Propaganda
Thomas
Sample Thesis Statements
THESES THAT NEEDED TO BE REIGNED IN (TRY TO COVER TOO MUCH GROUND):
1. I will examine the songs used in the Revolutionary War, in the civil rights movement, in children’s songs, and in
international songs used in today’s society. I argue that American music propaganda has influenced the birth and
enculturation of American culture, which has now spread to a media globalization through establishing who we
are as Americans and then contrasting it.
2. The media emits a distorted image of women’s beauty and health and creates an unrealistic figure for women to
live up to. In my paper I will examine the media’s negative influence on young women and the various means of
erasing such harmful messages. In addition I will touch on some different angles such as obesity in America and
how schools play a role in physical education and health education so that women learn about the importance of
health versus vanity.
3. In this research paper, I will introduce different examples of the mentioned techniques and compare and contrast
them, and also discuss the history of propaganda leading up to contemporary military propaganda. Statistics,
research results will also be included to prove the notion that The United States Army subtly uses propaganda
tactics to recruit soldiers.
4. Many watch the show without being aware of all the propaganda that lies behind the characters, the episode
themes, and the show’s animation style. Children of all ages learn from the actions of Bart and Lisa Simpson.
Topics such as politics, religion, and media all become satirical humor for its viewers. In due course, the show’s
ability to flourish even led to the production of other shows depicting the same kind of absurdity. Regardless of
whether one appears to be a fanatic or not, the show is able to still positively or negatively affect its viewers.
Through careful analysis of certain episodes of the show, one can then observe the different ways in which the
producers have made the show as influential as it has become. By understanding all aspects of the show, including
its background, introduction to society, and the way in which it has flourished, further detail can be obtained to
support and prove the extent to which The Simpsons has impacted the society we live in.
5. This essay will show how video has become one of the most powerful mediums for propaganda. Since the
Vietnam War to Operation: “Shock and Awe”, video propaganda has been used to influence governments and the
public in both positive and negative ways–to instigate and deter war, which is reiterated by Bernays here,
“[P]ropaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government” (Bernays 48). Video got its roots long ago, but
since portable cameras became more accessible, newspaper journalists became video journalists; news was live
and transmitted via satellite to the world; and images were graphic and gory with the Vietnam War unfolding
through the lens of a camera. This research will cover the expansion of video propaganda through Vietnam War
conflict to the present day Iraqi War. The aim is disclose how over a short period of time video propagandas has
increased in its effectiveness for all aspects of media propaganda, especially in wars.
BETTER THESIS STATEMENTS (MORE FOCUSED):
6. Negative points of fast food that are concealed from the public include the nutrition facts of the food and the
disgusting secrets of meat packing, while positive points incorporate saved time and money. The propaganda
tactics that fast food corporations use include repetition, catchy jingles, factoids, decoys and distractions, brand
positioning, TV personalities, glittering generalities, and many more. I will later go into more detail regarding
these methods, including how they are used and why they are effective. By writing this paper, I will help expose
the half-truths and the hidden horrors of the fast food industry so that the general public will be more aware of the
propagandistic messages that can influence their eating habits.
7. It is perceivable that the ads are a major contribution to the increase of Macs sales since the “Get a Mac”
campaign has been Apple’s primary channel of persuasion. The commercials deploy a combination of propaganda
tactics that successfully pass the desired message onto the viewers. The commercials use humans to represent
computers and speak in plain English instead of technical jargon. The coolness of the Mac character appeals to
the viewers because they either relate to the Mac character or want to be like the Mac while the use of the less
attractive PC character gives the Mac a decoy to make himself look better. All of this adds to the uniqueness of
the “Get a Mac” ad campaign, which in turn allows Apple to persuade potential customers simultaneously on
many different fronts.
8. The propaganda tactics used during the Second World War convinced a generation of housewives into the
workplace and opened an avenue of independence and employment for the American woman, with Rosie the
Riveter immortalizing this change in our nation’s history.
9. “Islamic Cartoon” makes a bold statement about both Israel and Palestine through intense violent actions and the
depiction of a suicide bombing. Assuming that all children love cartoons, the propaganda within the cartoon has a
great possibility of influencing the children’s views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Furthermore, the cartoon is
clearly sending a one-sided message towards Palestine and its allies using several propaganda techniques.
However, the audience outside of Middle Eastern cultures, such as Americans, may perceive the message
differently. Therefore, the propaganda techniques within “Islamic Cartoon” and its influences on both Middle
Eastern children and its audience outside of Middle Eastern culture are worth analyzing.
10. Given that the media is so important and the presence of propaganda is inevitable, it is essential to examine the
effectiveness of televised commercials for Presidential hopefuls. An analysis of the propagandistic techniques
operating in commercials featuring Presidential candidates George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, John McCain and
Barack Obama, will expose how these commercials strategically work to influence voters. As the U.S. was
recently in the midst of one of the most controversial Presidential elections in American history, it is important to
understand how media has become such a vital part of today’s election process. By understanding the persuasion
tactics employed by Presidential candidates in these television commercials, audiences will be more aware of the
influential power of propaganda and the potential effects it may have on their decisions as voters.
ARGUABLY THE BEST THESIS STATEMENTS (CLEAR AND FOCUSED):
11. The issue that I intend to study is propaganda used by American tobacco companies in order to persuade
consumers to buy their particular brand of cigarettes. Some things I will cover include the use of the Surgeon
General’s Warning on packs of cigarettes, cigarette ads and how they try to glamorize smoking, and the imagery
used to make smoking seem more appealing to consumers. The ads use propaganda to draw in cigarette users,
which is problematic because the cigarette companies do not give consumers the entire truth (if any) about their
products.
12. While Gore claims that the main message of his documentary is that one needs to be more aware of global
warming because it is one’s ethical duty to protect the environment, his underlying message is that, in order to do
so, one must vote for the leaders who will take proper action—him. Thus, the claim may not be as much about
global warming as it is about the building of his character and credibility to the public.
13. How did the National Socialist Party rise to power so effectively and, furthermore, why were people continually
drawn to a government entity based on deception and questionable morals? An in-depth analysis of the Nazi
Party’s most acclaimed film, Triumph des Willens, offers concrete examples of the psychological and situational
manipulation employed by Nazi Party propaganda in their rise to power in post-WWI Germany. Although less
conventional means of propaganda, such as film and art, have been frequently overlooked in the scholarly study
of the Nazi Party’s rise to power, these methods were among the most persuasive instruments employed by the
National Socialist Party in post-WWI Germany. Through these forms of propaganda Germany’s government
under the Third Reich fed off the inhibitions of the German people to send an image of solidarity among the
nation.
14. The Colbert Report is a satirical rendition of cable news, and such satire, in good measure, can provide a healthy
skepticism of the government and the media. In addition, the Report is one of the least biased shows on television
because, even when there seems to be a liberal bias, it uses satire and irony to ridicule both conservatives and
liberals. In an age where irony was claimed to be dead, the all-too-ironic character of Stephen Colbert satirizes
American media and politics through The Colbert Report, showing his audience that humor can be not only
informative and thought-provoking, but also less biased than the “real” news.