Obama's Posters: Message in the Image

American Thinker ^ | April 15, 2008 | Peggy Shapiro

[Kaslin]

There is something unsettling and very familiar in the Obama poster campaign which has plastered his image over the country. The posters depict the same graphic closeup of the candidate with one block word either "Hope," "Change" or "Progress" at the bottom. I knew that I had seen this before, and then it came to me that this image appropriates the graphic style of totalitarian Soviet propaganda. It recalls the idealzed portraits and personality cult of the "Beloved Leader" such as Stalin and Lenin. The leader, face illuminated by a "holy" light, looks off to the horizon and sees the truth that is not available to his mere mortal followers, who must look up to his image.

The one-word message offers a simple (simple-minded) promise of a utopian existence. These stenciled words bring to mind They Live, a 1988 film, in which secret alien gods take over Los Angeles and control the inhabitants by subliminal billboard messages which display the word "Obey." Coincidentally or not, the website for the artist, Shepard Fairey, who designed Obama's posters is called Obey and boasts on its homepage, "Manufacturing quality dissent since 1989," and the artist bills himself as an agent of "worldwide propaganda delivery."

[claudiustg]

I noticed that many of the Soviet posters were about something and actually had a message. With the Obama posters it's just Obama, the pure cult of personality relating only to itself. The Stalin posters at least have some sort of context.

[ozark hilljilly]

[browardchad]

I just saw this one photoshopped on a blog with the word "NOPE" at the bottom. Works for me.

OK, well we see his ears in this one. Any idea what the star inside the circle logo is about?

[ozark hilljilly]

Learn to love Big Brother

[Girlene]

[ozark hilljilly]

Ok, that’s creepy!
(good detective work, btw.)

[Grampa Dave]

"Hussein Obama’s big mouth, small brain, condescending, America-hating, grandkid-baby-terminating, born-alive-infant-abandoning, America-hating-wife, kooky-moonbat-America-hating-pastor, racially-divisive, race-baiting, crotch-saluting, America-flag-disrespecting ... chickens ... coming home to roost ...!"

[ProtectOurFreedom]

WOW! I hope this is finally the last nail in the marxist's coffing

Read about "Obey" here. Besides being a propagandist, he's a cheap plagiarist to boot.

The skull and crossbones T-shirt marketed by Fairey’s OBEY fashion line.

The death’s head logo of the Nazi Gestapo

[Girlene]

Way creepy!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Interesting observation about the ears. Suggests Obama doesn’t listen? He’s embarrassed about the Dumbo ears?

[Dr._Joseph_Warren]

[Kaslin]

Excellent analysis Bump

[ozark hilljilly]

And they call us "nazis"!! Sheesh! Where's the outrage? Oh wait...if you're a raving lib it's ok to profit off of icons of history's past horrors. It's "cute" and "hip" to shock and disgust the masses. We're so square, anyway. We deserve it, right?

[Kaslin]

You didn’t post the link

[ctdonath2]

Yeepski! What’s the second one?

[Lumper20]

TY. I knew I had seen this syle poster many times in 61 years. Add a Che Guavara poster, too. All commies and socialists love these types of posters. Heck Castro had these type of posters,too.

http://www.zazzle.com/fidel_castro_print-228858812078492998?width=2305&height=3500

[Centurion2000]

Brilliant analysis. Careful, America, you are toying with annihilation.

No kidding. This crap is straight out of communist revolution 101 and 102.

[Centurion2000]

My message for Obama

NO / NYET !!

[KansasGirl]

I knew those posters creeped me out for a reason.

I saw someone driving a car with a huge one in the back window the other day. My husband and I had a conversation about what a complete moron that person must be.

[El Gato]

The lady has a point.