The major argument made in the Captain America text is that Captain America, as a comic book character geared specifically toward American boys, should represent the idealistic patriotism and masculine fearlessness that existed, though sometimes infrequently, throughout the Cold War . Physically speaking, Captain America’s image was that of a man who barbarically attacked America’s arch nemesis the Communists, all while emblematically donning the star-spangled banner and wielding an indestructible shiel d with an unmistakable American star on the front. The argument made here was that American boys, at the ripe, young age somewhere between peak imagination and adolescent stubbornness, could be easily influenced by this symbolic, distinctly American, role model. Chances are, many children did not fully grasp the profound threat, both physically and ideologically , that America faced at the time. Yet, it is also probably safe to say that they frequently hear d their parents anxiousl...
While tough to read, this post was very enlightening. I enjoyed your analyses for why this was the perfect time to create Captain America as a show. I also appreciated your inclusion of several links to outside texts to further understand your analysis. I found the name "Red Skull" very predictable as a choice to depict communism and the Nazi Party as red villain, because that color is often associated to those two, as in the case with the Red Scare. Finally, I wonder if there were any statistics to show the effectiveness in using Captain America to persuade the US populous to support the Vietnam War.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brennan on it being tough to read. You should probably change the color of the text :-D. However other than that, very nice analysis. I am kind of curious to know why they included the Nazi Party into the cartoon if they are anti-communist. The reason why the tension started between the US and the Soviet Union was because they had contrasting views (Pro-communism and Anti-communism). So including the Nazi-Party who are anti-communist as well as the United states does not make sense to me. I'm wondering their reasoning behind that, but nice post!
ReplyDeleteI like how your post clearly pointed out the kairotic moments that gave Captain America its popularity and its storylines, mainly the Truman Doctrine and the Vietnam War. However, like Deborah said, I don't really understand the connection between the fascist Red Skull and these kairotic moments that were promoting anti-communism. Other than that, I enjoyed this post and I found it interesting how although WWII preceded the comics they still used an anti-nazi message. Perhaps this demonstrates a misuse of kairos since they were a little late to the game?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the previous posts have stated. I think it is important to note that the TV show was released around the time of the nuclear arms race, but I don't really understand how that can relate to The Red Skull and his connection to the Nazi Party. Either way, the show did encourage people to support their country and promoted America's strength and apparent greatness. It's interesting how media and entertainment and current events are so closely intertwined.
ReplyDeleteThis analysis was helpful in understanding the reasoning behind the transformation of the classic comic into a TV show. These sort of actions typically reflect the audience and social attitude of the era, and influence the generation that experiences this change. I think your justification for why you believe this event was positive is strong, and provides your reader with plenty of context and evidence.
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