Marketing to the Nuclear Family

W ith “ The Millionaire” cartoon being anti- capitalist, the ethos appeals resonate loud and clear. The cartoon was almost directly appealing to younger children, as well as adults who had children, with the goal of strengthening their contempt of American capitalism. The gist of the cartoon comprises a bulldog, who inherits millions from his dead owner. With an animal protagonist, the cartoon very easily gains credibility for children. People ask, what can a dog possible do with all this dough? Just with that, the bulldog begins to live an extremely luxurious life, so grandiose that it comes out to the audience as over indulging and excessive.  Other than the bulldog’s daily lifestyle that appeals to a rather negative sense of ethos, it is what comes up a little after that gives the children and parents who were watching an emphasized sense of greed and corruption. At a fancy party where the bulldog, who was now rich and powerful, got drunk and began dancing on all f...

At the time, Captain America was supposed to represent the ideal American patriot, who loved fighting for his country and helping his fellow citizens. He also shows specific attributes such as bravery and loyalty to his country, wearing his countries colours bright and proud for everyone to see and recognise him by, and having a motto of "favouring freedom over blind loyalty." Joe Simon, one interview , "I've always considered myself very patriotic," and mentions that they were looking to create a hero in response to the Nazi's during World War II. Captain America's whole moral structure is based on his extrinsic values for America, fighting for his fellow citizens and doing whats right in order to defend their freedom, and prevent the enemy from taking it. Some of the enemies featured in some comics are actual or based off of, real people that are against the United States, for example, Adolf Hitler, and Electro (who is an attempt created from...

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...

This whole cartoon was designed to make a younger, more susceptible audience of children hate communism, which I believe it does very well. Throughout the cartoon, Americans are portrayed as greedy, immoral, and without honor or self-respect. The most direct comparison indicts not only American economics , but also the political system . The millionaire is portrayed as a bulldog, making the analogy that Americans are greedy, rude, and have ugly personas. This bulldog is loved by everyone, not because he is an upstanding character that people look up to, but because he is rich and powerful. When he is at a dance club, he starts dancing by spinning around in circles and chasing his tail like a dog. Then all the other dancers copy him, giving up their dignity and self-respect in order to suck up to the rich and powerful bulldog.  The millionaire bulldog gains even more power once he runs for congress and wins the election. This implicates that our political leaders , as well...

Even at a time when romance, horror, and crime genres received the most positive public reception, Atlas (Currently known as Marvel) knew full well the power it possessed to influence easily persuadable American teenage boys, especially in a time of immense fear under the American atmosphere. Recognizing this, Atlas capitalized on the opportunity to provide an exciting, imaginative outlet for them to escape from the realities of the Cold War. It was clear that Captain America’s primary audience was the male youth across America. Captain America represented so many idealistic aspects of American masculinity and as a patriotic wind gust throughout the United States, teenage boys came to idolize the Captain. His super suit was easily discernible as the stars and stripes of the American flag, and his powerful appearance fed into the mind of the young Americans that looked at him as a role model, the American role model .         It is important to ...

This Russian cartoon, “The Millionaire” , was clearly marketed with children in mind. Throughout the cartoon, many techniques are used to appeal to children, as opposed to an older audience. The mere fact that this is a cartoon shows its intended audience, and the producers use goofy characters and odd dancing to entertain a younger audience, while subconsciously indoctrinating them with Soviet ideologies simultaneously. In this scene, the recently departed millionaire’s inheritance is being given out, and a lawyer is announcing the assets she is passing on to the eager group of relatives. The lawyer’s face is shaped very strangely. His head is a thin oval, and his ears are very small, while bright red cheeks are featured very prominently. Also, his voice is very garbled and high pitched, and he is not speaking any known language, but rather reading in gibberish. This is clearly meant to be a humorous portrayal, and children would probably find it hysterical. Two more examples of...

To understand the significance of the Captain America text , it is important to be aware of the historical context prior to its creation. USSR leader Joseph Stalin Throughout World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought alongside each other against common enemies, but the mutual distrust between them, many historians claim , later developed into the inevitable onset of the cold war. The Soviets immense distaste toward America was a result of the American denial of USSR legitimacy. The fact that America entered the war late, arguably leading to the loss of millions of Russian lives, was also a reason of Soviet dissent toward America. On the other hand, Americans had known for some time about Joseph Stalin’s cutthroat leadership style and punishing governance. After the conclusion of World War II, these ill feelings matured and the relationship seriously deteriorated as the USSR, along with its communist ideology, influenced nearby states. Anxiety rose across Ameri...