A recent email sent out by the committee Obama for America contained a request for a contribution along with a chance to win a dinner with Barack Obama. The message was sent to supporters of the president. The title Dinner with Barack gave a casual just between friends and I am on your side feel before even reading the email. The request for a contribution was along side of a picture of the President and First Lady. Both the contribution box and photo were very large and the viewers eye was drawn immediately to both.
The message above the photo reads "stand with me, work with me, let's
finish what we started signed Barack Obama. The message reads like a friend requesting help, the message is we are in this together, we are the same and share the same values and desires to have a strong country. This is consistent with the chance to win a dinner with with Obama which conveys the message your are important to me, lets break bread together(which is an important function in many cultures), you and your views are important because we are in this together. The picture at face value
looks like the President and his wife sharing in a happy moment but using critical
thinking skills and deconstructing the photo in terms of what is known about
how photographers use lighting, background, angles as well as poses to give the
viewer the message that the producer of the photograph want to relay.
First the angle is a close up so that the couple appears to be large and they
take up a large area of the space which makes them seem powerful. The
expression on their face is a happy expression that gives the viewer a sense
that everything is all right and we are on the right track. The loving
admiration of the First Lady again gives the viewer the impression that things
are well and that she has trust in him and his abilities. The photo is
shot from the chest up with also gives the appearance of power. The
president is in the front leading and the First Lady is in back playing her
supporting role. The message of this president is a strong middle class
will keep this country going and the photo looks like a typical middle class
husband and wife. His tie is slightly open giving the photo a more casual
feel while the First Lady has an open neckline that gives the idea of being open and the out of focus background appears to be in a home or cabin but is definitely
not the formal White House background. When you deconstruct this photo
you can see how the photographer created the mood and feel of the photo is portray
the message the campaign wanted the viewer to receive by using a close angle,
lighting focused on the couple, position of the couple in relation to each
other, and the addition to the caption added by the graphic designer.
I received this email because I am a supporter of the President so when deconstructing this I was pleased to see that the right message was being delivered with this photo. Now that I have identified myself as a supporter my perception and deconstruction may be different than that of someone who did not support Obama;s message which show us how our views and culture play a role in how we see and view an image.
Here the link to the original email.
Source:
Obama for America. (2012). Dinner with Barack.
Retrieved from
https://contribute.barackobama.com/donation/last-dinner-with-barack/09/ofa.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=obama&utm_content=Dont
wonder what if just give it a shot before this great campaign
tradition comes to an
end&utm_campaign=em12_20120923_jb_nd1&source=em12_20120923_jb_nd1&amounts=15|35|50|100|250|500|1000
This email could be used to demonstrate how a political campaign is run. How political parties raise money to conduct their campaign. The students could be asked their opinion of the ad and what message did it send to them. The lesson could be extended to have the students divide into different political parties and develop a campaign. The campaign could be in the form of a commercial, a web page, a promotion to raise funds such as this request or any other form they choose and present their campaign to the class.
21C.O.9-12.1.LS1 - Student recognizes information needed for problem
solving, can efficiently browse, search and navigate online to access
relevant information, evaluates information based on credibility,
social, economic, political and/or ethical issues, and presents findings
clearly and persuasively using a range of technology tools and media. This email could be used to demonstrate how a political campaign is run. How political parties raise money to conduct their campaign. The students could be asked their opinion of the ad and what message did it send to them. The lesson could be extended to have the students divide into different political parties and develop a campaign. The campaign could be in the form of a commercial, a web page, a promotion to raise funds such as this request or any other form they choose and present their campaign to the class.
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Excellent analysis! I receive these email too! For me the image congers up strong positive feeling about the president, the first lady and the state of our country! I look at the image as proof of their authenticity and good character.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when I see similarly constructed images of politicians I disagree with my reaction is more like "that looks sooooo fake!"
Different people interpret images differently based on their ideology and relationship with the individuals that are portrayed in the image!
That is why all the money spent on campaign advertising is only for the few who are unsure of their ideology and relationships to the political candidates.
I just heard on NPR that negative campaigning hurts both politicians as it works mostly to disengage people from the democratic process!
Just some random thoughts your deconstruction triggered....:)
Great deconstruction - I really enjoyed reading it, you are a great writer and very perceptive when it comes to visual images! I'm so glad that you acknowledged that you are a supporter of Obama and that this may influence the way you perceive and read the image. I think that this acknowledgement is so crucial to critical media literacy, and to civic engagement. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLynn, Your deconstruction was thorough and interesting. You were very perceptive of the camera angles and body language in the image! I struggle with thinking about the messages that camera angles send. As citizens who have the right to vote, it is important that we are aware of the subliminal messages that are pervasive in the images and tone of political advertisements. Good job!
ReplyDelete