Images with Messages

Philip Gartland

COM 105

Images with Messages

A Reaction to the Readings

Chapter 12 was generally uncontroversial since it talked mostly about the history of the camera. The Polaroid camera part was interesting but the only thing that stuck out besides that was the sections about privacy. It seems unnatural to me that Florence Thompson could be in this famous portrait that ended up as the face of the Depression and finish up with nothing for it. It just seems disingenuous on the part of the photographer. Likewise, the picture of the naked woman who escaped her abductor seems like a gross invasion of privacy. The newspaper used this exploitative picture to help drive its sales up and I find that disheartening. Those types of pictures may be ok with national tragedies but not with personal tragedies.

Chapter 6 was much more interesting and really shows the bias of the author(s). For one, the author criticizes many different movies where criticisms were simply not necessary. When referencing a movie, it does not matter to the reader whether it is a “forgetful” movie if the author’s focus is on the ad campaign for the movie. Likewise, the author betrays an anti-advertising slant. While many of the arguments are valid, like media’s use of sexist or racist ideas, some of them are unnecessary. Many sentences seem to suggest that advertisers are simply out to “trick” people and ignore the role that advertising plays in informing consumers about the products they buy. Advertising also supports many people and sponsorships often help endeavors that would otherwise not be happening. While it is true that some advertisers overstep their bounds, they also play a valuable role that should not be overlooked. Overall, this chapter just didn’t seem well written or well thought out. It even contained a section header that said “Advertising Controversial Tactics.”