Final Exam Part 2: Militainment Inc.

1. THESIS:

In recent years the government and media outlets have joined together to offer the public "militainment" in place of unbiased news.


2. 5 FACTS:

- Instant History: Selective showing of images/media to effectively "rewrite" history as it is happening.

- "Shock and Awe" has three primary functions: to destroy enemy will, to display power and to serve as a weapons advertisement.

- The war featured a "countdown" clock similar to one used before a big sports game.

- The Army and Navy both began sponsoring NASCAR vehicles in 2001.

- The US Army released its own line of Iraq War-themed action figures in 2006.


3. TRIUNE BRAIN:

- Patriotic imagery (ex. CGI Jet fighter transforms into a Bald Eagle) taps into the emotional LIMBIC brain.

- Recruitment campaigns use fast-paced action sequences, explosions, powerful machinery and adrenaline-pumping music to reach the REPTILIAN brains of potential soldiers.

- Allegations made against the Hussein family appealed to both the NEOCORTEX and the LIMBIC brain. "Facts" presented upon raiding the mansion and yacht (libraries of pornography, controversial literature, etc.) were interpreted by viewers, thus creating an emotional response based on feelings towards these "discoveries".


4. 8 TRENDS:

- EPISTEMOLOGICAL: News coverage of the war was/is highly visual thanks to embedded journalists, making television the leading medium. This has made less visual news media, such as newspapers, almost obsolete for up-to-the-minute coverage of the ongoing war.

- AESTHETIC SHIFT: Made-for-TV movies incorporated clips of actual war footage with acting seamlessly, leaving viewers questioning what was real and what was fabricated by the writers of the films. This example of the shift from "discrete to convergent" shows how blurred the line between "news" and "entertainment" has become.

- POLITICAL SHIFT: Prior to action from President Bush, pictures and videos of the caskets of fallen US soldiers served as painful reminder to the price of war on both sides. Bush's regulations effectively censored previously unregulated press coverage of the war.


5. 7 PRINCIPLES

- What PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES were used with the coverage of the war? Nighttime air raids were filmed at a distance and angle to create a light show similar to a fireworks display, focusing less on the destruction brought upon the city as a result.

- In what ways has OWNERSHIP of certain corporations affected media in times of war? The 2001 Hollywood film Behind Enemy Lines was released by 20th Century Fox. Fox is owned by NewsCorp, a corporation known for its conservative tendencies and support of the US military.

- What VALUE MESSAGES do military recruitment advertisements utilize? One of the most common themes throughout recruitment ad campaigns is that of "becoming a better person" by joining the military. By simply enlisting in the armed forces, young men and women are given the promise of instantly becoming model citizens through the military training they will undergo.

- How has the concept of "instant history" led the public to question the potential CONSTRUCTION OF "REALITY"? The made-for-TV movie Saving Jessica Lynch depicted PFC. Jessica Lynch valiantly fighting off brutal Iraqi forces until being wounded, captured and then held captive. Jessica Lynch herself spoke out against the United States government after the movie was released, stating that the film fabricated the events leading up to her "rescue" and that she was in fact being cared for by friendly Iraqi forces, not being held captive by anti-American terrorists.

6. PERSUASION:

- Symbols: Rough, typewriter-looking fonts used to make names ("Iraq", "Saddam", etc.) seem barbaric and uncivilized.

- Big Lie: Saving Jessica Lynch blatantly lied about the details of PFC Jessica Lynch's rescue from her "captors".

- Bribery: Signing up for recruitment newsletters often includes a t-shirt, water bottle or other Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines/National Guard-branded incentive.

- Bandwagon: By creating an "us vs. them" scenario, Americans are pressured to agree with the military or risk being marked as "unpatriotic" and not supportive of their own country.

- Defensive Nationalism: Bush gained support for the invasion of Iraq by claiming that Saddam Hussein was in possession of WOM and was a threat to the United States and global peace as a result.

- Testimonial: The show Howie Long's Tough Guys utilized sports icon Howie Long as a spokesperson for the US military by glorifying the careers of soldiers in his show.