Kendall’s Visual Literacy Blog

The Hunger Games trilogy was world renowned and came to a grand end with the fourth and final film "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" in 2015. However, while America and many countries were enjoying the film's epic conclusion, those living in China and Thailand were not. The film was banned from being viewed by citizens in the two countries. It is interesting to me because censorship was so common many years ago, but it is not as common today. So to see a movie that I enjoyed so much being banned because it has themes of rebellion and a nation starting an uprising against their government is interesting. Although the characters are fictional and the setting and technology is futuristic and unrealistic, the idea the movie is portraying is real and is seen as a threat but some governments due to the influence it can have on viewers. People were inspired by the young rebel in the story, Katniss Everdeen, and acted out against their governments in similar ways the characte...

 Here are some examples of propaganda that I have found on social media in today's day and age that are striking to me.  This photo suggest that Mark Zuckberg is working alongside Vladimir Putin.  The following present different views and ideologies on the Trump presidency.   

I find it really interesting to see different approaches to incorporating women into propaganda throughout history. Propaganda encourages the public to act in a certain way based on the current events of the time and I think women being incorparated into war propaganda was an interesting period in time. Women were always expected to serve the men of their household by staying home and cleaning for their families, feeding their families, and tending to their children while the men were out working, fighting at war, and bringing home a source of income to support their families. So when the world found itself desperate for soldiers to serve during World War II, the expectations of women changed. Propaganda was now aiming to influence women to either join the men in serving for their country in war, or fill the positions in the workforce that the men had to abandon to fight for their country. Below are some examples of women in propaganda that caught my attention.      ...

I covered the painter Pqhuas in my last essay, but I wanted to show a bit more works by the artist. This art has evoked so many strong emotions within me by depicting sensitive topics in such an interesting way. They paint scences in a simplistic and minimalistic way, but the messages are complicated and complex. From social justice issues such as gun violences and police brutality to personal issues such as alcoholism, domestic problems, and depression, the artist portrays many different tough subjects. Each piece is gutwrenchingly beautiful in its own way. Some of my favorites are featured below. In order, the pieces are called, "Single mom", "It's okay, it's part of our game", "We finally made it", "ODed mom", "You know we can't ask her to get another job, she's only 16", "Our prom night", "They even threw me a B-day party", and "You didn't get to become a doctor but you're happy. That...

       This photograph is a pure example of irony caught in the natural world. It shows a drastic contrast between how different people live in America. The top of the photo shows how many people desire to live which is known as the American Dream, and the bottom half of the picture shows how many Americans actually live. There is a contrast of happiness, wealth, and flourishment vs. depression, poverty, and struggle. I think it speaks volumes because it shows how tone deaf some views of America are and how the country can sugar coat the reality of American citizen's well-being. While white families were living in mint conditions and being prioritized by society, black families were being shoved down and stepped on by white people and faced with racist societal standards that forced them into poor conditions.