Propaganda Is Now Officially Hip

"An interesting Metafilter discussion on Obama campaign graphics." (Via Design Observer.)

I'll note, however, that propaganda has been hip for at least 40 years. All you have to do is check out a book like War Posters: Weapons of Mass Communications and you'll fine that through WWII, most of the graphic propaganda is put out by governments and their supporters and is mostly patriotic and pro-military (whichever country or military that might be). After World War II, and especially since the 1960s, in the non-communist countries it's almost all anti-government, anti-military, and anti-establishment leftist. In the communist countries, notably Cuba (where posters were and are a big deal), it's, of course, pro-establishment leftist. In both cases, it's hip.

Posted by Virginia Postrel on May 27, 2008