Critical Introduction

This blog is written by first year undergraduates in the Scholars Program at the University of Maryland College Park. The purpose of our blog is to investigate and compare and contrast the different subculture gatherings of the 1960s and the contemporary era. We compared the power and exigence of each movement but contrasted the principles, method of communication, and targeted audience of each subculture gathering. We chose two distinct texts. Our first text includes a poster advertising of the “Gathering of the Tribes for a Human Be-In” movement in San Francisco, CA. Our second text consists of an Amnesty International poster advocating for human rights through the advertisement of the Bringing Human Rights Home concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. We first analyzed the audience of each text, finding similarities and differences between both, as well as the rhetorical situation/exigence that each text brought to the table. Furthermore, we explored the ethos and pathos present in each text, finding the authority/credibility and the specific emotions each text expressed through its poster. Finally, we explained the logos, mood, and imagery within each text. Through analysis and discussion with our English 101S class, we concluded that as time proceeded, subcultures of America lost the drive for a targeted audience (focused on the individual) and began to rely on reaching out to the general public in ambiguity. Expanding the audience allows for a more diverse group to take notice of subculture advertisements thus creating a larger fan base.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Exigence In the Human Be-In Poster

The use of vivid colors and intrinsic detail in The Human Be-In poster draws attention to and creates a sense of urgency to inform the audience of various purposes. The hippie community was filled with outrage after the State of California passed a law banning the use of LSD. They believe that you can achieve higher consciousness and access your spiritual side with the aid of psychedelic drugs such as LSD. The poster conveys a mysterious, eerie tone, which leaves the audience intrigued as to what the pressing purpose of this poster is. There is also a pyramid with an eye at the top, which represents higher consciousness and higher beings. The spiritual, mystical tone that the poster portrays shows that there is much more to LSD than a dangerous drug. There is a deeper meaning and purpose behind LSD, and there is a deeper meaning behind this new found culture. The components of the poster conveys this dire need to let the world know who the hippies are, and demand respect for their new found culture. 
Posted by at

2 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 26, 2014 at 2:25 AM

    Your analysis of the hippie life style is very interesting. This poster appeals to users of psychedelics with is art and style. It also draws in others with the musical groups and the mysterious tone of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 26, 2014 at 8:13 AM

    This is a great explanation of the symbolism in this poster. Would you agree then that the audience is comprised of mainly users of LSD, or would it maybe include those who fought against its legality?

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)