Cold War Pop-Culture Influence and Propaganda

Food “Cold” Treat - Bomb Pops Little Susie doesn’t realize it but she’s eating a ballistic missile.

Early Video Games: Reflection of Fears?

Comic Books Iron Man was created to explore Cold War themes and America’s roll of technology in defeating Communism Most Comics throughout the 1950s and 60s did battle with Communism

Comic Books

Toys - G.I. JOE Released in 1964 as a 12inch action figure, G.I. Joe was the embodiment of the ideal American Soldier fighter for freedom against a Terrorist organization Later becomes a cartoon and 3.75inch figures Classic example of how the military was romanticized and the idea that American freedom/democracy would always prevail

G.I. Joe Theme Song

WWF Wrestling Cold War themes even played out in wresting The “Foreign Legion” and the “Bolsheviks” were tag-team “bad guys” While Hulk Hogan symbolized the “Real American” patriot.

WWF Wrestling

The Foreign Legion The Bolsheviks

Nikolai Volkoff Sings the Russian National Anthem

Movies Hollywood produced lots of films from the 1950s to the 1990s that were Cold War themed. Many could be considered propaganda.

Red Dawn Red Dawn Movie Trailer Red Dawn envisions a world where NATO has dissolved and the Soviet Union invades the U.S.

WarGames – The Message! MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) A computer designed to run nuclear war games simulations nearly triggers an actual war! Great message at the end! MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction)

Miracle On Ice Story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team defeating the “invincible” Soviet Team. The victory fueled U.S. propaganda.

Rocky IV Excellent Example of Cold War themed/propaganda film. The Larger Soviet Aggressor vs. the Small, yet more determined, American. This movie is a classic example of how the Cold War influenced pop-culture in the United States.

ROCKY IV CLIP

Cartoons The 1960s Cartoon Rocky and Bullwinkle played on the Cold War theme of spying and espionage. Boris and Natasha, Russian Spies, were the villains.

Boris and Natasha – Russian Spies!

Modern Cartoons Spongebob is from a place called “Bikini Bottom” or Bikini Atoll =The place where the United States did nuclear testing Spongebob and his friends are mutants

TV Commercials –Highland Appliance

TV Commercials – Wendy’s

Modern Example: Post 9/11 TV Ad – Propaganda?

Music Dozens of songs were written throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. 99 Red Balloons A good example is 99 Red Balloons by Nena which tells the story of Nuclear War being accidently triggered by a weird (99 red balloons) sight in the sky Land of Confusion Another great example is the song Land of Confusion by Genesis The video features a line of stomping feet, illustrating an army marching through a swamp, and they pick up heads of Cold War-era political figures in the swamp along the way The video shows Benito Mussolini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mikhail Gorbachev and his aides, and Muammar al- Gaddafi. Meanwhile, Reagan is shown putting on a Superman suit. At the end of the video Reagan awakens from his “nightmare” and tries to push a button for his nurse, but instead launches a nuke. Russians Another example is Russians by Sting “…There’s no such thing as a winnable war” “How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer’s deadly toy”

“The Day After” movie clip com/watch?v=7VG2aJ yIFrA com/watch?v=7VG2aJ yIFrA

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel

“Russians” by Sting In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria Conditioned to respond to all the threats In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you I don't subscribe to this point of view It would be such an ignorant thing to do If the Russian love their children too How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy There is no monopoly of common sense On either side of the political fence We share the same biology Regardless of ideology Believe me when I say to you I hope the Russians love their children There is no historical precedent To put words in the mouth of the president There's no such thing as a winnable war It's a lie we don't believe anymore Mr. Reagan says we will protect you I don't subscribe to this point of view Believe me when I say to you I hope the Russians love their children too We share the same biology Regardless of ideology What might save us me and you Is that the Russians love their children too

“Russians” by Sting

99 Red Balloons You and I in a little toy shop Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got Set them free at the break of dawn Til one by one, they were gone Back at base bugs in the software Flash the message, something's out there Floating in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by 99 red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky as 99 red balloons go by 99 Decision street 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super flurry Call the troops out in a hurry This is what we've waited for This is it boys, this is war The president is on the line As 99 red balloons go by 99 knights of the air Ride super high tech jet fighters Everyone's a super hero Everyone's a Captain Kirk With orders to identify To clarify, and classify Scramble in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by 99 dreams I have had In every one a red balloon It's all over and I'm standing pretty In this dust that was a city If I could find a souvenir Just to prove the world was here And here is a red balloon I think of you, and let it go

99 Red Balloons music video

Genesis “Land of Confusion”