Comments on: The Day the Earth Stood Still/ Herb Block Cartoon

By: jbaker8

jbaker8 — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:52:38 +0000

Christine thank you for your interesting and informative post on the Movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and the Herb Block cartoon. At first this project definitely stuck out to me, and I personally wanted to take this one on. I found it interesting when reading your project response the metaphor you presented. With how in the movie the alien in part was alien because the concept of nuclear war was just that, alien. Also the cartoon speaks for itself, and it’s true a picture is worth a thousand words. When I saw that cartoon it had the ability to proc an emotion of a time I was not a part of and that in its self is amazing. The topic of the sixties and the cold war filled with tension and uncertainty is immensely interesting and has kept me thinking the past few weeks, just as your project has as well.
(I pledge… Word count 153)

By: cmontgo2

cmontgo2 — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 20:08:43 +0000

Christine I agree with you analysis of the “Tick Tock, Tick Tock” cartoon by Herb Block. I feel that during this time period the majority of media was focused mainly on the fear of the unknown. I remember in high school watching a 1951 video called Duck and Cover. This video has fascinated me ever since; I have even used excerpts from it in some of my artwork. I highly recommend watching it; you can find it on YouTube. Much like Herb Block’s cartoon and the movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” the instructional video definitely encompasses the level of fear that surrounded the time period but it is also an attempt at reassure children of the time on how to remain safe. Implying things like the use of sunscreen would protect their skin from a nuclear bomb. I think this video is a great example of the atmosphere during the time and puts great emphasis on the fear that was in abundance.
(Word Count 164)
“I Pledge…”

By: Brian Branigan

Brian Branigan — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 03:24:14 +0000

Christine, I can see you point about the cartoon “Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock” being a powerful image of a sort of time table of when all country we attempting to attain nuclear superiority. However, for me, the tick-tock represents a countdown to nuclear destruction which is why the missile “Atom” is leaning on the wall just waiting for the countdown to end. What do you think about that take on the cartoon? I also believe it is close to the fire to symbolize the world heating up towards nuclear destruction.

In regards to “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” I can see your point about the alien coming to earth and the alien advising of the police system they have and the alien being a metaphor for something that makes us all afraid. My guess is that the police system the alien refers to is a metaphor for the United Nations. I agree with you that I hope never to witness the day the world stands still.

Brian Branigan “I pledge” (170)

By: jsmith37

jsmith37 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 17:15:44 +0000

I agree with your assessment of the Herblock cartoon because there was fear about what would happen to the world if left to scientists. In Dwight Eisenhower’s 1953 Inaugural Address he states, “science seems ready to confer upon us, as its final gift, the power to erase human life from this planet” (Inaugural Address). I also believe that the goal of movies produced in the 1950s that depicted aliens as representatives of other countries, was to portray how government officials feared what goals other countries may have.
Many wars were mainly enforced by the United States government because they were focusing on Russia acquiring more power through forming alliances with other European countries. In addition to Korea, there were times when other countries, such as Cuba, attempted revolutions so that they could become independent. The Cuban revolution was at fist welcomed by Eisenhower, but when the United States government discovered Russia had secretly placed nuclear weapons on Cuba, “in the logic of the Cold War,” (Swift, 7) this made Cuba a possible partner of Russia. While concerns appear to be directed at other countries during the Cold War, Russia remains the major focus.

(I Pledge, Word Count: 193)