Logos Behind the Lens of the Stonewall
Demonstrators
The Stonewall Riot demonstration
photograph includes an appeal to logic in some aspects. At first glance the
flag in the picture appears to suggest a pathetic appeal to Americans’
patriotism. Upon further inspection, however, the audience would realize that
the flag is being flown upside down. The law declares that
this should only be done in times of distress or imminent danger. This suggests
that the photographer had a reason for capturing the flag being flown in this
way. When analyzed through the law, it would seem that the photograph logically
implies these demonstrator’s distress over the state of gay people in America
in the 1960s. This use of logic works to connect the audience with the real
facts about the plight of gay Americans at that time. The distress that gay
Americans were in was reflected through the photograph’s use of the word “oppression”.
The nation at that time was still harshly anti-gay,
and so this photographer is trying to rile support from his audience by
capturing a call to end this oppression; to end the distress, shown by the
upside down flag.
I thought your analysis of photograph was well done. I liked your explanation about the flag...that was something most people would not have noticed. I do think you could have explained a little bit more how each element appealed specifically to logos. Overall, it was great and I thought the photograph was a really good choice of media.
ReplyDeleteI really love your in-depth analysis of the photograph and what the flag means especially because I didn't know this fact about the upside down flag before. I do agree with River that your analysis could have been pushed a little more because you spent so much time on the explanation of what the flag meant, I expected more analysis of why this was so important to note in relation to appealing to logos. I think you did a really good job explaining the small details that could have been overlooked!
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