This image of the sun shining through the American flag forming a cross is, in my opinion, a negative image of America. This is because it implies that America is and should be a Christian nation, which of course it isn't. The Constitution protects the free exercise of religion; therefore in America all religions have the same status and their is no state religion. It is also negative because it connotes that people practising other religions shouldn't be in America; this is particularly bad considering the recent stigma attached to Islam after 9/11.
I think that this advert for the television show American Idol is a positive image of America. Firstly, I think this because it reinforces the ideal of the American Dream: anybody can audition despite of your background, race or religion; therefore it gives everybody the chance of becoming a star. Also, I think this is a positive image because the people in the picture are in shadow so you can’t see what they look like. Specifically, you can’t tell the figures’ race thus this supports the idea that everyone in America is equal; this is significant because America so diverse; again this shows the theme of the American Dream because it connotes that anybody in America is able to reach their ambition.
Some people may argue that this is a negative image of America because it gives people the idea that everyone deserves their 15 minutes of fame and consequently produces a generation who are self-righteous, egotistical and fame-hungry. However, I feel that the hope it gives people and how it can change peoples’ lives for the better outweighs the negatives.
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