Implicit Argument, Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No

           

           The year 1954 marked the beginning of one of the most infamous battles known to the United States of America, the Vietnam War. The war started as a conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, when the socialist-controlled North undertook the task of converting South Vietnam to a communist country. South Vietnam retaliated, and so initiated the nineteen year long struggle against leader Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Cong allies.

President Richard Nixon of the United States made the executive decision in 1965 to send US combat troops to Vietnam in aid to the South on the basis that if one country fell to communism, more and more would follow in the domino effect. However, after fighting for years in Vietnam to no avail, American morale and support for the war began to deteriorate. Many citizens felt that the United States had no business meddling in Asian affairs, and the young soldiers were dying for no reason.

One obvious response to the unwillingness of Americans to participate in the war was seen in their opposition to the draft. American men aged 18 to 26 were required, if notified, to engage in military action of the government’s choosing. After a few years of failed combat in Asia, the population of the U.S., especially the younger generation, began to openly defy conscription. Anti-war sentiment spread widely among the youngsters, seen prominently on college campuses and in counterculture. Protesting men burned their draft cards, and some even resorted to fleeing north to Canada in order to escape conscription.

“GIRLS SAY YES to boys who say NO” is one of many peace-led propaganda posters that cropped up during the Vietnam War Era. Funded by and showcasing U.S. folk singer and political activist Joan Baez, the 1968 ad protests against the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. Its main message, “Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No,” targets the prime age group for conscription, young men in their late teens and early twenties. Three young and attractive women are depicted sitting on a couch, seemingly directing their message to the men viewing the poster. The girls promote the fact that only boys who oppose the draft and burn their draft cards or something of the like will find the fortune of having a pretty lady fall in love with them. If they do give in to the draft, they will be swept away to grueling war and never know true love and happiness, because what girl in her right mind would want to be with a man who agreed with violence and murder?

The ad appeals to more than just young men’s desires for marriage; the clothes that the women wear also engage viewers’ sex-appeal. The ladies wear very short shorts for the decade, with the fabric cutting off high above their knees. The most prominent part of their bodies shown are their alluring crossed legs, enticing the young men to agree with whatever the women want in order to get them to “say yes.” Two of the young ladies are barefoot, adding to the appealing exposure of skin. However, all three of the ladies wear fashionable hats, giving them credibility as high-class and modest, even more of a prize for young men to claim.

Since one of the girls in the poster is a famous artist of the era, and the other two girls are her sisters, the young generation of Americans was likely to recognize Joan’s face at first glance to the poster. Baez and other conscription-resistors employed celebrity peer pressure in order to get the message across that war was unnecessary and the draft was a terrible phenomenon. The background of the poster enhances Baez’s opinion as one of influence by showing the surroundings of a superstar. The high quality and expensive-looking sofa, shag rug, and blanket add to Joan’s credibility. The guitars on the walls as well as the landscape painting hung centered above the girls’ heads connects them and their message to the common American people, as traditional music and patriotic scenery are relatable to everybody. This highly esteemed, popular, and attractive young lady had the ability to coax her fans and followers into believing as she did.

The smaller memo at the bottom of the image, “Proceeds from the sale of this poster go to The Draft Resistance,” confirms for the viewers that anti-conscription efforts were all-the-rage at the time. Everyone who had a heart and mind for the preservation of American lives would oppose the draft and all war efforts in Vietnam. This poster and others like it contributed to a vast portion of defiance to the Vietnam War, and in the long run gave influence to the recall of American troops to U.S. soil.

Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No. 1968. Photograph. 1960-1969 Posters & Postcards. Retronaut. Comp. New Zealand History Online. Joan Baez, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.