Reinforcement
“Advertising directs itself at the few who have money to spend to persuade them to buy more than they actually need. In countries like ours in Latin America, where the production of material goods is not sufficient for the basic needs of our peoples, the advertising of even these goods is grotesque and absurd. Close to a shanty town in Buenos Aires, there used to be an enormous billboard advising the people to drink milk, while in this slum hundreds of children were dying precisely for lack of milk. To get good results, advertising uses the most irrational methods possible. It can never speak the truth, the truth does not suit it; for this reason, it uses simple music, easily reproducible jingles; it uses photos of pretty girls; it uses short phrases designed to make an impact, in spite of the fact that they are meaningless. Categorical statements; ‘If it’s Bayer, it’s good’. (The proof of its efficacy is that the napalm produced by Bayer is distinctly superior to any other company’s.)
Advertising is not used only for the sale of material products; it is also used to sell ‘images’. The international image of the self-proclaimed Brazilian government is very bloody. So it uses advertising to create a more acceptable image for itself. It uses the same techniques as the cigarette companies, with the same lack of shame. It fills the radio and TV slots with phrases devoid of real meaning. These phrases can be used as ‘reinforcement’ for the better understanding of certain news items. In the same way that however beautiful the girl who advertises a cigarette, it will do nothing to reduce the number of cancers caused by smoking, however hypnotic the Brazilian government’s advertising it does nothing to alleviate the problem of hunger or to reduce the number of prisons. The bishops of the north-east of Brazil, amongst them Dom Helder Camara, published a document which the censors then banned, in which they declared: ‘In contrast to government declarations, the people live in a state of hunger, epidemics and unemployment’. (REINFORCEMENT: the actors sing ‘My Brazil, I love you, my Brazil, I love you’, the propaganda anthem of the dictatorship.) ‘200 thousand inhabitants of the north-east suffer Chaga’s disease; in every thousand people, 80 die of tuberculosis’. (REINFORCEMENT: The actors chant ‘Brazil—love it or leave it’, a well-known slogan of the dictatorship). These slogans, used here as reinforcement, are much heard on TV, even in programmes presented by people who know full well the reality of our national situation, but feel no shame in profiting from the poverty of their people.” Augusto Boal
The following steps outline how to implement the Reinforcement technique, providing a framework for transforming ordinary news into a theatrical experience that stimulates reflection and discussion:
- Selection of materials: Choose a news article or a piece of non-dramatic text that contains an issue or bias that is of importance to your group.
- Preparation of Materials: Gather or create slides, jingles, songs, or publicity materials that will be used to reinforce or critique the news content.
- Presentation:
Simple Reading: Begin by reading the news article aloud, detaching it from its original context to expose its biases.
Reinforcement: As the article is read, incorporate the prepared materials. For example, if the article discusses a political event, show slides of political cartoons, play a jingle that mocks the situation, or sing a song that captures the article’s underlying tone.
Audience Engagement: Encourage the audience to reflect on how the added elements change their perception of the news. This helps them critically analyze the original content and its potential manipulative aspects.
Examples:
Corporate Scandal: Presenting a news piece on a corporate scandal with slides of advertisements from the company and a background song highlighting the disparity between the company’s public image and their actions.
News on Migration: Present a news article about migration policies that emphasizes the challenges faced by migrants, such as border crossings and detention centers. As the article is read, display a series of images depicting the migrant journey, play a song that reflects the journey, use satirical jingles that mimic political campaign ads, exaggerating promises or statements about tightening borders and national security.
Political News: Reading a biased political article while showing satirical cartoons and playing a catchy jingle that exaggerates the bias.
With the nowadays widespread use of digital media, the Reinforcement technique can be updated to include multimedia elements such as social media posts, video clips, and memes. These additions can make the presentation more engaging and relevant to contemporary audiences. For example:
- Integrating tweets and social media reactions to the news article.
- Using short video clips or TikToks that parody the news content.
- Creating memes that summarize and critique the article’s key points.
To facilitate the impact of the technique and ensure audience engagement, consider the following tips and tricks for selecting materials, presenting the news, and facilitating post-performance discussions:
- Tailor the materials and presentation style to the specific audience and context for maximum impact.
- As suggested by Augusto Boal and supported by our experience using the technique, we have observed strong effects when incorporating well-known melodies, such as children’s songs, commercial jingles, and pop songs, or by using familiar formats like fairy tales.
- The use of multimedia elements not only engages the audience but also provides a platform for critical reflection and dialogue about a certain topic and its representation in the media.
- Ensure that the selected materials accurately reflect and critique the news article’s content.
- Keep the audience engaged by using humor and familiar multimedia elements.
- Facilitate a discussion after the presentation to help the audience articulate their thoughts and reactions.