An average person spends no more than a few seconds looking at a post on social media. So why do people in this day and age develop so many of their ideologies and beliefs from a piece of media that is barely glanced at, before it is overlooked once again? The answer to that question poses the problem that is performative activism, and how people will display that they care about an issue digitally, but never actually attempt to provide physical aid to a cause. The ad from the Crisis Relief Singapore organization depicts this exact issue, highlighting how simply “liking” a post on social media does nothing to help during a crisis. The colorful visual from the BELatina website emphasizes the same issue, but in a more modern context in light of the many protests that occurred in 2020. These images use different optical techniques to arrive at the same point about the subject of performative activism, as they are both part of different time periods. The visual elements of these images, along with their rhetorical situations, help to clearly demonstrate the point that these organizations are trying to make, pulling at the emotional strings of the audience to do so. Not only do the physical elements of the media add to their rhetoric, but their color and text also evoke feelings of guilt in the reader that helps strike the audience with the purpose of the ad-to advise people to do more than just provide support digitally, as performative activism contradicts what activism is truly supposed to do. Both organizations brilliantly capture the essence of the issue, while motivating its audience to do better, all through its optical rhetoric and framing of the rhetorical situation.
The Crisis Relief Singapore organization displayed the state of performative activism in the earliest stages of social media with its visual rhetoric in the ad. The image was released following increasingly common social media responses in the form of “likes” to catastrophic natural disasters that were hitting many coastal Asian countries in the early 2010s. The organization, which was composed of volunteers that provided aid to countries that had experienced natural disasters, wanted to create a lasting impact on its audience by exhibiting society’s ridiculous attempts at sending digital support to the cause rather than physical. Given that the ad targets the notion of giving an image a “thumbs up”, the audience was likely teenage to middle-aged users of Facebook at the time. Since these natural disasters were a prevalent issue of the time, these ads were very striking to those who viewed them, as it fit in with the opportune moment. Since people were concerned about these earthquakes and tsunamis destroying lesser developed countries, the release of these ads was a current issue that resonated with people more than it would have today, since no natural disasters of that scale have occurred as of late. However, given that the issue was so current, the advertisers had to make sure that the images they selected were serious enough to create an emotional impact, but not too graphic that they would deter people from looking at them or cause offense. Additionally, the creators needed to ensure that their message was received, which is why they incorporate short text in addition to the image. The essence of the ad aligns with both the worldly obstacles of the time, and how emerging social media was failing to combat it.
The physical elements of the image from the Crisis Relief Singapore organization juxtapose the seriousness of the issue with the nonsensical response to it, while also communicating the essence of their ad. Surrounding the child are many hands, all holding a “thumbs up sign” indicating that they have “liked” the image as they would have on Facebook. However, given the circumstances, these hand gestures seem very out of place. The viewer sees the dire position that this child is in, and the presence of physical “likes” creates cringe, as the audience realizes how unthinkable it is to respond to a grave events like this with a like on social media, as they would certainly not react the same way if they were on the scene. For people who have participated in solely liking an image to show support for a cause, feelings of guilt are also evoked, as they see their actions displayed in such a literal interpretation that it causes them to self-reflect. Additionally, the text at the top of the media reading “Liking isn’t helping.” ( ) also helps to deliver the final punch of the ad. While the message could be clear from exclusively the picture, the text makes sure that there is no open interpretation to it. The syntax is short and to the point, ending with a period that makes it a concrete statement with no room for analysis. However, the text itself is small and could almost be overlooked, indicating that though the organization wants the meaning to be clear, they also want the audience to focus on the image more. The audience is able to recognize how problematic liking an image digitally is when viewing the thumbs-up signs and the text contained within it.
A more understated component of the ad is its color, which evokes emotions in the audience that are necessary for Crisis Relief Singapore to make their point regarding performative activism. The picture is depicted in black and white during a time when color images were certainly available, meaning that the colors were a persuasive tactic chosen by the advertisers. The color scheme creates a serious and sorrowful atmosphere that creates a need to contemplate one’s actions, as it makes the viewer feel guilty for possibly contributing to the preposterous scene depicted in the image. In making the reader feel guilty, the advertisers succeed in convincing the reader that their behavior is not appropriate, and that they should change something in their civic actions to benefit people like the child pictured. Additionally, the black and white colors create areas of light and shadow that subconsciously influence the viewers perception of the image. Looking closely, one can see that the child is laying on a white bed and is almost illuminated, emphasizing the innocence of the child. However, the hands surrounding him are dark and in the shadows, indicating that they are giving their “support” almost secretly. There is a darker connotation towards the hands, making them seem more ominous than helpful. The black and white color scheme evokes feelings of guilt and sadness within the reader in a way that persuades them to alter their behavior.
The physical presence of the hands “liking” the scene before them clues the audience in to how ridiculous it is to like a post on social media as a show of support rather than sending material aid. Surrounding the child are many hands, all holding a thumbs-up sign, indicating that they have liked the image just as they would on Facebook. However, given the circumstances, these hand gestures seem very out of place, as the viewer sees the dire position this child is in. The presence of tangible likes makes the audience cringe as they realize how unthinkable it is to respond to a grave event like this with a like on social media, as they certainly would not react the same way if they were at the scene. For people who have participated in solely liking an image to show support for a cause, feelings of guilt are also evoked, as they see their actions displayed in such a literal interpretation that it causes them to self-reflect. The hands elicit an emotional response that forces the audience to see how their actions are ineffective against causes such as this one.
