Chris+MPPIP

The perhaps most striking part of a Communist nation is how it manages to build a protective wall – a cult of personality – around its often dictatorial, tyrannical, inhumane leaders. This song, a rendition of "Lucky" by Jason Mraz, accurately and simply conveys this notion as exemplified in Communist China during the Cultural Revolution. The continuous praise of Mao's persona and some of his ideologies throughout the song act as testament to his supposed greatness. A few choice lines from the song include:

"//Lucky we have Mao for our leader. Lucky to live in this blessed land Lucky to become a communist.//"

The assertion that we are "lucky" to be "blessed" with these so-called benefits of being Communist is in itself an attempt at the promulgation of propaganda. Indeed, throughout the song, we not only glorify Mao as a person and a being independent of others, but also his creations and ideologies. For example, we take his image as a "respectable father" or his obsession with "factories" and celebrate them for their supposed benefits to Chinese society.

The song is also catchy and memorable – a very important part of any piece of persuasive media. The staccato acoustic riff, along with a rather repetitive chorus, increases the likelihood of the song sticking to the listener's memory for an extended period of time. This musical capacity, coupled with the song's persuasive lyrics, renders this song a fitting piece of propaganda for the Chinese masses at the time. It is probable that without doubt some of the propaganda that circulated throughout China during the Cultural Revolution was much like the song that we have presented here in this project.