Needs Help: The Political Officer

This image◊ was shot down in the Image Suggestion thread. Other ideas?

Apt phrasing. This one's gonna be tough, I think.

BUPKIS, I think I looked at every example I know including Monique Cadillac in Gundam IGLOO but nothing looks right at all.

A cosplay of a Soviet Commissar with a mouthpiece.

A WWII-era Soviet propaganda poster. Caption: "Military commissar is his unit's father and soul". On the belt - the Pravda (Правда, The Truth) newspaper.

edited 3rd Aug '17 5:30:27 AM by Millership

The former there is just seemingly a loud mouth.

Posters like the latter are just a Propaganda Poster.

These guys are tasked with discovering any trespasses against the whatever, akin to Thought Police they would read body language and detect lies and overrule the captain on things etc.

edited 3rd Aug '17 6:14:55 AM by Memers

What's wrong with an image being a propaganda poster, if it illustrates the trope? The political officers are are an important part of state's ideological machine, and what is the better way of showing that than a propaganda poster?

That's not the character trope used in fiction though, like at all.

Works set in the Eastern front of WWII do. It is, after all, where the trope originates from.

In WW 2 movies they are the enforcers, always questioning captain's decisions on U-Boats, interrogating and spying on people in the unit to ensure that they are loyal or do not speak out vs the regime etc.

They are not larger than life heroes like that propaganda poster.

On propaganda posters they apparently are larger than life heroes.

Which is a 100% different from the trope on the page and real media in general.

It's just not the trope at all or even representative of real history. Soviet political officers 'inspiring' was done by pointing a gun at your back with 'either die now or go fight the Germans and die to their guns'.

edited 13th Aug '17 12:45:22 PM by Memers

It was in the old Soviet war movies. Even the trope page mentions that fact. Now, I'm aware that most people visiting this site were not exposed to this medium, have little to zero chances of being exposed to it in the future and simply don't care at all, I have no illusions about that. But saying that this type of portrayal is not present in any media ever is going a bit overboard. At least, it could be juxtaposed with an image of the Western interpretation of the character, to show the both sides of the coin.

And it was not always was done by pointing a gun at you, sometimes it was done by appealing to your reason and sense of patriotism, I have a bit an unusual tale from my grandfather, which features that, if you're interested.

Also, please check out this article

Ok? Putting up the least common denominator and saying 'this isn't how they actually are portrayed in movies you might see' does not an image make.

It could be an image if ya split it into a Dictatorial propaganda trope for them but as it stands that is not at all how they are portrayed in works on the page. There are a few lighter and softer examples on the page but they are still the loyalty police in them.

There are even examples of people in the role and not called a 'political officer'.

edited 13th Aug '17 6:49:00 PM by Memers

...or not show a WWII image? There are other sources, like Warhammer in the OP.

It was shot down in the main thread according to the OP.

And I literally got literally nothing, every example I know of I looked up for an image and drew a blank. Hence why I voted Bupkis.

BUPKIS it is, then.

Clock is set. Crowner?

Going ahead and hooking a crowner.

This one's way past due for a bump; only one in the green right now.

Calling in favor of BUPKIS. Will tag then close.