Content note: Axis leaders are drawn as grotesque caricatures, including an exaggerated Japanese-officer caricature. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Beware Sharp Ears!
Black-and-white 'loose talk' poster: a giant caricatured Axis officer on the globe cups a hand to his ear while two other caricatured enemy figures listen behind him, and two tiny U.S. soldiers below say 'Did you know that our division was going to-- Bzzzz'. Fear-appeal: the enemy hears even small talk. Name-calling: the enemy is drawn as grotesque caricature.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. government home-front campaign; artist Bill Crooks
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Security and surveillance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. government home-front campaign. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-486 (NAID 513967).
Text on the object
BEWARE Sharp Ears! ? DID YOU KNOW THAT OUR DIVISION WAS GOING TO-- Bzzzz Bzz-- zzz?? [signature: Bill Crooks] [imprint: 42-2118]
