Content note: Cartoon enemy figure drawn as a bait worm with a caricatured East Asian face (round glasses, bared teeth) wearing a swastika armband. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Even a fish wouldn't get caught if he kept his mouth shut!
Cartoon of a red fish with open mouth about to bite a baited hook; the bait is a yellow worm with a human head, round glasses, bared teeth and a swastika armband. Banner above reads 'Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut!'. The tell for fear-appeal is the capture-by-talking image; name-calling shows in the enemy drawn as bait worm in a caricatured face.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- OCASC Intelligence Section (U.S. Army)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, War and the military
- 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)
OCASC Intelligence Section (U.S. Army). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-730 (NAID 514218).
Text on the object
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOUR MOUTH SHUT! EVEN A FISH WOULDN'T GET CAUGHT IF HE KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT! PRODUCTION OF OCASC -INTELLIGENCE SECTION- [emblem:] [illegible]
