Propaganda

Popeye the sailor man is an iconic character in America. By exploiting the use of this character and making stereotypical Japanese people the enemies, Popeye becomes a symbol of propaganda and an 'ideal role model' for sailors around that time.

In this animation, Popeye is very nearly defeated, however as usual he relies on his spinach to give him the strength to overcome the odds. The way Popeye deals with these enemies makes them seem feeble. At another point a Japanese Pilot starts firing shots at Popeye, but these take no effect whatsoever making the Japanese look powerless. Just after Popeye notices the Japanese pilot whose easily destroyed is labelled "Made in Japan", again mocking the Japanese and labeling them as cheap.

All in all, this animation makes the Americans look far superior by extensively using racist stereotypes to create a sense of the superiority. This also breeds confidence in war and potentially caused more recruits to join eagerly to fight for their country.