prize5-4, Exercise 3: "The Tattoo glorifies the military"

Model answer (one possible two-sided assessment):

Case for the claim: the show is built around uniformed bands and regiments, uses ceremony and music to present the forces in a positive light, and rarely touches the costs of war or the history of the empire in which Highland regiments served. Critics also say it offers a narrow tartan image of Scotland.

Case against: defenders say it honours service people and the music tradition, does not argue for any policy, raises money for charity, and includes performers from many countries. Many in the audience come for the music and the spectacle, not for any political message.

Judgement: the claim is partly fair, since the show is a celebration of military music and ceremony, and partly overstated, since a celebration is not the same as a political statement. What would settle it is evidence of what the programme says and how audiences read it, and that evidence is mixed (check).