I really enjoyed this fourth chapter because it focused more on the irrational mental actions of the public rather than identifying what the media is doing wrong. It has always puzzled and astonished me how so many people get caught up in cults or believe in crop circles, UFO's, evil spirits, or even scientology.... Moreover, it is amazing to me how unassuming people simply believe unknown leaders who have no credibility whatsoever, like the members on truthout.com.
What surprised me in this chapter were the examples of opinions that clearly did not believe what the media presents. To an extent, that is good. You shouldn't believe everything you read or hear. But instead, these people are taking their ideas to the other extreme and acting so mindlessly that they become their own deception.
I was also interested by the authors' notion of "wishful thinking." I admit, I do think I am a better than average driver, or more likely than I actually am to live past eighty. It was interesting to read how, psychologically, we are unrealistic, think in stereotypes, and crave certainty.
All in all, this chapter taught me to look out not only for the trickery within the media, but the trickery that naturally exists within my own mind.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Un-Spun: A Bridesmaid's Bad Breath
The second chapter of UnSpun was very politically informative. I liked how the authors divided the chapter into sections labeled by "warning signs." They explained numerous different tactics that the government and advertisements employ when 'tricking' society and consumers. Their strongest examples included the dangling comparative, the superlative swindle, and the glittering generalities. Each of these tactics are the product of genius marketing and an understanding of language and communication.
As I read more, I find that propaganda is more about what you don't say than what you do say. It is about what is left off, misleading, but still intended; it is a task of advanced wordlplay. In addition to playing off of the persuasive power of word connotation and placement, ads or politicians also use fear to get inside their audience's heads. They push a certain product or bill linked to common insecurities, whether it be that weight you gained over the holidays or your desire to keep your children safe from gun violence.
But an even more obvious (and aggrivating) aspect of propaganda is the cloudiness of certain terms. The book calls them "glittering generalties" and uses the perfect example: the middle class. They say "so few people think of themselves as lower or upper-class" (p. 39) when in reality only a portion of these people are. Unfortunately, humans are already a product of their society, but to advertise and organize people into boxes through ambigious terms makes it even more difficult to be an individual, completely unaware and unscathed by propaganda.
Thankfully, this book is making me feel a little more educated about the influence of the media on my life and provides me with some knowledge of the tatics used in propaganda.
As I read more, I find that propaganda is more about what you don't say than what you do say. It is about what is left off, misleading, but still intended; it is a task of advanced wordlplay. In addition to playing off of the persuasive power of word connotation and placement, ads or politicians also use fear to get inside their audience's heads. They push a certain product or bill linked to common insecurities, whether it be that weight you gained over the holidays or your desire to keep your children safe from gun violence.
But an even more obvious (and aggrivating) aspect of propaganda is the cloudiness of certain terms. The book calls them "glittering generalties" and uses the perfect example: the middle class. They say "so few people think of themselves as lower or upper-class" (p. 39) when in reality only a portion of these people are. Unfortunately, humans are already a product of their society, but to advertise and organize people into boxes through ambigious terms makes it even more difficult to be an individual, completely unaware and unscathed by propaganda.
Thankfully, this book is making me feel a little more educated about the influence of the media on my life and provides me with some knowledge of the tatics used in propaganda.
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