The average Joe doesn't vote. I don't agree that TeeVee ads is the main way people form an opinion about a canidate. What was posted above was the opinion of one person. It's almost meaningless.
Except most Americans do get their information about candidates from TV spots. I spent 6 months studying this very subject. The numbers are very scary. I'll go dig up the books written about this.
Ok, I found the book. It's Going Negative: How political advertisements shrink & polarize the electorate. Their main point is that ads doing the majority of informing the electorate. There is some great analysis about what types of ads have certain impacts. It was published before 2000 and I'm not sure if there is a more current edition, but it is a great read.
Somewhere along the line we seem to have given in to the notion that "the marketplace" is the sole metaphor, organizing principal and mode of expression for anything we can do, think or aspire to as human beings.
Every single activity in America is held against the logic of buying and selling, and it's so ubiquitous it generally goes unremarked.
It's a commonplace that candidates are sold like cereal, but the fact is everthing is sold like cereal: "lifestyles", "family", "love", "patriotism", "faith", "a whole new you", "authenticity" , "rebelliousness", etc.
We are well on our way to a post literate society, where carefully designed and highly charged images are virually the only way of connecting to a larger sense of who "I", "you" and "we" are. The child in her adoring mother's arms. The brave fireman. The carefree urbanite, consuming and tossing her hair. The busy professional, empowered by technology. The photogenic black people, gathered round the dining room table and full of laughter and good cheer. The adventerous driver, leaving behind reality on a twisting country lane.
And, of course, the Determined Yet Affable Candidate. There he is with his shirt sleeves up, deep in thoughtful conversation with the Farmer, the Steel Worker, the Mother. There he is at his desk, working late into the night to right wrongs and craft policy. And here he is with the Family.
How can a campaign be about policy when it is communicated through images, simple pictures designed to appeal or frighten?
Well, it's not like all of a sudden, oh my god, in this age of technology and capitalism politicians can sell themselves to morons. Because I think that's pretty much been going on for.. you know.. ever.
Well, it's not like all of a sudden, oh my god, in this age of technology and capitalism politicians can sell themselves to morons. Because I think that's pretty much been going on for.. you know.. ever.
Except the percentage of the population that can be reasonably considered a "moron", in the sense that any other source of information besides TV has fallen by the wayside, has grown considerably.
Although in place of "moron" I would probably suggest "childlike". You know, credulous, easily alarmed, fond of stories, and having a very short attention span.
The moronity of Americans is truly a wonder to contemplate. Think about the fact that people actually WANT to watch the crap on television. If they wanted something that was semi-intelligent, they could watch King Of The Hill, classic TV on TV Land, or the few other shows that aren't brain dead. If these shows got solid ratings, then there would obviously be more. If enough people wanted to watch the old shows on TV Land, there would be a second and third TV Land channel because not everyone wants to watch Gunsmoke when it's on.
So if you consider that the stuff on TV is EXACTLY what Americans want to watch, 90% of it crap, then there is pretty much no bounds to how stupid things can get.
I hope Thomas Jefferson was wrong when he said "A nation can not be both ignorant and free."
Goes to vote + drops wife off at Wal-Mart + picks up 6 - pack + turns on ESPN = Average Joe
That sounds like my usual plan, except that I usually buy in cases, and I skip the whole wife/walmart thing since I don't have a wife. November is hockey season, and, incidentally, the beginning of Nascar season.
The other crazy thing is TiVo. I don't see a whole lot of ads these days. Granted, that's a violation of copyright law, but I'll just have to accept my fate as an unruly lawbreaker.
That sounds like my usual plan, except that I usually buy in cases, and I skip the whole wife/walmart thing since I don't have a wife. November is hockey season, and, incidentally, the beginning of Nascar season.
The other crazy thing is TiVo. I don't see a whole lot of ads these days. Granted, that's a violation of copyright law, but I'll just have to accept my fate as an unruly lawbreaker.
You can add or subtract whatever. If you can add and subtract that is...
When I ask my students (age 13) what they watch on tv, many say they seldom watch television.
They say they spend most of their time online communicating with their friends.
I thought that was pretty interesting.
*I* seldom watch tv - for the same reason.
My 13 year old brother does this too. Either in games(he's the talkative one you find in online games) Or in AIM(he has like 10 friends from school who message him all the time)
If they didn't insist on using such horrid grammar and conjunctions, I think online communication could be really good. Better than TV I'd say, at least you have to be an active participant online, not just a listener...slowly...falling asleep.
er...disregard that last part, that's just my current condition, got the rainy day "I want to sleep all day" blues
Post-literate is the correct diagnosis for this problem. Each generation reads less and less and watches TV more and more, until we've produced a nation of "adult children" as someone said earlier. Although that even skirts the issue to some degree.
There are of course, many more bad and misleading books and magazines than there are television shows. And I know people who have never been "big readers" but are clearly still "thinkers" in the sense that they carefully critique what they are spoon-fed by the media, they seek second opinions on many issues, and just are careful how they form opinions in general. It means something to them.
I think what causes the Post-literacy... is apathy, plain and simple. People just don't give a shit anymore unless they know their checkbook is directly affected.
"Hey Bob, who'd you vote for?"
"I voted for ____; he cut my taxes."
Most people don't read because they're not interested. They would rather be entertained every night from 6 to 10, than be well-informed. That is what scares the crap out of me. Even some of my family members are like this.
"Aww it doesn't matter. The government will screw you no matter what, so why waste your time reading about it or worrying about stuff that happens in other countries?" Granted, not everyone has the mental horse-power to analyze these kinds of issues and/or draw reasonable conclusions from a collection of data, but most people just choose not to. Even if they knew they *could* make heads or tails of an issue, they won't bother. Not worth their precious time. Might miss the Donald Trump Reality Drama or their favorite, vapid sitcom.
The one possible saving grace of the internet is that (until iChatAV or things like it, become ubiquitous) it requires you to read the information. Links from here to everywhere else, headline tickers on your screen... those can only be good things if they at least cause kids to improve their reading and writing skills... and God forbid, their thinking skills.
Comments
Originally posted by Scott
The average Joe doesn't vote. I don't agree that TeeVee ads is the main way people form an opinion about a canidate. What was posted above was the opinion of one person. It's almost meaningless.
Except most Americans do get their information about candidates from TV spots. I spent 6 months studying this very subject. The numbers are very scary. I'll go dig up the books written about this.
i support billybobsky because his name is four syllables...
Every single activity in America is held against the logic of buying and selling, and it's so ubiquitous it generally goes unremarked.
It's a commonplace that candidates are sold like cereal, but the fact is everthing is sold like cereal: "lifestyles", "family", "love", "patriotism", "faith", "a whole new you", "authenticity" , "rebelliousness", etc.
We are well on our way to a post literate society, where carefully designed and highly charged images are virually the only way of connecting to a larger sense of who "I", "you" and "we" are. The child in her adoring mother's arms. The brave fireman. The carefree urbanite, consuming and tossing her hair. The busy professional, empowered by technology. The photogenic black people, gathered round the dining room table and full of laughter and good cheer. The adventerous driver, leaving behind reality on a twisting country lane.
And, of course, the Determined Yet Affable Candidate. There he is with his shirt sleeves up, deep in thoughtful conversation with the Farmer, the Steel Worker, the Mother. There he is at his desk, working late into the night to right wrongs and craft policy. And here he is with the Family.
How can a campaign be about policy when it is communicated through images, simple pictures designed to appeal or frighten?
Originally posted by Ganondorf
Well, it's not like all of a sudden, oh my god, in this age of technology and capitalism politicians can sell themselves to morons. Because I think that's pretty much been going on for.. you know.. ever.
Except the percentage of the population that can be reasonably considered a "moron", in the sense that any other source of information besides TV has fallen by the wayside, has grown considerably.
Although in place of "moron" I would probably suggest "childlike". You know, credulous, easily alarmed, fond of stories, and having a very short attention span.
So if you consider that the stuff on TV is EXACTLY what Americans want to watch, 90% of it crap, then there is pretty much no bounds to how stupid things can get.
I hope Thomas Jefferson was wrong when he said "A nation can not be both ignorant and free."
They say they spend most of their time online communicating with their friends.
I thought that was pretty interesting.
*I* seldom watch tv - for the same reason.
Originally posted by Carol A
When I ask my students (age 13) what they watch on tv, many say they seldom watch television.
They say they spend most of their time online communicating with their friends.
I thought that was pretty interesting.
*I* seldom watch tv - for the same reason.
No! No empirical evidence that conflicts with my theory!
It's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Originally posted by Artman @_@
Goes to vote + drops wife off at Wal-Mart + picks up 6 - pack + turns on ESPN = Average Joe
That sounds like my usual plan, except that I usually buy in cases, and I skip the whole wife/walmart thing since I don't have a wife. November is hockey season, and, incidentally, the beginning of Nascar season.
The other crazy thing is TiVo. I don't see a whole lot of ads these days. Granted, that's a violation of copyright law, but I'll just have to accept my fate as an unruly lawbreaker.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
That sounds like my usual plan, except that I usually buy in cases, and I skip the whole wife/walmart thing since I don't have a wife. November is hockey season, and, incidentally, the beginning of Nascar season.
The other crazy thing is TiVo. I don't see a whole lot of ads these days. Granted, that's a violation of copyright law, but I'll just have to accept my fate as an unruly lawbreaker.
You can add or subtract whatever. If you can add and subtract that is...
I think this years ballot should be like this...
A. Bush
B. Kerry
C. Nader
D. Start all over again...
Originally posted by Carol A
When I ask my students (age 13) what they watch on tv, many say they seldom watch television.
They say they spend most of their time online communicating with their friends.
I thought that was pretty interesting.
*I* seldom watch tv - for the same reason.
My 13 year old brother does this too. Either in games(he's the talkative one you find in online games) Or in AIM(he has like 10 friends from school who message him all the time)
If they didn't insist on using such horrid grammar and conjunctions, I think online communication could be really good. Better than TV I'd say, at least you have to be an active participant online, not just a listener...slowly...falling asleep.
er...disregard that last part, that's just my current condition, got the rainy day "I want to sleep all day" blues
There are of course, many more bad and misleading books and magazines than there are television shows. And I know people who have never been "big readers" but are clearly still "thinkers" in the sense that they carefully critique what they are spoon-fed by the media, they seek second opinions on many issues, and just are careful how they form opinions in general. It means something to them.
I think what causes the Post-literacy... is apathy, plain and simple. People just don't give a shit anymore unless they know their checkbook is directly affected.
"Hey Bob, who'd you vote for?"
"I voted for ____; he cut my taxes."
Most people don't read because they're not interested. They would rather be entertained every night from 6 to 10, than be well-informed. That is what scares the crap out of me. Even some of my family members are like this.
"Aww it doesn't matter. The government will screw you no matter what, so why waste your time reading about it or worrying about stuff that happens in other countries?" Granted, not everyone has the mental horse-power to analyze these kinds of issues and/or draw reasonable conclusions from a collection of data, but most people just choose not to. Even if they knew they *could* make heads or tails of an issue, they won't bother. Not worth their precious time. Might miss the Donald Trump Reality Drama or their favorite, vapid sitcom.
The one possible saving grace of the internet is that (until iChatAV or things like it, become ubiquitous) it requires you to read the information. Links from here to everywhere else, headline tickers on your screen... those can only be good things if they at least cause kids to improve their reading and writing skills... and God forbid, their thinking skills.
Originally posted by addabox
No! No empirical evidence that conflicts with my theory!
It's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Okay.
Originally posted by addabox
No! No empirical evidence that conflicts with my theory!
It's my story and I'm sticking to it.
AHA! I knew you were a Republican!