If you're like me, you tune in to political talk shows for comedic relief. For news I turn to online sources I think I can trust, but it's a chore. You have to familiarize yourself with the credentials of your source and then rely on intuition (your personal bullshit meter). If you find one of these gems, hang on for dear life. But I digress.
I enjoy the comedy on TV talk shows because it has the useful side benefit of honing my bullshit meter. My favorite skit is the one where the host posits a contentious topic and invites two "spokespersons", who hold diametrically opposed positions, to have at it for 43 seconds before the next commercial break. In this type of blitz round you have to listen carefully not only to what they say but also how they say it. If you get beyond the high-decibel interruptions, you might be able to spot the dead give-away for the dedicated bullshit artist.
As I discussed previously, the key is penetration of spin. It's a given that both debaters are using it, but the trick is to identify the nuancer and the desperado. The latter is loading up on filler.
Filler is the gibberish or double talk that attempts to mask the dearth of substance. It's what the desperado resorts to when the going gets tough, while the nuancer gets going instead. You have heard the filler over and over again in a variety of contexts; it is so commonplace that linguists have assigned a special word for it: cliche. One of my favorites is "Subject 101."
I enjoy the comedy on TV talk shows because it has the useful side benefit of honing my bullshit meter. My favorite skit is the one where the host posits a contentious topic and invites two "spokespersons", who hold diametrically opposed positions, to have at it for 43 seconds before the next commercial break. In this type of blitz round you have to listen carefully not only to what they say but also how they say it. If you get beyond the high-decibel interruptions, you might be able to spot the dead give-away for the dedicated bullshit artist.
As I discussed previously, the key is penetration of spin. It's a given that both debaters are using it, but the trick is to identify the nuancer and the desperado. The latter is loading up on filler.
Filler is the gibberish or double talk that attempts to mask the dearth of substance. It's what the desperado resorts to when the going gets tough, while the nuancer gets going instead. You have heard the filler over and over again in a variety of contexts; it is so commonplace that linguists have assigned a special word for it: cliche. One of my favorites is "Subject 101."
No comments:
Post a Comment