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Chapter 3: “Tall” Coffees and Assault Weapons Things are not as they appear in advertising on television, radio, magazines, and other forms of communication. Deceptive tricks in these forms of media are commonplace. Sometimes these ploys are obvious, but others are misleading and difficult to detect. Language is always changing and can be used against us. People are inventing new ways to get around the laws that protect us from the lies, deceit, and fallacies that are produced in advertising. To remain “unSpun”, we need to recognize the disguises, distortions, and other tricks of this guile trade.

Misnomers are a misapplied or inappropriate designation for something. These misnomers are exploited for political benefit. Politicians assign names to laws and bills that will give them public support. The public is unaware that they are supporting something completely different than the title the bill expresses. Politicians also know that hardly anyone reads these bills and laws, so the misnomers aren’t usually discovered. Language does our thinking for us such that when presented with “facts”, the majority of the public will believe that information. Some of the public does not do the research and thinking necessary to fully understand an issue, idea, or piece of legislation.

Everyday words become misleading when used by the manufacturing industry. These distortions are so common that most of the time we can identify them. Other times, manufacturers claim information about their products that isn’t true and is difficult to identify as false. These companies are prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The names and the way manufacturers portray the information is a contributing factor to the deception. Those reasons are also the basis for the reason that the FTC prosecutes some companies.

Ideas and products are renamed to be perceived a certain way. Words are precisely chosen for their initial connotation. Renaming items in this manner makes the public think of something unfavorable before thinking of the facts. Politicians are big users of this technique called framing, which allows them to slant an idea in their favor. These selected words are a powerful weapon in the power of persuasion.

The way that politicians use this language could be considered Orwellian language. Both Orwellian language and these misnomers mean the opposite of what’s being said. For voters it’s important to realize that both sides use words that can be slid past us without consideration. It is important to question an issue or product. Ask what the politicians want you to think and then ask what the rest of the story is.

Retailers suck the dictionary definition out of words to their advantage to create weasel words. They will use attractive slogans and phrases to attract the consumer, but with further analysis the truth comes out. Weak language is used that is not specific or really saying anything at all. Retailers take advantage of the consumer by trusting that will they act impulsively rather than thoughtfully and deliberately. Journalists are avid users of these words. They will use these words when deadlines are looming and they need to cover a story. Readers should learn how to properly identify these factual holes and apply the familiar saying, “think before you act,” while shopping.

Advertisers will use pictures, symbols, and objects to distract the viewer from the ad’s true purpose. Announcers will use what is termed as “eye candy.” They will play these pictures while saying completely contrary or different ideas from what the pictures and objects express. Viewers are not able to see what they are being told about, so they don’t hear the words being spoken or take them into account. Pictures and sounds overwhelm the viewers, making it difficult to interpret and understand the information presented.

Propagandists use that concept to their advantage. They know that when considering words and pictures, it’s the pictures that count. Repetition is correlated with retention. When what we see and what we hear are different, what we see tends to override what we hear. Pictures overpower language because it’s the way humans are wired. Images are more powerful and grab our attention more than words do.

Pictures can be used to reinforce misleading and faulty messages. Politicians will use powerful and emotional pictures to give the viewer a certain impression of an idea, object, person, or concept. They are allowing the voter to connect the dots without actually saying much of anything. Politicians are also slapping slogans and ideas on posters to get their message across visually without actually mentioning it. They are using these techniques to gain public support and stay in office. When you are looking at images, make sure to analyze all the information the advertiser or politician is presenting. Pictures are worth a thousand words, but all those words aren’t necessarily true.

Mathematical tricks are used by politicians and companies to inflate data. When people hear average, they think typical, but when some very large or very small numbers are input into the data, it will become skewed. A better statistic and more accurate value than the “average” would be the median. The median is the midpoint and would give the true average. A single statistic fails to show the true meaning of data like the results of many stats would. Do research and find out what these numbers really mean. Figure out what politicians want you to believe and what is really true. What is considered facts by the public doesn’t generally represent reality.

Politicians have used the trick called the “baseline bluff” over and over again in elections. This occurs when one side claims the other is making a cut in services. This cut could only be called a cut in relation to future spending. Politicians are building support for themselves while falsely accusing the other side of making “cuts” to services. The fact remains that politicians, on both sides, will promise increases in spending on services to the public, but not by the same amount. The difference in the increase in spending is what is called the “cut”.

People will chose their wording carefully when speaking on certain occasions. They will pick words that are misleading, but not truly false. People will use this type of language while testifying in court and in advertising. Wording is chosen carefully, so that if someone doesn’t listen closely they will miss the meaning of what has been said. The person will leave with a completely different impression compared to someone who had been listening closely. When you hear vague phrases, there is a need to ask, “Are they really saying what I think they’re saying? What do those words mean? And what might they be leaving out?” Careful consideration of the words said and how they are used should be noted to understand the speaker’s true meaning.

Advertisers often try to imply what they can’t legally say. They use images, signs, and symbols to create the idea they want presented to the viewer. Advertisers will never explicitly state the purpose of the product, but consumers will interpret the information and assume ideas from these advertisements. This use of implying illustrates how false and unsubstantiated claims can be communicated indirectly to the detriment of consumers. When you hear or see something being strongly implied but not stated outright, you need to ask, why do these advertisers need to hide what they are saying from you? Why can’t they just say it? The truth remains that they want you to believe what isn’t true.

There are many tricks, ploys, and falsehoods that are used in everyday life. The public needs to gain the ability to recognize these ploys. Language is a powerful tool, but can also be used as a detriment to society. We have to recognize these flaws and work to have a better understanding of our language and people’s intentions. We have to question and just not accept ideas outright. There is no way of knowing, without careful consideration, what is valid or not, right from wrong, or truthful or misleading.

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