2010+Unspun-+Chapter+2+Precis,+Reader+Response+and+Powerpoint+Period+8

Katy Biddle, Paige Blankenship, Andi Schweers

Precis

There are different tactics used to put a "spin" on things. Mainly, they are used by corporations advertising and politicians. First of all, fear. Fear clouds our judgment and we are more likely to believe whatever is told to us. So we are then more likely to support things like going to war or more likely to purchase a product. Fear is used to "cover a lack of evidence that a real threat exists." If someone is using scare tactics, then look at the facts for yourself. Another method of using “spin” is "stories that are too good to be true." Sometimes facts and statistics are simply fabricated so that they jive with a person's bias or statements. So if it seems too perfect, look at the facts for yourself because chances are the facts do not say what the rhetorician says they are saying. Comparative words are another method of “spin.” These are vague words like "better" or "higher". They give the illusion that something is better without saying what it is better than. They use these comparative terms without making a true comparison. So if you hear a "dangling comparative", look at the facts for yourself. Ask yourself what this new plan or product is actually better than. Similar to comparatives are superlatives. These are used in the same way as comparatives, but instead of “better” or higher” terms like “the best” are used. Ridiculous claims are made that cannot be backed up and have no support...but they sound good. So if someone is making a superlative statement, look at the facts for yourself, because it's probably not completely true. Another trick, used especially by politicians and the government is the "Pay you Tuesday" idea. This idea is basically that you can have what you want now and pay for it later. They will make promises that they can't keep, but we elect them anyway because what they’re saying sounds like such a good deal. The "Blame Game" is another ploy. Blaming is natural and we do it seemingly reflexively. However, blaming is also a traditional tactic in putting a "spin" on certain situations. If someone is placing blame, look at the facts for yourself, because there might be facts for the other side that are being pointedly overlooked. On a final note, "glittering generalities" are an often-used form of spin. Pleasant, but vague, terms are used to describe a product or situation. Be wary of these and ask what exactly is meant by these fluffy, almost meaningless words because they might be covering up the bad side of the product or situation.

Jackson, Brooks, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. //UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of// //Disinformation //. New York City, NY: Random House, 2007. Print.

Reader Response

Chapter two of Jackson's, Brook's, and Jamieson's book, //Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation,// "A Bridesmaid's Bad Breath" discusses different types of spin used by rhetoricians searching for a vote or a consumer for their product. The methods discussed in the book are often used by the rhetoricians of today. The following paragraphs contain a series of modern day examples that illustrate the various warning signs highlighted by chapter two of //Unspun//. Advertisers can very easily use fear to sell a product. The fear of being excluded or mocked by your peers is a fear that all consumers have. Companies feed off of this fear to sell their products. Secret uses fear to convince consumers to buy their deoderant in commercials where they show women afraid to lift their underarms for fear of being laughed at for their body odor. In President Obama's weekly address, he said that our debt was in the "Largest six-month decline in fifty years". This really helps with his proposals to reduce deficit, and focusing on "creating jobs" He is taking advantage of figures that are "too good to be true." His statements make everything seem as if all is fine and dandy, but if the listeners of his address look at the real facts about our economy, they will see that the figures presented probably do not say what Obama convinces us they do. Dangling comparatives and superlatives are when companies use words such as "better", "higher", "the best", or "the most" without being specific and saying what their product is actually being compared to. A modern example of a dangling comparative is Ford's advertisement for the Ford LTD, saying that it is "700% quieter." A modern dangling superlative is CNN's motto, "the most news in the morning." The U.S. government loves the concept of "pay it tuesday". They frequently pass bills about taxes that may give the public a break now, but always make them pay money eventually. Politicians like to hide the reality of what the citizens will eventually be paying buy showing that they will be able to save money in the present. The blame game is another form of spin that the government frequently uses. Nobody in the government seems to ever want to take the blame for the current situation in the economy, schools, or any other problems our country has. With our economy in the position that it is in, many people are looking for somebody to blame. Since Bush was the last one to be in the oval office, he is a ready available scape-goat for the American citizens. Many people are blaming him for our current issues, but is he really to blame? Perhaps he is, but perhaps he did nothing wrong and the economy would have been worse off without him serving as President for eight years. Another category of spin is glittering generalities. This happens when something is portrayed in such a way that makes it appealing, but also vague. A modern example comes from the GOP's website. They say that "While the united States participates in various international organizations which can serve the cause of peace and prosperity, they must never substitute for principled American leadership nor prevent America from joining with other democracies to protect our vital national interests." However, what our vital national interests are is never really defined. Another article that relates to the idea of spin is “Weasel Words.” This article describes specific words and phrases that can make readers believe that one message is being conveyed when that is not actually the case. This is the same with the second chapter of //Unspun//. Both of these sources break down the different ways that the rhetorician can try and fool the reader. These sources have the same goal and that is to encourage readers to take a closer look at the campaigns and advertisements and other forms of rhetoric that you encounter in your daily life. “Weasel Words” particularly connects to the glittering generalities that are described in A Bridesmaid’s Bad Breath. These are the vague terms and phrases that make things sound good or better than they actually are. “Weasel Words also discusses dangling comparatives by explaining how words such as “improved” and “new” can be used to deceive the audience because it is never stated what the product or policy is being compared to.

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