Chapter 5, Facts Can Save Your Life discusses the idea that making sure the information you are receiving is correct because it can affect everything from your health, money and freedom. The example the book talks about is of a man who believed everything he was told, which is pretty stupid. He believed a man about a "get rich quick" scheme and ended up losing everything, including his freedom. These types of schemes are everywhere: in the spam folders of our e mail inboxes, in our mail boxes, on our telephones from scheming telemarketers...it's almost unavoidable to go a day without seeing or hearing from one of these schemes. It is up to us as a public to NOT believe what these people are doing. It is very important to also check and recheck everything that is presented in front of us.
The chapter then goes on to talk about The Grey Goose Effect which is a VERY effective tactic that companies use to make money. Ever since reading about this effect, I have become very aware of things I buy because most of us, when we make purchases, make them based on what a product looks like and not what its true qualities really are.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Chapter 7 - Toxic Sludge
Chapter seven seems to touch on the idea that people in power or people with wealth tend to allow people who are not as wealthy to think they have power when in actuality they do hold the strongest hand as there are strength in numbers and most people in the world are not the powerful and wealthy. The texts talks about politicians trying to gain a position in a government office. The politician looks to people to support him financially through his campaign. These people that support the politician often are wealthy and hold some type of power. However, when it comes down to it, what matters is not the campaigning but the fact that the politician needs to gain votes so the politician needs to be on the same level mentally as those who are not as wealthy and powerful.
The Christian Coalition is an example of one of these types of groups described above. The Christian Coalition is an organization that supports right-wing politics by using a high tech version fo the new direct action organizing tactics pioneered in the 1960s by New Left. The creator, Ralph Reed has become the single most important activist for businesses for Conservative Right-wing political supporters. What Reed calls a "civic lead," his following of 3,300 chapters pushes for Right-wing and conservative values in reference to creating a government that holds these values close to home.
The Christian Coalition is an example of one of these types of groups described above. The Christian Coalition is an organization that supports right-wing politics by using a high tech version fo the new direct action organizing tactics pioneered in the 1960s by New Left. The creator, Ralph Reed has become the single most important activist for businesses for Conservative Right-wing political supporters. What Reed calls a "civic lead," his following of 3,300 chapters pushes for Right-wing and conservative values in reference to creating a government that holds these values close to home.
Chapter 8 (unspun)
Chapter 8: Was Clarence Darrow a Creationist? discusses the idea that even though things we see to be crediable sometimes aren't. The only way that we can be sure of facts are to question them, track them and cross check them. This means that basically we cannot trust everything we see and it is vital that we question facts.
This topic in particular reminds me of the silly infomercials on television that are selling products that claim to be able to do amazing things when in reality, they're poorly crafted pieces of junk that don't and ever work. In particular, the "Sham Wow" claims it can wipe up and hold enough soda that could cause mold underneath carpet. The first time I saw this commerical, I thought wow this is a neat product and then I saw a video clip on a website that tested infomercial products and it turns out the Shamwow wasn't wow-worthy at all. The fact that these people de-bunked the product is an example of checking facts that aren't always credible.
The rules that unspun reveals are: You Can't Be Completely Certain, You Can't Be Certain Enough, Look for General Agreement Among Experts, Check Primary Sources, Know What Counts, Know Who's Talking, Seeing Necessarily Shouldn't Be Believing, Cross Check Everything That Matters, and Lastly: Be Skeptical but not Cynical.
These rules reveal that it is important to examine every fact and it is important to double check. It is also important to know who is talking and just because an idea seems credible, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is. And lastly, the idea of being skeptical is important without looking at the world through cynical and constantly negative eyes.
These are things that I find very valuable, not even just looking at propaganda but life in general as there are always going to be things that seem credible but they're really not.
This topic in particular reminds me of the silly infomercials on television that are selling products that claim to be able to do amazing things when in reality, they're poorly crafted pieces of junk that don't and ever work. In particular, the "Sham Wow" claims it can wipe up and hold enough soda that could cause mold underneath carpet. The first time I saw this commerical, I thought wow this is a neat product and then I saw a video clip on a website that tested infomercial products and it turns out the Shamwow wasn't wow-worthy at all. The fact that these people de-bunked the product is an example of checking facts that aren't always credible.
The rules that unspun reveals are: You Can't Be Completely Certain, You Can't Be Certain Enough, Look for General Agreement Among Experts, Check Primary Sources, Know What Counts, Know Who's Talking, Seeing Necessarily Shouldn't Be Believing, Cross Check Everything That Matters, and Lastly: Be Skeptical but not Cynical.
These rules reveal that it is important to examine every fact and it is important to double check. It is also important to know who is talking and just because an idea seems credible, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is. And lastly, the idea of being skeptical is important without looking at the world through cynical and constantly negative eyes.
These are things that I find very valuable, not even just looking at propaganda but life in general as there are always going to be things that seem credible but they're really not.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Chapter 7 (unspun) Post #5
While opening to the first page on Chapter 7 in unspun, the cartoon on page 126 with Einstein is amusing as the cartoon reads Albert saying "Information is not knowledge" with a footnote, literally on his foot, saying "I did not say this!" and above the drawing it says "Always Check the Footnotes!" I think its funny and very much so the truth because it is important to always check and recheck facts because sometimes facts are not true!
I'm sure all of us have received e mails about this private thing is going on with the government or this disease is happening or this person's child is lost and they need help, etc etc. It's all junk and for some reason people continue to buy into it without regard to checking things out. The Osama, Ollie and Al section in unspun on page 128 talks about e mails sent around about bin Ladin doing things and being places in the late '80s when, for once, he was accountable for his actions and his whereabouts. When we see messages that seem to be uncredible the first thing we should do is ask questions and lots of questions. We cannot rely on others to get answers for us because those answers can and usually are unreliable. Seen in unspun earlier, we believe things we see and hear, not because they are true, but because we want them to be true. Quite sad, but true!
I'm sure all of us have received e mails about this private thing is going on with the government or this disease is happening or this person's child is lost and they need help, etc etc. It's all junk and for some reason people continue to buy into it without regard to checking things out. The Osama, Ollie and Al section in unspun on page 128 talks about e mails sent around about bin Ladin doing things and being places in the late '80s when, for once, he was accountable for his actions and his whereabouts. When we see messages that seem to be uncredible the first thing we should do is ask questions and lots of questions. We cannot rely on others to get answers for us because those answers can and usually are unreliable. Seen in unspun earlier, we believe things we see and hear, not because they are true, but because we want them to be true. Quite sad, but true!
Toxic Sludge Post Chapter 1&2 - Post #4
In Chapter 1 of Toxic Sludge on page 13, I found it interesting to find out that the PR industry is fairly new however I am not surprised at the amount of money that is dumped into the industry each year. People from all walks of life are involved in the industry - college grads to journalists to politicians. The PR industry requires this variety of people because the college grad can contribute an academic aspect whereas the journalist can appeal to the writing part and the politician can keep the PR work politically correct. The fact that public relations are everywhere is somewhat astonishing. Even at WCU - there are pictures of "happy students" of all sorts posing in pictures to promote students to study at the University. When you walk down the streets in West Chester or Philadelphia - you pass public buses that have advertisements slapped on the sides or stores that have fold out signs promoting a new product. The work of the PR industry is everywhere, its unavoidable!
In Chapter 2 of Toxic Sludge on page 27, I found the section "The Truth Hurts" interesting that the earliest scientific studies occured in the 1950s when the first cancer patients and other fatal illnesses came onto the scene. The fact that the tobacco industry became a mess from these early studies, it kind of proves that they knew their products were harmful, doesn't it? The quote from the industry on page 27 just says it , "In the words of the industry itself, the campaign was aimed at 'promoting cigarettes and protecting them from these and other attacks,' by 'creating doubt and the health charge without actually denying it, and advocating the public's right to smoke without actually urging them to take up the practice." The part of the quote that reminds me of soemthing Dr. Ray said in class is, "advocating the public's right to smoke without actually urging them to take up the practice." As Dr. Ray said, propaganda is meant to not implant thoughts into your head but to get you thinking about the idea.
In Chapter 2 of Toxic Sludge on page 27, I found the section "The Truth Hurts" interesting that the earliest scientific studies occured in the 1950s when the first cancer patients and other fatal illnesses came onto the scene. The fact that the tobacco industry became a mess from these early studies, it kind of proves that they knew their products were harmful, doesn't it? The quote from the industry on page 27 just says it , "In the words of the industry itself, the campaign was aimed at 'promoting cigarettes and protecting them from these and other attacks,' by 'creating doubt and the health charge without actually denying it, and advocating the public's right to smoke without actually urging them to take up the practice." The part of the quote that reminds me of soemthing Dr. Ray said in class is, "advocating the public's right to smoke without actually urging them to take up the practice." As Dr. Ray said, propaganda is meant to not implant thoughts into your head but to get you thinking about the idea.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Chapter 6 Post #3
The beginning of chapter six in unspun discusses anecdotes and data which is basically a few theories do not prove a hypothesis. We are humans, unfortunately, want to see what we let ourselves see and if we really believe something to be true then we think it is. The importance of this fallacy reminds us as humans to always question what we are told and find the truth in everything as much as possible.
In reference to the "Case Study: Is Cold-Eeze 'Clinically Proven" section on page 118, I used to watch commericals or read ads on products before taking this class and just think "oh it's clinically proven so it's probably okay to use and it probably works" as most Americans more than likely think as well. A newer product example, similar to that in the text is the Airbourne supplement that claims it can reduce the length of a cold. It just astonishes me how people can produce a product, create a claim about that product and still manage to take people's money knowing that the product does not work. This form of lies and deception is something I could never do to the people of the general public.
In reference to the "Case Study: Is Cold-Eeze 'Clinically Proven" section on page 118, I used to watch commericals or read ads on products before taking this class and just think "oh it's clinically proven so it's probably okay to use and it probably works" as most Americans more than likely think as well. A newer product example, similar to that in the text is the Airbourne supplement that claims it can reduce the length of a cold. It just astonishes me how people can produce a product, create a claim about that product and still manage to take people's money knowing that the product does not work. This form of lies and deception is something I could never do to the people of the general public.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Chapter 4 - Post #2
In Chapter four under the Psychology of Deception, I found it very interesting that the majority of the time we think we understand something, we acually "get the facts wrong more often than we think we do." (pg. 69) We get them wrong in predictable ways too such as wishful thinking and we allow ourselves to understand what we want to understand and disregard the facts that go against our beliefs.
Something I also found interesting in the text was that over-hyped crimes and tramatic events sprawled all over the media make us feel like things are worse than they actually are. The example that I liked in the book was on page 70 where some crimes were exposed in the media and it forced viewers to jump to conclusions that crime rates are high and criminals are running around everywhere, however, the reality was crime rates were down thirty eight percent from 1991 in 2005. This reminded me of the example I made in class where my step-brothers and step sister believed that all American schools experienced a shooting of some type because the media hyped them up, however, the in retrospect to the amount of schools in the USA, there weren't a large number of them.
All in all, this chapter showed me that the brain deceives us into what our subconcious wants us to think and feel even if that feeling isn't right or correct in reality.
Something I also found interesting in the text was that over-hyped crimes and tramatic events sprawled all over the media make us feel like things are worse than they actually are. The example that I liked in the book was on page 70 where some crimes were exposed in the media and it forced viewers to jump to conclusions that crime rates are high and criminals are running around everywhere, however, the reality was crime rates were down thirty eight percent from 1991 in 2005. This reminded me of the example I made in class where my step-brothers and step sister believed that all American schools experienced a shooting of some type because the media hyped them up, however, the in retrospect to the amount of schools in the USA, there weren't a large number of them.
All in all, this chapter showed me that the brain deceives us into what our subconcious wants us to think and feel even if that feeling isn't right or correct in reality.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Chapter 3 - Post #1
In Chapter three, I found it very interesting that propaganda plays into almost every single part of life. The example of a "tall" coffee being not very tall at all is a prime example that before you order your $8.00 coffee at Starbucks, you expect to get a decent amount of coffe for what you're paying. However, you really aren't getting all that much and "the man" is laughing in the faces of the consumer and he is walking off with full pockets.
Another thing I found very interesting is that language shapes what we do in our world. Flowery words and nice sound advertising draws a consumer in very easily if the consumer is not aware of what is actually happening to them.
Another example of a "play on words" is the example on page 45 where the author is talking about the seven different sizes of olives. Now, in the "normal" world a size large is usually considered a pretty big size. In the olive world, apparently, it is the third smallest size the company offers.
I experienced the use of "weasel words" last night at the Exton Mall. There's a jewelery store in the mall that is closing and there are tons of brightly colored signs that say "UP TO 70% off EVERYTHING MUST GO." However, many of the things in the store were still very very expensive and I didn't really see anything that was priced low enough to purchase.
Another thing I found very interesting is that language shapes what we do in our world. Flowery words and nice sound advertising draws a consumer in very easily if the consumer is not aware of what is actually happening to them.
Another example of a "play on words" is the example on page 45 where the author is talking about the seven different sizes of olives. Now, in the "normal" world a size large is usually considered a pretty big size. In the olive world, apparently, it is the third smallest size the company offers.
I experienced the use of "weasel words" last night at the Exton Mall. There's a jewelery store in the mall that is closing and there are tons of brightly colored signs that say "UP TO 70% off EVERYTHING MUST GO." However, many of the things in the store were still very very expensive and I didn't really see anything that was priced low enough to purchase.
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