THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
THE MORE PSEUDO-EVENTS FILL THE VOID
James R. Fisher, Jr., Ph.D.
© December 3, 2019
A Reader Writes
Neither a gadfly nor a Payne in the ass I wish to be but I thank you, Jim, for the profusion of kind words.
In return I’m going to scare the doo-doo out of you and your friends. Read “Trust me, I’m lying” (2012) by media manipulator Ryan Holiday.
Happy dreams,
Best,
Henry
My Response
Henry,
Pardon me if I find this amusing. I was able to scan Ryan Holiday’s (born 1987) entire book “Trust Me, I’m Lying” (2012) without paying a dime. Towards the end of the book, he suggests reading American political historian Daniel J. Boorstin’s (1914 – 2004) book, “The Image: A guide to Pseudo-Events in America” (1962).
Holiday’s book, published 7 years ago, remarkably has little new to say other than to bring up to date the sense of things in this electronic age that Boorstin developed 57 years ago.
In “The Image,” he argues that Americans have a false “image” of what “news” is, mistaking certain “pseudo-events” for real news when in fact these are the contrivances of politicians and news corporations to generate the preferred emotional response in support of their political agenda or to promote the audience they seek.
“The Image” begins with the amazing credulity of the American reading and listening public seeking to be reinforced in its perceived beliefs no matter how outrageous while, at the same time, with an unquenchable desire to be entertained.
The public doesn’t want the unfurnished truth or the facts as they are, but news stories that titillate and reassure and shirk reality. Better to promote pseudo-events than demand the public change behavior.
Consequently, to “fill the gap” when it is a bad news day for legitimate news stories, Boorstin says news corporations fill the void with “pseudo-events.” This is where politicians and news corporations team up to promote “political spectacles” with inconsequential news narratives: a president appears at a coal mine surrounded by smiling coal faced workers; a mayor cuts the ribbon at the opening of a new shopping mall; a politician organizes a press release to “clarify” his stand on an issue that only obfuscates.
Being “in the news” and on television is a romantic dance between politicians (i.e., celebrities) and news outlets. Boorstin defines celebrity in “The Image” as “a person who is known for his well-knowness,” and as a consequence, politicians have come to resemble “media stars.”
A half century ago, a billionaire businessman stayed clear of pseudo-events and media attention, but now that has all changed with billionaire businessman Donald Trump in the White House as President of the United States with billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg wanting to replace him.
Indeed, 50 years ago, Daniel Boorstin warned that should the voting public be inundated with pseudo-events with news corporations in bed with politicians, the news emanating from that scandalously jaundiced source should not be trusted. Why? Because it would be nuanced to the nth degree in support of a specific agenda with these politicians as “media stars” dominating the political landscape.
Boorstin infers without specifically saying that from the first political debate of John F. Kennedy with Richard Milhous Nixon in the 1960 presidential race was a cosmetic a fait accompli for the Massachusetts senator once he smiled at the television audience before he said a word.
Ryan Holliday updates this political and social drama in the 21st century and does so with witticism and panache. He focuses on the bloated blog reality, among many other outrageous trends that disturbs his stoicism, and apparently that of many of his readers who identify with his angst.
Stoicism is a Hellenistic Third Century (BC) philosophy that contrasts with Christianity. Christianity is founded on seeking a good afterlife, while stoicism is committed to a good life in this world. Stoicism is rule based; Christianity grace, love and forgiveness based.
Stoics believe in wisdom,
morality, courage, moderation, prudence, justice, fortitude and
temperance. If you have read the “Meditations” of Marcus Aurelius (121 –
180 AD), this is stoicism on display.
Man proposes, but God disposes.
Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
We have had a century long swing away from “things as they are (or once were)” that commenced in the 19th century with the explosion in science and technology; a time in which this technology fed the appetite and mania of belligerent man to engage in two world wars in which more than 100 million people would perish. The irony is that these 20th century wars were fought with mainly technology developed in the 19th century.
Just as the hem line of women’s dresses goes up and down, ideas by which man lives go back and forth to concepts and philosophies that are actually retreads. I do not fault Ryan Holliday for exploiting this as his whole career has been in the business of exploitation which is the subject of this book. After all, he is a marketer, entrepreneur, media strategist and, yes, an American apparel media columnist.
AN ASIDE
The key to confidence is a key and you hold it in your hand.
After coming back from South Africa and retiring from Nalco Chemical Company in 1969 after forming a new company, although only in my mid-30s, I sat down and wrote a book about what worked for me as a salesman. It was called “Confident Selling” (1971) and sold well. It was a book consistent with some of the ideas of Thomas a’ Kempis in “Imitation of Christ.” Although the book was not a religious book, it had a Thomas a’ Kempis like premise. To wit::
Accept yourself as you are, warts and all, and chances are you will accept others as you find them.
Three years later, Robert Ringer published “Winning through Intimidation” (1974). It was a runaway bestseller selling well over a million copies to my more modest 90,000 to 100,000.
My message was to identify the motivation of the buyer and the seller, and to form a partnership with the buyer in that enterprise. In other words, self-interest works both ways. I believed even then that you can learn from competitors, not by knocking them but in discovering why they are successful. I read Ringer’s book, and although young myself, I knew many customers responded to intimidation but it was not in my repertoire.
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