Yesterday's Word: Obstreperous
I receive Dictionary.com's word of the day emails, mainly so that I can look at the word and feel smarter for already knowing what it means. Like yesterday. The definition employed by dictionary.com is "noisily and stubbornly defiant; also, boisterous." Of course I knew this, but my definition was more specifically focussed (two S's? I'll look it up, ah apparently I've spelled it the "especially British" way) on certain individual people, or should I say children.
On another note, last weekend I was informed that I should post about more high-minded things. I'm assuming this means no pee, a topic which I've already abandoned due to public outcry. This challenge has actually been the root cause of my lack of post this week. I would sit down at the computer, fully prepared to write a pithy post, when suddenly I would be attacked by Doubt as to its high-mindedness. Many a post were cut down upon this conclusion. Here of course, I insert a modified Star Wars quote: "Many posts died to bring us this information." This quote has put me in mind of a very probably high-minded topic for this post. Ahem...I begin:
Last Thursday I attended a lecture given by a leading "social theorist," Douglas Rushkoff, who is especially involved in thwarting the Evil Advertising Empire. You may perhaps be curious about the relationship to Star Wars and this Thinker, or you may already be familiar with my lack of connection between thoughts. Either way, I am prepared to offer you that connection at this point in time. Rushkoff began his talk by giving a short plot summary for Return of the Jedi (He got a few things confused, but I forgave him). I doodled and wondered where he would take this. It was actually kind of brilliant. He compared us as consumers to Ewoks....after Luke and Han are captured by the ewoks, Threepio tells the Ewoks everything about the Rebellion and the evil Empire and Luke and Han's part in it, complete with sound effects from R2. Rushkoff's theory was that this display/performance was basically what got the Ewoks to enter the fight. He also said that if Darth Vader had shown up before Threepio et al, and done some fancy storytelling about the Happy Empire who are just trying to make the galaxy a better place and those pesky Rebels who are trying to ruin everything...then the Ewoks would have fought for the Empire! I find a flaw with this argument only in the fact that Darth Vader and the racist Empire would never have considered the Ewoks to be of any use to them. But that wasn't the point of Rushkoff's analogy, basically we're wowed by advertising and persuaded into certain behavior. Personally I like to think I have a little more autonomy than that, but hey, I didn't do a documentary for PBS, so what do I know? All in all though, he was an enjoyable speaker with some interesting ideas.
I think I must cut short my high-mindedness and head home for some high-breakfastness. Yes, it's 12:11; yes, I have the day off for work; yes, I slept until 11:30. I came to the library to check my email and to post this very post. I hope you have enjoyed.
On another note, last weekend I was informed that I should post about more high-minded things. I'm assuming this means no pee, a topic which I've already abandoned due to public outcry. This challenge has actually been the root cause of my lack of post this week. I would sit down at the computer, fully prepared to write a pithy post, when suddenly I would be attacked by Doubt as to its high-mindedness. Many a post were cut down upon this conclusion. Here of course, I insert a modified Star Wars quote: "Many posts died to bring us this information." This quote has put me in mind of a very probably high-minded topic for this post. Ahem...I begin:
Last Thursday I attended a lecture given by a leading "social theorist," Douglas Rushkoff, who is especially involved in thwarting the Evil Advertising Empire. You may perhaps be curious about the relationship to Star Wars and this Thinker, or you may already be familiar with my lack of connection between thoughts. Either way, I am prepared to offer you that connection at this point in time. Rushkoff began his talk by giving a short plot summary for Return of the Jedi (He got a few things confused, but I forgave him). I doodled and wondered where he would take this. It was actually kind of brilliant. He compared us as consumers to Ewoks....after Luke and Han are captured by the ewoks, Threepio tells the Ewoks everything about the Rebellion and the evil Empire and Luke and Han's part in it, complete with sound effects from R2. Rushkoff's theory was that this display/performance was basically what got the Ewoks to enter the fight. He also said that if Darth Vader had shown up before Threepio et al, and done some fancy storytelling about the Happy Empire who are just trying to make the galaxy a better place and those pesky Rebels who are trying to ruin everything...then the Ewoks would have fought for the Empire! I find a flaw with this argument only in the fact that Darth Vader and the racist Empire would never have considered the Ewoks to be of any use to them. But that wasn't the point of Rushkoff's analogy, basically we're wowed by advertising and persuaded into certain behavior. Personally I like to think I have a little more autonomy than that, but hey, I didn't do a documentary for PBS, so what do I know? All in all though, he was an enjoyable speaker with some interesting ideas.
I think I must cut short my high-mindedness and head home for some high-breakfastness. Yes, it's 12:11; yes, I have the day off for work; yes, I slept until 11:30. I came to the library to check my email and to post this very post. I hope you have enjoyed.
posted by Lindsey at 11:51 AM
6 Comments:
Very high-minded, good job. But I had no problem whatsoever with your previous posts, so if you want to write about less high-minded things, you'll have at least one reader.
Wowed by advertising? Yup. Just look at what happens at our house...people actually WATCH the commercials. A certain someone does not like them muted. Another certain someone can repeat verbatim ads after seeing them once or twice - and he's only 6. People kind of go catatonic in front of the box...I completely agree with the lecturer. If you do it right, you can SELL anything - from pet rocks, to Kim Jong Il to rebellion.
Gotta go read to you know who...see you in an hour or so - figuratively.
I agree, Mrs. M. The tube is magic. People will watch anything you put on it, and I'm saying that as someone who would still watch The Price Is Right every day if he could (and yes, that does mean I used to do just that). Also, I think BAD advertisements can turn people off of products at least as well as good ads can make it appeal to them.
Interesting debate here. Shall I tell you what we discussed today in our "sex in advertising" session? or not.
Keep up the good posting. Say what you want m'girl.
Well, got to run and see if the Tigers got any hits (they're behind 2-0 right now).
sadly no, they only had 3 hits the whole game (and casey got two of 'em). sigh. maybe tonight with bonderman pitching we'll actually have a game. Zoom-Zoom was pitching crazy fast but 3 walks in a row man....ouch!
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