unspun

I recently read two books that I just can't seen to get out of my mind. The two books are "Unspun" by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson and the other being "Blink" by Malcom Gladwell. Both these books are similar in the way that they both look at how our mind as well as companies lie to us.

recently after finishing the book unspun i watched the first presidential debate between Romney and Obama. Each politician was trying to put his own spin on the topic to make the other look bad. I personally am an Obama fan and after looking at the debate have seen that Romney was not only rude but inaccurate about his claims. he tried to say that his plan would not cost the U.S. 5 trillion and yet he kept neglecting to say how much it would actually cost. He made claims without backing them up and was completly rude about the time, talking over Obamas speech time not his own.

UnSpun is about the strategies that advertisers and politicians today use to draw people into their products or ideas. It is there to help educate people on false advertising so that they don’t get scammed out of their time and money. After reading UnSpun, I find myself constantly wary of advertisements. The funny part is, I am disappointed with the falsity of them. I want them so badly to be true, and I felt sad that they weren’t. The products that are advertised in today’s world are made out to be wonderful, and I fell for it.

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Currently in my AP English class, we are reading a book called Unspun. I find this book very interesting as it goes into detail about a few of the many tricks and tips to misleading the buyer into giving into their product. This could be both in everyday goods as well as politics. One interesting topic that I decided to do a presentation on was, “The dangling comparative”.  This is when a company claims that their product is larger, better, faster, or better-tasting in order to make their product stand out from their other competitors or previous brands.

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     Dale Peterson's 2010 political campaign for Agriculturer Commissioner of Alabama was one built on what Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson would call "spin."  Spin to them means something "...paints a false picture of reality by bending facts, mischaracterizing the words of others, ignoring or denying crucial evidence, or just 'spinning a yarn' - by making things up" (Unspun, page vii). That is exactly what the political advertisements of Peterson do to convince viewers to vote for him, the better choice.

     There are many types of "spin." This particular advertisement comprises of many types of spin: "If It's Scary, Be Wary," "A Story That's 'Too Good,'" "The Superlatives Swindle," "The Blame Game," and many others. Peterson first of all states that Alabama Agriculture Commissioner is "one of the most powerful positions in Alabama."  The usage of the superlative "most" makes the job sound significant which allows Peterson to go on as to why he is the perfect man for the job.

 Utah has a reputation for not always putting education at the top of their priorities. Governor Herbert was naturally faced with much criticism on the issue. Peter Corroon who was looking to replace the Governor was quick to point out his weakness however his arguments are about to become unspun. 

On Peter Corron's website an article is written about what Corroon wants for Utah. "Education is the key to our enduring freedom, prosperity and self-sufficienty." Inspiring, these words make everyone excited however there is no real plan or specific statement that describes just how Corroon is going to help Utah's education. After using true glittering generalities to describe what Corroon believes Utah needs, the technique is used again but in a negative way. Blast after blast I couldn't help but think "Herbert could care less about education." I had truly been spun. 

In this commercial by the campaigning Mike Lee. We see perfect examples of Glittering Generalities, The Blame Game, and Eye Candy.

I know both parties are guilty of deception in their advertisements, so I just picked one from the side that offends me more. While on the official website for Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), I noticed a handful of tactics described in unSpun, as well as an explicit example from it. The website claimed, among other things, that:

1".Boxer wrote the law to ensure that drinking water standards are set to protect children and other vulnerable populations and fought the Bush Administration’s attempt to allow more arsenic in drinking water. "

As we all read in unSpun, Bush 'allowing more arsenic in drinking water' actually meant Bush trying to reduce the current arsenic levels, just not by as significant a margin as the opposition was hoping for.

Throughout the past few weeks of Decision 2010, America has been subjected to manipulative campaign advertising, from implicit mudslinging to explicit lies concerning policies and opposing candidates. While the elections are over, the deceitful language is far from being confined to the past. Candidates continually use excessively complex or simple language to promote ideas and gain support. Take for example recently elected Utah representative Mike Lee. On his website, he highlights issues he hopes to address.

 Unspun has taught me to be more aware of the information that is fed to me through the media. To truly take information as it is given to you is a dangerous habit, it seems that in our modern polarized world we are constantly bombarded by deceiving information, and the first step to becoming ‘unspun’ is to notice when spinning is taking place.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOrmOvHysdU