Lakoff Response

In Lakoff's chapter, Language: The Power We Love to Hate, I found it interesting how she spoke about the Americans fascination with seemingly frivolous television and media. She begins her chapter with a list of popular stories in the news over the last couple years. Among them are the death of Princess Diana, sex in the Oval Office and the Nancy Kerrigan/Tanya Harding faceoff. Although I don't believe Lakoff is saying that American media ignores more global or important issues, I think she is saying that Americans are more interested in the salacious, gossipy stories in real life.

Is it our fault for being interested in these stories? Or is it the media's fault for giving these stories so much attention? I think both are at fault, in a way. People get caught up in the dramatics of these stories because they're fun; it's the same as when people read tabloids as they enter the checkout line. It's easy. And after a long day at work, it's much easier to sit down and listen to a fascinating story about how the president is having sex with someone he shouldn't be than to be drained out by a story about how many people are dying in the Iraq War. But news channels are also at fault for giving in to the easy stories they know people will listen to simply to gain ratings. News isn't supposed to be fun; it's informative.

But in the end, I think as a public, we're going to pay for these choices. Lakoff explains that language details who has the ability to make meaning for everyone. Well, in our society, the meaning is made by what we deem important. And when the most popular news stories are gossipy and salacious, that is where meaning is being made. Our society will care less and less about global issues such as poverty and economic development in third world countries, or even poverty here in the US, because we already have meaning in stories that make us feel better about ourselves, or even worse, just amuse us. So what other time do we have to think about other stuff? Now if you ask me, that's dangerous.