Simplicity Revisited

If I tried really hard I might establish a media niche for myself as The Simplicity Guy. That is, I would be dragged out of mothballs and limoed to a studio a few times a year to restate the obvious: The primary bias of our news media is simplicity. I would be The Simplicity Guy with all the perks that accompany title. Never mind, that my message could be reduced to one sentence and I would share screen with airheads who are slaves to the maxim. I would still cash in. Hey, "The Peter Principle" could be expressed in one sentence but that didn't slow book sales.

At this point I recycle a prior post. Read it if you like and I won't rehash my position on the subject.
http://obotomy.blogspot.com/2009/06/three-universal-biases-of-news-media.html

I contend that there exists a dominant moral orthodoxy that is more persuasive than the religious orthodoxies it has supplanted. The new ethic can be called Media Orthodoxy. It is promoted by media members in good standing and those members are devout practioners of the moral code. Other religions might have trouble reigning in dissidents but the Media Orthodoxy is still overwhelmingly staffed by the faithful.

Media Orthodoxy is premised on simplicity. This cannot be overstated. As ridiculous as it might sound, profound social change can be jump started by the simple reduction of syllables. Case in point, homosexuality.

In the 1960's vice squads patrolled places where people met for same sex contact. Arrests were made. Careers were ruined. There was public humiliation and sometimes even suicide. ] "In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. The American Psychological Association Council of Representatives followed in 1975." (Source is Wikipedia with all the usual disclaimers.)Less than a decade later, GRIDS (Gay Related Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) was renamed AIDS, sodomy was decriminalized and a theme of acceptance permeated the media.

What changed? Perhaps nothing more significant than the quinto syllabic "homosexual" giving way to the monosyllabic "gay." Could it be that simple? Yes it could. The curtain is pulled on the linguistic magic bullet in all of its luster and splendor. In the realm of persuasion, simple is good, simplistic is better.

Before we leave the topic gay acceptance, let us remind ourselves that the cause has endured some setbacks in recent years. The military still bans homosexuality and same sex marrriage has not become the law of the land. There might be a simple explanation for these insurmountable hurdles. In an effort to inject an absurd level of political correctness into the conversation, proponents of gay rights often use terms like "gays and lesbians." In the words of Homer Simpson, "Dohhh!."

I promise I will address media bias, media orthodoxy and the bias for simplicity over and over and over. But for now, let's make it current. The word of the day is "regulation." The Democrats might have stupid voters but their leaders are some of the sharpest minds on the planet. They apply focus groups to isolate favorable words. "Regualtion" has been field tested.

One of the problems with the aforementioned word is that it has positive connotations. We all want to regulate the weight of our bodies, the heat in our homes and the speed of our cars. Regulation can be a good thing. But it also possesses tremendous capacity for euphemism. When Obama talks about regulation, he means control. It is one thing to regulate speed by setting the cruise control mechanism to 65. It is quite another to regulate speed by compressing the offending item into a cube. Given Obama's lust for control, most of his regulating will be heavy handed.

Applying guerrilla linguistic tactics, we should be careful how we counter the pleas for enhanced regulation. Deregulation is the opposite of regulation, isn't it? Not so fast. The extra syllable gives the control freaks the phonetic high ground. It also allows Obama to soften his real ojective: control for control sake.

Let us fight the euphemism and jettison one or two syllables in the process. Don't say regulate. Say control. Don't promote deregulation, but do fight take-overs and power grabs. Think small. Go viral.