Dec 13, 2016
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Artist Unknown (2016)
Look in the mirror, America.
In an essay on BillMoyers.com, Gabler writes:
The larger portion of the blame lies with the citizens of the nation that Donald Trump insists only he can make great again. Fake news thrives because there is a lazy, incurious, self-satisfied public that wants it to thrive; because large swaths of that public don’t want news in any traditional sense, so much as they want vindication of their preconceptions and prejudices; because in this post-modernist age, every alleged fact is supposed to be a politico-economic construct, and nothing can possibly be true; and because even rationality now is passé. Above all else, fake news is a lazy person’s news. It provides passive entertainment, demanding nothing of us. And that is a major reason we now have a fake news president.
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler (1978)
An unlikely example of how authority is constructed and contextual.
The lyrics of this song suggest that the singer (the character, not Kenny) knows little about the world of gambling.
Consider the advice the Gambler offers (after bumming a shot of whiskey and a cigarette):
You've got to know when to hold 'em Know when to fold 'em Know when to walk away And know when to run You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done
Every gambler knows That the secret to survivin' Is knowin' what to throw away And knowin' what to keep 'Cause every hand's a winner And every hand's a loser And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep
That’s it? Really? Not only is it generic, it’s the most obvious poker advice ever offered. He seems to be a pretty lame authority on the subject, but the singer seems unfazed, stating:
in his final words I found an ace that I could keep**
The granting of authority when it’s not warranted, suggests that the singer is inexperienced in interpreting the demands of context. If he knew how to evaluate the Gambler’s construction of authority in relation to those demands, he might be able to call BS.
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*The singer’s “poker-face” is also pretty bad. Just listen to what the Gambler says:
Son, I've made a life Out of readin' people's faces Knowin' what the cards were By the way they held their eyes So if you don't mind me sayin' I can see you're out of aces
**I would hope that “ace” was the realization he was hoodwinked, but the repetition of the chorus (3X!) suggests otherwise.
Yes, Prime Minister - The Ministerial Broadcast (1986)
So close to the election, this scene from a BBC sitcom seems appropriate. It’s a great example of how polls can be designed to achieve desired results.
SpongeBob Squarepants - The Camping Episode (2004)
A more complete transcript for context (entire episode available here):
SpongeBob: [to Squidward] It's too dangerous to play the clarinet badly out here in the wilderness! It might attract... a sea bear. Squidward: [in a low, cautious tone] A sea bear? You mean like the ones that... [In an angry tone] DON'T EXIST?! SpongeBob: What are you saying? Squidward: There's no such thing! They're just a myth. SpongeBob: Oh no, Squidward, sea bears are all too real. It says so in the Bikini Bottom Inquirer. [holds up cheesy tabloid newspaper] Squidward: [reads cover story] "I Married a Sea Bear"? Patrick: Yeah! And Fake Science Monthly! [holds up newspaper] Squidward: [reads] "Sea Bears and Fairy Tales Are Real"? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Patrick: Well, maybe it is stupid, but it's also dumb! SpongeBob: Patrick's right, Squidward. Sea bears are no laughing matter. Why, once I met this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's cousin...
A fun way to teach the importance of evaluating the evidence used in making an argument.*
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*Of course, by the end of the episode, everything outrageous thing Spongebob and Patrick tell Squidward turns out to be true.