Do you want to know something that pisses me off?
Plagiarism. So, let's talk about it!
A good rule of thumb to follow when writing a nonfiction piece, whether it be a script for a video or an essay is that no more than 30% of the work you have created should be quotes, and NONE of it should be words ripped directly from another source without attribution.
Let me break down a ten minute video that is almost entirely plagiarized.
As an aside, am I ready to go to war a little bit? Yes, yes, I am. This person is a bigoted menace who claims to be in favor of ethical business practices. You know what's not ethical? Plagiarism.
Also, she threatened my kids again, and I'm just done with it. I'm done sitting back and hoping she'll go away.
Here's the link of the video I'm looking at:
Interestingly enough, this video seems to be an indirect response to a video talking about how Beth's behavior fits the BITE model for a cult leader. You can watch that video here:
Anyway, let me break down this script.
I will quote her script, then link where the text actually came from. You'll find that almost her entire script was plagiarized from other sources, and you can see in her video description, she didn't attribute any articles whatsoever.
I suggest watching her video and reading the text from the links provided to really get the full measure of her theft.
The first section of plagiarized material starts at 00:00 and runs until 02:58. This text was lifted from a Wikipedia. Click on the text to see the full text.
"A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, is the result of an effort which is made to create an idealized and heroic image of a leader by a government, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Historically, it has developed through techniques of mass media, propaganda, fake news, spectacle, the arts, patriotism, and government-organized demonstrations and rallies. A cult of personality is similar to apotheosis, except that it is established by modern social engineering techniques, usually by the state or the party in one-party states and dominant-party states. A cult of personality often accompanies the leader of a totalitarian or authoritarian countries. It can also be seen in some monarchies, theocracies, and failed democracies."
"The advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web in the 21st century has renewed the personality cult phenomenon. Disinformation via social media platforms and the twenty-four hour news cycle has enabled the widespread dissemination and acceptance of deceptive information and propaganda. As a result, personality cults have grown and remained popular in many places, corresponding with a marked rise in authoritarian government across the world" and social medias (she added those three words there).
"The term "cult of personality" probably appeared in English around 1800–1850, along with the French and German use. At first, it had no political connotations, but was instead closely related to the Romanticist "cult of genius". The first political use of the phrase appeared in a letter from Karl Marx to German political worker Wilhelm Blos dated to November 10, 1877."
The next section of plagiarism runs from 02:58 until 08:53. This text was lifted from a VeryWell article. Click on the text to see the full article.
"The real or imagined qualities of the charismatic leader that are established through mass media may start to establish a cult of personality, but it’s ultimately the response of potential followers that makes a personality cult possible."
"While the overarching mission led by a charismatic leader—such as bringing about a new utopia—is often so lofty that it’s unrealistic, follower support is typically built on the inclusion of more realistic, practical goals—such as better wages or less competition for jobs—that will help followers imagine an improved future."
"In a cult of personality, the leader solidifies and legitimizes his authority through media manipulation and propaganda that causes followers to believe the leader is the only one who can achieve the stated mission. However, followers’ ongoing belief and devotion to a personality cult isn’t sustained by its leader and mission alone. It’s also membership in the group and loyalty to the other group members that maintain their loyalty."
She basically plagiarized the entire article, and I don't want to be accused of the same, so I will let y'all click through and read it if you want.
The last section (starting at 08:53) seems to be in her own words, however.
There are approximately 1200 words in this "script" and only about 100 of those words were original in any way.
Not so ethical, in my opinion, and downright disrespectful to the people who actually put in the work.
