Apparently dumbing down America has reached the White House, and no, it did not start with George Bush. One would be inclined to think bad phrases, poorly articulated vision, and plain bad delivery started with the current president. Err, you can't blame the man for everything although you have many good reasons to with a sample like this:
1. "My answer is bring them on." -on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003
2. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Watch video)
3. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." -Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 (Watch video)
4. "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again." -Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Watch video)
Great material for late night comedians the last eight years.
Apparently US Presidents attempted to talk to us at a level we can understand since, well, education standards have been decreasing steadily. In analyzing the reasons Obama speeches are so remarkable, revisited, and turned into songs, Sam Anderson of the New York magazine writes the following:
"A major reason that Obama's rhetoric seems to soar so high is that our expectations have sunk so low. In a new book, The Anti-Intellectual Presidency, Elvin T. Lim subjects all the words ever publicly intoned by American presidents to a thorough statistical analysis-and he finds, unsurprisingly, an alarmingly steady decline. A century ago, Lim writes, presidential speeches were pitched at a college reading level; today, they're down to eighth grade, and if the trend continues, next century's State of the Union addresses will be conducted at the level of "a comic strip or a fifth-grade textbook.""
Might not be the reasons for some of Bush's flaps, but why are they dumbing down the way they talk to us? Because they know the more they dumb it down the more we likely we are to comprehend what they say? Because they think we like when they talk dumb?
Elvin Lim that we like dumb people (presidents) actually and that's why they act like it.
"Our most brilliant presidents, Lim says, often work hard to seem publicly dumb in order to avoid the stain of elitism"
Either we are getting dumber and the presidents adjust to it or they know we like dumb people and act like it. That second one is less plausible. What would reasonably intelligent people admire dumb people?
The majority, the mass, is getting dumber by the year and presidential dialogues are a reflection of the state of the masses.
Why wouldn't they try to fix this? Not the speeches, the education level in the schools? Because using eight grade level rhetoric is a lot easier to, for instance, to explain why there is anti-American sentiment abroad by simply offering: "they hate our way of life."
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Comments: 18
It's better for someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth to talk like a good ol boy than to have someone who came up the hard way speak well. Speaking like you're educated makes you elitist. You can have all the money a privilege you want as long as you don't talk like it.
In Bushes case it's not dumbing down, it's simply superficial thinking. And I've often seen the same with McCain.
In general though, not everyone is articulate, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I would like to think we would want one someone articulate and thoughtful for the most important job in the country/world. I mean, do we really want someone "whom we can have a beer with" running our country?
[BTW, I'm not opposed to sitting down for a beer with the President. But he should be able to communicate without a Bud in his hand as well.]
This dumbing down of America started long ago. When schools stopped teaching art and music. When the newspapers started publishing for a 6th grade level of reading instead of the 8th grade level they used to use. When schools decided that children should be cookie-cutter copies of each other, instead of valuing our differences.
As far as the dumbing down, I agree with Marilyn 100% and believe that the presidents (Dubya aside) responded by talking people at a level they can understand.
Also true that the masses don't like smart people. Smart = Snob, Smart = elitist. That's why we are going to be dumber.
And look how things changed in a few short years. They put their poster child in office and now being dumb is cool and everyone who isn't is a Liberal Elitist. And not only did the public buy into dumb, they embraced it, and promote it.
My history on Gather: I was invited here as a writer, told this was a site for writers and "intelligent discussion". Every writer I know wants critique. They are never satisfied with their work, always strive to get better. So, as I would have done in any other writing community, I offered that usually much-desired critique.
That won me the title Grammar Police and over a year of the nastiest torment you can imagine. Members told me, "your stupid ...... if you dont like it find another place!!!!!!!!" I (and others) published 2,000 word articles and stories. Others published one-line "name a wurd that starts with the letter B" and "check here 4 free razor blades" blurbs. We were flagged and low rated; they made the highest rated, most viewed, and probably highest paid spots.
Gather isn't alone. Look around and you'll see the same everywhere - including the shelves at the chain bookstores.