Media 101: The Art of Perception
BY: Joe Dan Gorman
Originally published at BoilingtheFrogs.wordpress.com, republished here with permission from the author.
“And THAT Virginia is how we ended up with a Marxist in the White House…”
“As conservatives, we embrace the rational. We embrace tradition. We don’t re-write history, we learn from it. We know lower taxes generate increased revenues. We see socialism’s undeniable track-record of failure after documented failure. And we LIKE this One Nation Under God business, too. Oh, and we cherish freedom.
Our arguments are so rational, so fact-based and so foolproof that the left is reduced to quivering puddles of childish behaviors, name-calling and smear tactics, even at the highest levels of our government. Yet, time and time again we lose in the arena of public opinion.
Why? Because perception trumps reality every time.
For reasons I cannot fathom, Conservatives continue to dismiss, ignore, and/or simply do not grasp the massive power of media-driven perceptions, especially when it’s deliberately and masterfully intertwined with emotion. Because when it is all said and done, reality means nothing when perception controls. [see Obama, global warming, green energy, et al].
On the other hand, the disciples of Saul Alinsky know this, so well.
Conservatives need to wake up to the fact that it’s the Entertainment media NOT the News media that actually shapes society. For decades, newscasters demonized the primary pillars of our free America -God and Capitalism.
Today, a “God-fearing American” is absurdly and slanderously portrayed as a dangerous hair-trigger redneck psycho incapable of grasping scientific concepts and perpetually existing on the verge of a psychotic break. Conversely, in an obscene twist of social norms, the most revered Americans icons today are lesbians with badges, gender-neutral dancers, and undocumented Mexicans.
But who needs facts when you have an agenda, and you own the media? The only thing you need is the ability to generate manufactured concepts because manipulated perception is more real than reality.
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America en masse will never look to Rush Limbaugh or Fox News for their latest trends, fads, hobbies, or styles, and they are not listening to AM Radio.
It’s the entertainment media that dominates the consciousness of America’s leisure time. It’s the entertainment media that is associated with fun. And, it’s the entertainment media that Americans hang out with on the weekends. Heck, they even go to the beach together. It’s the same entertainment media that has become a no-dissent-allowed-mired-in-leftism social club which blacklists anyone that is openly Christian or conservative. In the meantime, Conservatives are content with a tiny piece of the media pie, à la AM radio and Fox News, while the largest sector of the populace consumes Primetime TV. We ignore it, unless, of course, we’re sitting there watching it with a big-a** bowl of buttered popcorn. A better example of boiling the frogs can be found nowhere else in society than media consumption.
So much outrage, so little time. From squandering our children’s future, open borders, and government bans on using our own energy, to teachers’ unions singing hymns to Obama, global-warming hysteria, excessive taxation, oppressive regulation, and everything in-between, suddenly we find ourselves with an unmanageable number of individual fires that need to be put out.
But what good is trying to extinguish each individual fire if we ignore the arsonist with the unlimited supply of gasoline?
Conservatives continue to feed this liberal media beast by standing in their ticket lines, clicking on their websites, watching their videos as well as their TV channels, and buying their music because we simply see these behaviors as normal.
In this digital world every individual action is calculated, classified, interpreted, and monetized. In other words, whether with your remote control or with your computer mouse, clicks are cash, and at the very least, when we access the mainstream entertainment media we generate advertising revenue for the very people who openly oppose and actively attack our fundamental belief system. That translates to conservative clickers as willing dupes promoting liberal politicians and agendas.
Conservatives must consciously avoid seeking entertainment from traditional left-leaning sources and instead embrace talent and news from like-minded travelers.
Interactive internet IS the future of TV. Conservatives can get a leg up on this new media. The time has come to accept our computer as a primary source of entertainment.
“But that socialist has such a cute butt!”
“She might be a communist, but I LOVE her voice!”
“That atheist is so funny.”
CASE STUDY: Jay Leno (Please take the accompanying poll at BoilingtheFrogs.com). It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t have a favorable opinion of Jay Leno – very funny guy and seemingly innocuous, but his employer NBC/General Electric has become one of the most corrupt corporations on the planet with its tentacles stretching from Communist China to (and through) the Obama Administration. While owing billions in unpaid taxes, they’re packing up and stimulating the Chinese economy with new jobs and capital investment. You know…kind of like GM did with Cadillac.” (END)
H/T to you, Joe Dan, for allowing me to host your article here at Ole Glory News.
“Annuit Coeptis” ~ Amen
Tags: Conservatives, Obama, power, Saul Alinsky
Comments (1)
Mr. Gorman is spot on. I learned of what he speaks from a real Christian Conservative who walked the talk: my father. He was not only my father but also my pastor and spiritual mentor. I remember when he was called by God to the ministry, he told me, “Joni, we will not be going to movies anymore. We will not be contributing one dollar of our money to those who live such unbecoming, un-Christ-like lifestyles in Hollywood.”
Now, I must say, I thought he had gone off the deep end, especially when I became a teen and all my friends were going to the movies. When I was 16 and finally allowed to date, my dates had a difficult time understanding why I couldn’t go to a movie—well, that is if they passed the muster to get a date—my father had a strict criteria for dates as well.
In retrospect, as an adult Conservative woman, I completely understand him. I wholeheartedly admire him and his stance. I might add that he would not allow us to watch t.v. shows such as “All in the Family” or any show that vaguely cloaked anti-patriotism, poked fun at traditional family values, contained profanity, and the like. If Conservatives, myself included, put on the true mantle of Conservatism, we could shut down the Hollywood entertainment media; however, we’ve been lulled into thinking there is a difference in entertainment and reality. My father knew the truth—-he knew the liberal game plan. Conservatives–true Conservatives—need to put their money where their mouths are! But, first, they have to open their eyes!!!