William Lutz | Book Presentations
William Lutz, author and professor of English at Rutgers University in New Jersey, spoke about his book, The New Doublespeak: Why No One Knows What Anyone’s Saying Any More. In it he argues that there is a communications crisis in the U.S. He read several examples of how misleading language affects our lives and explained how citizens can act against such misrepresentations. He also took questions from the audience.
Have you ever been confused when politicians refer to a tax increase as revenue enhancement, or when your boss says you’re not fired, you’re transitioned or uninstalled? Then you’ve been a victim of doublespeak. Doublespeak is language that is evasive, deceptive, self-contradictory, or misleading. Doublespeak turns lies told by politicians into strategic misrepresentations, reality augmentation, or terminological inexactitudes. Killing enemy soldiers is a simple matter of servicing the target, after which the bodies of the dead are called decommissioned aggressor quantum. After being treated with doublespeak, ordinary sewage sludge becomes regulated organic nutrients that do not sink but merely exceed the odor threshold.
In this lively sequel to his bestselling Doublespeak: From Revenue Enhancement to Terminal Living, William Lutz exposes the latest doublespeak that permeates what passes for communication in our society. Lutz shows that the pervasive use of doublespeak in our society is contributing to a communications crisis. We may think we know what we’re saying to each other, but too often we don’t. Worse, we continue on our way believing that we really do know what we’re saying and hearing. Lutz combats doublespeak by dissecting how it works and how it affects us as individuals, a society, and a nation, and how it affects the way we see ourselves and the world.
Most important, Lutz explains why we don’t have to feel powerless in the face of such language, explaining that there are a great number of things we can do to fight doublespeak and bring to account those who persist in using it. He details how our schools can teach our children to detect doublespeak, as well as equip them with the means to counter its effects in their lives. He reveals how we can become critical consumers of language, how we can start a language-consumers’ movement to demand clear communication, and how we can hold responsible those who use irresponsible language.
Speaker | William Lutz, Professor of English in Rutgers University
Hosting Organization | Borders Books and Music in Chicago
TV Program | About Books on C’SPAN
Share this post