Interests from Chapters 1 & 2 plus Question
I was really interested with the way the book talked about the formation of the many modern handbooks and usage manuals and how the idealized version's purpose was, "to propagate the ideals of gentlemenly culture...of regularity and order and exact logic." This idea of relating to a specific culture that was at that time (the 17th century) not savy in the way of such a high order.
Question:
How important do feel grammar is in the area of propoganda and advertising? Is it something that you pay attention to during the day as you are bombarded by ads?
posted by theoperatived @ 9:37 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Personally, I feel that advertising chooses their grammar based on their target audience. For instance, if they wish to market to the Upper Class, typically a white male in our society, they are likely to use a more proper and grammatically correct language to show that their product is for the highly educated. If they are trying to market to the Lower Class, they are likely to use slang and language/grammar that is considered by many to be improper. At the moment, I am unable to give examples of this variance in advertising language, but I know it exists.
It is something I pay attention to, not only in advertisting but on the news. I think the way in which ideas are presented is indicative of the motivation behind them. Advertisements capitalize on the variations that can be used, and so do politicians, orators, or anyone wishing to compel you to act or think a certian way.
Grammar is important in advertizing and propaganda because both of these need to be easily understood if the viewer is to remain interested. The grammar used is not necessarily correct grammar, but rather a common, accessable grammar that speaks to the everyday absorber of information.
I think grammar and language has a profound effect on propaganda and advertising. Certain words carry with them certain connotations that make people feel or think in a specific way and that is what the authors want to achieve. I personally don't pay much attention to them during the day, but I'm sure it has a subconcious effect. I find that I sometimes notice words and grammar more since I have been educated on the intentions of those ads/propaganda.
I am bothered by it all the time. It has to be blatant though. Like, funner. I say that word all the time, but when I see it in magazines, I want to pull my hair out. Maybe most people would agree that most grammatical errors pass by when reading advertisements, but I think it's bad for the advertisement company when they use bad grammar and it's noticeable and stands out. Now on the other hand, what about those times when the grammar is correct, but it still looks wrong? I have no idea what to say about that.
I think that grammar, especially correct spelling is important, but I don't think that the advertising industry thinks that it is. I am always having hissy fits when I see things misspelled. I think that some people read these ads and think that what they see is correct spelling. I know that I have had to correct my sons' spelling because of this. My current pet peeve is the new Will Smith movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness." Can't they just spell happiness the way it's supposed to be spelled?
So, I must admit that I don't pay as much attention to this sort of thing as I should. I'm aware of it, but yet I don't react to it with a critical thought process. When I do pay attention, I am shocked at how much we are manipulated by advertising.
I definitely notice poor grammar in advertising and propaganda, but I think Britta said it best when she stated that adverstising companies consider grammar-audience relationships when they pitch their wares. However, it still irks me when I see things like misplaced apostrophes and other catastrophes.
I think that advertising is all about catching a person's attention and because of this slogans are chosen for their ability to stand out. I think that for this reason slogans have become less grammatically correct in an attampt to attract people's attention with their incorrectness. Not to long ago the slogan for Winston cigarettes was "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should". When this slogan came out it caught the public attention because it used the word "like" instead of "as" which means it was grammatically incorrect. Winston was the foremost seller in cigarettes only a year or two after this slogan. A number of people in my parents' generation will still remember this slogan.
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