If you’ve been following the news in the USA, you know the nation is divided into those who believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and those who know for a fact it wasn’t.
Don’t worry, I won’t get into politics too much, but I’m using this is as an example of how I feel the truth doesn’t seem to matter as much as it used to. Under the guise of “free speech,” influencers peddle unfounded conspiracy theories that reach millions of gullible people. Some of these people have gone as far as to storm the U.S. Capitol building, or say that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.
How is this even possible?
Well, psychological research has shown over and over again, that -in order for people to believe something- it merely has to be PLAUSIBLE, instead of FACTUAL.
When something sounds and looks convincing and probable, a lot of people are likely to accept it as reality, especially if those people have not been trained in critical thinking, and what is put forward as THE truth already jibes with what they believe, particularly when this information comes from an authority figure they trust.
This doesn’t only apply to politics.
If in a commercial you see an actor with a low voice wearing glasses and a spotless white doctor’s coat, a majority of people are more likely to believe what he is saying about a certain medication. It doesn’t matter if his claims end up being false or exaggerated.
As (voice) actors, one of our main jobs is to be credible (“credo” means “I believe”). We are paid to sound trustworthy and convincing, even when we’re asked to read utter nonsense. The difference between a voice actor and a politician is that a voice actor is paid to pretend, and we expect politicians to be truthful.
In other words, the actor has an excuse. The politician does not. The actor is not responsible for the script, but the politician can and must be held accountable for his communications.
This, in my opinion, does not give a (voice) actor carte blanche to help spread falsehoods. In fact, the VO who uses his or her talent to spread lies to make a few bucks, is a complicit enabler.
If you think all of this doesn’t matter, or doesn’t apply to you, you underestimate the power of words and their ability to manipulate and poison people’s minds. Misinformation and disinformation spreads faster than truth. Luckily, words also have the ability to heal, encourage, and inspire.
As professional communicators, you and I help shape people’s perception of reality and what they believe to be true. This is a huge responsibility.
Please use it ethically, and use it wisely.
Words are powerful things!
I think you give politicians way too much credit, assuming they ‘have to be truthful.’
No one calls them on it, no one polices their statements, and misinformation massively comes from some of them.
I don’t “assume” politicians to be truthful. I expect them to be. The news media and fact checkers constantly call them on their statements and hold them accountable. We have an election coming up. As far as I’m concerned, that is a definitive reckoning when it comes to a politician’s integrity, moral standing, and truthfulness.
What Stephen Colbert, on The Colbert Report, called “truthiness” — the quality of sounding true even if it isn’t … which his character claimed is close enough.
I once wrote an article on telephone spam, wondering who recorded the often very professional sounding announcements. The person I interviewed at the FTC said she had no idea, but suspected they had been recorded before 2008, when phone spam was made illegal. Somehow, I doubt that. But every time I get such a call, I wonder, “What was he or she thinking?”
There is a lighter side to plausibility. Walt Disney explained that of course Mickey Mouse, pitching a ball game, can’t take off like a helicopter if he does a long, fast windup. But … maybe? Disney said plausibility was the essential ingredient. He called it The Plausible Impossible.
If only some politicians weren’t so much like dark cartoons.
Good points! In order to enjoy cartoons and enjoy any kind of acting, we have to temporarily suspend disbelief. We have to buy into the fact that -even though we know someone is pretending- we still believe the performer isn’t performing.
Here’s the astonishing thing: even though everything we see on the screen is staged and one big lie, we respond to it as if it were true. Consequently, it didn’t matter to the mob that stormed the Capitol building that Trump rallied them with a big lie. They chose to believe it, and act accordingly. In fact, many STILL believe the 2020 election was stolen.
The number of times I’ve been despondent that a movie character had died. I come out of it by reminding myself that the actor lived. And, usually, so did the author.
Hear hear ! I feel that I should print your posts and blu-tack them around my studio.
Thank you, Marcus. One day I’ll put them in a book you can put on a shelf. That’s less messy.
The Bible tells us that the Devil comes masquerading as an Angel of Light. What better disguise than to come in a form of trust and a beacon of hope? Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Like Alex Jones and Sandy Hook. Like MAGAts and a stolen election. Perfect allegory. Great article to remind us of the necessity of focusing on how important what we say really truly is. The tongue has the power of life and death.
Well said, Paul.
Thank you, Paul. I was watching the Alex Jones trial, and used that as inspiration for this story.
I appreciated they way you used the trial not to massage political grievance, but as a touchstone for considering our ethical considerations as communicators.
Great word and great reminder of our responsibilities in our industry! It’s amazing how definitions of words are getting blurred or skewed. I have twin boys who are 15 and remind them words have meanings and power. These words can show the character of my boys and effect others by the words they choose and how they use them. I pray the choose and use them wisely. Thank you again!
Good point about definitions of words. That’s usually where the misunderstanding starts. Define “success” for instance, or “marriage.” People who are fighting over something often use the same words, but mean very different things.
I deeply believe that we have ethical obligations when it comes to using our voices to literally convince people of something (buy something, believe something, do something). I’m still figuring out what those obligations are for me. I don’t want to feel shame hearing myself promoting something I find objectionable in the name of pursuing my career. It’s a dilemma for sure!