Hyperbole

by Vic Neptune

It’s a sign that I watch too much YouTube when thumbnail descriptions stand out as minor irritations, especially when many of them don’t correspond to their videos’ contents. A typical example might say that So-and-So (some interviewer for example) destroys or crushes or obliterates a guest arguing a controversial viewpoint. These exaggerated verbs put us into the professional wrestlers’ ring,
where the language of spectacle dominates.

I saw a thoughtful video recently which argued that Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, the former professional wrestler and current massively muscled movie star, is not really an actor because in every film he’s in he essentially plays himself. The video did not “destroy” Dwayne Johnson, but it did offer well-reasoned critical analysis of a popular movie star’s career and lack of acting depth, while acknowledging the star’s charisma.

I watched Commando (1985), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like Johnson, Schwarzenegger is himself on screen. Going after his kidnapped daughter, he manages to machine gun about a hundred people, suffering just one bullet wound in his arm, and it makes sense, within the movie’s context, because he’s Arnold Schwarzenegger and the film is the near-equivalent, reality-wise, of a pro wrestling match.

Our culture, perhaps, is built for hyperbole. Flyovers of fighter jets accompanying performances of “The Star Spangled Banner” at NFL games don’t even seem out of place for many people. Political rallies featuring unsavory candidates rolling in campaign contributions are presented as normal events, though characterized by the utterance of much bullshit. The term “Breaking News” on cable news channels often fails to live up to the idea that whatever the anchor has to say has any bearing on almost everyone’s lives.

A little while ago, looking out of my front windows, I saw a crow land on a fence, stand there for a minute, then fly away. Watching the whole event, small and seemingly unimportant as it was, I knew I wasn’t watching “Breaking News,” but I knew I was watching reality unfold. I find that watching the activities of an animal can calm my mind, bringing with it the peacefulness that focus provides.

But inside my television set, what about how some White House spokesperson got punk’d? Or how RFK, Jr. swam in filth? Is it over for Elon Musk? Is that a sensible question for a thumbnail to ask of a man with a net worth of nearly half a trillion dollars? Should we be worried about Elon Musk? Is flying safe? Is being alive safe? Can I finish my shower before the water gets cold?

And then there are overused words, like amazing, tremendous, awesome, incredible. Amazing, for instance, implies something causing wonder, even astonishment. Moses climbs Mount Sinai, comes across a bush on fire though it’s not consumed. A voice emanates from it. I’m not suggesting this actually happened, I’m not suggesting it didn’t happen, I’m just pointing out that Moses’ encounter with the bush on Mount Sinai is an example of something amazing. A beer that tastes good is not amazing. Many different kinds of beer taste good. A deity speaking to a prophet out of a plant doesn’t happen every day.

I’ve been accused, usually by friends, of nitpicking about language. I do have a sense of humor about it. I don’t try to correct how people talk. It is simply the fact that I’ve been writing for a long time. I care about language, I care how it’s used. It bothers me when the meanings of words are corrupted or used deceptively with intent to alter minds. Mainstream news media use language to gaslight in attempts to warp our senses of reality, causing what I believe to
be the real much speculated about simulation, or matrix: the creation of false belief systems in the public for political and economic gain.

Hyperbolic statements by representatives of the press, by those in politics and big business, do a disservice to our intelligence. To speak and write about things and events and people and animals, and whatever else, as they are, serves better to balance our perceptions, with an appreciation for what is real in our experiences of the world, and the fascination resulting from such insights.