Have we reached peak BS?
Asked by
ETpro (
34605
)
June 5th, 2013
“Your call is important to us.” That familiar line, programmed into call answering robots by people so uninterested in your call they have bought a robot to answer for them, is such obvious BS there’s been a book written with that lie as its title. When do we get so sick of swallowing BS we regurgitate when fed it? This speech addresses this BS proliferation in a fascinating manner. It’s a commencement address like none I’ve heard before, delivered by stand-up comic and former Obama speechwriter, Jon Lovett. Yeah, it’s 17 minutes long, but listen and I think you’ll agree that hearing it is time well spent. And Jon’s speech does a masterful job of providing the details for the question, “Have we reached Peak BS?”
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14 Answers
No. Not even close.
There is always room for more BS. It is like a pail that never fills. The gift that keeps on giving.
BS evolves, too. This year’s BS may be next year’s fact, and a whole new style of BS may evolve.
We will never, even in a thousand years, reach “peak BS”.
As long as it’s “easier” (in the short term) to pretend everything’s fine, the BS bar will continue to leap upwards, dolphin-like. People may be fed up and stressed out, but standing up and calling BS often puts a lovely bright target on you, and most people don’t want to risk that.
I heard about this on NPR and found it fascinating. I’m glad you posted the link so I can now hear the whole thing. And to answer your question, no, with all the ways we now have now to spread it, there’s no stopping the BS tsunami.
@serenade – while the Pitzer information is fascinating, what does it have to do with the question?
Denno if it’s the peak of bullshit, but it sure is bullshit. It angers me to no end when I’m being called and it’s a robot, and then it asks that I stay on the line. I usually hang up. If it’s important enough, they’ll get an agent to call me. If I’m being asked to hold by a real person, then all right. But if it’s a bot from the start, fuck em.
I’m not sure if we’ve reached peak anything but if he was a speech writer for Obama, he certainly is an expert on Bullshit.
Frank Zappa said it so well:
I am gross and perverted
Im obsessed n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little had changed
I am the tool of the government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you
I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think Im delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin out
From your tv set
You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don’t need you
Don’t got for help…no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold
There is no such thing as peak BS. There are are a lot of people that believe that the level of BS has somehow increased, but I disagree with that too. The past also had a lot of BS.
@syz Erick Erickson’s face bothers me…It looks like his mouth was animated on after the fact. What a moron…
The BS you talk about is hypocrisy manifesting itself and there has always been lots of it. It used to come from the church and from government now it also comes from companies and the bigger they are the more guilty they are. While we can recognise it and talk about it there is still hope.
There’s always a new generation who has never heard it. It you have reached the point of “I’ve heard it all before” you have arrived.
@elbanditoroso, you know, I’m contented enough that you are fascinated with the information.
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