Words don't lie, part II: Perception Analyzer reveals no Jack Kennedys at vice presidential debate (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Dennis Baron]

flatlined
____________________
Dennis Baron
Professor of English and Linguistics
Department of English
University of Illinois
608 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801

office: 217-244-0568
fax: 217-333-4321

http://illinois.edu/goto/debaron

read the Web of Language:
http://illinois.edu/goto/weboflanguage







On Oct 3, 2008, at 4:27 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: Words don't lie,              part II: Perception
> Analyzer
>              reveals no Jack Kennedys at vice
> presidential debate
>              (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> So what did the Perception Analyzer do when Biden referred to
> residents
> of Bosnia as "Bosniacs"?
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society
>> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Dennis Baron
>> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 11:29 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Words don't lie, part II: Perception Analyzer
>> reveals no Jack Kennedys at vice presidential debate
>>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Dennis Baron <debaron at ILLINOIS.EDU>
>> Subject:      Words don't lie, part II: Perception Analyzer
>> reveals no Jack
>>              Kennedys at vice presidential debate
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>> -----------------
>>
>> There's a new post on the Web of Language:
>>
>> Words don't lie, part II: Perception Analyzer reveals no Jack
>> Kennedys at vice presidential debate
>>
>> During the first presidential debate last week, CNN used a
>> Perception Analyzer to track audience responses to the
>> candidates. Members of a focus group in Columbus turned the
>> analyzer's dial to the left when they didn't like what they
>> heard, and to the right when they did, which presumes they
>> prefer being right of center. Analysis of the results showed
>> that most of the audience stayed awake for most of the
>> 90-minute-long debate.
>>
>> The network deployed the Perception Analyzer again at the
>> vice presidential debate last night at Washington University
>> in St. Louis, only with a twist: CNN turned it into an IQ
>> meter for Gov. Palin, and a foot-in-mouth detector for Sen. Biden.
>>
>> In the end, though, the technology didn't tell us any more
>> than the candidates did. Palin showed no palpable IQ
>> deficits, though she did once call her opponent Sen. Obiden
>> and she mis-named the general commanding American forces in
>> Afghanistan. Biden outscored her by showing more grasp of
>> concrete detail, while keeping both feet planted firmly on
>> the floor. . . .
>>
>> To no one's surprise, last night in St. Louis neither
>> candidate proved to be Jack Kennedy. Neither even came close
>> to channeling Lloyd Bentsen. Fortunately, neither of them
>> looked to be the next Dick Cheney, either. And former Vice
>> President Quayle held onto his title of "dumber than a sixth
>> grader." . . .
>>
>> read the rest of this post and see pictures of the Perception
>> Analyzer at work on the Web of Language
>>
>>
>> ____________________
>> Dennis Baron
>> Professor of English and Linguistics
>> Department of English
>> University of Illinois
>> 608 S. Wright St.
>> Urbana, IL 61801
>>
>> office: 217-244-0568
>> fax: 217-333-4321
>>
>> http://illinois.edu/goto/debaron
>>
>> read the Web of Language:
>> http://illinois.edu/goto/weboflanguage
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org