"staged"

Tue Jan 15 19:14:29 UTC 2013

Now comes an accusation that the Newtown killings were "staged":

http://www.christianpost.com/news/professor-claims-newtown-shooting-was-likely-staged-87934/

In this case the headline writer *seems* to mean "subjected to intentional
distortion, manipulation, or falsification" rather than "planned and
enacted as though on a stage; done to deceive or mislead."

CNN is also using the word "staged" in regard to this story - which,
frankly, I would not consider "news" any more than I would Baudrillard's
claim that "The Gulf War Did Not Take Place."

JL

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 12:35 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "staged"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Well, no matter how we *rationalize* what we see (and I believe we all
> concur as to what the writer meant to say), the real issue is why on earth
> she used the word "stage."
>
> It wouldn't even occur to me to describe the incident of MacArthur and the
> reporters as "staging a story." I find that utterly misleading and
> factually wrong.
>
> Of course, it might be the result of simple carelessness or, as John
> suggests, an error for "stage-managed" (which would be only slightly
> better, IMO).
>
> But we should be aware of the possibility that a new (and weirder) meaning
> has evolved, including the possibility that "stage" is now being seen as a
> synonym for "stage-manage." (To me, to "stage" in the relevant sense is to
> create falsely (you know, like the moon landing), but "stage-manage" is to
> manipulate (the actual details of a performance or the like). ("The
> senator's speech was carefully stage-managed: no Confederate flags were
> allowed on the podium.")
>
> I think it's of interest because of the postmodernist confusion (or
> affectation) that nothing is ever what it appears to be, no way no how, and
> that the rulers of the world fool us (but not the postmodernists) at every
> turn.
>
> JL
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "staged"
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I read it to mean that the stories were stage-managed, not the landing
> > itself.
> >
> > I believe the reporters were at MacArthur's Command Center, where the
> > information would be heavily controlled. The reporters could only report
> > what they were told. They wouldn't actually see much.
> >
> > DanG
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 8:40 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: "staged"
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I thought of this, but even "stage-managed" seems a little too strong:
> > >
> > > "Stories were stage-managed. For example, journalists were invited...."
> > >
> > > To me, to "stage-manage" the landing for the press would rule out fake
> > > tanks, but it would imply, say, specially impressive but unnecessary
> > > activity where the journalists would be sure to see it. It implies
> > > manipulation of the actual story ("event") rather than the way the
> event
> > > will be reported, which is clearly what the writer wants to say.
> > >
> > > In this particular case, the whole idea seems to be confused. What is
> > meant
> > > is something like,
> > >
> > > "In various ways, journalists were encouraged by the military to report
> > > stories in the most favorable light."
> > >
> > > But either way, "staged" and "stage-managed" are not usually
> synonymous.
> > >
> > > My 2011 post showed a blurring between "staged" and "posed."  As
> > indicated
> > > there, the claim that the Iwo Jima photo was either "posed" or "staged"
> > or
> > >  for the camera is simply false.  (It irritates me because that
> > > quasi-conspiratorial claim has been frequently repeated and accepted as
> > > true.)
> > >
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 10:36 PM, Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
> > > > Subject:      Re: "staged"
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > My guess is that "staged" here is a mistake for, or used as a
> shortened
> > > > form of, "stage-managed" (AHD:  to direct or manipulate from behind
> the
> > > > scenes, as to achieve a desired effect; orchestrate), implying that
> the
> > > > correspondents' reports were meant to be seen as independent
> writings,
> > > but
> > > > were in reality set up to say exactly what MacArthur wanted them to
> > say.
> > > >  If this is correct, there would be no implication that the Inchon
> > > landing
> > > > was less than bona fide, only that the four correspondents' accounts
> of
> > > it
> > > > were untrustworthy.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > John Baker
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> > Behalf
> > > > Of Jonathan Lighter
> > > > Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 6:05 PM
> > > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > > Subject: Re: "staged"
> > > >
> > > > I raised the issue of the meaning of "staged" last year. Here is
> > another
> > > > case.
> > > >
> > > > According to The Korean War: An Encyclopedia_ (Garland, 1995, p.
> 270):
> > > "As
> > > > the war continued to worsen for the U.N. forces the Army desired...to
> > > > control what was reported. The military staged some stories. At the
> > > Inchon
> > > > landing, MacArthur invited four correspondents as his personal
> > > guests...to
> > > > relay the military's official version of the landing."
> > > >
> > > > What the...?  To me this can *only* mean that the Inchon landing was
> > > > planned and carried out solely for the benefit of the four
> > > correspondents,
> > > > with the additional likelihood (like the "staged" Moon landing) that
> > what
> > > > was happening was not entirely real (maybe fake tanks were used) or
> the
> > > > whole operation was designed entirely to deceive.
> > > >
> > > > What the writer means to say, however, must be that "The military
> > > > carefully managed the news it released to the press."
> > > >
> > > > Very different, if you ask me.
> > > >
> > > > So what's the deal with "staged"?
> > > >
> > > > JL
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > truth."
> > > >
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> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
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> >
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>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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