"staged"

Tue Jan 15 19:48:06 UTC 2013

Even less amusing:
 http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gene-rosen-sandy-hook-conspiracy-155033813.html<http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gene-rosen-sandy-hook-conspiracy-155033813.html>

Note offhand use of the curious "crisis actor" - new to me.

JL

On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 2:14 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"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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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> > > 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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>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
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