Doublespeak Essay
Rachel Harr
Eric Fish
ENGL 1010: SC2
27 Aug. 2013
Advertising Tricks in Nutrisystem: Doublespeak
Societies are ever-changing and influence on this shift come from all directions. Regular people, media, and even government officials try to make an impact on culture. One of the ways people effect societies is through doublespeak. Advertisements, campaigns, and commercials use this approach to mislead consumers. Though many linguists have tried to define doublespeak, William Lutz provides a simple interpretation in his book Doublespeak:
Doublespeak is language that pretends to communicate but really doesn’t. It is language that makes the bad seem good, the negative appear positive, the unpleasant appear attractive or at least tolerable. Doublespeak is language that avoids or shifts [someone’s] responsibility [. . .]. It is language that conceals or prevents thoughts; rather than extending thought, doublespeak limits it. (1)
Doublespeak is a technique everyone falls victim to but not everyone is aware of the harmfulness. Images and advertisements online and on television are common mediums for doublespeak. Nutrisystem is a weight loss program that appears to be a miracle; however, this system is as deceitful as Hitler himself. A meticulous inspection of Nutrisystem will expose the method of doublespeak: as a result of this deception, body image becomes a major concern.
Images used in advertisements can be pictures, actors and actresses, cartoons, drawn illustrations, and attention-grabbing font. At Nutrisystem.com, the homepage features the actress Melissa Joan Hart with the title “Look who lost weight on Nutrisystem!” The title is expressed in all capital letters, large font, and is shown with blue lettering to grab the reader’s attention. Also on the Nutrisystem website is a tab containing success stories. After clicking on this tab, one would expect to see stories and facts, but surprisingly the page is filled with pictures of happy-go-lucky, smiling people. The
Eric Fish
ENGL 1010: SC2
27 Aug. 2013
Advertising Tricks in Nutrisystem: Doublespeak
Societies are ever-changing and influence on this shift come from all directions. Regular people, media, and even government officials try to make an impact on culture. One of the ways people effect societies is through doublespeak. Advertisements, campaigns, and commercials use this approach to mislead consumers. Though many linguists have tried to define doublespeak, William Lutz provides a simple interpretation in his book Doublespeak:
Doublespeak is language that pretends to communicate but really doesn’t. It is language that makes the bad seem good, the negative appear positive, the unpleasant appear attractive or at least tolerable. Doublespeak is language that avoids or shifts [someone’s] responsibility [. . .]. It is language that conceals or prevents thoughts; rather than extending thought, doublespeak limits it. (1)
Doublespeak is a technique everyone falls victim to but not everyone is aware of the harmfulness. Images and advertisements online and on television are common mediums for doublespeak. Nutrisystem is a weight loss program that appears to be a miracle; however, this system is as deceitful as Hitler himself. A meticulous inspection of Nutrisystem will expose the method of doublespeak: as a result of this deception, body image becomes a major concern.
Images used in advertisements can be pictures, actors and actresses, cartoons, drawn illustrations, and attention-grabbing font. At Nutrisystem.com, the homepage features the actress Melissa Joan Hart with the title “Look who lost weight on Nutrisystem!” The title is expressed in all capital letters, large font, and is shown with blue lettering to grab the reader’s attention. Also on the Nutrisystem website is a tab containing success stories. After clicking on this tab, one would expect to see stories and facts, but surprisingly the page is filled with pictures of happy-go-lucky, smiling people. The