The narratives about narratives thread

[BiggusDickus]

@Malasang88

@BiggusDickus

Do you want another side of the argument?

I will welcome all sides of the argument. Let’s just not attribute any argument or perspective as being inherently an American value. Or try to argue that if others disagree with us on this board its because they aren’t American.

All too often the argument here is made that Americans are by nature this way or that. We are not a monolith and have varying perspectives all across the spectrum.

I do not appreciate when others try to tell me that owning a plethora of guns, or federalism, or not trusting government, or opposing anything “socialist” are American as apple pie. They aren’t. We have always had different perspectives throughout our history. The Right wing does not speak for all of us.

Generalisations about Americans is another topic of discussion, isn’t it? What does it have to do with the use of the word narrative?

[Malasang88]

@BiggusDickus

Generalisations about Americans is another topic of discussion, isn’t it? What does it have to do with the use of the word narrative?

The word narrative is being used as a generalization to present whatever stereotype the OP wishes to convey. I copied my response to another thread that was going on at the same time but closed by the mod. It irks me when people also use generalizations to say their point of view is distinctly American, while others views aren’t. So I’m basically I’m agreeing with you that it is not conducive to constructive conversation, and I dont have high hopes for any thread with “narrative” in the title.

[Mithrandir]

[quote=“BiggusDickus, post:20, topic:193734, full:true”]

@Mithrandir

@BiggusDickus

@Mithrandir

News media in the US have, more and more, moved away from dispassionate reporting on events and towards crafting a specific narrative for news. Of course, news was never completely impartial or free from bias…it can never be. But much of the pretense regarding reporting has been completely shed.

I think use of the term is mostly very direct.
[/quote]

I’m not buying into this. Because other people are being indirect that makes it OK? No, I’ll continue to be direct.

I’m not sure how you get to “[b]ecause other people are being indirect that makes it ok”. That’s quite obviously not my argument.

Your argument wasn’t obvious to me. I read your post as saying that the media is indirect, which in relation to this thread suggests a justification for obfuscation.

I’m not sure why you keep inserting the word “indirect” into my argument.

[yyy]

@BiggusDickus

Has this come up before? Sorry, I honestly hadn’t noticed.

What’s up with all the “what’s up with all the stuff” stuff?

[BiggusDickus]

[quote=“Mithrandir, post:23, topic:193734, full:true”]

@BiggusDickus

@Mithrandir

@BiggusDickus

@Mithrandir

News media in the US have, more and more, moved away from dispassionate reporting on events and towards crafting a specific narrative for news. Of course, news was never completely impartial or free from bias…it can never be. But much of the pretense regarding reporting has been completely shed.

I think use of the term is mostly very direct.
[/quote]

I’m not buying into this. Because other people are being indirect that makes it OK? No, I’ll continue to be direct.

I’m not sure how you get to “[b]ecause other people are being indirect that makes it ok”. That’s quite obviously not my argument.

Your argument wasn’t obvious to me. I read your post as saying that the media is indirect, which in relation to this thread suggests a justification for obfuscation.

I’m not sure why you keep inserting the word “indirect” into my argument.

I think we’re missing each other’s point here. Or, at least, I am.

[Mithrandir]

OK, I’ll try again. When people use the word “narrative” to describe coverage of an event or series of events, they are often talking about the story that people are telling about the event(s) as opposed to the actual truth of the event(s).

[tempogain]

Narrative means story, so that makes sense. I guess it gives more of a sense of an element-by-element progression than “story” does.

[BiggusDickus]

@Mithrandir

OK, I’ll try again. When people use the word “narrative” to describe coverage of an event or series of events, they are often talking about the story that people are telling about the event(s) as opposed to the actual truth of the event(s).

It’s a code word. I get it now. The “narrative about…” threads basically mean “I think it’s bullshit”.

[Malasang88]

@Mithrandir

OK, I’ll try again. When people use the word “narrative” to describe coverage of an event or series of events, they are often talking about the story that people are telling about the event(s) as opposed to the actual truth of the event(s).

We get it but in reality the media is a cacophony of different voices. So presenting a narrative is a gross over simplification with the intent of tailoring or manipulating the discussion one way or the other. If you somehow don’t agree with a coordinated narrative as truth, then condescension follows. There are other ways to have a discussion then starting on the basis that others must buy into a narrative being coordinated and pushed by George Soros, Tupac and Seth Rich or whoever the pick of the week is. Obama probably.

[Mithrandir]

@BiggusDickus

@Mithrandir

OK, I’ll try again. When people use the word “narrative” to describe coverage of an event or series of events, they are often talking about the story that people are telling about the event(s) as opposed to the actual truth of the event(s).

It’s a code word. I get it now. The “narrative about…” threads basically mean “I think it’s bullshit”.

No. Narratives can be true. The point is it is focusing on a story, not the truth or newsworthiness.

For example, the press pushes a narrative that Trump is a lying sack of shit every chance they get. Of course, Trump is a lying sack of shit. So the narrative is true. A thread which focuses on the narrative around this is focusing on the story, how it is told, how it is framed, etc.

[yyy]

@Malasang88

Obama probably.

Obama definitely. We’ll be hearing about him for hundreds of years. You have no idea how important he is!

[yyy]

@Mithrandir

A thread which focuses on the narrative around this is focusing on the story, how it is told, how it is framed, etc.

It’s a beautiful theory. In practice, as noted earlier, some people perceive a tendency for threads (on this site) with the word “narratives” in the title to be… not quite all that. The fact that they all (except this thread) come from one person might have something to do with it.

[Mithrandir]

@yyy

@Mithrandir

A thread which focuses on the narrative around this is focusing on the story, how it is told, how it is framed, etc.

It’s a beautiful theory. In practice, as noted earlier, some people perceive a tendency for threads (on this site) with the word “narratives” in the title to be… not quite all that. The fact that they all (except this thread) come from one person might have something to do with it.

I shouldn’t have used the word “thread”…perhaps “discussion” would have been better. It becomes a circular logic, but it still seems accurate to me.