My book Does This News Make Me Look Fat? is officially launching in a few days, Tuesday the 1st of May starting with Amazon. As friends and peers become aware, they often ask why I wrote it.
As a media executive and consultant, I love media. A love that only grew in my background as a copywriter crafting messaging for many well-known ad campaigns over the years.
The reason I loved what I did, is that I wasn’t the copywriter that was really a failed Hollywood screenwriter. I really enjoyed learning about the power of content and ideas. Advertising was that vehicle. Specifically words and the meanings we attach to those words. The cat-and-mouse game between old words chasing their current meaning and value of those words is the essence of advertising and marketing. And also of my industry’s not-far-removed-and-possibly-inbred-cousin, news. Like both, the words and ideas you use and how you present them can drastically influence how people perceive and respond to any subject. Whether that’s getting you to buy shampoos, policy arguments or what to think about the latest government scandal. Words and ideas have so much power, that I’d love for others to respect their awesome ability in communication as I do. That’s why I wrote Does This News Make Me Look Fat?
One of the best lines about why to respect the words and ideas that we hear comes from the movie V for Vendetta. A mysterious man named “V” whose’ face is hidden in a Guy Fawkes mask, speaks to futuristic Brittan that has become more of a police state in response to a act of terrorism.
V from V from Vendetta says,
“Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. If you believe and understand that, you can understand why the need for control words and the perception of the words we use are so important. If I can control the words you use, I can also control you’re understanding of the truth.”
Sidestep the movie’s identification with a revolutionary, symbolism with the hacker group Anonymous and focus on the lesson. The heart of that message is simple. Understanding and respecting the content you take in is also key to understanding the truth of that content. My book Does This News Make Me Look Fat, speaks to that point. That we must learn to respect the power of words and understand the ideas that are put into them. If we don’t, we’re more likely to end up serving those words and the people who crafted them. Sometimes that’s just to buy toothpaste. Sometimes that to make a decision as big as to go to war.
In my book, I tell this story through our shared knowledge and experience with food. Just as powerful words and idea can overtake us and distract us from true meaning, so can powerful tastes lead us from understanding actual effects of food content. And I hope that through this book, we can learn how to enjoy the power of words and content and respect the power of words. If you want to know more about my book, it’s on this site. Or go to junkfoodmedianation.com. Or hey, buy the book. Available on iBooks, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.