The Braindead Megaphone

I think Erin is going to do well in college. We will need many more Millennials like her to get us through this Fourth Turning with a positive outcome. Here is her paper for her freshman College Writing course.

Guest Post by BostonBob’s daughter Erin

George Saunders discusses the idea of a man with a megaphone drowning out all other voices in his essay “The Braindead Megaphone”. His omnipresence reaches each corner of the metaphorical party he attends. The sheer volume of his voice effects each of the party goers and their conversations due to the fact that they cannot produce any original thought over the musings of the man with the megaphone. This man is a symbol for the media that encompasses every day life. The numerous sources of information that bombard anyone who owns a television or has an internet connection can shape the discussions and opinions they have(Saunders 240). The Megaphone Man isn’t just the collective voice of the media; it is the surrounding people and environment that also contribute to the spreading of ideas.

George Saunders defines “…the Megaphone as the composite of the hundreds of voices we hear each day that come to us from people we don’t know, via high-tech sources…”(244). Saunders discussed is that the media is the equivalent of the megaphone man, however, the media is not just one man. While the man at the party is a singular being, the news is broadcasted from many outlets. Newspapers, journals, blogs, and television networks are only some of the ways people acquire news. Moreover, these media outlets are each a mass of people, news stations, reporters, along with online sources adding to these enormous information outlet. There is a hierarchy to the large news corporations that decide what will sell over what is important knowledge for the public.

The composite of voices, Saunders believes, is the collective sound of people behind the screens used by society on a daily basis. These “high tech sources” are full of people we may recognize but don’t know personally, however, information is learned by people we know as well. The ratings and approvals of news stories is more important than the relevancy or knowledge they supply. It is in the public’s sight around the clock whether they seek it out or not. One may not have an opinion on an issue, but it is almost guaranteed they have been exposed to it one way or another.

My tiny town is set half an hour from Boston. It is filled with like minded people who bond over the similarities of their views and opinions. While many kids in school find themselves unconcerned with politics they may have more opinions than they realize. They are engulfed in a media rich world which gives them insight into current affairs, as well as attending a school full of opinionated peers and living in a home with opinionated parents. Many students discussed their views in class by prefacing their ideas with “Well my parents think…” or “My mom told me…” and it was clear that this influence is huge.

The loudest megaphone that Saunders neglects to discuss is the environment each person is surrounded with. Parents lay the foundation for their children’s beliefs by molding them with ideas of their own. High schoolers often find the opinions of their friends at school matter to them and they match their own ideals. Children in my town are raised in a place where most people agree with the values of their parents. They are sent to a school full of teachers who will preach the same ideals, and are surrounded with other children who were raised the same way. These children all in turn bond over their ability to spit out what their guardians have planted in their heads, and the similarity of the roots.

Not only are the students of my hometown being born into certain opinions, they do not question what they’ve been told. Not every child is going to question the knowledge they gain from their parents because of the close relationship and trust that is built between them. Saunders extends his argument against the Megaphone Man by stating his “…responses are predicated not on his intelligence, his unique experience of the world, his powers of contemplation, or his ability with language, but on the volume and omnipresence of his voice”(240).

The people who are relaying their beliefs onto the youth may have some life experience, but they may not have any intelligence or ability to contemplate what they’ve heard themselves. Their children develop the habit of accepting information from sources that their community deems respectable. These people are a neverending sphere of influence.

The cycle that continues in small towns like mine perpetuates a common thought. Anyone who disagrees is an outsider labeled as confused or plainly wrong. In my physics class my junior year of high school there was clear tension between my liberal teacher and a conservative peer. Before every class my teacher would instigate a debate going as far as ordering a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama and placing it in front of the student’s desk. After weeks of passive aggressive comments and arguments the student was sent to the office. He had a choice to sit quietly but there is no reason a teacher should be antagonizing a member of their class.

This occurrence was met with a quiet response from other students due to the anxiety of being punished themselves. This demonstration and subsequent fear further leads to young people not expressing their beliefs or questioning those of authority. Constant information is fed into minds which doesn’t allow for original ideas to last. Saunders explains that the Megaphone Man’s voice overtakes entirety of conversation leaving nothing but his own words to discuss: “They’ll stop doing what guests are supposed to do: keep the conversation going per their own interest and concerns. They’ll become passive, stop believing in the validity of their own impressions. They may not even notice they’ve started speaking in his diction…”(240).

Not only are the conversations steered one way, but people who desire a change of subject lack the confidence and support to change the path of discussion. They also are at risk of losing the ability to discuss their own interests.

This environment is all encompassing and it leads to people who only seek out news that agrees with their views and ignore the sources saying otherwise. George Saunders would urge the people of my town to pop their surrounding bubble and question what they hear, instead of assuming that all of their favorite authors and anchors are the most intelligent providers(248).

Instead of following the flow of information people need to break from tradition and form their own opinions. News sources and relatives alike need to be questioned for their reputation and validity. Many people base their opinions on the man with the loudest megaphone and disagree just to disagree or agree to fit in. Whether one’s opinion coincides with the views of the majority or not, the public needs to ensure they are receiving intelligent information that is the foundation for their unique opinions.

Works Cited

Saunders, George. “The Braindead Megaphone.” Other Words. Ed. David Fleming. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt, 2009. 239-248. Print.

ONE MILLION DOLLARS

Boston Bob sent this essay to me. It’s his daughter Erin’s first essay in college. I think she has a gift. Our last best hope during this Fourth Turning is for millennials like Erin to pave a path to a new and better future. When I read essays like this, it gives me hope. Her professor better giver her an A or the TBP monkey army will attack. 🙂

 

For many people it’s easy to say that family is the most important thing in life. Family is what drives you crazy but keeps you sane; it challenges but always supports you: it allows you to become an individual but is there to welcome you back as a part of its whole. The best part of my life is not only my family but, my ability to appreciate them. The stories my father read before bedtime and the songs my mother sang to help me sleep are more vivid in my memory than the toys I was sure could not live without. My dad’s offers to drive hours just to hug me, my mother’s insistence that she never lets go of my hand¬, and their constant advice on every matter have all weighed heavy in importance to the way I think today.

Attending school in my small town made it very easy to be swept away by social standards. It’s exhausting to live in a place where the price of your shoes and the way you do your hair are crucial to the outcome of your day. I observed my peers whose parents I knew gave them whatever they wanted. The discussions turned from the amount of designer sweatshirts someone owned to the resentment towards parents most kids found didn’t really care for their well being.

It broke my heart to watch a teammate of mine swallow her tears when she found her father would not be attending our gymnastic meet for the fourth time in a row. At that point I believe she would have preferred her father to watch her compete and driven her home rather than gotten into her brand new car alone. An investment in some children was a literal deposit, however, what my family invested in me was far different.

When dad tucked me into bed as a child he would say to me, “If I had one million dollars I wouldn’t buy anything because I have everything I need.” I always asked wouldn’t he want to buy a new car? or pay for college? This concept seemed so absurd. In my mind I knew I could replace my mother’s worn out Honda and my dad would be able to use his vacation days. “Stuff is stuff,” he would tell me, and the phrase, as I understand it now, is perfect in its simplicity.

People are not stuff; family and good friends are not stuff; and love and happiness are not stuff. Stuff is stuff, and that’s what makes material items so insignificant in comparison to things that truly matter. Every time he held the door for someone or thanked them for working hard I observed a small portion of my father’s wisdom. People still appreciated his humor and kindness even if he couldn’t leave a tip.

Not only did my parents preach about being kind to others, they extended these morals to everyone around them. I counted numerous friends of theirs pass through our home. They would all come to enjoy the food provided, the entertainment of my parents, and leave with irreplaceable memories. When I grew older I realized how much time and energy my parents spared for these friends.

From helping them move, giving them a place to stay, and even buying one of their children a cell phone my parents did whatever they could to help. Even though at times when I felt they were being taken advantage of, they continued to give more. It was never about the money they spent but always the impact they made to help another person. They forgave people who exploited them and treated each with kindness all the same.

These ideas of selflessness and generosity gave me the confidence to pursue work rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Working for only one week appeared to have barely skimmed the surface problems being faced but, to the families I met the labor was immensely appreciated. These people didn’t have car payments or a mortgage to worry about because many didn’t have cars and their homes had been demolished.

While my parents worried about tuition these victims were more distracted with where their next meal would be coming from. Even with hardly anything to give many people opened their homes to us. Their appreciation for my work mirrored my feelings for my parents. I was able to empathize and thank them for helping me continue to understand all that my parents have taught me.

Actions speak louder than words. Lead by example. These classic clichés may be overused but they have truth. I could easily be wrapped up in a world where the number of followers I have overshadows the number of times I realize how fortunate I am and, the amount of online ‘friends’ I’ve accumulated mean more than the ones standing in front of me.

What if my father had handed me a credit card instead of his favorite book? or my mother held her cell phone nonstop instead of my hand? I am indebted to my parents because they gave me the tools to understand the imperative components of the life they gave me. I realize now that one million dollars would be able to pay for my education, my parent’s mortgage, and so much more; however, it would not strengthen the ties I have with my loved ones. You can always work for more money or keep buying more things but the amount of stuff you have does not directly cause happiness.

I still know what I would do with one million dollars but, it involves less budgeted for myself and more for the people who need and deserve it. The appreciation I have gained from my parents has opened many doors throughout my life. They continue to spend each moment being truly considerate, incredible people leaving a clear impression on me.