Coarseness in U.S. Public Communication

Public expression in the United States has become increasingly coarse. Whether it's stupid, rude, base, or anti-intellectual talk, it surrounds us. Popular television, film, music, art and even religion have become as coarse, we argue, as our often-disparaged political dialogue. The book's contention is that the United States' semantic environment is governed by tactics, not tact. We craft messages that work-that perform their desired function. We are instrumental, strategic communicators. As such, entertainment and journalism that draws an audience, for instance, is good. This follows the logic that tells us that the marketplace, an aggregate of hedonically motivated individuals, decides what's good. Market logic, when unencumbered by what some characterize as quaint human sentimentalities, liberates us to cynically communicate whatever and however we want. What improves ratings, web-traffic, ticket-sales, concession sales, repeat purchases and earnings is good. Embracing this communicative paradigm more fully necessitates the culture's abandonment of collective notions of both taste and veracity, thus weakening the forces that keep individual desires in check. Our present communication environment is one that invites the hypertrophic expression of the ego, enabling elites to erode public communication standards and repeal laws and regulations resulting in immeasurable individual fortunes. Meanwhile, perpetual plutocratic rule is made even more certain by the cacophonous public noise the rest of us are busy making, leaving us incapable, disinterested and unwilling to listen to one another.

Philip Dalton is assistant professor and chair of speech communication, rhetoric, and performance studies at Hofstra University. He teaches Courses in political communication, argumentation and debate, qualitative research methods, and intercultural communication. Eric Kramer is professor of communication at the University of Oklahoma. He is also affiliate faculty in the College of International Studies.