Response to "They Say" (Paper #4)

A response to Douglas Rushkoff's intro to,"They Say."

The captivating an insightful words of Douglas Rushkoff in his introduction to, “They Say,” trick you into believing you are learning an interesting take on authority in our society. When actually it is indeed about questioning authority but we are completely oblivious to the fact that at the same time he is currently utilizing the techniques of persuasion and coercion upon us. Rushkoff has many tricks up his sleeve and after reading this hefty convincing piece he spills all. Douglas is extremely tricky in his methods of using illusions, making it personal, and by means of instilling fear in you.

Basically this entire paper was one huge extravagant illusion that gave you a sense of trust and involvement. He talks about using basic techniques such as inventing a character that we can relate too and that we will follow. We then get the illusion that we are along for the ride with this person and we want to know what will happen to them. This makes us dependent upon the author as we await the fate of our new friend. He also uses an illusion with some of his wording. Rushkoff speaks of a conspiracy, but that is too scary and so he quickly covers it up. He makes us feel safe by using words and phrases like, “Just a science that has gotten out of control,” but in reality he is basically talking about technology and how one day it could see to the end of humanity. Douglas has mastered the art of illusion and he could possibly make you believe anything.

Another tactic is how he makes this paper seem very personal to you and how this affects your feelings and judgment. He asks you to take into account the leaders of your life and how they affect you against your will. This gets you involved and it introduces you to the problems in your life. Thus making it personal and very interesting because you can relate with what happens in the paper. Rushkoff also uses statements such as, “As we’ll see,” and this gives you the assumption as if he is talking to you, which will also pull you in deeper. Plus he gives you a very personal insight when he tells you of his story of media and going into advertising. This gives you the sense of a personal connection with him, so you will continue read and back him up. Making it seem personal to the reader is extremely effective because it gets the reader engaged into the story.

Fear, this simple four letter word can make anyone do anything. Rushkoff uses fear to intrigue you and to grab your attention because what he is saying could affect your life! He is dramatizing but he almost always grabs your attention does he not? Douglas speaks of physiologists who study human behavior and how they alter colors and shapes to make us more attracted to whatever it is. This is scary in the sense that someone can affect are free will by simply changing colors and shapes. He instills fear in us all throughout the piece, but mainly at the beginning. Douglas writes about, “They,” and how they tell us who, what, when, where and why. Who exactly are they and why do they get all the authority? It is these questions that spark fear in you because you have absolutely no idea who, “They,” are! The worst fear is the fear of not knowing and Douglas hits this one right on the head.

“They Say,” has to be one of the most fascinating pieces of literature I have read. Rushkoff is not only feeding you loads of information, but at the same time he is exposing you to the very thing he is writing against. Through his methods of illusions, making it personal, and implementing fear, I would not doubt that he could make anyone believe anything.