Critical Analysis of a Perilous Slogan
October 16th, 2007 • Comments »
After discussing a framework for the critical analysis of a corporate slogan, it’s time to apply our technique to a real-world example. Practical applications of theory help the pragmatic to realize the inherent potential of theoretical possibilities. In this example, we are going to analyze critically a tagline commonly heard on conservative talk radio.
As a person who enjoys listening to the opinions of others, I listen to as many different radio talk shows as possible — conservative, liberal, and everything in between (which, unfortunately, is not much). And, while there are certainly many ridiculous things said on all types of talk radio, every now and then I hear something that is just begging to be torn apart.
Enter: Chuck and Larry Bates. The Bates have a talk show focusing primarily on the intersection of conservative politics and religious dogma. Frequently, the Bates show ventures into the fascinating realm of “end-times” prophecy. Chuck and Larry Bates consider themselves “experts” in virtually any subject they happen to be discussing, and end-times prophecy is no exception. In fact, they even advertise an official end-times seminar called “The Perilous Times Conference,” which is promised to prepare you for “the certain coming of the uncertain times ahead.” Sound perilous? It is, and here’s why..
Employing questions taken from our corporate slogan analysis, we are equipped to examine the perilous Bates slogan. Let’s break this down in list format to keep it fresh for the masses. Once again, for the record, here is the slogan in question:
Prepare yourself for the certain coming of the uncertain times ahead.
- What is the literal meaning of the slogan?
- Literally, this sentence addresses the listener directly, commanding him or her to “prepare” or “make ready” for the inevitable, unknown events of the future. To paraphrase, this is a directive to prepare for future events. Seems reasonable enough..
- What do you know about the slogan?
- As previously mentioned, this message serves to advertise a conference about the end of the world. The ad is broadcasted frequently enough to be familiar with virtually anyone who has listened to ten or so minutes of the Bates radio show (they air their five-minute ad sequences every five minutes).
- What is the context of the slogan?
- The slogan is heard, rather than seen. Listeners hear the ad within the context of deliberately sensationalized politics and dogmatically espoused religious concepts. The slogan itself is delivered within an “end-of-the-world” commercial, which elaborates an extensive array of potentially threatening scenarios.
- What is the interpretive meaning of the slogan?
- The slogan itself is rather vague, advising listeners to “prepare” for an untold quantity of undefined events in an unspecified time. Taken out of context, one might attribute a less volatile meaning to the slogan. However, within its extremely political and religious context, the implied meaning of the slogan becomes quite clear: it’s the end of the world, so you better git ready!
- What are the implications of the slogan?
- First of all, the slogan itself implies that its recipient or audience is not prepared for the unknown event(s) of the future. The slogan then plays on the people’s innate fear of the unknown and emphasizes the point by declaring the inevitability of the ominous threat. Further implications involve the suggestion that somehow, despite the undisclosed events being completely unknown, the Bates product is what you need to be prepared.
- What is the purpose of the slogan?
- The purpose of this slogan, and virtually every slogan I have ever experienced, is to influence, convince, persuade, and compel people to “buy into” whatever product is being promoted. In this case, the Bates conference is the product and the message implies that your involvement with the conference will serve to prepare you for the unknown yet threatening events that are guaranteed to come.
- To whom is the slogan directed?
- Easy. This slogan is obviously directed at people who are inclined to believe that the end of the world is upon us. The slogan plays on fears and employs terminology suggestive of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The radio show revolves heavily around political contention and religious conflict, which resonates during advertisements such as the one for the Perilous Times conference. The remainder of the commercial lists many things that people worry about, directs listeners to the conference, and reinforces the pitch with the slogan currently under consideration.
- Who is the perceived author of the slogan?
- Although it seems unlikely that any considerable amount of thought went into the writing of this slogan, it may have been a casual collaborative effort of sorts. Perhaps during the creation of the advertisement, the producers threw down a little brainstorm and decided to “just go with it.” Thus, I feel like maybe Chuck or Larry penned the goods, but perhaps failed to think critically about the literal, figurative, and interpretive implications of such a transparently manipulative statement.
- How unique is the slogan?
- As far as slogans go, I think this one is rather unique. It doesn’t really emulate the three-word catch-phrases that seem so prevalent within currently embraced societal trends. Further, closer examination of the slogan leads me to believe that the ambiguity and vagueness of such a threatening message was quite deliberate, rather than accidental. Like many modern slogans, it is a command, but retains points for the subtle implementation of prophetic doublespeak.
- What are the various components of the slogan?
- Let’s break this thing down logically for a moment, shall we? Here, I will focus on the two most relevant interpretations of the slogan: as interpreted by “believers” and as interpreted by “non-believers.” For non-believers, the phrase “certain coming” is meaningless because nothing in life in certain, therefore it is impossible to predict the “coming” of anything. Then, just as meaningless is the phrase, “uncertain times ahead.” To say that anything to happen in the future (including the future itself) is “uncertain” is pointless because it goes without saying that non-believers have absolutely no idea about what the future holds — it’s all uncertain, unknown, and unpredictable. To actually state that fact to make a point is foolishness. Even worse is the thought of joining these two meaningless phrases into the utterly ridiculous statement, “the certain coming of the uncertain times,” which is equivalent to saying that “the unknown events of the future are sure to arrive,” which is the same as claiming that “there will be a future.” Thus, to the unbeliever, the Bates slogan effectively says, “Prepare yourself for the future.” Wow, what great advice. On the other hand, when this message is interpreted from the perspective of one who believes in biblical prophecy, the phrase, “certain coming” indeed makes sense, as the prophetic events described in the Bible are sure to happen. However, from this same perspective, the second phrase, “uncertain times ahead,” is false because the prophecies of the Bible clearly outline the events of the future. Thus, from the perspective of a believer, the slogan contradicts itself by proclaiming the assurance of prophecy without acknowledging its explicit prognosis. Clearly, the Bates slogan is a travesty of grammatical, linguistic, logical, and semantic composition.
Some people may ask if I have unfairly targeted the Bates bros., or whether I have something against them or their cause. May I take a moment to reassure such persons that this simply not the case. In all honesty, I actually enjoy listening to the Bates show (although I can never seem to distinguish between Chuck and Larry), and have absolutely nothing against them or their on-air mission. Rather, my beef rests with the unquestioned avalanche of mindless chaff that continually is pumped into the public arena. Society has had more than enough clever slogans, catchy tunes, and relentless advertisements. Although there are plenty of armchair critics openly mocking such garbage, nobody is taking the time to publicly and formally criticize the depraved lunacy of the brainless trash that permeates our collective mentality. I see so much commercial idiocy gobbled up by the masses every day that I finally decided to take the time to call a few out. So here goes.. the Bates slogan may have been the first, but it will by no means be the last.