peter kobs's definitions

Hate TV

1. Television that encourages viewers to hate, despise and fear "the enemy." George Orwell predicted the rise of Hate TV in his novel "1984." Usually found on the cable channels, Hate TV is the fastest-growing type of pseudo-news. Key characteristics include:

- Scapegoating (blaming a small group for the problems of all)
- Fear-mongering (raising the specter of impending tyranny)
- Simplistic thinking (condensing complex issues into a few hate-filled slogans)
- Truthiness (presenting rumors as established fact)
- Repetition (to give lies the ring of truth)
- Stereotyping (along racial, ethnic or religious lines)
- Assault Interviewing (attacking guests who disagree with the party line)
- Pandering (filling a studio with partisan crowds who will cheer or boo on cue)
- Thematic Aggregation ("packaging" a variety of fears, prejudices and hot-button issues under a common theme)
- Code Words (using substitutes for common racial slurs, insults, etc.)
- Multi-Media Marketing (combining TV with publishing, radio, websites, etc. to reinforce the core message)
- Narrowing (redefining the boundaries of "acceptable belief" to ostracize moderates)
- Movement Hype (promoting a specific group of people as the only "true" Americans)
- Event Manipulation (exaggerating the size, impact or diversity of a protest or political rally)

Hate TV inevitably leads to greater political polarization, up to and including acts of violence against the perceived "enemy."

"Did you hear about that guy who crashed is plane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas?"

"Yeah, he killed two people, including a father who served in Vietnam."

"Well, Hate TV is saying he was a patriot and should be congratulated for standing up to the government."

"Scary stuff...What's next -- public lynchings in prime time?"

by Peter Kobs April 9, 2010

New Economy

1. An imaginary economic system that will magically replace millions of jobs lost to outsourcing, downsizing and low-wage overseas competition.

2. A feel-good term used by politicians to distract attention from their own immense policy failures.

3. Something that's always "just around the corner" if we only "do the right things."

Michigan's governor said we must prepare for the New Economy by turning 400,000 unemployed auto workers into video game programmers and pastry chefs. That's the ticket!

by Peter Kobs May 3, 2010

Podnesia

1. A form of amnesia common among iPod and mp3 users. "Podnesiacs" have downloaded so many songs that they can't remember what's already on their device.

2. The mental condition that propels people to purchase (download) the same song more than once.

I think Tracy has Podnesia. She just downloaded "Last Train to Clarksville" for the third time in six months.

by Peter Kobs August 19, 2009

Zombie Company

1. A technically bankrupt company that is kept alive with large infusions of government money for the sake of "stability" in the U.S. financial system. 2. A large financial company with negative net worth that continues to operate, despite having no clear path to solvency. 3. The UnDead of Wall Street.

"AIG is the premier example of a zombie company -- kept alive only by $120 billion in federal bailout money. Apparently, it's considered too large to fail."

by Peter Kobs March 9, 2009

Vid Kid

A child raised on television and video games with little or no parental supervision. Vid kids often have poor social skills, very limited attention spans and less maturity than their peers. Vid kids suffer from a mild form of child abuse rooted in parental neglect.

Jason's a typical vid kid -- he never pays attention in class.

by Peter Kobs January 5, 2009

Doom Plume

1. A massive undersea oil plume that threatens to destroy marine life for thousands of square miles, even though it's not visible from the surface.

2. The biggest environmental threat from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

3. Out of sight, out of mind? Not so much.

The Doom Plume from BP's Deepwater Horizon pipe is spreading fast. It could reach as far as the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Mexico's Riviera Maya.

by Peter Kobs May 16, 2010

Bag a boo

Someone who brags excessively; an ostentatious self-promoter.

"Don't you brag, and don't you boast
Grief comes to those who brag the most
Why are you crummy, you're crummy fe true?
Why are you acting like a bag a boo?"

Blues lyrics by Clancy Ecles, Jamaican ska and reggae singer, circa 1962

by Peter Kobs June 17, 2008