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The Velveteen Ocelot

(130,558 posts)

120. Not exactly - the author's point is that people don't read whole articles

Sat Jul 13, 2013, 05:46 PM

Jul 2013

but instead base their opinions on headlines, which can be, and often are, misleading or downright wrong. If you just assume the headline and first few paragraphs to be true without reading any farther, you might be inclined to froth with outrage (as a number of posters in this thread have done). Many articles and essays are a lot more nuanced than their headlines (which are often not written by the author) would suggest. It's better not to board the outrage train until you know exactly what an author is saying.

So this article is not really satirical; the writer is making a point about how so many people have become lazy readers who are inclined to jump to conclusions before they know what the conclusion really is.

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President Obama: George W. Bush Not As Bad A President As People Make Him Out To Be [View all] HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 OP

Thank You For Sharing - Maybe The Apt Phrase - Birds Of A Feather Flock Together - Applies cantbeserious Jul 2013 #1

.......... ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #6

Thank You For Sharing - Best Not To Assume That DU Members Always Post Truthful Articles cantbeserious Jul 2013 #10

Not the point Cirque du So-What Jul 2013 #20

Thank You For Sharing An Insult - My Feeble Brain Works Well Enough cantbeserious Jul 2013 #22

That's obvious to the most casual observer Cirque du So-What Jul 2013 #25

Thank You For Sharing Your Second Insult - We Know What You Are Made Of Now cantbeserious Jul 2013 #28

Why is it an insult? Cirque du So-What Jul 2013 #47

Thank You For Sharing Insult Number Three - Seems Some Don't Know When To Quit cantbeserious Jul 2013 #81

Since this is the fourth time you have done it in one thread, I have to tell you something. tblue37 Jul 2013 #114

You're welcome. ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #106

Could be the NSA's cyclezealot Jul 2013 #71

Got another one! The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #73

There are several issues where I have to ask myself, why is President Obama doing this? enough Jul 2013 #2

Read. The. Article. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #5

You. Are. Right. I should stay away from the internet at one in the morning. (nt) enough Jul 2013 #99

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Jul 2013 #116

............ ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #7

The issue is ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #3

I got to the third paragraph and glanced down to see if it was the Onion magellan Jul 2013 #4

ALWAYS read the whole thing. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #8

Um, yeah, I got that by reading the whole article before commenting. n/t magellan Jul 2013 #13

Not just on headlines--but sometimes on the headline and tblue37 Jul 2013 #115

Definitely read like an Onion article. I was prepping myself to call the website's credibility into BenzoDia Jul 2013 #75

Same here madokie Jul 2013 #93

what's funny is before reading the article, I assumed the headline was true quinnox Jul 2013 #9

Yes He Has - Thank You For Validating My Feeble Memory cantbeserious Jul 2013 #14

and thus you prove the article's point.... dionysus Jul 2013 #15

And does over and over and over and over and over.... Number23 Jul 2013 #26

The real point is, Art_from_Ark Jul 2013 #90

well played mister Clifton! dionysus Jul 2013 #11

Funny, non true story nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #12

no shit nadinstrodamus... nt dionysus Jul 2013 #16

^^Does anyone remember the old 'ability to follow directions' exercise^^ Cirque du So-What Jul 2013 #17

Yes! magellan Jul 2013 #19

Yes! One of the directions for us was something like say your ABCs backwards. BenzoDia Jul 2013 #76

I read it to the end. Apophis Jul 2013 #18

W was a zero IMO, but what would be the upside of a controversy about Mr Obama's opinion of him? struggle4progress Jul 2013 #21

Read the whole article, not just the headline. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #23

:) struggle4progress Jul 2013 #70

... never mind ... struggle4progress Jul 2013 #78

Heh. Scurrilous Jul 2013 #24

Did someone set their calendar back to early April? leveymg Jul 2013 #27

This OP and about half the reactions to it really explain half the Snowden threads in GD NuclearDem Jul 2013 #29

Not just that - it happens with almost any controversial issue. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #31

It's the propagandist's dream, knowing that people won't take the time to read NuclearDem Jul 2013 #35

They've been conditioning the entire nation into this state of manic illiteracy Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #59

It's called a knee jerk reaction davidpdx Jul 2013 #65

+1 uponit7771 Jul 2013 #79

I knew it was wrong the moment I read it LittleBlue Jul 2013 #30

What's shady about the source? HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #33

Forwardprogressives.com? LittleBlue Jul 2013 #36

It's seven very short paragraphs. NuclearDem Jul 2013 #38

Meh, I'm not blown away LittleBlue Jul 2013 #46

Actually it's more than seven HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #95

Well I'm sure they don't have your scintillating brilliance, but I think they write fairly well. HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #56

Reading comprehension failure LittleBlue Jul 2013 #121

You should, because the author's point in using a bogus headline The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #34

Like I said, looked mediocre. LittleBlue Jul 2013 #39

Actually, it wasn't mediocre. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #42

Oh it's mediocre LittleBlue Jul 2013 #48

Nevertheless, it looks like the author's point was proved The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #51

This was proven over 100 years ago when newspapers LittleBlue Jul 2013 #54

keep going this is getting good olddots Jul 2013 #61

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Jul 2013 #117

LOL-thanks harvey: I bet you catch a few NT sigmasix Jul 2013 #32

It's not something he says, it's something he induces other people to say. kenny blankenship Jul 2013 #37

Did you read the whole article? The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #40

Yes, I read it enough to know it was shinola kenny blankenship Jul 2013 #43

and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker too... dionysus Jul 2013 #41

You should re-read my post. kenny blankenship Jul 2013 #50

Right. He tortured, started unnecessary wars, collapsed the economy AgingAmerican Jul 2013 #44

It would appear that you didn't read the whole article. Please do. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #45

That was AsahinaKimi Jul 2013 #49

tl;dr n/t leeroysphitz Jul 2013 #52

I was looking for a link to the Onion. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #53

Nicely done bhikkhu Jul 2013 #55

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?!? Pretzel_Warrior Jul 2013 #57

Got another one! NuclearDem Jul 2013 #60

yep. I read it to about the second paragraph. Pretzel_Warrior Jul 2013 #62

I couldn't wrap my head around that shit.. I kept reading Cha Jul 2013 #67

Ha--this is so true; I've seen so many people get MADem Jul 2013 #58

This reminds me of when articles on studies are posted AZ Progressive Jul 2013 #63

Of course it's satire. Who would even consider Obama associating with a murderer and torturer? Lint Head Jul 2013 #64

See what Twitter has done to people? Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #66

This message was self-deleted by its author Fearless Jul 2013 #68

Not sure there's enough value in this OP No Vested Interest Jul 2013 #69

Desperate? GeorgeGist Jul 2013 #72

Heh, called BS by the second paragraph. Interest point however. BenzoDia Jul 2013 #74

A failure by Journalists as well. snort Jul 2013 #77

Excellent point think Jul 2013 #83

That's bullshit. Obama only that said president Bush think Jul 2013 #80

This message was self-deleted by its author Douglas Carpenter Jul 2013 #82

I knew it WASN'T true from the headline. Obama and Bush are a mutual forestpath Jul 2013 #84

True, it would be uncharacteristic of Obama to be so blunt about a Republican Fumesucker Jul 2013 #91

This article has exposed a lot of people quick to criticize the President AllINeedIsCoffee Jul 2013 #85

There were swings and misses from both sides of the plate.... think Jul 2013 #87

BWAHAHAHAHAH!!! burnodo Jul 2013 #86

I see. 99Forever Jul 2013 #88

Hilarious and oh so true. nt sufrommich Jul 2013 #89

Oh, brother. AS IF a "Gotcha" article is clever. WinkyDink Jul 2013 #92

Ya got a lot of them n/t Blackford Jul 2013 #94

It might be techincally true... WatermelonRat Jul 2013 #96

aaaaaaaand it looks like I fell for it too! WatermelonRat Jul 2013 #97

Only thing I can say is, you should have stuck with the 4 paragraph Autumn Jul 2013 #98

I considered it HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #100

That does seem to happen. I confess to just reading Autumn Jul 2013 #101

A lesson for us all.. Peacetrain Jul 2013 #102

I read the first paragraph and then scrolled to the link thinking it was the onion xiamiam Jul 2013 #103

Since Obama has only been candid about his admiration for Reagan but not Bush, it could not be true. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #104

Another who obviously did not read it all HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #105

No, dummy, the post doesn't indicate that at all. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #107

In fairness to those who don't always read ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #108

That is absolutely correct rock Jul 2013 #109

We are living the sequel to "Animal Farm" mick063 Jul 2013 #110

Telling about you, not Obama. nt geek tragedy Jul 2013 #119

lol! bunnies Jul 2013 #111

While giving junior credit for doing great things for our economy (crashed), national indepat Jul 2013 #112

Got another one. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #118

Just read the entire article. Oops, my bad for being duped and remembering the recent photo of indepat Jul 2013 #123

Satire. Dawson Leery Jul 2013 #113

Not exactly - the author's point is that people don't read whole articles The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #120

This is the most awesome thread in a long time arely staircase Jul 2013 #122

I don't know about that HarveyDarkey Jul 2013 #124