When did "credible" become the ultimate word. (the idiot box owns you)

I had been unwittingly credible'ing and being a social-control sheeple. Recently, a guy in my social network site, showed an archeology-related picture/discovery that makes ya go "wow!" So I 'commented' "Thats incredible!" Which --meant-- (for me) amazing, surprising, new, etcetera, and so you have me now asking myself, why did I use the word that way. I could have merely said, "wow!" But it sounds too yokel. Also, there used to be a TV show, back in the 1970's (I..think) called, "Thats Incredible!" Now I think I will go see if I can find out more about it, on the searcherwebs.
(Wonder how far back this phenomenon goes?)

www.imdb.com...

Following in the footsteps of "Real People" (1979), this show took a look at the more unusual sides of nature, medicine and human endeavor. Segments ranged from the uplifting (young people overcoming severe handicaps to lead normal lives) to the unexplainable (a park ranger who had been hit by lightning over 7 times) to the simply stupid (a stuntman jumping a motorcycle over the spinning rotors of 3 helicopters). Popularized the phrase "don't try this at home."

Originally posted by simone50m

you have me now asking myself, why did I use the word that way. I could have merely said, "wow!" But it sounds too yokel.

I have found that students who finally decide to write their own stories,
or screenplays become very frustrated very quickly.

They find their own work lame,
and missing that "something."
They know what they _mean_ but it doesn't come across that way on the page.

When I point out that
in the age of sarcasm the only approved way to sound smart
is to say the opposite of what one means.

If someone does something dumb
people say "way to go genius."

But when it comes time to write something
and the language is constrained
almost everyone finds that they are incapable of "speaking forward."
This is particularly evident when one has to write enough dialog
for the edgy-break-out-sarcastic-star to rail against,
the average writter just wants to start with the rant.
They have no idea how to write a normal person who doesn't use sarcasm.

It is the emotional inflection that determines the meaning.
And as many of us have experienced on the net, and forums.
Sarcasm doesn't translate well into print.

Sarcasm, saying the opposite of what we mean,
and the inability to speak forward
is the single greatest disaster to befall human kind.

Even our technical abilities are drying up because of it.


David Grouchy

Originally posted by simone50m


www.imdb.com...

Following in the footsteps of "Real People" (1979), this show took a look at the more unusual sides of nature, medicine and human endeavor. Segments ranged from the uplifting (young people overcoming severe handicaps to lead normal lives) to the unexplainable (a park ranger who had been hit by lightning over 7 times) to the simply stupid (a stuntman jumping a motorcycle over the spinning rotors of 3 helicopters). Popularized the phrase "don't try this at home."

Yes!
The TV show "That's Incredible" is a perfect example.
Sarcasm was still the new thing, and on the rise, not all pervasive like it is now.

And every single segment in that show actually had
a verifyable and interviewable source.
In other words, a credible source.
The opposite of the show's title.


David Grouchy

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/56289c3989c7.png[/atsimg]


It just seems that "lost all credibility"
is a phrase that based on pure emotionality.

Another way of saying "shut them up, their words burn my ears."


David Grouchy

It appears that the word "credible" is so powerful now, that it will even determine the next President of the United States. Credibility. Important stuff that Credibility. As opposed to being right.

In fact, I don't think i'm going too far by saying that these days
being right is dangerous to ones' credibility.


David Grouchy