Dick Meyer The Last Word Why We Hate Me Analysis

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Extreme Dislike The words of English nineteenth century logician and philosopher Bertrand Russell are as apropos today as they were in days past: “HYPERLINK "http://thinkexist.com/quotation/few_people_can_be_happy_unless_they_hate_some/161824.html"Few people can be happy unless they hate some other person, nation, or creed.” As contrary as this sounds, Americans must hate themselves to experience happiness. Dick Meyer (October, 31, 2006) supports this premise after providing several examples of what contemporary Americans abhor in an article entitled, “The last word why we hate us.” Hate and an extreme sense of dislike are almost identical terms. According to the author of this article, negativity of this nature, was evoked after seeing…show more content…
Meyer presents several incidents that support his opening premise; “there’s something rotten in the state of America.” He filters this statement through his lens and the similar viewpoints of those who are close to him. Despite the fact that hate and malcontent are emphasized in each of the present day situations he describes, the main point of the article is not so much about hate as it is about the consequences of hate, which include individual isolation and a general lack of human…show more content…
His illustrations also make the argument real and the fact that he shared so many different situations of distain speaks to the wide spread nature of the problem. One of the examples Meyer chose to elaborate on was similar to the Steve Rushin’s “spoof” of the news media. Both writers highlight the popularity of news programs that mock and belittle others. Meyers claim Americans continue to watch “loudmouthed pseudo-news shows on cable and keep yelling at the television.” Rushin illustrates his annoyance with a late night anchorman who read a phony report of a drug-seizing event where he sarcastically placed cocaine in an athlete’s nostril. The news reporter smirked. Both writers allude to a nation of people who continue to support these types of despicable depictions by patronizing these programs. The point of this example, is when the media portrays events in a sarcastic manner, it opens up the opportunity to hate the messenger or the reporter. Either scenario can result in

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