The Whole Story

Can you lie about media portrayals? Oh, very easily. Let's take a look...using Coldplay. So I decided to run frequency counts on Coldplay's lyrics...and I found some fascinating things.

In 1998, the Top 25 list of most frequent words used has many concerning speed and travel (rush, faster, drive, car, change, go, anywhere), as well as change and improvement (bigger, change, stronger, better) that indicate a theme of dissatisfaction and desire for a different kind of life.

However, when you look at the full lyrics, you only see that theme in "Bigger Stronger." In fact, looking at it in context, the word "rush," which topped the list with 31 uses, is actually saying we should stop rushing. Hmm...context is important, no?

Now how about we pick and choose from 1999's list? Let's see, the top words used by Coldplay in their songs in 1999 include hope, confidence, love, live, beautiful, and trust. How positively prosocial of them! But what if we'd chosen to report other parts of their lyrics instead, such as:

Bones sinking like stones
All that we've fought for
Homes, places we've grown
All of us are done for.


I sleep but I will not move,
Too scared to leave my room.

Can anybody stop this thing
Before my head explodes
Or my head starts to ring? 

Not quite as positive any more, huh? Both reports are true, so whatever slant you pick, you have the material you need to put them in whatever light you wish.

This goes on and on, with whatever year you want, and really whatever artist or genre you want. When you practice selective listening/reporting/whatever, you're not going to get the whole picture. That's why we need to be informed media consumers.

One time I remember, everyone was outraged at the material found in a certain book. I had read the book without a problem, so I went to read the details of what had offended them...and quickly came to the conclusion that they had never read a single page of the book themselves. They accused the book of containing material anyone who had read it could tell you didn't exist.

Moral of the story? Be smart. Know for yourself how to judge media so you don't have to depend on the biased views of others. That's all.