David Foster Wallace's Hatred of Politically Correct Writing

What is the role of politically correct English (PCE) in the American language wars? How did politically correct English take over the prescriptivist camp of linguists? Well today, we will hear from David Foster Wallace on how language is manipulated by both the left and right for political correctness and its negative impact on society.
3.5 hour breakdown of David Foster Wallace's essay "Authority and American Usage"
writeconscious.substack.com/p...

[@WriteConscious]

If you want to join my Substack I just released a 3.5-hour breakdown of Wallace's essay "Authority and American Usage." writeconscious.substack.com/p/authority-and-american-usage-breakdown

[@Postmailer]

‘The Unhoused’ has dystopian Freudian ring to it

[@WriteConscious]

Lol!

[@andrewgirvan3540]

"Is this the hill you're going to be annoying on?" I'm going to be randomly thinking and grinning about this line for awhile!

[@WriteConscious]

Lol!

[@rickysrockinreviews]

This stood out to me too. Its a great line haha

[@thetributary8089]

I’m really glad I found your channel.

[@WriteConscious]

Glad you're here!

[@CRESCENTII1968]

"Tolerance" is a coerced congeniality championed by those who lack the sophistication to hate in a non-violent, respectable way

[@FrancisGo.]

Political Correctness is just like Socialist Realism under the Soviets. But Mark Fisher (RIP) popularized the idea that capitalist realism is more limiting than overt censorship. I understand what he meant, but I don't buy it. I think he mistook the failure of most artists to transcend their influences as being something unique to our age. The ancient Greeks might look like they were putting out bangers consistently, but whole centuries sometimes passed before a new classic emerged.

[@SamElliottsStache]

A must-read for this day and age, whether you agree with his argument or not.

[@Vgallo]

Thank you so much for articulating the “ it’s all self interest” fallacy, it’s so short sighted simplistic and naive.

[@kentjensen4504]

Yes, and many or evenmost of the people who espouse such ideas aren't really all that selfish; just intellectually lazy. They don't know that they enable economic vampires who produce nothing.

[@WriteConscious]

Thanks for doing your part IRL too brotha!

[@carrion-vj1yz]

George Carlin and Bill Hicks come to mind.

[@SamElliottsStache]

My heroes,

[@carrion-vj1yz]

@@SamElliottsStache same, Hicks mostly.

[@WriteConscious]

Wish they were still around!

[@briankim7419]

Do you teach writing course on Substack?

[@user-xd1xf9rp5p]

Epic rant. You nailed it

[@OneHitAway]

You know PCE is posturing because the language is always presumptive toward the feel good direction. "Preprosperous" implies prosperity is in the cards for everyone when the opposite is true. As a homeowner, am I not more likely to lose my home than a homeless or unhoused person is to buy one in this market? So why not call me pre-unhoused? I think we all know the answer to that.

[@lalalalalala739]

Where did you find this excerpt?

[@afromattt]

This is from Fosters essay call Authority and American Usage from "Consider the Lobster" Starts on page 66

[@WriteConscious]

^ - The shorter version is titled "Tense Present"

[@andrewmcleod1684]

A big element in this (and political correctness on the whole) that a lot of people like to ignore is the introduction of females into political and intellectual life

[@ececaglakahya8274]

Oh yes the fault of women again. What a brilliant mind you have.

[@JNTX2008]

"Enslaved person" is the latest one I've been hearing/reading, as if the word "slave" itself doesn't already imply a human being. I see this used mostly in American Civil War related material. None of these "enslaved people" are around to be offended by the word "slave".

[@nerdentertainment12]

Good video. Can you please do a video on the book Quack This Way by DFW and Bryan A Garner? 👍🏾

[@WriteConscious]

For sure! A lot my videos on DFW and writing quote that book. Look through my DFW playlist

[@FrancisGo.]

When I was in my 20s, I went to the movies with a 19 year old Mormon girl who had never been to a shopping mall in her life. But years later I saw her on Facebook, and she was putting out some strong leadership vibes. By then she was married, and she was still wholesome, but that pure heart did not stop her mind from developing into someone who was kind of intimidating in a good way. 😅 *I'm a lapsed LDS myself.

[@kentjensen4504]

Ian has the most interesting comments section on KZbin.

[@flawedplan]

Yes yes yes, your commentary sings on this. I'm a liberal and we're out here, ticked off and with you all the way.

[@IbnRushd-mv3fp]

Yes so edgy in your first world cocoon.

[@WriteConscious]

Thanks @flawedplan

[@flawedplan]

@@IbnRushd-mv3fp You can't be talking about me. If so, what a fool you are.

[@XOXO______]

It would be great if you share your take on the new trend in cool girls and soft boys of writing in lowercase and the history of not following grammatical rules in literature. I get the sense that this current trend doesn’t have any other purpose than doing it because everyone around is doing it and looks “new” at the moment.

[@themandon94]

I think Wallace missed the mark a little bit here. The reason being that: 1.) His analysis here doesn't acknowledge that the term political correctness (or its more contemporary synonym 'wokeness') in its most common expression is a buzzword and rallying cry used chiefly by and for conservatives; and that, as a consequence, the very use of the term by default centers a given discourse around conservative sensibilities. 2.) By qualifying his stance against PC on these grounds through the example of an economic issue, he obscures the reality that, in American political consciousness, the term is most widely used in the context of social issues, particularly ones of gender, ethnicity, religion etc. 3.) The appeal to conservative sensibilities on these issues, by virtue of historical consequences, will continue to inflame the underlying tension between marginalized peoples and those who identify with societal norms. 4.) To top it off, the point of criticism that the use of PC by liberals is wrong because it emerges from self-interest is ultimately cheapened by his assertion that rich people should give away more of their wealth not for the sake of the poor but their own self-interest. That aside, I believe that PC is not an inherently negative concept on its own. In its most basic sense, it's just a quality that denotes a given expression's ability to improve or maintain social cohesion. Furthermore, I believe that the framing of PC as categorically negative itself emerges from malignantly self-interested politics because the desire to treat others with dignity and respect is itself adequate incentive to be careful about what we say and do, and those who are most critical of PC tend to express desires that are contrary to that. In short, PC at its best is an antidote against antisocial behavior, and a means of exerting control over another's thoughts and feelings at worst.

[@lordbunbury]

I agree on all points, but Wallace wrote this in 2001 in a review of a usage dictionary. Things have sure changed a lot in 23 years.

[@IbnRushd-mv3fp]

L post and doesn't acknowledge the realities of social engendering and mass manipulation.

[@IbnRushd-mv3fp]

This ain't it either chief

[@themandon94]

@@lordbunbury Fair enough.

[@Dino_Medici]

Ur awesome lol

[@WriteConscious]

no UR iconically synergized with this channels energy in an AWESOME way brotha!

[@Dino_Medici]

@@WriteConscious On holy so real go off king

[@andrewmcleod1684]

Respectfully disagree with the education can save us position, the fact is that the vast majority of the population doesn’t have the genetics required either for the intelligence or world-view needed for the humanities to affect them in any sort of meaningful way

[@DWS205]

Equating the prescriptivist vs descriptivist language debate to political correctness seems disingenuous and wrong. This video is a reflection of the weirdness of the conceit of this channel. DFW wrote some decent fiction, but deifying everything he said or wrote is not a good thing.

[@DWS205]

The rant about nonviolence is very ironic when your channel is a shrine to DFW. Do you know how much of an abusive, violent tyrant he was to the women he had relationships with?

[@jeffrey3498]

People are "selfish" because the government takes so much from us. If we had a federal government providing just necessary services (military, border security, infrastructure, etc.) the people would be flourishing, and voluntary charity could eliminate the need for government coercion to donate (paying higher taxes). I recently applied for a job that asked me if I wanted to contribute a percentage of my paycheck to various charities. I refused all of them because I want to use my own money to donate/ contribute the way I see fit. Suspiciously, I didn't get hired. I'm always giving money to people and situations in need, at my choosing; I don't need to be coerced to contribute my "fair share." The government robs us blind and then calls us "selfish."