Deep Read: 'The Braindead Megaphone'

If you ever wondered how it is that a ludicrous non-story like the MoveOn "Betray Us" ad can dominate public discourse for days on end, do yourself a favor and read the title essay in George Saunders's new book, The Braindead Megaphone.

A legitimate genius -- he's a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation's "genius grant" -- Saunders specializes in homespun metaphors that start out simplistic, then gain in complexity as he goes along until they end up seeming revelatory.

He imagines the media ecosystem, circa 2007, as a cocktail party where the guests who are willing to shout the loudest and employ the crudest rhetorical devices are able to dominate the conversation. Other guests recognize the stupidity of what the shouters are saying, but, unable to ignore it, end up responding to it -- often in extremely intelligent ways that nonetheless have the effect of legitimizing it.

Smart though he may be, Saunders doesn't have a solution to propose, but accurately diagnosing the problem is usually a good first step.

The rest of the book's well worth reading, too.