Cell phone provider ads, mic drops, and barriers to communication

I hate cell-phone ads. Except for AT&T, whose ads are humorous and typically don’t bad mouth any other carrier. I’ve always hated Verizon ads since they got rid of the “can you hear me now: guy, which all come off as “hey, stupid people, we’re the best cell phone carrier!” The comes Sprint, which cleverly hired the old “can you hear me know” guy to say Sprint is almost as good but cheaper. They every are spoofing the “mic drop” ads.  Clever, but still kind of obnoxious. Then there’s Metro PCS, who’s better than Sprint. And so it goes. 

One thing that particularly bugs me about the current Verizon ads is using the “mic drop” approach. These upset me. For one thing, I appreciate a good microphone, and cringe every time I see someone drop a good mic on purpose. It’s as stupid as Pete Townsend’s guitar smashing thing.

The second thing wrong with the “mic drop” is that it is an attempt to signal that this is the last word, there’s nothing left to discuss. Or, at any rate, the person dropping the mic is unwilling to continue any discussion. It’s sole purpose is to shut down communication. Many of us like that, actually, but it’s a bad thing.

Reasons for wanting to shut down a discussion include

  • Insecurity about what you believe
  • Hiding ignorance about a subject
  • Wanting to appear to be the authority (when you’re not)
  • Wanting to push your agenda through because it benefits you more than others
  • A neurotic need to be right
  • Just wanting the pain to end

These are bad, for the most part. Conversation and discussion, on the other hand, are typically good. It’s good to have your ideas challenged, and to question purported statements of fact (“alternative facts”). You’ll never grow in understanding without this, and you’re likely to live in your own state of alternative facts rather than actual truth.  

When anyone tries to shut down a discussion via a mic drop moment or some other tactic, you know you’ve hit a nerve. It’s up to you to decide how you are going to respond. Just never accept that it is truly the end of discussion.  

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