Comments on: Solidarity? Really? http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/ Horn o'plenty. A cornucopia, if you will. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:26:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Natalie http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14378 Natalie Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:22:03 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14378 While pondering the question of what one might squeeze out of a news story, my mind of course leapt to "disasterbation" and the associated possibilities, but as this is a family website (i.e., my parents read it), I will refrain from alluding to such tasteless . . . oops. I dislike group nouns for that very reason and avoid them whenever possible. (Note the careful use of "24-hour news networks" and "news media," both grammatically as well as sensibly plural, though <s>neither</s> only one of the latter's sentences disambiguates its number.) Is it really acceptable (prescriptively) to use group nouns with singular verbs and pronouns? Is it preferred, even? "Grammar Nazalie"? That calls for some massively awkward pronunciation. Even those who LIKE puns just smacked their own foreheads, I bet. =P While pondering the question of what one might squeeze out of a news story, my mind of course leapt to “disasterbation” and the associated possibilities, but as this is a family website (i.e., my parents read it), I will refrain from alluding to such tasteless . . . oops.

I dislike group nouns for that very reason and avoid them whenever possible. (Note the careful use of “24-hour news networks” and “news media,” both grammatically as well as sensibly plural, though neither only one of the latter’s sentences disambiguates its number.) Is it really acceptable (prescriptively) to use group nouns with singular verbs and pronouns? Is it preferred, even?

“Grammar Nazalie”? That calls for some massively awkward pronunciation. Even those who LIKE puns just smacked their own foreheads, I bet. =P

]]> By: clytemnestra http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14370 clytemnestra Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:05:46 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14370 KUDOS to anyone who knows the grammar Nazi so well (a grammar Nazalie for those who like puns)!!!!!! and can explain their own grammar oddities. . .as another grammar fiend, I would like to add that group nouns often take a singular verb in English, so for your sentence replace "the press" with "the team" or "the committee" and you'd instinctively use the same verb form. . . I think that grammar discussion helped to clear up my cold!!! BTW I really appreciate that WordPress checks my spelling KUDOS to anyone who knows the grammar Nazi so well (a grammar Nazalie for those who like puns)!!!!!! and can explain their own grammar oddities. . .as another grammar fiend, I would like to add that group nouns often take a singular verb in English, so for your sentence replace “the press” with “the team” or “the committee” and you’d instinctively use the same verb form. . .

I think that grammar discussion helped to clear up my cold!!!

BTW I really appreciate that WordPress checks my spelling

]]> By: knzn http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14313 knzn Sun, 22 Apr 2007 09:49:20 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14313 I agree with the post, but I think of it as a special case of the “Franco is still dead” phenomenon. When Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died, the story remained in the headlines for several days with various pieces about Franco’s life and the implications of his death. SNL (at the time the L was still in parentheses, I think, and “Saturday Night Live” was a different show – a variety show with Howard Cosell) parodied the general tendency by running “Franco is still dead” as the lead story on Weekend Update several weeks in a row. The VT story is particularly newsworthy because it’s an unusual event (whereas another massacre in Iraq or Darfur is barely worth mentioning). When the press gets their hands on a story that works for them like that, they won’t let go of it until they’ve squeezed out every last ounce of…whatever it is that one squeezes out of a news story. (Oops, since you’re a grammar Nazi, you’re going to object to the fact that the singular press becomes plural in the rest of the sentence. But it doesn’t sound right if I use the neuter singular pronoun. Consider “the press gets” to be shorthand for “the ladies and gentlemen of the press get,” which sounds even more awkward.) I agree with the post, but I think of it as a special case of the “Franco is still dead” phenomenon. When Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died, the story remained in the headlines for several days with various pieces about Franco’s life and the implications of his death. SNL (at the time the L was still in parentheses, I think, and “Saturday Night Live” was a different show – a variety show with Howard Cosell) parodied the general tendency by running “Franco is still dead” as the lead story on Weekend Update several weeks in a row. The VT story is particularly newsworthy because it’s an unusual event (whereas another massacre in Iraq or Darfur is barely worth mentioning). When the press gets their hands on a story that works for them like that, they won’t let go of it until they’ve squeezed out every last ounce of…whatever it is that one squeezes out of a news story.

(Oops, since you’re a grammar Nazi, you’re going to object to the fact that the singular press becomes plural in the rest of the sentence. But it doesn’t sound right if I use the neuter singular pronoun. Consider “the press gets” to be shorthand for “the ladies and gentlemen of the press get,” which sounds even more awkward.)

]]> By: Gerwin http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14260 Gerwin Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:29:10 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14260 I have seen it on the news as well . What is disturbing me most is that they don't think about the fact why this guy did it and that it is a matter of a changing society, growing individualism , failing social system and growing differences between rich and poor. We had a school shooting here as well and we have a very restrictive gunlaw. The thing is that the society and social system in the usa is creating too much people who have nothing to loose. I mean my thoughts go of course to the victims I have seen it on the news as well . What is disturbing me most is that they don’t think about the fact why this guy did it and that it is a matter of a changing society, growing individualism , failing social system and growing differences between rich and poor.

We had a school shooting here as well and we have a very restrictive gunlaw. The thing is that the society and social system in the usa is creating too much people who have nothing to loose.

I mean my thoughts go of course to the victims

]]> By: Shannon http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14206 Shannon Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:40:02 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14206 I have not really spent a lot of time thinking about this, but in general I agree with what you are saying. Why don't we pay more attention to the people who are dying all over the world for reasons that are preventable (illness, hunger) or probably should not be happening (war)? Why do we make a spectacle out of disaster and make a celebrity out of killers? I have not really spent a lot of time thinking about this, but in general I agree with what you are saying. Why don’t we pay more attention to the people who are dying all over the world for reasons that are preventable (illness, hunger) or probably should not be happening (war)? Why do we make a spectacle out of disaster and make a celebrity out of killers?

]]> By: Natalie http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14166 Natalie Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:44:37 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14166 NPR ran a similar story yesterday afternoon on All Things Considered, between stories about the killer and the mourners. Maybe someday the news media will just make all their own stories and then report on themselves, to each other. NPR ran a similar story yesterday afternoon on All Things Considered, between stories about the killer and the mourners.

Maybe someday the news media will just make all their own stories and then report on themselves, to each other.

]]> By: clytemnestra http://prepoceros.com/2007/04/19/solidarity-really/#comment-14165 clytemnestra Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:38:25 +0000 http://prepoceros.com/?p=382#comment-14165 The headline on GMA right this second is: Should Media Stop Covering VT? The headline on GMA right this second is: Should Media Stop Covering VT?

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