I recently watched a Barbara Walters special called “A Matter of Life & Death”, which discussed heart disease in America and celebrities who have had open-hear t surgery. Barbara Walters spoke to six celebrities, including herself, who have undergone open-heart surgery, and have stories to tell.
The celebrities included: Barbara Walters, Regis Philbin, David Letterman, Charlie Rose, President Bill Clinton, and Robin Williams. Each had their own stories and warnings to tell fellow Americans. It was interesting to hear each of their own speech in the way they told their individual stories. But one word stood out to me. Most of the participants said that the aftermath of the surgery was an “assault” on their body. The word “assault” really stood out to me, especially that more than one person described the recovery that way, and they were all interviewed separately.
The word “assault” is defined as “a sudden violent attack”. I guess I was expecting them to say it was painful and it was a long road, but each day got better; to have a positive spin on the whole experience. However, they were not holding back and they used strong language. The word “assault” got to me because I view that word as violent and bold. Because of our society, I view that word as not only a physical attack, but an emotional and mental attack as well. These celebrities were saying a lot by using one small word: “assault”.
I think the intention of the celebrities using that word was to place fear in the viewers. They want them to be aware that heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, and we need to be keeping up with our doctor appointments and making sure we are healthy.
The words mean nothing without the society placing meaning behind them. Do we as a society do this more than we think? Do we use our language to place fear in others? Do we have that much power with only words?
Hi Holly,
ReplyDeleteI agree that society does use words in ways that have a deeper emphasis and meaning assoicated with it. For example, assault is defined in the dictionary a sudden violent attack, but society and the ways we usually tend to associate this particular word gives a emphasis on not only a physical attack, but also psychologically, and emotionally. This particular topic links directly with a discussion we had today about the use of the word "nigger" in my COMM 370: Social movements course. The word "nigger" first developed as a deragatory term used for a black person, black slave, or any person with dark skin. Although, it began with a very negative connotation and still holds this meaning in the dictionary, society has changed the way we think of this word. For example, hip hop culture start using the "nigga" instead of "nigger" in rap videos, movies, black tv shows, etc. However, the term "nigga" generally has a positive connotative meaning and is used as a term of endearment, or to express kinship or closeness. It just really goes to show how much society can completely transform the meaning of a word.