Saturday, January 26, 2002

True-----------1/2 True-----------False
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Advertisers have always manipulated language to sell products. In this advertising campaign for a new lightbulb, GE has made a claim that I find difficult to accept--this new light bulb "reveals true light". I object to this not just for the standard reason ("don't believe everything you read") but even more so from a general semantics point of view. If they had claimed that their bulb delivers a light that people find more comfortable, more agreeable, a light that makes things look nice, I would not have objected. But "true light"--true for whom and in what sense? Read the advertising fluff and judge for yourself:
GE Lighting Reveals A Light That Will Change The Way People See Their World

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