In defense of the American cliché
You’re watching your favourite cable news channel and the talking head introduces the featured guest. It goes like this:
Talking Head: Our guest this morning is the Easter Bunny. “Good morning Mr. Bunny welcome to the show. It’s great to see you again, as always”
Mr. Bunny: Thank you Talking Head. “It’s great to be with you, and thank you for having me on the show.”
This particularly nauseating butt kissing has become standard opening narrative throughout network programming, and frequently takes place between two people that have never met or, by popular consensus, have no real affection for one another.
Popular verbal clichés number, perhaps, in the thousands and are inherently introduced into the common vernacular as a clever, nuanced and often as a humorous device for avoiding a more lengthy or abstract explanation. It isn’t until these expressions are overused to the extent that they become banal caricatures of some earlier meaning when they descend into a common “overused” cliché.
However, not all clichés have an appropriate time and place. Many are obtuse and witless utterances that slip into our everyday narrative and become the habitual refrain of the mindless drones that repeat them. One such obnoxious expression has just recently found its way into common use.
The expression “Let me be perfectly clear” should offend every sense of your being. This ugly cliché, on its face, suggests that the speaker demands your resolute attention, and is frequently the precursor to a demand that contains an absolute and unquestioned imperative. It further implies that you are a vapid cretin who failed to. understand what was said the first time. This crass and vacuous pronouncement is frequently followed-up by “Having said that”, which suggests that the lecture isn’t over yet.
However, in defense of the American cliché let’s not be too critical, or give up too quickly. Clichéd repartee is very helpful, and we should recognize its usefulness when expressing a cogent thought, an idea, or inspiring a needed call to action.
So, having said that, let me be perfectly clear. We need to step up to the plate, and get on the same page. And, by becoming more granular it will allow us to think outside the box. Then, by expanding our bandwith, and by giving 110% , at the end of the day we will get to the bottom of this.
It’s great to see you again, as always.
Le Flaneur