Skip to Content

Found Footage: The reality distortion field, caught on video


Think Apple's products are "really great," "incredible," "amazing," "really easy" to use, "awesome," "terrific," "incredible," "great," and "amazing"? If so, it's probably because Apple told you that's what they were in last week's presentation. The above video's been making the rounds -- it's all of the adjectives cut out of the recent Apple event, and compiled together into a machine-gun lineup of just how Apple sets up their products.

Now, just because these words kept showing up and being used doesn't mean there's some malicious brainwashing going on here -- it's probably true that Apple really does think that their products are "incredible," and "amazing," and "really great." And let's face it, they've never really been real up-to-date on the language anyway. They probably could use a thesaurus: maybe at the next event, the new MacBooks could be "marvelous," "extraordinary," or "glorious."

But it does show you just how much we're shaped by what we see at these events -- Steve's and Apple's enthusiasm for these things is infectious. Apple's products really are amazing, but it doesn't hurt that most of us sit down to watch, read, or listen to an hour or two of them telling us just how "amazing," "incredible," and "really great" they are.

Think Apple's products are "really great," "incredible," "amazing," "really easy" to use, "awesome," "terrific," "incredible," "great,"...
 

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

26 Comments

Filter by:
Phillip

I didn't see that Keynotes have seen few and mostly none of the adverts. I have never wanted an iPod. Recently someone gave me an iPod touch as a gift. I love the touch screen and the ability to download apps and the maps and email via WIFI.

However after using the music player I had conclude iPod is not that great. In fact when it comes to using it on the go it's a DOG. Compare it to the Creative Zen Vision M which I've owned for over a year. You have so much control over what you want to listen to when you're away from your PC. For a company that has over 70% of the market Apple are far behind on user interface. If you haven't used a zen you wouldn't know what I mean.

iTunes is also a dog but not in all caps since I like the way it keeps my files organised and helps me remove duplicates. However, It never warns you that it will remove your songs, or application or anything, it just does it. Yes, I was new to it. but it deleted all the songs I was given and I can never get them back unless I buy them.

The iTunes Store, well they have made some good improvements lately but they should take some hints from Amazons websites, When you go to Amazons site YOU are the only customer they have. At least that’s how you feel. The website is tailored to my interest and I never see offensive material as I do with iTunes. I won't be buying from iTunes until I stop seeing material I personally find offensive not when I can get it from mp3.amazon.com.

September 23 2009 at 12:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris

erm, there is some "brainwashing" of sorts going on - Apple's doing the classic public speaking trick of driving home "power words" - you'll notice that each speaker had their own power words too - Jobs had his set, the other two had theirs - Jeff's words were "easy - really easy", said more than anything else; , but his keywords were easy easy easy. Phil's were amazing, incredible. This isn't by mistake.

To the thread commenter who said "most who buy apple products don't see these keynotes" true that, but the ones who do attend and see these keynotes often report, cover, journalist-up the keynote for Joe Public to read about.

This isn't by mistake. It's not malicious brainwashing, but it is advertorial brainwashing by design.

September 18 2009 at 11:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Johnny Thrash

And if you don't watch the events, you just get brainwashed by the superiority of the products. Super!

September 18 2009 at 10:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dave

Besides having an incredibly amusing handel, @mustardhamsters makes a really wonderful point, which is that it's amazing more CEO's can be so enthused about their really great products, if they actually have them.

Seriously, though, I wonder what a mash up of me describing some new exciting hardware, like my incredibly amazing and wonder iPhone 3GS, would sound like. I think anyone excited about something tends to overdo the adjectives.

September 18 2009 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kai Cherry

Mike:

Thank you :)

I mean enthusiasm is one thing but yeah, after a certain amount of saturation, it does seem a bit insincere to some I'd imagine.

I mean there are things in this world I like *way* more than Apple Products that I don't fine I need to add *that* much Fantastastunniamazigorâ„¢-Juice to them in an hour to get the point across. I can just show people and they go "woooow, thaasss kewl!"

-K

September 18 2009 at 2:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cory

Magniflorious!

September 18 2009 at 5:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rodan

I find that these presentations more often detract from the experience of learning of the new features rather than enhancing it. Its more fun to dig through the updated Apple website and discover them one by one. Or read TUAW's or Appleinsiders coverage. I think the only reason people watch them is because that is the soonest they can actually find out what the new features are actually going to be (after endless speculation). Otherwise, very few people would pay attention to these presentations at all.

September 18 2009 at 4:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Robison

And presumably edited on a Mac with the truly (really!) incredible FCP.

September 18 2009 at 2:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joseph

fantastic!

September 18 2009 at 12:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
grifmusic

that made me laugh harder than the funniest youtube video - well maybe!

it always seems a little more smooth coming from Steve, but Phil always sounds unnaturally forced with his abundance of positive adjectives.

funny stuff!

incredible!


September 17 2009 at 11:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Hot Apps on TUAW

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.