The Escapist vindicates snobbery

[Cadsuane]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/arti...-Comprehension

An excerpt

Have you ever read a newspaper article or Time magazine piece from the 1940s and thought to yourself, "Wow, this article is so intelligently written. The writing in modern mags and papers seems dumbed down in comparison." If so, you'd be right.

In the 1950s, two researchers, Rudolph Flesch and Robert Gunning, began working with newspapers and wire services to improve what they termed "readability." Readability is the degree to which words can be understood by readers. It is today measured by scores named after their inventors, the Flesch Reading Ease Score (1-100) and the Gunning-Fog Index (1-14+). The latter is the well-known "grade level" score of reading, as in "Reader's Digest is written at the 9th grade level."

At the time they did their research, most newspapers were written at the 12th grade level. Flesch and Gunning saw this as a bad thing; they believed that work should be written at a reading level that matches the reading comprehension score of the average American adult, which is around 8th-9th grade level. More importantly, they uncovered evidence that the lower the grade level of the writing (or the higher the readability, as they would euphemistically put it), the wider the circulation. Flesch and Gunning found that high-class magazines at the 12th grade level had circulation of less than 1 million, while pulp rags written at the 6th grade level circulated at more than 10 million.

The reason for the correlation is that consumers with low reading comprehension simply cannot enjoy work written at a higher grade level, regardless of its quality. Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has a Gunning-Fog Index of 19.2, suggesting that while it may be the most masterful work of historical analysis ever written, most college graduates (16th grade) can't even comprehend it. It will never be an Amazon best-seller, because there aren't enough people able to appreciate it.

But the notion of "grade level" or content comprehensibility is quite extensible beyond reading. For instance, in music, there is the concept of audiation, or music appreciation, the process of mentally hearing and comprehending music. According to music education research E.E. Gordon, "when you are listening to music, you are giving meaning to what you just heard by recalling what you have heard on earlier occasions [and] anticipating or predicting what you are hearing next, based on your musical achievement." This is the same skill set that a reader employs when parsing text. And music, like text, can come at different grade levels, which can be comprehended ("appreciated") by listeners of different skill. That's why the average music listener likes pop music with easily accessible hooks, while music snobs enjoy Bach or atonal experimental rock, but find pop music the equivalent of children's books.

Comprehension level can also be applied to narrative, as is the case for film studies, and to games - though that is only just now becoming understood. Whether we're talking about "reading comprehension," "music appreciation," or "film studies," the underlying concept is the same, and it explains why we even have literature snobs, film snobs, music snobs, and game snobs at all. To be a snob is to be a consumer only willing to consume content created at a high comprehension level.

I debated putting this in gaming so BRP could bitch about sophistry in games criticism, but it's also a good segueway out of the idiocracy references in that Obama thread.

[Tekoa]

As with most things, the general idea (economic reasons aside) was a good one. Lower the reading level so that the general populace can become more well informed and perhaps build up to a higher reading level.

[Khamsin]

and perhaps build up to a higher reading level.

So, in the next few decades, we should expect the reading level of popular publications to gradually increase again?

[Omniyoji]

I remember my English professor in High School talking about this but regarding film.

[Qalbert]

can I get a tl;dr?

[Tekoa]

So, in the next few decades, we should expect the reading level of popular publications to gradually increase again?

Doubtful. I was just saying it was a possibility of what was originally intended. With the way people are now, I don't believe publications will even maintain the current reading level. Lower it further to sell more because in the end, it is all about the money.

[Zeb]

How many so called journalists can even write at a 12th grade level now?

[ZarakiKujata]

can I get a tl;dr?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...-did-there.jpg

[Kuya]

This also vindicates my porn snobbery.

[Kirb]

can I get a tl;dr?

I lol'd.

[Plow]

Guitar Hero and Rock Band are freaking amazing for developing the musical aspect it talks about.

If they're able to stay popular I expect a pretty decent effect on the next generation of music.

[Pirian]

Great article

[Cadsuane]

As with most things, the general idea (economic reasons aside) was a good one. Lower the reading level so that the general populace can become more well informed and perhaps build up to a higher reading level.

What if you read it as being a degeneration of the public forum as a consequence its accessibility, replacing elitism with cheap populism?

[Blarg]

It took me an extra 3 years to graduate highschool so I can read at a 16th grade level

[Elvis]

As with most things, the general idea (economic reasons aside) was a good one. Lower the reading level so that the general populace can become more well informed and perhaps build up to a higher reading level.

Sorry, this is too complicated for me. Let me change a few things to make it more readable:

I like money. Stop talking like a fag. Electrolytes.

[Cadsuane]

It took me an extra 3 years to graduate highschool so I can read at a 16th grade level

So you're from Ontario?

[Blarg]

Damn you Ontario, ruining my joke for a select few people who are aware of Ontario's high school grade system!!

[Blarg]

east coast? more like least coast!

[Cadsuane]

In a way, the punchline is funnier now

[Max™]

Isn't this basically why The Simpson's lasted so long?

Why Adult Swim can't keep Anime going, why Frisky Dingo died (too densely written to be popular among enough people to get good ratings), and whatnot?

Hell, count the magazines at your local bookstore with articles on pure math or science topics, versus the ones on cars, games, or gossip.