Adapt or Die

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
                                                     --Quote often attributed to Charles Darwin, who never actually said this. 

Gadji beri bimba clandridi
Lauli lonni cadori gadjam
A bim beri glassala glandride
E glassala tuffm i zimbra.
               --Talking Heads, "I Zimbra"

In previous posts I had tried to emphasize the need for writers to understand that the purpose of writing is to communicate, which means--importantly--that you need to write with the understanding that someone will read what you write.  Additionally, that reader doesn’t know what you know, can’t see what you see, can’t read your mind, so in order to genuinely communicate, you need to think in terms of “What does my reader want and need to know?” 

This is true of all writers, not just college writers.  However, since college writers typically only have experience writing within the insulated setting of school, they often have no compelling need or experience to consider how someone else will react to their words.  (Teachers don’t count.)

I’d like to use this post to further refine the notion of readership, with, as usual, the goal of giving you the means to write successfully in college through generating meaningful content and analytical writing.

I’ll begin by stating the obvious (which I’m very good at): readers adapt.  The same group of readers can read, understand and enjoy two very different texts.  A teacher, for example, can (like me) put on his Professional Hat and read a heavy scholarly article on Deconstructive Theory in American Literature in the morning, and then read a cheap murder mystery in the evening, and understand and enjoy both.  As another example, take a look at the two verses below.

Great green grimes of greasy grimy gopher guts, Mutilated monkey meat, Little birdie's dirty feet, French fried eyeballs soaking in a pan of blood, Eat it without a spoon (I'll use a straw!)

I love you, You love me, We're a happy family, with a great big hug, and a kiss from me to you, Won't you say you love me TOO!

I think we would all agree that the two verses are very different from each other in content.  Yet both have the same audience: children.  The verse on the left is an old folk verse (it’s not known who originally composed it) that kids have loved and recited for many decades.  It's commonly referred to as "playground verse," and there are numerous variations of it (and I would guess many of you know and sang some version of it at some point in your childhoods).  The verse on the right is the lyrics from a song for the TV show Barney.  In spite of how different the words are, the same audience can understand and enjoy both.  Readers are very Darwinian: they adapt.

How does this matter to you?  For one thing, when we talk about writing for a readership, writers—particularly inexperienced writers—can get the mistaken impression that they may have to change what they believe, or even lie, or “dumb things down” in order to communicate to readers.  Successful written communication does not mean that writer and readers must see eye-to-eye on everything; successful communication simply means that readers understand what the writer is saying--not agree, not even necessarily like; just understand. The more thorough a writer is, the better the readers can understand.  If you respect your readers by understanding their needs and being thorough in your information, then the readers will adapt.

A second meaning to “readers change” is related to the one above.  In addition to one readership adapting to multiple texts, you need to be aware of different readerships for one text.  For example, a number of viewers of the new Lego movie have pointed out that there are plenty of elements in the movies that would entertain both adults and kids, though the more adult stuff would be over the heads of the kids.  Same text (the movie), two different audiences, with each audience finding different elements with which to connect.  Here’s the point to take away: the makers of that movie did NOT make two different movies; they made one movie, and incorporated elements to reach two different audiences.  In other words, the movie makers adjusted their content to accommodate different audiences.  As another example, both kids and adults watch and enjoy Spongebob Squarepants, but the source of enjoyment for kids is quite different from the source of enjoyment for adults.  Same show, two different audiences, each audience finding something in the show with which to connect.

Readers Adapt--and So Should Writers

Here are some writing examples of adapting text to a readership.  Let's use a subject that probably makes most of us feel all warm inside: quantum mechanics.  The first example, from Wikipedia, is a summary definition of quantum mechanics for those with a fairly healthy background in physics.  You likely only need to read the first few lines to get the idea, though feel free to read the whole thing:

Now, college writers often write as if they have only one gear.  That is, however the writer understands his or her subject, and whatever language the writer uses to understand his or her subject, that's what the reader is going to get no matter who the reader is.  Successful college writing, however, asks that the writer becomes what I call "multi-lingual," meaning that the writer is able to adapt his or her language and content for whoever the reader happens to be.  Take a look at another article from Wikipedia on quantum mechanics, except this one is intentionally written with a less specialized readership in mind:

While I will make no claims about how genuinely easier it is to understand quantum mechanics now, I will point out what I think is the most important point here: the writer(s) have radically altered their language and content to accommodate--or at least attempt to accommodate--a different readership.  Same subject, same idea, but different readers, so different language and content.

Finally, one more example of a text on quantum mechanics, both to illustrate a writer adapting a subject to his readership, and to illustrate just how "multilingual" writers can be.  Below is an excerpt from a book on quantum mechanics:

Yes, that's correct: it's a book on quantum mechanics--for children.  Now it should be pretty easy to see the radical transformation in language, as well as the addition of colorful, kid-friendly images.  (We'll ignore for the moment that the writer has misspelled "Michelangelo.") 

Let me leave you with a little bit of entertainment, in this case an example of what happens when a writer (here I'm using the word loosely) does what a writer should not do: alter the nature of a text in order to appeal to an audience.  I have mentioned elsewhere that adapting for an audience does NOT mean that the writer has to sacrifice or change his/her beliefs or ideas for an audience; the writer simply needs to figure out how best to communicate those beliefs and ideas to a particular readership.  This is a lesson that Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines did not learns.  First, watch the videos below of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines commercials.  Take special notice of the music.  You'll hear a bit of the music towards the end of the first commercial (with the words "lust for life"), then more of the music in the second commercial.  Also take note that the first commercial emphasizes Family as its theme.



   



The song, of course, celebrates a “lust for life,” very much in keeping with the upbeat, Celebrate Life message of the commercials.  The song, in fact, is called “Lust for Life,” by Iggy and the Stooges.  Here is the opening verse to the song:

Here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
He's gonna do another striptease
Hey man where'd you get
That lotion? I been hurting
Since I bought the gimmick
About something called love
Yeah something called love
That's like hypnotizing chickens
Well I am just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before

I'm worth a million in prizes,

With my torture film,

Drive a GTO,

Wear a uniform,

All on a government loan.

'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life .  .  .

To say the least, there is a bit of a disconnect between the message of the commercial and the subject of the song.  What Royal Caribbean did was adjust the song for a different audience, which is fine, but in the process created a deceptive text.  What Royal Caribbean did not count on was fans familiar with the actual lyrics of the song using this as an opportunity to criticize and mock Royal Caribbean.  Those who did not at first know the lyrics, particularly parents, were just a bit upset when they found out that this kicky little tune to which spunky Otto and precious Fremontina were jamming was a song about drugs, alcohol, torture porn and sex.  (If you're wondering who "Johnny Yen" is, it's a reference to a character created by the writer William S. Burroughs, a character Burroughs describes as "The Boy-Girl Other Half strip tease God of sexual frustration."  What could be more family-friendly than that?)  

Perhaps the lesson here, and the best way to end this post, is to say--don't underestimate your audience.

Piazza