The Making Sense
Political Confection Making a Meal of It
In a Confectionary Performance, as I use that term, the maker and the spectator will both appreciate that the performance is a deliberate one of making something by combining other things. “Synthesis” and “articulation” would serve as satisfactory synonyms for “confection”, but the particular advantage of “confection” as a description of making processes that persuade spectators is the word’s association with pleasing sweetness. The very word persuasion originates in the idea that a person is moved “through sweetness” (per-suade). How significant it must be in our post-truth age to appreciate that the Confectionary Performances of politicians might bypass our logical thought processes in order to influence us through our feelings.
Sandra Blakeslee, “Cells That Read Minds” New York Times Jan. 10, 2006 (Read)
Marco Iacoboni, Grasping the Intentions of Others with One’s Own Mirror Neuron System (February 22, 2005). PLOS Biology. 3 (3): e79. (Read)
Sarah Rainey, “The How the Great British Bake Off changed Britain” 12 October 2013 (Read)
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Alison Motluk, “Mirror neurons control erection response to porn” New Scientist 16 June 2008 (Read)
How well do you know Australia’s 30th Prime Minister, Scott Morrison? ABC News, Australia (Watch)
Boris and Stanley Johnson made some mince pies and it was brilliant (Watch)
Johnson mourns lack of ‘kissing under mistletoe’ in Christmas message – but heralds Brexit deal as ‘tidings of great joy’ (Independent Newspaper online, 25 December 2020 (Read) (subscription to external site required)
Gemma Francis, “Freshly baked bread tops poll of Britain’s top 50 favourite smells” (Mirror Newspaper online, 25 May 2015) (Read)
The Development of Brecht’s Theory of the Epic Theatre, 1918-1933 Author(s): Werner Hecht Source: The Tulane Drama Review, Sep. 1961, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Sep. 1961), pp. 40-97 The MIT Press (Read)
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