0910G[North America Flying]Issue185 by fake

fake2009UID: 2631119

185"Scandals—whether in politics, academia, or other areas—can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could."

The speaker claims the distinctive merits of scandals when dealing with problems. Generally, I agree that scandals can be useful as they focus our attention on problems. Moreover, scandals can reveal the truth which official speaker and reformer don’t ever show to the public. However, by making contrast between scandals and people in the effectiveness of problem solving, the speaker is excessively pessimistic to human interference and overly trusting scandals. To a large extend, it’s owing to the ignorance of the negative side effects of scandals.

As far as the definition of scandal is concerned, it is a somewhat hidden truth widely publicized which is often disgraceful and immoral. The fact is that the general publish is fascinating with the lives of those people in power, including politicians, entertainers, and business leaders, especially who fall from grace. It is reasonable that scandals can focus the public attention, accompany with the shift from individual matter to the insight of a series of problems.

In 20th century, journalism and internet have been developed at a flashing speed, so that people now have prompt access to news and opinions. Through media, the Watergate Scandal reveals the criminal behavior in the president's office in an unpopular war which exposes dirty deeds about the leaders. Undoubtedly, the news shocked the masses which lead people to the concern the financial misconduct
and irregularities. Obviously, the Nixon administration, whose role is the speaker or reformer, didn’t bring it to spotlight which blurred the public. The case shows that by many means, scandals can focus people’s attention on problems which is hidden by so-called speaker or reformer.

Admittedly, the comparison between scandals and human interference made by the arguer shows the pessimistic disappointment for the speakers and reformers in their position because of a lot of attractions and distractions in real world. Nevertheless, the speaker overlooks the side effects which might affect the positive role scandals ever play. Scandals, especially sexual of entertaining, serves the satisfaction of personal eagerness of peeping others, or simply put, the fulfillment for amusement. This kind of scandals often causes only social stir and disharmony.

In January 2008, Chen was involved in a widely publicized sex scandal when sexually explicit nude photographs of himself taken four years earlier became widely circulated on the Internet. Due to the scandal, the Google search engine rankings for 2008 resulted in Chen's Chinese name being the number 1 search term in China. We can see that though the photo scandal has caused the public attention, it has nothing to do with the problem solving. In this case, the scandal not only damaged one’s reputation, but also caused public stir which has nothing to do with the argument of problem-solving asserted by the speaker, instead problem-causing.

To sum up, we can’t deny the existing merits of scandals in problem-solving which can’t be achieved by official speaker and reformer, as they can draw the public attention, thus bring the problems in spotlight. However, instead of appreciating the merits, we can’t overpass the side effects or drawbacks, like causing public disharmony and social stir, when those scandals serve the meaningless psychological satisfaction of peeping others.