Public Discourse

Since my English class will shortly move into the field of public discourse, I thought I'd take some time and jot down a few ideas related to the topic. Before I do that, I have to find out exactly what public discourse is. A professor from the University of South Africa as "public talk, a talk not meant for private purposes, a talk by the people, the members of the public." Hmm. Now what does that mean? A speech? A TV broadcast? Standing on a street corner preaching about the apocalypse? Well, yes. They're all considered public discourse in my mind. Because of this broad definition, I'm now aware of many more examples of public discourse than I used to be. For example, people talking too loudly on their cell phones so those around them can hear or people yelling at other drivers while on the road. Billboards can be called public discourse, because they project a message intended for the general public and are strategically placed to attract the most viewers. Television shows in general are great examples of public discourse, in particular reality television shows. They really don't have a purpose other than to show the masses the ins and outs of another person's daily life. This brings me to another question about public discourses and reality television: why are people so fascinated by other people's lives? Isn't your own life enough to handle, let alone another random person (often spoiled and drug-dependent) miles away? I'd like to examine that question a little bit more in the coming weeks of class and hopefully gain some insight to why people love those shows so much. Going back to the angry drivers point, I'd like to find some answers as to why people often change their personas once they get behind the wheel of a car. It's amazing how many times I've been riding in the car with a mellow friend who turns out to be hell on wheels. Hopefully I'll be able to answer that. Just some thoughts...