If you have never read William Faulkner's "The Bear", we strongly recommend it. The narrative hinges about a young boy on a bear hunt in Mississippi years ago. In addition to the dogs used for tracking, the hunters have brought along what they call a fyce: a diminutive dog into whose tiny frame has been packed the self-confidence of a Kodiak. The fyce's utility lies not in powerful jaws nor a fear-striking presence, but in its relentless, yapping pursuit of animals a hundred times its size and more. Usually carried in a bag, the fyce is only set loose once a bear has been tracked and cornered. The fyce's job is to cause the bear to bay.
Today--or this early morning, rather--the imagery of the fyce hits close to home: not content with picking on the logic of the NY Times' editors, we have decided to go for the LA Times as well. Luckily for the LA Times, the error is not made by them; they merely reported it.
Not that it matters one iota as far as logical cohesion is concerned, but here at AtS we don't go in much for popular culture and pop music is considered anathema. It should come as no shock then that we cannot name a single song recorded by Beyonce (in spite of her 16 Grammy awards). De gustibus non est disputandum, but we digress. The LA Times reports that Beyonce's recent $50 million advertising deal with PepsiCo has drawn the undoubtedly unsolicited opinion of The Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a letter addressed to the artist, the CSPI attempts to make the case for abandoning the advertising deal because of the impact sugary drinks have on the health of Americans:
I read with disappointment the news of your $50-million endorsement deal with PepsiCo. I urge you to reconsider your decision for the sake of your fans' and the general public's health. ... More than any other category of food or beverage, sugary drinks are associated with increased risk of weight gain and obesity, which increase the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Sugary drinks also cause tooth decay and other health problems. ... [B]y lending your name and image to PepsiCo, you are associating your positive attributes with a product that is quite literally sickening Americans.
The logical error here is buried fairly deep, buts its outline is easily distinguished without much digging. Before getting to it, however, we would like to point out that the CSPI's aim is meritorious of its own right and not a matter to be sniffed at. Perhaps this chosen line of attack is used as a last resort or a "kitchen sink" maneuver. The extremity of ones circumstances, however, do not open the door to thin reasoning.
The error we find in this argument is one that in spite of widespread popularity has never been rightly named. Then again, want of stature hardly deters the fyce, and a want of name is scarcely an impediment to this backward thought process (my but we are getting good mileage out of the fyce comparison). Put succinctly the nameless error goes something like this--Someone else is to blame for my problems. Just like in the Christmas song "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas", the problem isn't so much "I broke my bat on Johnny's head", it's "somebody snitched on me."
Nearly one in five children and adolescents is obese in America, and more than one in three adults. America has a big problem. Americans' love for overeating is further compounded by our love for responsibility. Yes, you read it right--our love for responsibility. Right on up there with apple pie and baseball. We feel that if something is wrong, then someone must be held accountable--so long as that someone is someone else. I drink so much soda it threatens my health--that darned, wicked soft drink company is to blame. I spilled hot coffee in my car and burned my leg--how dare that fast-food chain abuse me. There's more tar in my lungs than at La Brea--I'm suing Philip Morris for every dime they've got! It's so easy to find someone else to blame for the problems we create, and it's so much more fun than trying to fix it ourselves.
Will Beyonce's Pepsi commercial make people want to buy more Pepsi products? Yes, PepsiCo believes that to the tune of $50 million. Is PepsiCo responsible for fueling the obesity epidemic? Better go ask that one to the man in the mirror.
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