Telling the Truth

“Texts in this elective offers perspective on the significance of truth in human experiences”

Were you persuaded to embrace these perspectives?

Rob Sitch’s satirical Frontline episodes “The Siege” and “We Ain’t Got Dames”, as well as Keith Jenkins’ article “What is history?” and Michael Leunig’s cartoon “Lies”, all elucidate the perception that ‘truth’ has become a commodity, and has therefore compromised its significance in human experiences. Through the study of these texts, one is persuaded to embrace the varying perspectives regarding the attainability of ‘truth’ presented within this elective.

Rob Sitch’s Frontline episode “The Siege” highlights the significance of truth in human experiences through its representation of the theme of image over substance. Through “The Siege”, Sitch articulates Foucault’s apprehension of a “regime of truth” that manifests itself in the media. Through the subversion of the television genre of current affairs, in the satirical, cinema verite style of the show, Sitch enunciates the notion that truth has become a commodity at the hands of a superficial, and ratings driven media. This conviction manifests itself in the character of Brian, who grants credibility to a psychology student by affirming to his assistant “an expert on psychos and stuff…slap him up in front of a bookcase, we’ll film him there”. This generalisation is then proliferated by the character of Marty, “how about I crouch down like this…make it look like I’m in danger” this ironic dialogue expounds the notion that the media values image over truth. This is furthered by the splicing of an image of Mike Munroe into the edit, granting the mockumentary credibility, through verisimilitude, whilst also contributing to the dramatic irony of the piece. The desperation of ratings driven, current affairs programs to attain an air of authenticity, is highlighted by Brian’s hyperbolic declaration “any damn thing you can get a hold of”. Consequently, Frontline undermines the credibility of “trusted independent journalism” (Kirk), and renders untenable any notion of “truth”. As a result, “The Siege” presents the “truth” as an ideal that has been compromised by what Jameson calls, “present day multifunctional capitalism”. Thus, the significance of “truth” within the human experience has been exponentially undermined by the relentless pursuit of ratings undertaken by those programs that Frontline satirises.

Contrastingly, Keith Jenkins’ article “What is history?” seeks to destroy any preconceived judgement on the plausibility of truth, and undermines any belief in the significance of truth in human experiences. His thesis categorically states through an adage that truth is unattainable, “the past is gone, it has in it arguably neither rhyme nor reason, it is sublime”. Furthermore, any attempt to access the truth is a fruitless endeavour as the “ideological modes of conservatism, liberalism, radicalism and anarchism become determinate”. Jenkins’ listing highlights the notion that it is ultimately our context and inherent presuppositions that define our perception of truth, and as a result “truth is different for each and every individual”. It is this individual truth that is manipulated by those in power, such as the current affairs programs that Frontline satirises. Jenkins’ thesis argues that it is ironically Historian’s who define our perception of truth. It is through the synthesisation of facts into a figurative “narrative structure” that the historian renders the “resultant historiographical construct understandable and consumable”. Truth is therefore constructed by “present minded ideologically positioned workers”, such as the executives of media companies in Frontline. These “truths” correspond to the range of “power bases that exist at any given juncture and which distribute the meanings drawn from such truth’s along a dominant marginal spectrum”. Truth is therefore fabricated by historian’ in order to suit the “narrative” of history, “without any real foundations beyond the textual”, reducing the significance of truth within society to nothing. The engaging philosophical, rhetorical title “what is history?” elucidates the absurdity of the “notion of truth’, and reasserts the post-modern position of Jenkins as one that rejects any presupposition towards the significance of an achievable truth in any human experience.

Similarly, Rob Sitch’s Frontline episode “We Ain’t Got Dames” highlights the distortion of truth through the “irreconcilable conflict, between investor interests and the interests of journalists” (Beecher). As a result, it reflects the significance of truth in human experiences as a valuable and rare commodity. “We Ain’t Got Dames” targets the reception of truth in a female context, and explicates the assumption that the significance of truth varies between the sexes. Sitch highlights this through his use of rhetoric “you think women will like that story, put it on then”. As such, Sitch satirises the desideratum of patriarchal commercial networks to attract female audiences through the manipulation of truth. In so doing, Sitch critiques the cynical and phallocentric “truth” of the stereotypical, naïve female audience. Through the verisimilitude of MP Cheryl Kerno, Sitch italicizes the patriarchal domination of the media. In order to attract a larger female audience, persona Mike Moore “peronalises the interview” by paradoxically questioning the highly influential female politician on “women’s issues” such as “balancing home and work”. The justification for this decision lies in the belief that “most women aren’t interested in politics”, and the significance of “truths” such as the “sweat shop story”, are largely irrelevant as it does not guarantee ratings. Thus, the “political, economic, institutional regime of the production of truth” (Foucalt), ensures that those “truth’s” which do not conform to the interests of women, are largely manipulated, ensuring the continued significance of the attainability of truth in different contexts.

Likewise, Leunig’s cartoon “Lies” utilises imagery in order to communicate its ideals on the implausibility of “truth” in a consumer driven world, abstracting the inclination towards the “significance” of truth. Through his denunciation of capitalist ethics, Leunig echoes the ethos that man has become subservient to the “truths” which dominate the “marginal spectrum” (Jenkins). As such, Leunig depicts the characters in the foreground of the cartoon as sycophantic observers of the “lies” being perpetuated by the media around them, symbolised by the advertising boards in the background. Consequently, Leunig communicates the idea that the manipulation of truth has led to an unavoidable passivity on the part of the masses, a thought that is echoed in Sitch’s Frontline. Whilst the word “lies” is spread out metaphorically across the cartoon, on top of billboards, newspapers, and signposts, the absence of the word “truth” highlights the suppression of authenticity present within the contemporary world. Furthermore, the figure of the child in the middleground with “lies” emblazoned across his t-shirt, highlights the forceful manipulation of the truth that has been unwittingly observed by the innocent. The vectors of the cartoon ensure that attention is drawn to the salient figure of the truck. Once again, the word “lies” is spread across its side, highlighting figuratively, the role of communication and transport in spreading manipulated “truths” to the masses. The blurred colour hue of the cartoon represents the position of Jenkins and Frontline, as both they and Leunig maintain that the truth is no more fact than fiction. Finally, the oppressive buildings present within the background, dominate the spectrum of the picture, figuratively depicting the role of “economic and institutional regimes” (Foucault) in proliferating the manipulation of the truth until its significance is minimal, resulting in a new perspective on a previously “objective” truth.

The two Frontline episodes “We Ain’t Got Dames” and “The Siege”, as well as Leunig’s “Lies” and Jenkins’ “What is history?” all underline the notion that the significance of truth in human experiences has been significantly undermined by the inherent profit driven machinations of contemporary society. As a result, a new perspective on “truth” has emerged, whereby the “truth” is seen as largely unattainable, due to its unavoidable manipulation.