CONTENT WARNING: politics, profanity
This viral meme happens to perfectly illustrate why louder ≠ clearer!
ICYMI: a NASCAR driver named Brandon Brown won a big race at Talladega Speedway in Alabama last month. During a post-victory live interview with NBC sports, thousands of fans started chanting "FVCK Joe Biden." Reporter Kelly Stavast referred to the chanting spectators as if they were saying "Let's Go Brandon." Weeks later, it's become an inside joke in certain corners of the anti-Biden crowd, packing the internet with songs, merchandise, and stories of the phrase being used in real life. Here's the latest from NBC: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nascar-hopes-distance-itself-let-s-go-brandon-conservative-rally-n1283396
If you think Kelly Stavast is part of some media conspiracy to prop up the U.S. President, I hate to break it to you: she probably just heard the crowd wrong.
Because they were yelling.
When people raise their voices, vowels get significantly louder than the consonants, making the words slurred and difficult for anyone to understand, whether you have hearing loss or not. What Stavast likely heard was something more like "EHH-oh-EHH-ehn!"
If she knew what the chant was really saying she would not have acknowledged it in the middle of a live interview. Repeated f-bombs can subject broadcasters to big fines from the FCC.
No matter Stavast's true intention (she has yet to comment), this viral saga serves as a very important reminder. Don't shout at people who didn't hear you! Instead face them, enunciate, and make your mouth visible if possible.
This is exactly the kind of misunderstanding that can happen when those of us with hearing loss are forced to guess what was said based on shreds of what we heard.
Now you have a fresh new take on Let's Go Brandon. I hope you'll use it to school strangers on the internet! If you do, come back here to the Hearing Habits Forum and let everyone know how that went! 😂