Distraction: A tool for diverting attention from an area of focus in order to diminish how much information is absorbed about it.
You might have noticed an increase in the diversionary tactic “whataboutism” lately. It’s generally used by a party on one side to divert attention from their failures. They then either focus on their own successes or redirect attention to the failures of the opposite party. If Facebook is any indication, not only is whataboutism not politically correct, there’s a movement afoot to ban it altogether. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Herewith, some less offensive options for distraction.
Let’s begin with a literal distraction, based in history. Red herring. This term supposedly originated in British foxhunting circles in the 1600’s, drawing a red herring across a trail to confuse hunting dogs and prolong the hunt. Pungent fish were also used by escapees being chased by posses with bloodhounds. By dragging a fish across the trail behind him, the person being chased hoped to buy time and make a safe getaway. These days a red herring is usually a figurative diversion. Take care to be politically correct when you drag that stinky thing out.
Here’s a fun distraction that will be familiar to cat lovers: Bright shiny object. The most popular is the laser toy. Grab one of those and shine it in the opposite direction of the speaker or activity from which you want to divert attention. Not many can resist the lure of the laser. For those who can, there are other distraction tactics to consider.
Another reliable one: Smoke screen. This was more typically used as a military tactic to obscure troop movements. With a thick enough screen, a speaker has no hope of having his message break through. I’m told this was used effectively in the movie “Wag the Dog.” I never saw that one, but I don’t think it employed smoke literally.
Loud noise, including music, and especially repetitive sounds, can also effectively disrupt communication. Not to mention sanity. “A Clockwork Orange,” anyone? Don’t think about “Singin’ in the Rain.” Think about the electronic version of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that drove Malcolm McDowell to jump out a window. Temperature extremes, either hot or cold, can have similar effects.
Retail establishments have learned to use fragrance to distract shoppers and lure them to desired areas or inspire purchases. On the opposite side of the spectrum, obnoxious smells, like rotten eggs, will drive folks away from something you don’t want them to see or hear.
On a brighter (and less repulsive) note, animals are a tried and true method of diverting attention away from one person to another area altogether. Puppies! Kittens! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Only the truly stone cold-hearted can resist these.
Before I share my final tactic, I’m throwing out two words that are not exactly distraction techniques, but which describe things that aren’t what they seem. Astroturfing imitates the messaging of grass roots movements, masking the sponsors to sway people to believe something that isn’t true. It makes it seem like it originates from the true grassroots organizations, but it’s far from it. Clickbait is linked text designed to entice users to follow that link and view the online content. In this case, that content is deceptive and misleading and is typically sensationalized.
On to my final pièce de résistance of distraction techniques. As I often do in my essays, I’m going full circle back to where I started, which is a historical example of a distraction tactic. It falls into the general category of humor. Humor is almost always a safe way to divert attention from one area to something totally different. There are, of course, plenty of examples out there of politically incorrect humor. But you really should be able to accomplish your goals while still being PC.
When all else fails and you desperately need to distract attention from something, strip off all your clothes and streak naked in the opposite direction.
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