1. Chapter One:From Snake Oil To Emu Oil By Kieran Pereira and Paige Knippenberg

2. Deception in Advertising and Politics • “That’s where a century of progress in product promotion has gotten us: from baseless claims for snake oil to baseless claims for emu oil. The products change, but the techniques of deception are as underhanded now as they were in the days of Clark Stanley.” (Jackson and Jamieson 5)

3. Background: Snake Oil • Clark Stanley (Rattlesnake King) • Late 1800s • Snake Oil Liniment • Sold as a cure-all • Chicago World’s Fair of 1893

4. Background: Emu Oil • 2006 • Deception Wrinkle-Cheating Cream • Planet Emu • Contained “only triple-refined emu oil in the world”

5. Purpose • To illustrate the connection of “From Snake Oil to Emu Oil” to our Language Awareness reading, “Weasel Words”, and the novel 1984 by George Orwell, and to support the thesis of the chapter by providing our own examples of deception in advertising and politics.

6. Weasel Words • Bounty Commercial • “Best Ever” • Lab test • “one sheet keeps working ‘till the job’s done”

7. 1984 • Party was always trying to deceive its members • Two Minutes Hate

8. AB Force • Charged by the FTC in 2003 for claiming it was an effective substitute for regular exercise • Taken to court • Marketers were ordered to stop claiming ab belt caused weight and fat loss

9. Deception • Voters unhappy with deception • Pack of Wolves • Kerry cuts intelligence • First attack

10. Truth • Kerry truth • Other falsities • Kerry’s actual support • 3.7% • 55% • Bush deception success

11. Fahrenheit 9/11 • Deception against Bush • Fahrenheit 9/11 • He implied it • Bin Laden’s depart date • 22/26 • Talking to Osama • White House Clearance • 52%

12. In Between • Political deception beginning when ended • Nonelection years • 2005, Conservative group • 2005, Liberal group • Let Freedom Ring

13. Inconvenient Realities • Inconvenient Truth • Deception unchallenged • “If we know what’s good for us”

14. Don’t Become a Victim • “When confronted with a claim, keep an open mind, ask questions, cross-check, look for the best information, and then weigh the evidence” (Jackson and Jamieson 179)

15. Works Cited • Jackson, Brooks and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. “From Snake Oil to Emu Oil.” unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. New York: Random House, 2007: 3-23. • "Administrative Law Judge Orders Halt to Misleading Claims for “Ab Force” Belt." Infomercial Watch. 25 Sept. 2004. 13 Feb. 2009 <http://www.infomercialwatch.org/ftc/abforce/abforce.shtml>. • "FTC Charges Three Top-selling Electronic Abdominal Exercise Belts with Making False Claims." Federal Trade Commission. 8 May 2002. 11 Feb. 2009 <http://www2.ftc.gov/opa/2002/05/projectabsurd.shtm>.