Death by Hyperbole

As I began to look for an article for my Week #5 text response blog, I stumbled across an article entitled “Powerpoint: Killer App?” It was written by Ruth Marcus, who, according to our text, writes for The Washington Post editorial board. I, literally, read it with my mouth wide open. She makes the contention that Powerpoint software is so boring and mundane that people using and listening to it have become lazy and unaware of what they are hearing. She actually uses the terms soul-sapping and torture to make a connection to the ineffectiveness of Powerpoint (Argument! 274-275). Have you ever heard of the phrase “Don’t shoot the messenger?” This is a case of shooting the messenger’s software.

If a person is so bored during a business meeting or an academic presentation that they miss the message, then maybe the speaker needs to reconsider their approach. Lecturers have struggled with how to engage the audience for ages. I can assure you that people have missed important information for years because of monotone voices and ineffective visuals. Couldn’t you make the same argument a few years ago with dry-erase markers and white boards? What about all the teachers in the 1980’s who seemed to have an overhead projector attached to their hip?

I agree that Powerpoint could make a presenter less than exciting, but it could also be harnessed by a creative-type personality. It has the capability to be used to create visuals and disseminate information in a way that can engage an audience. It is the responsibility of the person giving the instruction to make it informative and intriguing. Don’t lay the blame at the feet of the visual aid, that criticism should be directed at the penny loafers of a tedious and lackadaisical speaker.