[ Applause ]
>>Jon Lovett: Hi, everybody.
First of all, I cannot tell you how surprised
I am to be standing here, not only because
I'm joining so many illustrious speakers at
this conference, but also because I'm such
a proud Bing user.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: Yeah, I'm a Bing guy.
If I'm looking for directions or a restaurant,
I just Bing it.
That was hard to say and I honestly didn't
know what would happen.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: Seeing Larry Summers reminded
me of a story.
Early in 2009 I was a speechwriter for the
president but I was enlisted to help the National
Economic Council with a speech for its then-Director
Summers.
I read the first draft that he and his staff
had written and the conversation basically
went as follows:
I said, "Larry, maybe we can try translating
this thing into plain English."
And Larry replied, "Ahh, plain English.
No."
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: It's a lesson, especially with
recent news.
If you refuse to treat Congress like children,
they're going to act like it anyway.
In that spirit, I'm going to do my best not
to mince words and let me say that I am truly
honored to be here.
I want to emphasize that, because of what
I'm about to say next.
This is a gathering that has drawn an incredible
disparate array of elites, from government,
the media, academia, and the corporate world,
but you all have something in common.
Everyone hates you.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: That was hard to say, too.
It's also, I'll admit, a gross generalization.
However, survey after survey shows the same
result.
Trust in America's major institutions and
those who lead those institutions is at an
all-time low.
Banks and big businesses are viewed favorably
by only a quarter of those who are asked.
More people actually say that business executives
contribute little or nothing to society than
say that those executives contribute a lot.
According to Pew, only 9% of adults have a
great deal of confidence in the press.
Whenever Gallup asks people about Congress,
the phones technically melt.
They go through a ton of phones.
Only 10% of people say they trust Congress.
Now, as an aside on that one, yes, it is shocking
that Congress' approval rating is so low.
But isn't it even more shocking that it's
so high?
The equivalent would be if a waiter took 100
orders, served everyone bowls of dog hair
and paint, and then only like 90 people were
angry.
It's the worst restaurant in the world but
what is going on with those other 10 people?
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: All right.
I have you now.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: Whatever.
None of us has ever seen Americans so fundamentally
unhappy with those who wield any form of power
in this country.
And there are many who have resorted, as a
result, to pessimism and hand-wringing about
the decline of our society.
But that is wrong.
These surveys capture not only disappointment
and fury, but also what I believe is really,
really good news, and here's the reason.
When it comes to the epic volume of bullshit
that is shoveled in the direction of ordinary
Americans on a daily basis -- the partisan
rhetoric just true enough not to be a lie,
the industry-sponsored research, the sleazy
PR firms playing op-eds on behalf of Vladimir
Putin, the greenwashing and Twitter brand
strategies, the legalese and corporate doublespeak,
and the end user license agreements -- and
by the way, let me know when you guys change
those bad boys because I've agreed in advance
to any changes you make at any time, which
is incredibly exciting.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: But when it comes to all this
noise and nonsense that sows distrust, that
sows division, people are registering and
acting upon their frustration, and increasingly
those companies, candidates, and creators
who strive to be honest and open, they will
be rewarded.
Yes, I believe we have reached the tipping
point -- I'm sorry.
Listen to me.
I believe we have reached Malcolm Gladwell's
the tipping point.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: We have hit peak bullshit.
Now, you might think it's difficult to identify
the exact moment when we passed this milestone,
that it is an amorphous and subjective term.
This is incorrect.
We hit peak bullshit on February 28th, 2012.
Two things happened on that day.
One, Mitt Romney won the Michigan and Arizona
primaries, thereby stopping the candidacy
of Rick Santorum and securing his place as
the most disingenuous major presidential candidate
in modern political history.
And I don't say that as a Democrat; I say
that as a human being with eyes.
But there's more.
For on this day, Universal Studios was in
the midst of launching a film, "The Lorax,"
based upon the fable by Dr. Suess about corporate
greed, consumerism, and environmental degradation.
Unfortunately, the irony of securing 70 corporate
sponsors for this film was either lost on
or more likely ignored by Universal and its
corporate partner, Mazda.
This is from the Washington Post, with some
commentary from me, on the historic events
of February the 28th in the year 2012.
At Polk Elementary on Tuesday, more than 100
kindergartners and fourth and fifth graders
crowded into the multipurpose room for a rendition
of Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax."
Afterward, a Mazda represent stood up.
He unveiled an oversized $1,000 check -- yes,
a giant check for a grand, like a rent check
-- meant to help beef up the school's library
collection.
The Mazda representative then told the kids
that they could help raise up to a million
dollars for other schools and qualify for
a chance to visit Universal Studios.
Wait for it.
All they had to do was persuade their parents
to go to the nearest Mazda dealership for
a test drive.
The Mazda representative then told his rapt
audience of tiny children that at 35 miles
to the gallon, Mazda's CX5 is the most efficient
SUV on America's highways.
"That's the kind of car we think the Lorax
would like to drive."
Not done.
It gets worse.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: Then a very lovable-looking
Lorax emerges from stage right and the kids,
many of them -- and this is the part that
makes it like a tragedy -- the kid's wearing
a homemade striped Cat in the Hat hat that
is adorable.
The kids erupt in squeals.
The Lorax waves and doles out hugs, and then
-- are you ready for what they did?
Everyone was ushered outside to see two cars
up close: a Mazda3 sedan and a CX5 sport utility
vehicle, both specially painted with Lorax
scenes.
Yes, this was the moment when the righteous,
beloved, sad, desperate Lorax attempted to
sell an SUV to an audience of captivated children.
This was peak bullshit.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: "Look" is a word you hear before
a caveat, but a fair critique here would be
to say that what I'm talking about are champagne
problems.
That people dealing with real issues of war
and economic dislocation and stubborn poverty
and disease, many of them in this room, but
-- but it's only wishful thinking to believe
that a culture saturated by soul-crushing,
vulgar nonsense does not shape our every response
to major challenges.
When suspicion and mistrust become so pervasive
that it tears at the fabric of society.
When more people, not fewer, believe climate
change is a hoax today than a year ago.
When the American people despise and then
re-elect Congress year after year, term after
term.
When children are dying of nearly eradicated
diseases because there's so much mud in the
water that smart people can't see that it's
wrong not to vaccinate their kids.
When our entire financial system can be pushed
to the brink of total collapse by mechanized,
weaponized bullshit from the quants who convince
the banks of a recipe for free money to the
Realtors who convince homebuyers of a recipe
for free houses.
This is not some hipster annoyance.
This is not some petty frustration with modern
life.
It's a threat to the health and well-being
of society.
But here's my argument.
Across politics, entertainment, commerce,
we are seeing the response to that threat.
We see it in the success of Stephen Colbert
and Jon Stewart mocking the artifice of cable
news and exposing intellectual dishonesty.
We see it in the rise of fact-checking news
outlets.
We see it in the hunger for the raw sincerity
of Louis C.K., Lena Dunham.
Even our superhero movies are getting grittier.
We see it in politics.
I believe Barack Obama represents this movement.
That the rise of his candidacy was, in part,
a consequence of the desire for greater authenticity
in our public life.
But you don't have to be a Democrat to believe
me.
You see it across the political spectrum,
from Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, to
Chris Christie in New Jersey, to Rand Paul
in Kentucky.
I'd point to Governor Huntsman but he lost
and he may be a counterexample.
And by the way, we also see, though, that
this authenticity is a form of political strength.
Whatever your politics, it's hard to deny
that President Obama has succeeded in weathering
various storms, in part thanks to a reservoir
of trust.
Even big companies, in their own adorable
way, can't help but respond to this trend
by paying consultants big money to help them
seem authentic, which is both a categorical
failure and the first step on the road to
recovery.
And it's no surprise that tech companies have
been better than most at actually absorbing
this trend, in part because you had to.
Your savvy, connected, vigilant customers
got there ahead of you and are quite happy
to eat you alive if you aren't honest with
them or even yourselves.
If you don't believe me, you can look it up
on your Windows Phone.
[ Laughter ]
>>Jon Lovett: There is more to this story,
but the bottom line is this: In a nation that
is frustrated by spin and deceit, in a time
of rapid technological change that only exposes
corporations and government to greater scrutiny,
and as a rising generation of young people
who are practically bred and trained not to
trust you take greater control of the market
and the culture, increasingly deception is
not cynical, it is naive.
Now, I want to say the kind of BS phrase that
you tend to hear at conferences like Ted and
this and Aspen Ideas.
I'm hesitant, but whatever.
When in Rome.
I say this hopefully and purely anecdotally,
but what we need and what is possible is a
renaissance of integrity.
And what I hope you'll do, not out of charity
or corporate responsibility, but out of brute
self-interest, is go to that Monday morning
meeting, the one where everyone is on their
phones and that always starts 10 minutes late,
and ask: "Where are we not telling the truth?
Where are we not being straight with our customers,
not out of necessity but of fear, laziness,
or lack of imagination?"
And I say that as someone who comes from the
world of politics and who understands intimately
those pressures.
Ask: "Where are we competing not on quality
but on confusion?
Where do we lack confidence not only -- not
only in our customers but in ourselves?"
When it comes -- you know, and if no one answers
that, you know, find some people under 30
and they'll point you in the right direction.
When it comes to the truth, we are in a seller's
market and you can profit by taking part in
it.
This is a moment when sincerity and openness
is not only right, but smart.
Tell the truth.
All right.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
