"Real People": America's Favorite Phrase

[runic knight]

Pretty sure it is an attempt to separate those people from the usual faceless statistics. Unfortunately, in the states it is always used to describe other americans, so it seems a little odd when discussing the various deaths of people overseas through war and conflict they never do more then numbers, but when describing how the government shutdown will have people out of jobs, they then decide to use "real people" to make it sound more impactful but instead making it sound like the news doesn't care about the foreigners. Which, I suppose, they don't.

 

[teebeeohh]

well i have heard the phrase "real americans" which apparently refers to people living in the mystical "heartland of america" where everybody is happy with their job, women love not working and staying at home, children play with sticks and string in the streets, everybody goes to church on sunday and non-white people only exist as anecdotes and foreigners.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It's just a phrase politicians use to talk about the people they want to suck up too.

Usually whatever people they want voting for them, and because most people consider themselves "real people" they assume they're talking about them, instead of people they consider "fake".

Which is usually the opposing ideology that doesn't vote for that guy.

More or less, yeah.

I'd say it's "USians that you and I should care about", as opposed to people you don't mind bad things happening to.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Are.... Are you saying you don't know?

I thought everyone knew.

Well, since it must have been hidden from you by your parents, I'll tell you:
The United States of America largely consists of 2 alien factions of pod-people in constant conflict with each other.

Intergalactic law prevents either side from using conventional weaponry, so they must use other means to decide who wins the land mass.

They have taken over the political system and most news organizations.

Every 4 years, they force those of us who remain to vote on our new alien lord. Preceding this vote, they pay massive quantities of money to develop new and more effective brainwashing techniques.

So, when you hear someone say "Real People," they are referring to the humans in the resistance.

Please send any ammunition or emergency supplies you can spare.

 

[Vegosiux]

I'd assume "real people" as opposed to "a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper that happens to be the federal budget" myself, really.

Still, it's a populist phrase, yes.

 

[Voodoomancer]

America has a Buzz Word fetish, that's mostly it.

 

[Ferisar]

Are.... Are you saying you don't know?

I thought everyone knew.

Well, since it must have been hidden from you by your parents, I'll tell you:
The United States of America largely consists of 2 alien factions of pod-people in constant conflict with each other.

Intergalactic law prevents either side from using conventional weaponry, so they must use other means to decide who wins the land mass.

They have taken over the political system and most news organizations.

Every 4 years, they force those of us who remain to vote on our new alien lord. Preceding this vote, they pay massive quantities of money to develop new and more effective brainwashing techniques.

So, when you hear someone say "Real People," they are referring to the humans in the resistance.

Please send any ammunition or emergency supplies you can spare.

You know, when you put it that way it becomes a lot less complicated. Maybe I'll think of every problem this way now.

"Well, you see, my burrito wrap supreme that I'm making is dominated by two opposing factions..."

OT:

Yeah, what everyone else said. It's a buzz-word for "average person". It's kind of whatever when 99% (not the wealthy 1%) of news media uses buzzwords. This one's probably more tame then "the American People" or "extremists" or "That guy who stole your lunch money from school"