Bloviation
Encyclopedia
Bloviation is a style of empty, pompous, political speech which originated in Ohio
and was used by US President, Warren G. Harding
who described it as "the art of speaking for as long as the occasion warrants, and saying nothing". The verb to bloviate is the act of creating bloviation.
chatter. As a form of political speech, it appears in the Debates and Proceedings of the Convention for the Revision of the State of Ohio in the mid 19th century.
. He complained that the style was suited to Ohio yokel
s: In this he was responding to the New York Times which had defended Harding's style as presidential:
holds that men have a greater tendency to bloviate than women — an aspect of their testosterone-powered
striving and socialization
. She supposes that this accounts in some degree to the imbalance in the sex of political opinion writers and the prevalence of male opinion in the blogosphere
.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and was used by US President, Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
who described it as "the art of speaking for as long as the occasion warrants, and saying nothing". The verb to bloviate is the act of creating bloviation.
Origin
Bloviation in Ohio was originally idleIdle
Idle is a term which generally refers to a lack of motion and/or energy.- Uses :In describing a person or machine, idle means the act of nothing or no work...
chatter. As a form of political speech, it appears in the Debates and Proceedings of the Convention for the Revision of the State of Ohio in the mid 19th century.
Gamalielese
H.L.Mencken lampooned Harding's bloviate style as gamalielese, from his middle name of GamalielGamaliel
Gamaliel the Elder , or Rabban Gamaliel I , was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid 1st century CE. He was the grandson of the great Jewish teacher Hillel the Elder, and died twenty years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem...
. He complained that the style was suited to Ohio yokel
Yokel
Yokel is a derogatory term referring to the stereotype of unsophisticated country people.-Stereotype:In the US, it is used to describe someone living in rural areas...
s: In this he was responding to the New York Times which had defended Harding's style as presidential:
Sex differences
Feminist writer Katha PollittKatha Pollitt
Katha Pollitt is an American feminist poet, essayist and critic. She is the author of four essay collections and two books of poetry...
holds that men have a greater tendency to bloviate than women — an aspect of their testosterone-powered
Testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group and is found in mammals, reptiles, birds, and other vertebrates. In mammals, testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands...
striving and socialization
Socialization
Socialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists and educationalists to refer to the process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies...
. She supposes that this accounts in some degree to the imbalance in the sex of political opinion writers and the prevalence of male opinion in the blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
.
Notable bloviators
- Sam MoskowitzSam MoskowitzSam Moskowitz was an early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction and, later, a writer, critic, and historian of the field.-Biography:...
- science fiction fan and organiser of the first WorldconWorldconWorldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
. - Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDonald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
-Toby Harnden, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
's US Editor, said of him: "Trump’s bloviating about Obama’s birth certificate made him look very foolish indeed – but not as foolish as those who suddenly started reporting the BirtherBarack Obama citizenship conspiracy theoriesConspiracy theories about the citizenship of Barack Obama claim that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to be President of the United States under Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Some theories allege that Obama was born in Kenya, not...
madness as if there was some substance to it."