The Impotence of Being Earnest

"The Impotence of Being Earnest" brings forth the fundamental saying that "Things are not always what they seem." It is a very common trend to use sincere language as a mean of getting a persuasive point across to a wide audience. The problem with such an approach is that, at times, it is almost impossible to tell how genuine the claims are. The 2000 "First Things First" manifesto is signed by 33 figures from the international graphic design community. The proposal calls for a betterment of social consciousness. In this sense, anyone who is supportive of this proposal will be recognized as a "socially responsible" individual. The issue is: "how many of these 33 figures are in full support of this proposal?" Is it not safe to say that some, if not most, of these 33 figures only signed to gain some type of status as a supporter of social change?
Aside from how many of the signer truly support the manifestos, the authoritarian and suggestive tone of the manifesto seems to disregard the class structure of the design world. The higher class of Professional elites would most readily support the manifesto which is aimed at the lower class of anonymous designers. In this sense the higher class are only claiming the moral ground over advertising.The thought of blurting out such claims is not far from the realms of absurdity. Although the manifesto was written in an earnest fashion, it was impotent, chiefly because it lacks concern for the condition of the lower class of designers.