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Payola for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: peɪ'oʊlə

What does Payola really mean?

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Payola is a term that might sound unfamiliar at first, but I'm here to help you understand it! Payola is when someone gives money or other valuable things to someone else in order to influence them in some way. It's like trying to bribe someone to get what you want.

Let me give you an example to help you grasp the concept better. Imagine you're at school and you want your friend to give you their lunch because it looks so delicious. So, you offer them your favorite toy car in exchange for their lunch. In this situation, you're trying to use the toy car as payola to persuade your friend to give you their lunch.

Now, payola is not always about toys and lunches at school. It can also happen in the music industry or even in politics. For instance, in the music industry, a record label might want a certain song to become really popular. So, they might offer money or gifts to radio DJs to play that song more often than others. This is payola too! So, it's like giving a little extra something to someone to make them do something that benefits you.

But why is payola considered a problem? Well, payola can sometimes be seen as unfair or dishonest because it's not based on the merits of whatever is being promoted. Instead, it's about who can give the most or offer the best incentives. It can influence decisions in a way that might not be in the best interest of everyone. So, people try to prevent payola from happening to maintain fairness and integrity in different fields.

In summary, payola is when someone offers money or valuable things to someone else to influence them in some way. It's like giving a bribe or an extra incentive to get what you want. It can happen in different areas like school, the music industry, or even politics. However, it's important to be aware that using payola can be seen as unfair and dishonest because it's not based on the quality or merit of what is being promoted. So, it's always better to make decisions based on what is truly deserving to ensure fairness for everyone involved.


Revised and Fact checked by William Rodriguez on 2023-10-29 19:27:49

Payola In a sentece

Learn how to use Payola inside a sentece

  • A singer might give money to a radio station DJ so that their song gets played more often than others, even if it's not as good as other songs. This is called payola.
  • A movie director might give money to a critic so that they say good things about their movie, even if it's not really good. That's also payola.
  • Sometimes, a company might give money to a famous person so that they say good things about their product, even if it's not really good. That's another example of payola.
  • In the music industry, a record label might pay a popular streaming service to feature their songs more prominently, even if there are better songs by other artists. That is considered payola.
  • A book author might pay a book reviewer to write positive reviews about their book, even if it's not well-written. This is also a type of payola.

Payola Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.