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Reader question: Please explain this headline: More Pinocchios for the President on Equal Pay. My comments: In other words, the President – Barack Obama, that is – told more lies on the subject of equal pay for men and women. Without needing further context, we know that because Pinocchio is all about lying. Pinocchio, you see, is the hero of Italian writer Carlo Collodi’s story for children, The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883). Pinocchio is a puppet who comes to life in the story as a boy and whose nose grows longer whenever he tells a lie. My generation, who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, all seemed to be familiar with Pinocchio. Few read the book in full but we all seemed to know the story of the nose of Pinocchio. How come? It has to do with the fact, I think, we thought lying to be a serious crime for youngsters. For anyone, for that matter. At least it appeared to be that way in those days. The upcoming generations, on the other hand, don’t seem to know or care about the boy. Perhaps it’s because people no longer take lying as seriously an offense as before. Lying in the public arena certainly has increased over time. To the olden eye, public office holders and other celebrities in particular seem to be lying through their teeth all the time. The media are doing a better job of exposing liars these days, of course. Still, the impression is unmistakable – that lying is much more prevalent today than in those days long gone by. | 
