That’s the question asked in this blog post by Kyle Lacy. I think it needs to be rephrased to “Why don’t more marketers know how to speak human?”

Because many marketers do know, particularly those of us who signed The Cluetrain Manifesto a decade ago. We’ve been struggling for 10 years to bring more human voices to an industry that thrives on buzzwords, smoke and mirrors.

Also, many marketers are doing a terrific job speaking human. Zappos is a classic example, of course, but there are plenty of companies out there doing it well.

Kyle has a point, though, because there are a lot of companies out there doing it terribly. It’s not for lack of trying. Actually, I think it’s due to an excess of trying.

Let’s look at Cluetrain theses 3 and 4:

3. Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.

4. Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.

I think we can all pretty much agree with these points. The problem comes about when a copywriter in a company comes up with text that sounds human, then the humanity is stripped out of it through eleventy-seven levels of review and revision, from VPs to lawyers to anyone else who gets their finger in the company’s communications pie. The result is language that is anything but open, natural and uncontrived — and so we have thesis 27:

27. By speaking in language that is distant, uninviting, arrogant, they build walls to keep markets at bay.

Bottom line: Delivering marketing communications in a human tone of voice is difficult enough when it’s one person trying to craft the message. The more people who need to review and approve and revise that message, the more the humanity will be stripped away from it.

Takeaway for marketers: It’s not just what you’re saying, it’s how you’re saying it. Keep fighting the good fight.

You’ve survived the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday and all the associated stress and agita. The relatives have gone home and you’ve had enough turkey leftovers that you’re ready for pasta again. You’ve made several trips to the mall and you’re actually looking forward to Monday so you can take a break from all the hard-sell commercialism.

But wait — there’s more: Here comes CyberMonday.

Fascinating cover story in Wired this month. “The premise is simple: I will try to vanish for a month and start over under a new identity. Wired readers, or whoever else happens upon the chase, will try to find me.” Read it here.

1. Sleep in, have a late breakfast, go back to bed.

2. Eat so much leftover turkey you’re too stuffed to get to the car and drive to a store.

3. Celebrate Buy Nothing Day.

While you wait to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner that can’t be beat, here’s a clip of Arlo Guthrie performing the holiday classic in 2005 cut with scenes from the movie. Happy Thanksgiving!