Lip service is when a person publicly supports an issue but privately does not follow through. This is often seen in politics and business, where promises are made to gain favor but not kept. It can lead to disappointment and distrust among employees and citizens.
Particularly in the political and business arena, there are times when a person’s public words do not match their private positions on an issue. Whenever a government official or company spokesperson makes a public statement expressing full support for a particular issue, such as anti-discrimination legislation, and continues to practice discriminatory hiring in private, it could be said that he or she is lip service to the issue at hand. .
Verbal service is a dishonest or superficial attempt to gain public favor by appearing to take a popular position, but making little effort to actually adopt or implement that position in private. A company spokesperson may promise to investigate allegations of fraud or embezzlement during a press conference, for example, but that investigation never takes place. The spokesperson simply subscribed lip service to the idea of fair trade practices.
Using this practice in relation to a controversial issue or the needs of a specific subset of citizens is also a popular gimmick among politicians courting voters. When surrounded by a group of farmers, a politician can promise to implement tax breaks for the working class. When he’s in the company of wealthy businessmen, the same politician can promise similar tax breaks for businesses. In both cases, the politician is simply paying lip service to appear both pro-business and pro-working class.
When a person is caught in words, many people are disappointed by his apparent hypocrisy. Employees who believed their boss’s speech promised substantial raises may become disgruntled whenever the promised raises don’t materialize. The knowledge that a trusted official or authority figure has resorted to double action can be a very painful pill for some to swallow. Others may have a much more cynical view of any future promises or commitments made by that official or employer.
Lip service can also be equated to the concepts of “blowing smoke up your butt” or “promising the moon.” These are all variations on making public promises that you never intended to keep privately. Some see this practice more as a kissing-off process, where the speaker wants to impress a higher authority with his or her public generosity or social awareness while maintaining his or her private, contrary stance on those same topics.
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