This curious headline greeted AOL mail users this morning.
Right.
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in can you believe it?, language, pressFrom the category archives:
language
The Kardashianification of speech among young women was analyzed on the “Today” show today.
Linguistics experts are unsure what the long-term effects will be… but in the short-term, it will be annoying.
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in bad form, girls will be girls, hideousness, language, little known facts, my nerves
When an annoying catchphrase gets its own kitteh meme, it’s time for me to rip on it.
And so I find myself today in the unenviable conundrum of having to disabuse people of the notion of using the horrid, pseudo-philosophical “It is what it is,” a bit of non-conversational drivel that has become the “go to” answer of competitors, executives, lowly office workers and wannabe urban Lamas who can’t think of anything better to say, but hope to sound like they’ve undergone some type of enlightened group training… perhaps for clowns.
It seems that folks are saying “It is what it is” as a kind of lackadaisical shrug; an acknowledgment that they can’t or won’t do anything because there’s nothing to be done. One just has to take it, or follow orders, or give up. It’s the reverse of the 1970s mantra “Question Authority,” from an era when asking questions and striving for change was considered part of one’s responsibility to society and country. John Kennedy’s call to “Ask not…” has become simply, “Don’t ask.”
One isn’t being Zen-like by saying “It is what it is,” one is being lemming-like, marching into the murky acceptance of things the way they are, abandoning any hope of real change, improvement or, heaven forbid, problem solving. This mindset is perhaps being fueled by the economy, and nobody wanting to speak up for fear they’ll be canned. It’s downright un-American. Would Jimmy Stewart have said “It Is What It Is” to the people of Bedford Falls? No, he told old Potter to stick it.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t things that one must accept in life, and there is a time to know what’s important to fight for and what isn’t. But when everything becomes a shrug and a wink, then the next thing you know, they’re at your door asking if you’d like to take a train ride someplace nice… like Buchenwald.
Yeah, I always come back to the Holocaust. I am what I am.
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in bad form, chexy takes on, language, my nerves, torture
The car wash machine near Pasadena City College… where I assure you, nothing unusual is going on.
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in everyday objects, language, techno
Katie Couric, who can’t pronounce “ing,” announced that she’s leaving her anchor chair at CBS, joining the ranks of the disappeared… like the Easter Bunny, who won’t be seen for another year.
Hello, I must be go-een.
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in bad hair, language, lookalikes
Yes, we all know what you’re saying. Please stop asking.
Thanks,
Chexy
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in american idol, language, my nerves, no, oh yes he did, sorry -- had to
Not everything is iconic! Stop saying and writing that! My nerves!
“Iconic” is the go-to word for people who have no other way to describe something — they think that if something is familiar, it is therefore iconic. It is not. Not everyone who is familiar is an icon. Being known does not make one iconic. Dying does not make one an icon… or a legend.
Things rarely become instantly iconic… time has to test them. A landmark is a landmark, it’s not necessarily iconic. A national symbol is a national symbol, not necessarily iconic. Something that’s familiar is not iconic just because it’s familiar! Stop!
Take a look at some of the 27,000 times “iconic” has been used in recent news stories.
Macmillan says an icon is “someone who is very famous and who people think represents a particular idea,” while iconic means “relating to or having the characteristics of an icon.”
Saying “iconic” does not make you sound smarter… it usually has the opposite effect.
And while you’re at it, stop saying “newest,” “like,” “so” and “not so much.”
Thank you, and have a nice day.
Your Chexy
Jackson art by Paul Bedard
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in language, morons, my nerves
Bristol Palin debuted on “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday night, where she referred to “Levi and my’s relationship.”
My’s.
That’s the daughter of Republican leader, Gov. Sarah Palin.
Then it was judge Bruno who referred to the infamous teen mom as “a virgin” at dancing. I thought the one liners were going to start spewing out of Tom Bergeron, but you could see he held them back with a wincing smirk.
Bristol appropriately scored a 6 6 6.
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in dancing with the stars, girls will be girls, language, morons
Why must people say “Question” before asking a question? Why not just ask the question?
This is an irksome linguistic trend that has now reached advertising geared to women, who seem to say “Question” before asking a question more often than men do, as seen in a new Vagisil ad which is mercifully not available online, but sure enough, it begins with a screen shot of the word, and a woman’s voice saying “Question.” Grr.
I always want to say “Answer!” when I hear the flatly declarative “Question.” Someone told me that it’s a way of acknowledging the interruption. I’ll take, “Hey, got a sec?” or even “Hey” or just “Chexy” instead, but just asking directly is less of an interruption.
It’s verbal spamming. Why must I wait while someone organizes their thoughts? Question: How about organizing your thoughts, then asking the question?
Thank you, and good morning William Safire, wherever you are.
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in bad form, chexy takes on, language, my nerves
