Let’s Purge

The English language constantly evolves. One generation’s “groovy” is the next generation’s “rad” and the next generation’s “sick”. Unless you live in Massachusetts, and then it's just "wicked". Our culture, likewise, seems to come in waves. Hippies, punks, yuppies, preps, goths, and alternatives have all had their day in the sun.

Thankfully, these fads seem to by cyclical…they enjoy a few years at the forefront, account for the sale of bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and touristy t-shirts, and then our culture purges them from it’s conscious.

Well, lets take a cultural Ex-Lax and drop some unwanted and unneeded human speak:

“-gate” This tendency to append “gate” to any scandal is over. It made sense the first go around, because the Nixon administration got into hot water for robberies at the WATERGATE hotel. But since then, a person can’t skip out on a parking meter or fly in potential coaches behind the current one's back (Jetgate) without having a “gate” thrown at them. Wiki has a whole list of “gates” from Fajitagate to Travelgate. Unless a scandal involves an actual damned “gate”, can we just toss this little habit in the crapper?

And how about “drinking the Kool Aid?” The reference to the 1978 mass suicides at Jonestown is clear–anyone who has “drank the Kool-Aid” is being brainwashed, led astray, or fallen under the spell of something, and the connotation is that it’s something sinister. But it’s just become so overused. People are accused of drinking the Kool-Aid of sports teams, athletes, politicians, brand names, websites, diet trends, you name it. When I hear Kool Aid all I want to think about is this guy:



But this cultural colon cleansing isn’t over yet. Several blogs I read has, for months now, called for an end to the overused habit of going “over the moon!” People are over the moon in love, over the moon for movies, CDs, babies, dogs, shoes…you name it. I find this ridiculous to be honest so unless you’re on a space ship, please don’t tell us you are over the moon!

"It is what it is". I will be the first one to admit saying and writing this a plethora of times over the years. But, it's time it stopped. I mean, what does this really mean...it is what it is? It's just like saying "I'm a man I'm a man" or "He's a homicidal maniac who loves porn He's a homicidal maniac who loves porn. Thanks to LaJJ, I have finally seen the light and it's so bright I just may have to wear shades. Now I must spread the word to the masses.

And, whats up with people using the texting/instant messaging/computer chatting abbreviations like LOL, ROTFL, BCNU, OMG, LMAO, etc. in regular face-to-face conversation? Example: Gangsta says "Brad got a nipple ring" LaJJ say "OMG!". I mean, come on, I understand we are in the 21st century (right?) and Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, cells and RSS feeds rule our communication. But, lets dont forget the vocal cords and expressions the good Lord gave us to use.

But our cultural bowels will not be clear until we also drop the “Get R Done” into the toilet. While we are at it, let’s drop “here’s your sign”, “you might be a *insert something here*”, or anything else that has it’s origins on the Blue Collar Comedy tour. Look, those guys are funny…and their catch phrases might have been hilarious ten years ago, but “Get R Done” is DONE! Pull off the bumper stickers, toss the t-shirts, and for the love of Webster’s dictionary, don’t say it!

I know this list is nowhere near comprehensive, but getting rid of these phrases would have me over the moon. It would at least be a start on clearing up this Vocabularygate mess…and I urge each of you not to drink this cultural Kool Aid. With your help, we can get r done! And, when you really stop and think about it...it is what it is.