Heart and Mind

When Lampooning Ceases to Be

When I look back at my life and think about all of the silly expressions I have used as staples in my vernacular, I am quite amazed at how many of them were born of ironic origins.

For example, consider these few examples:

• Prefacing statements with the word, "dude"


• "I'm Not Down With That."


• "Word"


• Referring to things that are good or exciting to me as being "main"

I could go on and on, but these examples will be enough to give you the point. Each and every one of those bullets represent something that I either said a lot at one point in my life, or, in some instances, continue to say. And each and everyone of them started out with me using the lingo to satarize people who actually said them with serious intent.

Then, one day I turned around and realized I was saying them with, at least some degree, serious intent, or, at the very least in the context of a conversation where I am not trying to say anything funny.

This is not even limited to popular expressions and dialect. I've seen it happen a million times even with personal expressions that I have heard individuals use on a more unique basis. The best example is that I had a friend in college, who, by societal standards, had a bit of a nerdy streak to him, and he kept us (me and like-minded friends) rolling with a non-stop stream of expressions and unusual and/or odd verbal reactions he'd have to things. There was a sense of square-ness to things he said that was absolutely hysterical, so, of course, we started using his quips ourselves in mockery, because each time we did, we laughed at the oddity of it all. Funny thing happened, though... before long, all these expressions became OUR expressions and we used them daily and unwittingly and, most certainly, in front of other people who wouldn't get the joke and probably just thought it was we who were strange.

The thing about the guy who originated the expressions is that, I came to realize, behind his some-would-say-squarish exterior lurked a guy with impressive, innate comedic talent.

At any rate, I've seen it time and time again. What starts as lampooning becomes normative. Sometimes this is OK with me. In 1989 when I went to college and became known as "that guy who says everything is 'main'," I accepted it and embellished the reputation. I didn't mind that one, and that silly expression, despite it's ironic origins, was one that became such a part of me that even I, myself, ceased to see it as me being ironic and it all just worked for me on the un-ironic level. (Possibly laughably so in hindsight, but this is true none the less.) On the other hand, if someone heard me say, "Word," and thought that I actually said that because I thought it was an ideal way to express myself, that would be a little disturbing. But it likely happens. Hell, what am I talking about? It has happened.

posted by Steve @ 4:53 PM