99 Problems and the B-Word is One

Here recently, the rumor mill has been rolling with speculation that Jay-Z is contemplating retirement again. Instead of a remake of the studio sabbatical he took eight years ago, which lasted longer than Kim K-Dash’s marriage to Kris “Dumpty” Humphries, tongues are wagging that the rap mogul may soon become a B-Word retiree.   

Drawing from the birth of Blue Ivy, could it be that fatherhood has opened Jay Z’s eyes to the glaring contradiction of proud papa versus rapper whose lips flow freely with the disparaging term? Fatherhood is a lifelong responsibility and one could easily rationalize that prior to her arrival, allegiance to the all-mighty dollar may have been the Forbes-listed lyricist’s first priority. After all, controversy’s rise to best seller status has been well documented throughout the ages.     

I won’t knock Jay Z’s iconic hustle but what I will knock is the pervasiveness of the B-Word in pop culture. Its frequent sprinkle in Reality TV and song like salt in boiling water have elevated usage to social acceptability. Jeez, has decency gone down the drain permanently?

Some peg non foul-mouthed content as so last century, but it’s doubtful that they have taken into serious account the B-Word’s degradation to women or the plummeting self-esteem of young girls upon the word’s hurl.  Maybe this article by Dawn Turner Trice will change a few minds: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-23/news/ct-met-trice-jayz-0123-20120123_1_jay-z-b-word-girls-rule.

MLK Day: One of Correction and Tolerance

Not long ago, the Internet was ablaze with whether a disservice had been done to Dr. Martin Luther King for the misrepresented quote inscribed as part of his Washington, D.C. memorial. It ignited a debate with some registering it no biggie and others like Maya Angelou rousingly responding in the affirmative and calling for correction.   

Dr. King’s words in question weren’t those partially indicated in the photo:”I was a drum major for peace, justice and righteousness.” What he did say in a sermon was “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”None of us are positioned to minimize King’s verbosity; however, more importantly, context and accurate quoting do matter.   

Thus, I’m pleased that Houston’s own Harry Johnson, President and CEO of Washington D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc, saw fit to do the right thing in remedying the quote.   

Furthermore, if CBS’ Gayle King is open to correction by my news-infused friend, Don Dearborn, after errantly quoting Maya Angelou, shouldn’t we all be? See Twitter post below.

On the subject of quotes, the only way I know how to diffuse the sting of the Twitterer who minimized Google’s MLK Holiday artwork by Faith Ringgold is to don MLK’s hat of sagacity:  “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

K. Sweenowitz (@Sweenowitz)
1/16/12 8:44 AM
saw that Faith Ringgold did today's horrendous MLK Google doodle and figured, well, of course a nigger did that!

Often, only one voice is required to set the wheels of change in motion. 

             

Like Sticks and Stones Break Bones, Words Hurt

Before bullying became a cultural epidemic, it was once commonplace for children to wear “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” like a protective shield. Shields are designed to repel harm but in the real world of sophomoric cruelty and cultural insensitivity, dependence on the idiom is largely ineffective. I’ve always thought what a crock the idiom was because truth is, words hurt, whether they sting for a second or imprint a long-lasting scar.  

No, this isn’t about another bullying incident but the social marginalization suffered by African-American third graders in Georgia when teachers injected slavery into the mathematical homework mix. Here are examples of the inappropriately crafted questions that left their parents in an OMG state of mind:

 (1) “Each tree had 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?” (2)  “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week? Two weeks?” 

Rather than maximize academic excellence, the attachment to a dehumanizing period in African-American history likely induced feelings of inferiority and minimized the well being that post Civil Rights equality was supposed to bring. These children were undeserving of this callous divisionary tactic that teachers defended as a reinforcement of a previously taught slavery lesson.  In a flash, these so-called educators succumbed to the role of self-esteem deflators.   

Granted, the expectation that children adopt communication protocols at a young age is extreme but learning environment-entrusted adults shouldn’t require a reminder that some words are the crushing kind just like sticks and stones.    

Link to Fox News’ original report here:  http://www.myfoxny.com/dpps/news/School-Assignment-Offends-Parents-in-Gwinnett-County-20120106-pm-pk_16863644

2011 Highlights and Lowlights in Language

Tis the season for the best and worst of 2011 as the countdown to 2012 commences. Injected with a daily dosage of political and pop culture hots and nots, is there anyone on the planet sans opinion?!  I tried to avoid redeeming my ticket on the blurb bandwagon, but the opportunity to add my three cents was too enticing. So, here are my picks for the 2011’s highlights and lowlights in language:

Highlights:

LYRIC HEIST:

Lifted from the lyrics of Les Miserable, ‘At the end of the day’ earned the high wattage spot.  Whether uttered in mainstream media or celebrity or ordinary people circles, the words gained premium denim traction in 2011. Even Reality TV provided little refuge from the idiom’s broken record. If 2012 ushers it out along with the skinny jeans’ fashion rage, you’ll get no complaints from me. Jeez, talk about phrase overdrive!

A HOT MISNOMER MESS:

Hyped by Facebook and Alec Baldwin’s infamous online game, Words with Friends, the relationship category ‘friend’ reigns as misnomer of the year. Irrespective of research initiated by Pew Internet and American Life Project which yields SM’s popularity to staying connected to friends and family, I suspect boatloads of users are less than forthcoming with the admission that Facebook’s virtual acquaintances aren’t actually deserving of friend status. For some, the attraction is all about feigning loneliness where Facebook is penciled in as a nightly standing appointment. Imagine that! However, in the real world where quality trumps quantity, true friendship requires commitment, loyalty and emotional exchange. Duh!  

Lowlight:

IDENTITY CRISIS 101:

Beyonce and De la Soul are blameless if the catchy tunes (“Me, Myself and I”) they individually recorded are afforded as explanation for improper pronoun usage. Why some refer to themselves in third person is unfathomable as the ingenuity of iPhone4S’ Siri.  “Matt and myself” is so reechy compared to “Matt and I.” Surely, these students were snoozing in class when the English teacher laid the grammatical law. Check out this previous blog post for additional examples of misusage:  http://writewright7.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

If done so to amplify personal cache, as I assume some professionals in various arenas do, its effect is just the opposite.  Although an admirer of athletic and popular culture phenoms, it is worthy to note that too few revered in celebrity stardom are Kings of English. Conversely, they are more fitting for the communication rodents with million dollar paychecks mold.  If in need of a refresher course, make a beeline here:   http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/myself.html.   

Happy New Year and Happy New You!

Tweeties, Meet the Online Swear Jar

Unless creatively justified, profanity can be brand damning instead of brand enhancing. For example, “Damn Near Obsessed with Steaks,” the ad tag boldly attached to the III Forks brand, effectively punctuates its fine dining product. Via the WSJ electronic news board’s scroll in the office lobby, the ad immediately corralled my attention. If dinnertime, I bet the anticipated succulence of a juicy NY Strip grilled to perfection is making your mouth water, right? The magnetism is adtastic though I’ve yet to indulge in the III Forks flavor.     

However, wherever adults are, both young and old with stunted vocabularies, profanity will also reside. The Internet, of course, is flooded with such along with the likes of authentic brands and brand imposters. Unless they mind their manners, Twitter users who toss profanity with salad frequency will risk subjection to the Online Swear Jar’s wrath.   

According to Urban Daddy, the Online Swear Jar website “scours” your Twitter feed like a pad does grease from a frying pan. If in swearing violation, you’ll be politely prompted for a donation.
Even if this site fails to deter a footballer fat cat like Jabar Gaffney who recently spewed a mouthful of venom following a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, perhaps it’s a start in encouraging public forum decorum.   

Now, if only someone would develop an online curse can for combing the N-word’s clutter, the foul language deal would be sealed. Seemingly, LeBron James, portrayed as “The Whore from Akron” in Scott Raab’s book, or someone in his entourage camp missed the politically correct memo about the hurtful term:

LeBron James (@KingJames)
11/16/11 1:35 AM
@HitBoy_SC U got a MONSTER record with that N*gg** in Paris homie!! 5X tonight straight in Miami tonight #Epic

To stay clear of the Profanity Police, keep it Clorox clean, Tweeps! Check out http://charityswearbox.com/.

To Keep Your Twitter Groove, Think and Tweet

Entangled in the unenviable web of sexual abuse charges, Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky and Graham Spanier weren’t the only ones who landed in hot water this week. Instead of responding to the scandal's facts, actor Ashton Kutcher fired off an errant tweet that fueled a firestorm of Net rage.

Oblivious to the legal stickiness, Kutcher posted “How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste" at a rattling rate. Ok, so it’s normal for sports-obsessed boys and men to pout about anything and everything athletic but wasn’t Demi’s hubby taught as a child to think before he speaks?! Without fail, the Nikon Camera pitchman should’ve familiarized himself with the subject prior to exposing his ignorance in the ultra public forum of Twitterdom.  

If keeping your Twitter groove in today's new school world of instant communication still invokes a question, take heed from an old school mama: Slow your finger roll and think before you tweet.  

Read more about the man once coined “Mr. Twitter” here:   
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/story/2011-11-10/ashton-kutcher-joe-paterno-tweet/51159424/1

  

Tech & Pop Culture Are Killing Communication Skills

Last month, I read an editorial focusing on education and employability that has never left my craw. Regarding the frequent cry that students aren’t learning what they need to compete for the jobs that do exist, Washington Post Columnist Kathleen Parker also observed “the common experience of employers who can’t find applicants who can express themselves grammatically.”

While Parker’s statement trumpets truth, employers, in turn, have been quick to shift the unemployment blame to the educational system for its lack of technical skill preparedness. But what purpose does technical competence serve when basic communication skills are absent? I mean, how far can one go if unable to articulate his or her thoughts effectively?

Instead of books, parents today are supplying the latest gadgets to their techno-obsessed youth with Twitterspeed. Textersations lined with mistakes have replaced old-fashioned conversations, and what passes youthful muster as music contains lyrics egregious enough grammatically to render an English professor punch drunk.

Technology deserves ample applause, but there’s the potential to be both friend and foe.  After all, the “Keeping up with the Joneses” electronic premium erodes in value when a simple sentence cannot be crafted.  Spoken in the Rodney King vein, can we please get back to the communication basics!?