Drumroll, Please, and the NYT's Words of 2012 Are...

 

Show me a book reader who isn’t fond of words and I’ll expose a fashionista who isn’t prematurely clamoring for Black Friday 2013. Fat chance, right? However, what separates the writer from the reader is an intense dependency and like most writers, I consider myself a logophile. Don’t get it twisted; a logophile isn’t a (designer) label queen or king but one in love with words.  

So, looking back on the year which we’ll soon bid farewell, you’re invited to take a sip of the  NYT's Words of 2012, politically stirred and pop culture shaken.

5 Tips to Transform from SM Faker to SM Shaker

I awakened earlier this week not to Superstorm Sandy’s slashing roar, thank God, but to a CNN phone interview with Corey Booker. What registered impressive was the exclamation point the interviewer attached to the Newark, NJ mayor’s commitment to audience engagement. Dubbed the Mayor of Twitter for having been the first city chief to hook over 1K followers, Booker exudes Social Media swag. Massive following aside, it’s actually his through-the-roof responsiveness that’s fist bump worthy.    

Social Media expertise I don’t dare claim but as a former journalist, I know a little ‘something something’ about communications. If here to confirm what I say, Ray Charles would be inclined to orchestrate a requiem for courtesy. Blog comments, tweet responses and retweets left unacknowledged and unanswered punctuate the abandonment of manners in the digital age. Ugh, the choice not to engage is rattling and seemingly, technology’s sharp gains have dulled our communication edge. 

Believe it or not, tools billed as social are sometimes the very antithesis of. As writers, we bear responsibility for revving the conversational engine and showing a little audience love. So, who will you be on Social Media – a faker who avoids engagement like HIV or a conversation shaker like Booker?

Here are five tips to transform you from Social Media faker to Social Media shaker:

1. Check Direct Messages on Twitter regularly and respond accordingly. If a fellow Tweep has taken the time to contact, the least you can do is respond. Without reciprocation, silence sends the message to the one who initiated contact that they’re unimportant. That’s so not a good look.  
2. If a fellow Tweep initiates a #FF (Friday Follow) recommendation, don’t hesitate to acknowledge his or her kindness. Better yet, repay the #FF favor in the near future.    
3. Keep tabs on mentions and never fail to recognize Tweeps who maintain your presence on their timelines, especially when you’re not actively tweeting.  Mentions are quick draws for new followers.
4. Never take retweets or favorites for granted. Retweets and favorites indicate informational or interest value so express appreciation for the opportunity afforded to broaden your audience.      
5. Make a habit of acknowledging Tweeps who comment on blog post tweets. Of all the things that could be read, the choice was made to invest time in your written creation. The decision to indulge your words or video deserves thanks, especially when one doesn’t have to.    

Like communication discourtesy, the Social Media faker is dead. Wake up and shake it up!      

                   

Ryan Lochte Should "Just Say No" to 'Jeah'

Where there is a grill and a pending ‘Jeah’ trademark, there will be headlines, especially when a newly crowned Olympian brings the buzz. So here goes Ryan Lochte, fresh from the London medal bounty to a pop culture low. Glimmeringly clear, the diamond-encrusted mouthware and bound for nowhere expression ‘Jeah’ have his feet fast track-planted for Ghetto Fab Gold.  

During the Olympic hoopla, I caught an up close and personal glimpse of the mildly cocky American swimmer who easily qualifies as a ‘to die for’ female catch. Yet, his mannerisms hinted the possibility of a hipster wannabe lurking beneath the buffed bod. The suburbanite's imitation of urban swag is all too common so Lochte’s sneakers and grills fandom, well, uh, no biggie. Grills, really? That’s so 2006. Ask Nelly who popularized the rap tune 'Grillz' if you don’t know.                  

However, it was Lochte’s idea to trademark the catchphrase that put many on pause. One Twitter user went Reaganesque, likely leading the ‘Just Say No’ to ‘Jeah’ chorus of Lochte’s English teachers. Even 90s rapper MC Eiht surfaced to claim first dibs on the term’s coinage.

Should we care about the swimmer’s grammatical lane violation or let it ride as part of his fun-loving nature? Although Lochte isn’t the first and won’t be the last, adding to the litany of communication crippling trash to which today's youth are overexposed doesn’t exactly yield role model credibility. Instead, if Lochte says ‘jeah’ to anything, let it be to a branding consultant. ‘JEAH’!       

Writing Olympics:Gen Text Returns Bling-less

As the Olympics 2012 curtain closes, the culmination of silver, bronze or gold for the blood, sweat and tears poured into athletic preparation was truly a sight to savor by spectators worldwide. Glued to the tube so not to miss Michael Phelps’ epic medal splash or Jamaica’s Usain ‘Lightening’ Bolt’s record runs, thoughts of a Writing  Olympics flashed during commercial breaks. Seriously, had an event of this nature been held today, Generation Text would’ve returned to US soil bling-less.

Truth be told, scholastic accounts about communication skill erosion in this day and age are infamous. You may recall a WSJ report detailing the inability of MBA students to craft effective emails: “Employers and writing coaches say business-school graduates tend to ramble, use pretentious vocabulary or pen too-casual emails.” Did undergraduate study fail to prepare them adequately or was preparation written off in favor of fractured textsations (conversations via text)?  

According to Sharon Washington, executive director of the National Writing Project in Berkeley, Calif., “U.S. high schools and undergraduate programs have de-emphasized writing instruction.” Washington finds comfort in the fact that texting is writing but that’s a product of thought I prefer to leave on the shelf.  

While it’s one thing to peruse these articles, being the recipient of overly casual communication in a business setting offers proof positive. Imagine the horror on my face when I received this iPhone-transmitted email from a vendor I contacted to resolve an issue: ‘Uh, s-faced @ HH.TTL.’ Happy hour? Seemingly, the beverage of preference had drained all professional accountability. It would’ve been more palatable had she said “If not urgent, may I get back with you tomorrow?” OMG, TMI, and I believe that’s what Generation Text calls DT – drunk texting.  

Following a round of interviews, one candidate closed his follow-up email with “TU for taking time to discuss the position with me.” Yes, I’m well aware of what TU means and unlike Generation Text, my main information resource isn’t Wikipedia. Still, in a professional environment, the casual tone doesn’t exactly convey gold-medal best.                 

Unmistakably, what Phelps and Bolt accomplished in London required tunnel-vision commitment. By the same token, communication is a skill to be mastered since it starts the success engine. Matching the message with the audience and recognizing when casual and professional language usage is appropriate is a must. Technology might’ve initiated Generation Text’s rocky start but it’s never too late for a strong finish.        

Autoantonyms: When 'Ridiculous' Isn't So Plain

OMG, the past 72 hours of NBA free agency is starting to rival a Niagara Falls high wire act. As the final landing of the Harvard-educated point guard intensifies, the Rockets are either on track for a Linsanity blastoff or New York will plunge to a Linless low. Media, both mainstream and social, are bursting its opinion seams and Carmelo Anthony isn’t alone in tossing the word ‘ridiculous’ like a Chris Paul/Blake Griffin alley-oop.  

In fact, it was Anthony, Jeremy Lin’s Knicks teammate, who set off the commentary blaze and with gunfire rapidity, his intended meaning was assumed to be less than complimentary. Conversely, in slanguage, ‘ridiculous’ conveys a positive slant, characterizing something so extreme that it is worthy of rousing applause.

If you’re a b-ball fan, familiar with the invented term ‘ridunkulous,’ you realize the stamp signifies homage to a monstrous dunk. Of course, I don’t claim to know what Anthony meant, but an accomplished writer would’ve pried context’s door wide open. Anthony’s ‘ridiculous’ reference when used as an autoantonym, a word opposite of its conventional meaning, was a strong possibility.

And if you’re still shaky, try this on for size: Shoe freaks bearing beer budgets hyped by champagne tastes would classify Christian Louboutin’s coveted red –soled pumps as ridiculously priced but yet ridiculously artistic in design. Just ask Oprah if you’re not ‘in the know.’      

Furthermore, to be perfectly clear, did you really think Michael Jackson was confessing a character flaw when he pronounced himself ‘Bad’? For those confined to the constraints of unimaginative language, the King of Pop meant good. Luckily, his multitude of fans worldwide recognized his ‘badness’ as pop culture perfecto even if you didn’t.        

Hip Hop Language: Function and Dysfunction

Via You Tube, an illustrative panel of perspective opposites chopped and diced Hip Hop, dissecting its contributory core to a societal enhancement or erosion. In the end, London’s “Weighing Hip Hop on Trial Debate” confirmed the genre’s limited strength in striking a harmonic chord between old and new school. Sure, Hip Hop has scored that very success musically, with its occasional merger of classic chart topping samplings, but the day when the spoken or spat word is granted old school’s fat stamp of approval is futuristic. Reality is, it may never come because that’s the way rebellion music typically plays, spinning a generational divide.    

BLING BOOM

As a writer, what piqued my interest was the banter surrounding the language, a consistent sticking point that dominated the discussion. Although a far cry from your grandfather’s genre, Hip Hop deserves major credit for language innovation. Take ‘Bling,’ for instance. The coinage caught mainstream fire when “Bling, Bling,” the brainchild of New Orleans rapper B.G. and the Cash Money Millionaires cracked Billboard’s Top 40 in 1999.  

‘Bling’ reigns as my all time fave and its universal flair swiftly boarded big-brand advertisers like Sprint and Cadillac to name a few. Sure, a handful of other terms are fitting for the enhancement category, but ‘bling’ to describe the art of ostentation or over-the-top fabulosity is unquestionably brilliant. Still, folks aspire to bring bling in some shape, form or fashion over a decade after the word gained pop culture traction.   

DEROGATORYBOMB.COM

On the flip side, the impaneled brainiacs seemed to be fixated on three words which weren’t Hip Hop-invented: The B-word, the N-word and the H-word (slang for ‘whore’). Demeaning and derogatory, these words, by design, are vile and signal societal erosion based on massive consumption. Frankly, I suspect more youth and young adults are capable of rattling these politically incorrect lyrics with a precision that’s not applied to constructing a crafty sentence. Yet, lips blaring opposition to vulgarity’s invasion of reality TV and other entertainment mediums are largely zipped. Where’s the national outcry? If we’re going to call out Hip Hop for its non-innocuous language, the least we can do is spread the dysfunctional jam evenly.           

Baby Got 'Back'? Back Not Required

I conniption-fit cringed when I read this sentence in a major newspaper admonishing a NFL player’s performance: ‘(Jacoby) Jones seemed to revert back last season…’ Defined by Merriam Webster, the verb ‘revert’ means "to come or go back (as to a former condition, period or subject)." Thus, the attachment of ‘back’ to revert is redundant and wasteful like a discarded crab cake sandwich for which you just forked over $18.00.     

If this example registers a mild grammatical error, consider another violation frequently peppered in workplace emails: Although ‘Read receipts’ serves a limited acknowledgement function, I take offense to a writer’s ‘respond back’ directive. Are you kidding me, since ‘respond’ suggests a reply should be returned?! In this instance, ‘please respond’ is sufficient.  

And if that’s not illustrative enough of a communication F-game, check this out: A prospective candidate casually mentioned that she’d recently ‘relocated back’ to Texas during an interview. Since command of the English language is my professional expectation, it would’ve been more palatable had she said she’d ‘returned to Texas’ instead of ‘relocated back.’ After all, the prefix ‘re’ is synonymous with the original place.

The more back baby has, the better, some say. This preference rings a lyrical bell for another Kanye West ode to Kim Kardashian, his current flavorite who is packing plenty ‘back.’ For those unhip, ‘back’ is equivalent to ‘junk in the trunk’ or a plump derriere.  

Getting back in the language saddle requires language liposuction and although throngs may find ‘back’ attractive, the word has no rightful place in the examples above.   

Researchers Embark on a Quest for Cool's Meaning

When I heard that a University of Rochester psychologist was heading a team of researchers tasked with exploring what cool means, some breezy cats out of the Bay area immediately appeared in a musical flashback. Right on if you are a true R&B aficionado who guessed Tower of Power. Back in the day, I had the in-person pleasure of hearing frontman Lenny Williams blast the lyrics “What is Hip?” over a powerful horn section. A concert of epic proportions, hip permeated each and every note the vocalist sang and musicians played.

Of course, with the reference to ‘hip,’ Williams wasn’t inquiring about a body part but more about a state of mind. From where I come, hip and cool have always shared that unique commonality. Like everything else, language evolves over time to take on different meanings but what remains unchanged is my personal popular culture opinion: If one must ask, then one truly doesn’t know.   

A Communications Strategy With Moves Like Bieber

Contrary to Billboard’s recent cover of Justin Beiber plastered alongside Usher under the “Top of Their Game” proclamation, I remain unmoved in my anti-fandom. Yet, with 20K+ followers hooked on his Twitter line and through the roof record sales, the Bieb deserves an encore for masterfully playing to his audience. So what’s a pop phenom who places a premium on relationship-building got to do with communication? Everything.

Several days ago, I suffered two hellacious customer service experiences consecutively. UGH! One involved a nail shop technician who handily dismissed my mild complaints about her tardiness to the appointment party. The other issue, provoked by a local plumbing company’s three-hour missed commitment, continued the dissatisfaction frenzy. Their rallying cry happens to be ‘service is more than a courtesy, it’s a commitment.’ Really?

Pace/Lead is a communications strategy designed to implant positive reinforcement or overcome objections through customer alignment. The lead may be conveyed in the form of a question, opinion or statement while the pace portion cements alignment with the customer’s concerns or interests. Here’s how the Pace/Lead strategy could’ve been utilized in both situations as a disgruntlement diffuser:

PACE: Your disappointment is understandable since I, too, expect timeliness when I set a service appointment.  

LEAD:  It’s very unfortunate when mechanical failure occurs.  

PACE: If I were you, I’d be upset too because your weekend schedule has been unexpectedly disrupted by our late arrival.     

The faulty faucet’s restoration to its drip-free condition before 10pm and the plumbing company’s $75 discount scored minor victory for me.    

Although simplistic, the Pace/Lead technique deposits a positive emotional effect which yields a relationship-building bonus. Not merely limited to sealing the sale, this A-game communications strategy also works wonders in curbing personal conflict. Try it and you may like it just as much as boy-crazed adolescent girls do Justin Beiber.   

     

The Ins and Outs of Resume Swag

If you’re a manager, chances are, stacks of resumes have frequently infiltrated your pristine desk, signaling hiring time. Unarguably, weeding through throngs of initial candidate introductions just to land an ideal few is a chore most abhor. Sure, it’s daunting, but also a task I’ve had responsibility for tackling.  

When you think about it, everything changes. Social Media’s surge deserves mad props for propelling language and social mores to another level. So, why should resumes be immune from upgrade? Based on employment solicitations I’m periodically required to review, an outdated presentation format can crush a job seeker’s candidacy.

Whether you’re an out of touch hiring manager or anxious job seeker, take a look at the ins and outs of planting resume swag:   

1. Contact Info

IN: A professional email address and mobile phone digits

OUT:  Inclusion of physical address and business inappropriate email address (ex: baller100@hotmail.com)

 2. Job Description

IN: Achievement-driven content

OUT:  Task-focused content

3. Professional Experience

IN:  Limit to last 10 years of employment

OUT: Career history in its entirety, including first job fresh out of high school or college     

4. References

IN: Exclude from contents

OUT: “References Provided Upon Request.”

5. Length

IN: Single-page resume format is ideal with a 1 ½ page maximum

OUT: Excessive if it exceeds the preferred 1 ½ page limit

6. Volunteerism or Hobbies?

IN: Volunteerism is a resume bonus because it demonstrates a commitment to service.

OUT: Hobbies are irrelevant except when commonality with the hiring manager is struck.

 7. Cover Letter

IN: Inclusion

OUT: Exclusion

8. Jargon

IN: Avoid when not applicable to the position sought; include if it demonstrates the required industry command

OUT: Academia or technical language

9. Phrasing

IN: Exceptional communication skills demonstrated in public speaking and marketing collateral mastery. 

OUT: Good communication, both written and verbal, is too generic.

10. Unique Sales Proposition

IN: USP inclusion lends competitive distinction or why you’re best-suited for the position over your competition

OUT: USP absence defeats the sales purpose.

11. Social Media

IN: Inclusion recommended ONLY if representative of portfolio samples  

OUT: Link listing to showcase tech savvy  

What hasn’t changed is the fact that the resume remains a job seeker’s sales tool. Although incorporating the informational nuggets above may increase resume success, it’s advisable to consult a writing professional who is positioned by craft to brand you best. 

An Apology to Loved Ones Who Defied 'No Outrage' Day

Note: In a NYT Op-Ed last week, Bill Maher called for a ‘National Day of No Outrage' on March 25th. Ignoring Maher’s unapologetic plea to personal outrage, this post shines a humorous light on one of the biggest behavioral barriers facing communications. 
Dear Family and Friends,

Dogs are wisely observant, so I’m sure my beloved Weimeraner has noted the battles lost when attempts to divide my attention via his nudging paw have failed. Inciting only minimal cause for pause initially, the situation imploded when you guys hitched a bandwagon ride.     

Remember the Verizon commercial spotlighting the nerdy male who mocked the cellphone competition in “Can you hear me now?” repetition? Well, of equal annoyance for a multi-tasker like me is the question, ‘Are you listening?’   

Since falling for my iPhone 4S, you’ve expressed outrage over diluted communication. Not to dispute Mehrabian’s theory which segments communication into 55% body language, 38% voice tone and only 7% verbal, I suppose the messenger-tilted scale doesn’t absolve the receiver’s accountability. Should I have begged forgiveness for having denied any of you an uncluttered receptacle for messaging? Ok, my bad.          

Even the excuse of a misplaced summons to communications court, brilliant or so I thought, couldn’t crumble your cookies of presumed guilt. Yet, far from the simplicity of dropping mail off at a postal box, increased competition for attention IS disrupting your message’s delivery. Are you happy now with the admission?    

Pardon me if this cuts like a knife, but updating my FB status, joining the Twitter rage of the day and playing on Pinterest held more promise than the blabbering voices in my ear. And even in the off moment when no thumbing a text or uploading vacation pics took place, last night’s Patron-soaked celebrity event or upcoming Saks sale for which I’m ‘App Happy’ added ample distraction from Saturday’s boring banter. Hopefully, that’s all behind us now.

Awash in a new day, I’m convinced my recent medical diagnosis, ADDT, i.e., “Attention Deficit Disorder (due to) Technology, lines a healing pathway. So, with the offering of the truth and nothing but, can you finally see fit to forgive me?

S.         

Freelancer Warning: Before You Say Yes to the Project

During a recent gabfest with a graphics Goddess, the subject of an empty creative calendar cropped up. It’s not the first and it won’t be the last time I’ll hear a former solopreneur attribute the retirement of the boss badge to administrative burnout. Let’s face it, one who possesses a surplus of talent doesn’t automatically come equipped with the finesse of driving value and dealing with difficult clients. I mean, what freelancer hasn’t experienced the client who wants what they want when they want it but continuously balks at every turn?!

So, before you say yes to the project, ask yourself these questions to discern whether the project strikes a match:  

1.      Does the project ignite your fire? 

2.      Is the communication pipeline open?

3.      Is your communication style compatible with the client’s?    

4.      Is the client equally vested in the project’s success?

5.      How responsive has the client been to your requests?   

6.      Has the client raised numerous objections during preliminary discussions that you’ve failed to overcome?

7.      Can the work be accomplished within the expected timeframe?

8.      What is the potential for future work and/or referrals?

9.      How well does the project align with your previous experiences or capabilities?

10.   Does the client recognize your value?

11.   Do you have significant resources to execute the project?

12.   Is the budget sufficient?

Though experts disagree, the economy continues to stagger. Other than the 1%, who doesn’t need money to register a plus in the profit column? Should your responses yield more negatives than positives to the questions above, it could very well be that the project under consideration may not be for you. Furthermore, if you’ve made your best attempt to mediate some of the challenges to no avail, bypass this one. Despite the pass on income, no work is ever worth the loss of sanity.     

          

STOP: No Textese, Please!

The text message “JW, WAYD?” from a recent college graduate sent me scrambling for translation. Sure, I text, but it’s not life absorbing like it is for perpetually thumbing teens and young adults. After all, to hit communication bullseye, the messenger must be understood.

Does the limited acceptance of the acronym for “Just wondering, what are you doing?” signal an unconscious aim for communication’s abyss? Not necessarily, according to the Text4Science project brains who shrug shortcut laziness for creativity and imagination in language use.

As a writer, I’m all for giving creative props, yet, I’m unconvinced that texting will drive the literary skills development as researchers at the University of Tasmania in Australia proclaim. Although science may lend credence to texting as a learning tool, we can’t feign ignorance to the probability of the student’s inability to differentiate when usage is appropriate. Most teens and young adults just aren’t that savvy such that job applicants and employees of the youthful variety have been known to sprinkle cover letters and professional emails with textese. 

Seemingly, the message that there is a time and place for everything has been lost on this Anything Goes Generation. With the rising acceptance of pajamas in some public schools (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-pajamas-20120122,0,1735091.story) and profanity as routine language, educators are not only challenged with locking down creative ways to enhance learning but commanding standards that were once instilled in the home.

It may be the age of the microwave, however, self-respect and respect for others should always dictate behavior and a time and place for everything remains. Sorry dudes and dudettes, the language spawned from texting was never intended to be all purpose-applied.   

Racial Slurs Won't Derail Linsanity

For NBA fanatics in America, Big Apple Linsation handily cancelled any recall of last year’s lockout lows. For communities occasionally rocked by world uncertainty, Linderella delivered a welcomed celebratory distraction. Black, white, brown or yellow people across the globe were united in “rah rah sis boom bah”until Linsanity yielded to media insanity. 

When the Asian-American NY point guard failed to engineer a team lin, Max Bretos, an ESPN anchor cited “a chink in the armor” for cause. “Oh no he didn’t,” I huffed when one considers the racial slur “chink” is earmarked for those of Asian descent. But yes, I’m afraid the media maggot did. Sadly, he wasn’t the lone blow fly.  

Anthony Federico, the writer responsible for the ESPN.com headline has since been fired while Bretos’s slip of the tongue netted a 30-day suspension. What’s puzzling is the lack of admonishment levied against Spero Dedes, the play-by-play voice of the Knicks, whose loose lips parted the same phrase via ESPN Radio New York. And this is supposed to be a team? Clearly those aboard the Lin train seem to execute this concept better than the executive team.

What about Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock who recently tweeted “Some lucky lady is going to feel a few inches of pain tonight”? Plain and simple, the statement opened a stereotypical attack on Lin’s masculinity. So unnecessary and unprofessional, but the columnist hasn’t been ejected from his throne when a suspension is justified. Never mind the apologies since issued by Dedes and Whitlock as provoked afterthoughts.   

Jeez, where’s the accountability in media these days? I see it slip-sliding away along with established editorial constraints requiring continuous enforcement.  

Past the professional roar of cultural insensitivity, you have to admit that lin or lose, the Jeremy kid is something special. Harvard’s grad is not only a ball of “I Can” fire on the court but gentlemanly enough off of it to forgive and forget. Perhaps he’s teaching us far more than we bargained for.               

Roland Martin’s Tweet-sanity: Mantalk or Malice?

Not since Janet Jackson’s “Boob Bowl” has the super sport of football been upstaged by controversy until now. It wasn’t the politically-charged Chrysler ad or the post-game tirade launched by Tom Brady’s supermodel wife. Instead, it was CNN commentator Roland Martin’s salty tweets that unleashed a cyber Katrina.

Who knew David Beckham’s itty bitty tighty whiteys would surge such strong reactions? Some say the resulting suspension by CNN was justified and others cry foul. I think a dissection of Martin’s tweets on the basis of (1) context and (2) perception might lend a greater understanding.    

CONTEXT:

No matter how you dice it, context matters. Here context refers to the circumstances in which an event occurs. Behind closed doors, Martin’s testosterone-packed tweets amount to mere mantalk. It’s a fact that conversations far removed from political correctness take place in venues where men congregate daily.

The award-winning journalist erred, however, when he committed his thoughts to public record. Yes, Twitter is as public as it gets and some private conversations are unsuitable for mass consumption. Based on reactions I’ve read, some in the public expect Martin to wear the reporting hat 24/7. Is the expectation extreme? For a journalist, whose profession is erected on an unbiased foundation, I think not.  

PERCEPTION:

Few eyes blinked when Brady vowed to kick some New York butt in the 2012 Super Bowl. Why? Because the bravado he expressed is a sports culture commonality. Conversely, Martin’s language, “smack the ‘ish’ out of him” and “Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass” inflamed, because to some, it implied any man gone gaga over Beckham’s buffed bod in H&M’s underwear and the preference for pink might be dissuaded through violence.  

It’s no secret the color pink has endured a historical bashing by heterosexual men who cite it unmanly. Plus, we can’t ignore gay men are fashion’s fiercest from head to toe. Hello!

Although I remain unconvinced that malicious intent lurked behind Martin’s words, it’s been said “as a man thinketh, so is he.” Perception - how one processes messages - is a powerful thing and this Martin, a trained communicator, should know.  

        

      

Cracking the 'Cracker Counties' Code

Did you happen to hear Politico’s Jonathan Martin say ‘cracker counties’ during an MSNBC interview with Chuck Todd recently I missed it, but when I read the account, my reaction meter registered OMW as in “Oh my word.” Literally. Are you kidding me?! This can’t be professional journalism. Right?

As Martin later explained, ‘cracker counties’ is an endearment central to Floridians, referencing residents with long term generational ties to the region. Since America at-large is likely unfamiliar with the term, Todd bore the journalistic responsibility of clarifying its meaning. To my knowledge, he didn’t.     

Now if we detach the word ‘counties’ from ‘cracker,’ we’re left with the pejorative commonly used as a vile distinction for poor, uneducated whites. Fast forward to 2012 and the expression ‘let’s get crackin’ slung by hip hoppers has nothing to do with color. For the unhip, it means let’s proceed. 

Given mainstream media’s premature proclamations and blatant misstatements, including John King’s recent gaffe where he referred to Mitt Romney as Governor Mormon, it’s mildly shocking that many called ‘cracker counties’ into question. And don’t overlook the fact that the messenger matters and if a minority had spewed the term publicly, a backlash behemoth would’ve resulted.  

Let’s be clear, political immersion doesn’t make one a journalist: Todd attended George Washington University without graduating and the Hamden Sydney College from which Martin graduated doesn’t currently offer a journalism program.      

Although journalism, once the bedrock of peeling fact from fiction in an unbiased manner, has obviously sputtered, audience expectations remain the same: Stick to the facts and shed the bias. 

MSNBC Interview with Chuck Todd and Jonathan Martin

See John King's 'Governor Morman' Gaffe

               

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!