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!