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.