The New York Times Magazine recently asked millions of their readers if they’re “sketchy about the lingo being spoken by today’s adultalescents?” in an article that was ultimately (and merely) a how-to guide in understanding some of today’s slang. This piece, which dutifully presented an almost dictionary-like manual of new additions to the Y generation’s spoken word, was written by the seventy-nine year old William Safire. He claims that in a phenomenon now known as “campuspeak” (an ironic play off of George Orwell’s “newspeak”), today’s generation of students are abbreviating, changing or simply creating new words to convey old emotions.
While I completely agree with Mr. Safire’s point that young adults have a lingo unique to the generation and culture in which they are living, his rote article seemed untactful and superior towards the millions of people who happen to insert these “abbreves” or new, made up words into their vocabulary.
After incessantly and formulaically presenting italicized “campuspeak” words and sharing their so-called definitions, Safire argued that “youthful slang sources concern themselves mainly with the vocabulary of three subjects apparently central to campus life: sex, booze and regurgitation.” Safire stereotypically generalizes this generation as sex-obsessed alcoholics with a penchant for gross situations.
Yes, teens and young adults alike have embraced an entirely new way of speaking, with words and phrases like “sketchy” (creepy), “ginormous” (huge), “sexile” (exiling your roommate while you’re hooking up), “brb” (be right back), and by simply abbreviating things that happen to be too long (the incarnation of the Mark II Lounge to the Deuce, anyone?) But instead of attributing this “campuspeak” to an ever changing and frantic way of life, Safire argues that the culture of teens and young adults has singlehandedly forced their sexual appetites to be translated into popular slang. I disagree.
Every generation of youth has its own way of differentiating itself from previous ones. Through fashion, entertainment, rebellions, attitudes, and even words, young adults can identify themselves and the culture in which they grew up.
The young generation of today that Mr. Safire so speaks of has defined itself by using lingo from the technology with which it grew up. In a hectic age where everyone seems to be in a rush, it is no wonder that the spoken word has suffered from a terse condensation: conversation has become a skeleton of what it once was, not vague enough to be misunderstood, but cut down to only the bare minimum.
So, Mr. Safire, I implore you to not try to explain popular lingo used by young adults, and simply accept it as a way of life for most of this generation.
And you, dear reader, I hope you find yourself exclaiming “WTF” when Tyra kicks off another über-ana gal from ANTM. I ask you to head off to the BK Lounge with your BFF’s (and maybe a few randos too) after a hilar night at Hundo. I wish you would mentally file things as sere ridic and totes inapropes. And I beseech you to be one of the few who boldly shouts out “lol” to the world.
SESP sophomore Alexandra La Manna is a PLAY pop culture columnist. She can be reached at [email protected].
