undermining words

March 13 2006

i've had enough of how everything on the news is a "tragedy." you know what I'm talking about? whenever someone's child drowns in a pool (incidentally, pools are 500 times as likely to kill you as a gun, and this is without even being designed to!) it's a tragedy. uhh...no it isn't. it's an accident. September 11th was a tragedy!


calling everything a tragedy devalues the word. the same goes for "love" and "hero." when you can feel LOVE for chocolate milk and people just doing their jobs are HEROES, how can anything have the right shade of meaning attached to it?


"I love you."


"Really? Well, I love cheesecake too!"

Nathan Moore

March 13 2006
i agree. you know in greek, they had several words for the levels and intensity of love.

travis

March 14 2006
i would love to say that you're my hero for such an amazing piece of journalism exposing this horrible tragedy. it's an awesome piece of literature, almost surreal in its brilliance. HOWEVER, use of those words would certainly only prove your point. INSTEAD, i will say that i agree as well. i'm guilty of devaluing words at times; it seems to be happening more and more as time progresses. henri, in all seriousness you bring up a very good point!! ["awesome" means "inspiring awe", "awe" means "an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration". does that __insert noun__ really inspire an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration?]

Henri Laswell

March 14 2006
that was actually quite a clever way of responding to my blog. well done. i'm also guilty of undermining words from time to time, but i try to catch myself before i do it so that i don't.

beth cooper

March 14 2006
yeah i know what your saying, what sets anyone apart anymore? we cant all be special

Ashley who?

March 14 2006
Whoa, I haven't talked to in a while.

MichaKathryn

March 14 2006
i was actually going to say what nathan did. but you are right.. those words, like many others, are just so over-used they dont even mean anything any more

beth cooper

March 14 2006
yeah i know i was just talkin about language inflation on the whole. but i totally get what your saying

Diane

March 14 2006
the cake part reminds me of an episode of that 70's show.

Henri Laswell

March 14 2006
yeah, that might have been where i got it. but i really do enjoy cheesecake...i just don't want to settle down and have children with it.

Diane

March 14 2006
speak for yourself. haha.

caleb

March 14 2006
no man, i havent either... but i hear those words daily... and just wondering what it means to certain people....

K

March 14 2006
<p>Tis why I don't believe in love in the sense that everyone thinks about it. Saying I love you, to someone isn't as big of a deal for me as people seem to think. Words are words. Anyway you can love something really easily -- staying in love with is the hard part. <p>And everyone thinks what happens to them is a tragedy, which is our nature. Sometimes. Which is why things like 9-11 shake our world and wake us up. make us think twice. <p>As for cheesecake -- well food has its own section of love in my world. Except now its been severely limited. Damn you running! Even though I'm doing this to myself, so that would be my fault... *ponder* <p>Makes you wish that language had something more magical to it -- like you could only speak the truth -- too bad that kind of world and magic through language only exists in fantasy novels.

Henri Laswell

March 14 2006
that's up for interpretation--whether or not words like love, tragedy, and hero should be thrown about so lightly. in the perspective of a writer, i believe that words are very powerful, do not underestimate them.

caleb

March 14 2006
yeah... i wasnt raised around the word love, so its just kinda weird for me now.. but its all good.

caleb

March 14 2006
hahaa, alright man, i appriciate it.

Tanmaniztheman99

March 14 2006
I would definatly have to say that I for one agree. People have just got so prone to saying certain words, and not even fitting the text. good post.

Rebekah Minor

March 14 2006
yeah, i think that quote is probably going on the facebook

Rebekah Minor

March 14 2006
yes the cheescake one and yes its going on my facebook

travis

March 15 2006
ur welcome henri...

travis

March 15 2006
ok, so i was thinking of another word that belongs in this discussion: “war”. [this isn't gonna be political, so don't take it political...just chill] you have the ‘war in iraq’ an actual combat on the ground in another country. similar ones include the ‘civil war’, ‘the revolutionary war’, ‘world war 1 & 2’, etc. nowadays, the phrase "war on terror" is ubiquitous, yet targets many unknown suspects in unknown or undisclosed locations for unknown reasons. don't forget the "war on drugs" which pits the forces against white powdery substances and a rainbow of colored pills. yes, and the ‘war on christmas’ cost how many human lives during the most recent fighting? i forget how many people are still in the “prisoner-of-war-on-christmas” camps. i think i'll google it. anyway, this is just another word that has been watered down. WAR, once reserved for describing bloody battles that claim thousands of men's lives, is now tossed around like a leaf on a windy day. however, keep an eye out for the latest “price wars” so you can get cheaper gas and airline tickets. ::shrugs::

Ashley who?

March 15 2006
i'm fine, how're you?

Kelly

March 15 2006
wow. that's so true. i completly agree! =] && thank you. i DO feel better!! =] being sick sucks! =] i would RATHER be at school than be at home sick with the flu any day! =]

K

March 15 2006
I'm a writer too, cool xP

Elizabeth

March 15 2006
no big

Kelly

March 15 2006
yeah but im GLAD i have an early spring break! last FRIDAY felt like the LAST day of school! 3rd && 4th block we didnt do ANY THING! but hang out, eat, talk, go online, walk around the school, go sit outside in the warm sun, and watch the TN bball game. same thing for THIS FRIDAY! but i think im ganna miss all the fun to skipp school. haha. =] but yeahh. u think MY spring break is EARLY. pelisippi (sp?) college's spring break was LAST WEEK and so was alcoa/maryville. when is your spring break??

Kelly

March 15 2006
thats like a month away from mine. lol. but thats cool. =] its already getting warm here! =] i &hearts; the spring. it would HAVE to be one of my FAVORITE times of the year! i can not wait until summer though! the first week and a half ill be spending it in..... beautiful CALIFORNIA!!! im SO VERy excited!! =] this will be the 1st time ive been to california since i moved to TN in the 3rd grade!! =] i can not wait! is usually HOT the last week and a half of MAY and the first week of JUNE? cause thats when ill be there!! =] im just counting down until MAY! =] haha. not really but im VERY excitied! can u tell? haha. =]

travis

March 16 2006
"preposterous" << good word usage. i'm with ya on both points. as to the battle of trees...i had never seen pine trees fight like that before. oh, there was a store here in tx that had it listed as "holiday" in english and "christmas" in spanish on the same sign!?! anyway moving on from that debacle...

travis

March 16 2006
haha, ya it's all about making an enterance. plus, i'm always getting lost while driving...i seem to have misplaced my sence of direction. punctuality killers: traffic, yes. others going 45 mph in a 60, yes. snooze button, definitely yes.

Teresa Smith

March 16 2006
wow. I swear that was one amazing post. I really really admire you for posting that. You are a 100% positive and I agree with every word. SO many phrases and words are misused today especially love and such...it's really annoying. I'm glad you still remember the real thing though. =) And yes...I *attempt* to play guitar and it's still undecided whether I'm good or not. Have an amazing weekend. &hearts;

Kelly

March 16 2006
most of the time i will probably be in either santa barabra or goleta. or L.A. or O.C. im not really sure. i know for sure the last weekend of may i will be in santa bar. but then that week im not sure. but then the next weekend i think ill be in san. fran. or some where up north. i think. im not really sure. im going for 2 weddings. and just to hang out. its ganna be fun though. =] im so excited! =]