Lifestyle Issues of The White and ProHo
In response to Forbidden Phrases: Do Not Use Them, hollywood_african asks: “I agree that some of these phrases [”my bad”, “dawg”] are the kind of talk we hear from undesirable neighborhood non-whites all the time. isn’t that why this blog exists? to secretly whisper about the lifestyle issues [of] newly relocated non-non-whites face in ProHo [Prospect Heights]? I’m really glad that you’ve created a safe space here where the King’s English can thrive…three cheers for keeping our utopia blog-garden WEED-FREE!!!”
A. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! However, DAILY HEIGHTS is not entirely convinced that overuse of the phrase “my bad” is endemic to neighborhood non-whites.
We have undertaken a careful investigation of the etymology of “my bad” and the cultural forces behind its popularity. Our research suggests the following: “my bad” may possibly have roots in games of “spades” played among prison inmates, and in Neighborhoods of Lower Socioeconomic Strata (NoLSS, or colloquially, “Hoods”).
However, multiple authoritative sources agree: overuse of “my bad” is directly attributable to “Clueless,” a 1995 movie that focused on the values and lifestyles of white, upper-class society. The fires of “my bad” were further stoked through inclusion in subsequent Hollywood screenplays and television programs, including at least 7 uses between 1998-2002 on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Example: “She killed him! Oops, my bad. It’s just dust I forgot to sweep under the rug.” [Cordelia]
While a thorough investigation of the term “dawg” has not been undertaken, anecdotal evidence suggests that this term, too, may have roots in NoLSS, but has become old and tired through repetition, ad nauseum, in mass media channels that celebrate the values of middle- to upper-class (and often white) suburban society, including American Idol, and most “reality” programming on MTV.
DAILY HEIGHTS thanks hollywood_african for the opportunity to clarify this matter.
hollywood_african has us all wrong. But maybe he’d like this website better:
http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/index.html
the name of the football team at a Long Island high school (where i grew up) is the Dawgs. this word may have simply spawned from bad new york accents.
This is the best post on this [INTERESTING] website. [CONSIDER] my [OPINION], [COLLEAGUE]s. [FELLOW READERS]s. Ma-aaaaah.
[Comment edited for clarity only - Ed.]
I think Hollywood has some valid points, I support the word bans MOST DEF but DH (the site, not the man) is overwhelmingly white. I sometimes feel ten shades whiteer just reading it. JUST SAYIN’.
Um, I got the initial first impression that words or phrases that are OLD and TIRED are not wanted here, that it wasn’t a racial thing. Jeez!!!
Is “feeling ten shades whiter” a good or bad thing? Does it make you feel embarrassed? Shameful? Proud? Exhuberant? Other? Help me understand. If it’s negative, I apologize. I will tell Muk, Miranda, Rita, DeeDee, Elon James, Atim, Frederick, Jose R, The Other Jose, Bill B., Trevor, Marilyn and Shawn, and the rest of the non-white Daily Heights contributors/friends to TRY HARDER next time.
I know that not everyone that contributes to DH is white. I was speaking more of the message boards using words like “gangbangers”. I guess what I am saying is how I can see the reason Hollywood would feel that way about the banned words, regardless of their etymology.
Aha, I understand. Sorry So Snarky (SSS).
There are two Joses? Now I really feel ten shades whiter.
I used to have a real crush on that Alicia Silverstone. She just got married thought so I guess this dawg is out of luck.
Sorry, this phrase first appeared in the 80’s by basketball-player/immigrant Manute Bol who said, “My bad” instead of “my fault” , his Golden State Warrior teammates started saying it, the rest is history.