To Be or Not to Be

     Here is a little game to play. Think of all the popular sayings you knew when growing up. For example: "Yeah, Baby." "Drop it like it's hot." "Talk to the hand." "As if." "DaBomb." "You're killing me, smalls." "You go, girl!" "No soup for you." The list goes on.  At one point, they all claimed, "I'm king of the world." Some are still around, while others are "ghosted." But a question arises: where did they begin? Movies, books, song lyrics, television shows, commercials, and the internet are good "hunting grounds." Yet, for many pop culture sayings, the source is often disinherited from the saying. It starts somewhere, but begins to take on a "life of its own." Ignore "the blue pill" and follow me "down the rabbit hole." 

    There is seemingly no rhyme or reason why pop-culture sayings become "a thing." Why a guy in a commercial answering a phone with an obnoxious "wassupp??" is suddenly mimicked, to the annoyance of millions, by millions across the country, is baffling. Maybe it's "something in the water," or people "drink the Kool-Aid" with a side of "awesome sauce." To some, they're one "fry short of a happy meal." But "that's life."  How a phrase like "that's hot" or a word such as "word" finds its way into the common vocabulary is a mystery that every "influencer" wishes they knew. It would put them "over the moon" to go "viral" with success.  Whatever the reason for popularity, they are an artifact, a snapshot of culture at that time.

    As popularity arises, so does influence. Some result in intended or unintended implications. During the early 2000's, if you were to ask someone how they were doing, there was a large subtext between asking "how are you doing?" and "How you doing?" And if you want to "chill" with friends and watch a movie on Netflix, be careful how you phrase it. A note of caution, a silly word like "skibidi" means you're into toilet humor. Words have power, and "with great power comes great responsibility." So, "take the high road," or "whatever."

    But not every saying can keep its "rizz," and many cease to be "kewl." As their "aura" fades, they become "the weakest link." They are told "you're fired" and are relegated to the "pwned" wastelands of culture with "Leory Jenkings." It is here that "bogus" sayings are numbered with "six seven" and "like, totally," "take a chill pill." 

  And yet, "as time goes by," there are sayings that have stuck around. "To be or not to be" is the question. While some sayings dare to "dance with Bacchus" and are lost with "Rosebud," "Romeo" still enchants us. So "Seize the Day" and "bury the hatchet." Let's "break the ice" over a "baker's dozen." If you search for their origins, prepare for "a wild goose chase." You may be "close but no cigar." But when "what's done is done," you will find some saying, "Play it again, Sam."