Our language evolves through the power of us all

Archaic language in "A Christmas Carol"

English professors must be feeling a sense of catharsis. Teaching is all about enforcing rules or norms. Problem is, our new communications universe has supplied so much empowerment. "The masses" have taken over determining the norms for the English language. 

I saw a magazine writer identified as a "freelance" writer the other day. I had to laugh at that because we're all writers now. "Freelance" only suggests no relationship with a formal publishing entity. And so what? Publishers and corporate media owners have no lock on the market for writing. It is a sea change, like so much of how the Internet has impacted us. 

Some people say it's bad because of the loss of "gatekeepers." Many others celebrate the very fact that the gatekeepers, if not lost are greatly diminished. 

Yours truly was a writer when it was considered a very exclusive activity, really! Typing was specialized. The tasks later became fun because of ease and empowerment for everyone in communications. 

So my point relative to English teachers is: "The masses (not meant to be condescending) have taken charge of the evolution of our language. New shortcuts or "slang" get created. The slang sticks around to where it doesn't seem so slang-ish. The English language has always evolved. I had great difficulty trying to read the original Charles Dickens book "A Christmas Carol." 

It became common years ago for young people to type emails in all lower case. So common, hardly anyone would look at it and say it's improper. Where does this leave English teachers with all their "rules?" Should the word "midwest" be capitalized? According to formal rules, yes. Would an English teacher use his/her notorious red pen to circle the word if not capitalized? Well, teachers exist to promote the accepted rules - well, "accepted" in academia anyway. 

But the "real world" asserts itself more and more. I haven't talked to any English teachers about how they might be adjusting to all this. I'm guessing it's difficult. 

 

Politics and the language

There are times when anti-intellectualism seems to be asserting itself again. I base that on the political climate. It is an uphill battle to try to get past the Republicans. Republicans are using "scorched earth" left and right. In the Dakotas, you might as well not bother running for office as a Democrat, regardless of your resume. We see an exhibit of what I'm talking about with the South Dakota attorney general situation. The Republican ran against an opponent with an arguably better background and resume for the job. As one media report noted, the opponent "had one major drawback." He was a Democrat. 

Mike McFeely, from when he was on terrestrial radio, said of the North Dakota attorney general, "he doesn't have to do anything because he doesn't have to worry about getting re-elected." Strikes me as a worrisome state of affairs. McFeely has had programs on both KFGO and WDAY. He had a morning WDAY show most recently, where I think he came under too much assault because he's openly left-leaning. He departed. 

Getting back to the subject of the South Dakota attorney general, we all know why the guy is in the news now. Uppermost on my mind is: Will the fact he's Republican give him cover from powerful friends in his current distress? Consider: the SD governor has talked about maybe having Trump's face put on Mount Rushmore. 

Republicans can feel pretty secure in South Dakota, where Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is dealing with having struck and killed a man with his vehicle along the highway at night. He claims he thought he hit a deer. He told the sheriff that. Then he returned to the site the next morning and "discovered" the deceased individual. I put "discovered" in quotes because, do we really know for sure he didn't know the facts on the night of the incident? I guess he's being allowed to continue working. Would a Democrat get such accommodation? Well I don't know - I think the wolves would be lined up with teeth bared. 

  

The resources of today

We used to depend on a big thick dictionary to clarify the meaning of things. It was the standard approach for most of my life. So today it's amazing the resources at our disposal. Young people will take it for granted. It's no surprise and bless them. 

Multiple dictionaries are available at our fingertips from our online devices. And hey, it's not just standard dictionaries! I have found the "urban dictionary" to actually be helpful in my continued writing pursuits. Terms in this category often don't have an obvious definition in our mind. The terms sort of float around "out on the street" and this makes them no less effective or appropriate. Such use probably optimizes their currency. 

We should always defer to "the language of the people." This in fact is what communications is all about! It is not about all the stuffy parameters from English classes! I do feel for English teachers. They got into their profession through love of the language and of writing. The problem becomes "the ivory tower effect." (In using "becomes" I'm inspired by the late William F. Buckley.) 

Does anyone doubt we are in a world now where the ivory tower can only crumble more and more? It's just the way of the world. Academia must always adjust to the ways of the world.

Let's consider a movie

Barbara Stanwyck in "Ball of Fire"

The existence of slang reminds me of the movie "Ball of Fire" from 1941. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck starred. Kudos to Stanwyck for having no problem later in life playing an older person as she did in TV's "Big Valley." 

Cooper plays a college professor in "Ball of Fire" who's striving to put together a directory of "slang." Stanwyck is a street-smart nightclub singer who gives the professor material. Might a relationship be in the works? Stay tuned. 

Fascinating: "Ball of Fire" was released five days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, so it's quite a snapshot of immediate pre-war America. If only our nation could have stayed untouched! But would we have ever seen the great American "middle class" that formed after the war? Ah, if only war could be fought with rubber bullets! 

It was a rubber bullet that struck MSNBC's Ali Velshi recently. He's a TV journalist who strives for objective coverage of Trump. And so Trump has cheered the injury from the rubber bullet. That's our world in the year 2020. Leading to what? The scenarios are horrifying to ponder. Just don't walk along the shoulder of roads after dark, in case it's a Republican office-holder coming your way.

 

My podcast entry for September 23

My "Morris Mojo" podcast entry on this beautiful fall day has to do with the new City of Morris water treatment plant. Unfortunately the news is not good. The new water is now downgraded to 7-10 grains. Please click on permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Morris-water-treatment-plant-ek2jdt 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com