Five Things We Need to Leave Behind in 2012
Another new year is upon us! As usual, we’re all looking forward, some more eager than others to put 2012 in our rear view. But before we go hurtling into a brave new annum, it might be a good idea to take stock of a few trends it’d be best to leave behind.
Here are a few of ours. Feel free to add your picks in the comments section.
1. The Return of the Box Fade
Let’s tell all the young men in our lives that the ’90s were a wonderful decade that wrought many memorable and exciting trends like chokers and dark lip liner and roughneck R&B. But just like we’re totally okay letting those things slip into the recesses of history, we will not miss the day that “high-top” or “box” fade also ends up on that pile. To hasten it, take the teens you know who are currently rockin’ a box fade to the barber shop before Jan. 1.
2. Choreographed Wedding Dances
It isn’t that these aren’t the cutest things ever. It’s that we just need to face facts: is anyone ever gonna be able to top the great daddy-daughter dance of 2011 or the coldest wedding dance ever? Doubtful. Let’s let this trend go out on top.
3. Knee-Jerk Blame-Shifting on Social Media
As was evidenced with Sandy Hook and so many unimaginable tragedies before it, social media users have a tendency to go into immediate under-informed opinion mode, speculating endlessly about who’s at fault. In 2012, rather than blaming legislature, big business, mental health, race, gender, nationality, or class within mere minutes of the news breaking, let’s let the fact finders gather accurate updates, let those who’ve lost someone grieve, and let our accusations simmer before unleashing them into the chaos.
4. YOLO
2012 was a good year for Drake. He earned his high school diploma and saw his YOLO chant reach a fever pith. But now that the term has become synonymous with making the worst life decisions possible under the guise of seizing the moment, it might be time to let that li’l phenomenon go.
5. “Ratchet”
It seems that every few years we come up with a term that intends to define unsavory behavior along cultural lines. While we’re glad “ghetoo” and “hood” seem to be slowly fazing out, it might be nice if “ratchet” also went the way of obsolescence.
What do you think? Which trends and terminology do you want to leave behind in 2013?
As far as terminology –
Swag
Female being used as a noun
Jump-off
Relevant not being used with a subject – For Example – “Oh, Tamar Braxton ain’t relevant!” Okay, what is she not relevant to?
BM referring to ALL woman and girls as h*es and b*tches
Bitter
You mad?
Hating
Hater
Stan
Tho – For Example – “You are so pretty tho!”
Everything being a ‘lifestyle’ or ‘flow’ – For Example – ‘work flow’, ‘gym flow’, ‘champagne life’, ‘tour life’
As far as trends –
I am still waiting for the leggings/tights as pants trend to go away. Too many women and girls have adopted this trend when they do not even have the body to pull it off.
Men wearing oversized puffer vests with an oversized hoody
Sagging pants/shorts
Men wearing their hats propped and cocked on the side of their head
Women wearing heels with every outfit
Misogyny on Twitter that seems to always be directed toward BW and BG
People drinking and promoting Moscato not knowing what type of wine it is.
Banks charging folks service fees if they don’t maintain a certain balance or have direct deposit
Every other random man on the street who asks me, “Hi you doing?” as a pick-up line
People waking up and telling their Facebook ‘friends’ that they want to ‘thank God for waking me up’.
Referring to women as ‘young lady’ despite her age.
Sneaker stores that don’t actually sell women’s sneakers, but heels and flats while the men’s section is full of sneakers.
I could kiss you but I guess that would be creepy…
Love everything u said!
As for terminology that should disappear can we also add:
“Beat the pu$$y up”
“Jump and up and down in the pu$$y”
“He/She can get it” (whatever it is)
And “Smash”
Smash the homie
Take you b*tch
She wants the D (say d*ck we’re not in 8th grade anymore)
Cray (cray cray)
Bawdy
Yes! I forgot to add those.
I agree with everything except “You mad?”.
LOL well damn…you and others covered it all so there is nothing to add!
That’s a very interesting list. Kinda long but I like it, THOUGH. Oops
That coldest wedding dance ever was pretty cold. I’d seen it in my news feed many times, but never watched it until now.
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Yes, yes, yes on the “ratchet” WTF started this one? There should be a rule, you can’t give a word new meaning if you don’t even know the original.
-Calling women “female”
-”Get your life” (Ummm, wtf are you taking talking points from a muppet?)
-Swag (see my first sentence)
-”You mad?” (what happened to the “are”?)
-
Onto fashion
-Sagging pants (It’s been 30 years now, come on)
-Wearing a bandeau bra as a top / Crop tops (Unless you’re selling…)
-Pum pum shorts (See above)
-Leggings as pants. (See above)
-Flip flops as shoes (outside of the beach)
-Denim cut off shorts (ugly in the 90s and uglier now)
-Nerd glasses (This is way overdone and if you’re already unattractive nerd glasses are not helping your cause)
-Those TACKY hoop earrings with the spikes (Why are you mimicking tackiness from a reality show wifey)
-Lady Gaga heels (W..T….F, 1. you are not Lady Gaga 2. You’re not in a music video 3. I know you’re in pain!)
-Blue/Grey/Ashy lipstick (I mean really?)
I have more but it’s all I can think of for now. Lol
What are pum pums? Also the hoop earrings with spikes are cute.
LOL i had to google pum pum shorts.
im mad they have a song about them – _ -
i’m so sick of the nerd glasses too! it was cute when the first few people did it. but when everybody on facebook and instagram (hell, i don’t even get on instagram and i see it) has on nerd glasses and a caption that says ” hehe im a nerd”, it’s wack.
i don’t get why choreographed wedding dances have to go tho! funny how nobody was saying that when that chris brown wedding dance became famous! smh everybody thought it was cute…as soon as black people (who i’m sure started the alternative wedding dance/entrance stuff) then suddenly it’s considered ghetto. smh
Here’s My Top 3:
(1) ALL(!) of the “Wives” TV franchises. I’m tired of their contrived drama and cat-fights;
(2) Tamar Braxton! She is a modern day Stepin Fetchit. One can only hope she gets whiplash from all that neck-rolling.
(3) Twitter. For giving every ignoramus on the planet a platform to spread foolishness, 140 characters at a time.