Word Crimes. On Language.

Everything is Language, and Language is Everything.

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Language is not easily defined. It is by far the hardest thing there is to define, because to define it, would take centuries. Language is all about interpretation, whether it’s body language, language of medicine, colors or romance. Language is emotion, symbols and thoughts. While watching weird Al Yankovic, “Word Crimes” and Stephen Fry’s, “On Language” one main argument they were pointing out was the misuse of language. Language as we now know it has changed in an awful way. Before we realize proper english will no longer exist. Social media has brained wash most generations and will continue to do unless people start to realize that there is a need for change. Although both of these indiviudal’s state a very good point, they both have particular arguements. Fry focuses more on how people misuse actual words, while Yankovic focuses on the misuse of grammar.

In “On Langauge” Stephen Fry states his hatred towards people who misuse language. He has a point, everybody interperts language differently. It differs each individuals creativity, as for example Shakespeare. He states “How dense and deaf to language development do you have to be? If you don’t like nouns becoming verbs? Then for heaven’s sake avoid Shakespeare who made a doing-word out of a thing-word every chance he got.” He uses him as an example while trying to state that if it wasn’t for such transformation language would be dull. If the world’s greatest writer didn’t obey to rules, why should we?

In “Word Crimes” Al Yankovic discusses more on how grammar is being misused, and should be fixed A.S.A.P. Examples he gives in his video would be the difference between “less or fewer”, using numbers instead of letters (IE: d0nt y0u th!nk th!5 !5 @nN0y!nG?), and using C instead of see, or U instead of you. I think what he is basically getting down to is that language is not meant to be taking serious (Hint he uses a catchy song for his video, which in fact will catch viewers attention), people will create new ways or writing and speaking, just don’t misuse language.

Both videos relate to what we do in class because we discover the meaning of words. We break them down and learn how they are made and where they come from. The more we know the further we will go.

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Works Cited

“Stephen Fry Kinetic – On Language.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d., 24 May 2011, Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

“”Weird Al” Yankovic – Word Crimes.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. 16 July 2014, Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

http://eatmisery.blogspot.com/2012/05/grammar-snob.html, eatmisery, 25 June 2012, Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

http://www.oxbridgeediting.co.uk/blog/funny-grammar-mistakes-commas-619/, Naylor, Elly, 2 Dec. 2012, Web. 18 Sept. 14

Let it go..

So, here I am at Hofstra, and I am blogging. It’s actually my first day at Hofstra, and well let me tell you, it’s better than I expected. I’m actually not scared to sit outside with my macbook air and my purse right next to me thinking any second I might get assaulted. Although these bees are starting to get on my nerves. Writing online makes me feel as if I actually have something to say. Some people blog about useful things, such as advice, pictures worth looking at, or just for entertainment. As for me, I have no intentions of grabbing anyones attention, let alone having someone keep up to date with my blogs. By the time I finally finish writing my first blog, pigs would have probably learned how to drive. I think this whole “writing a blog” thing have my insides doing back flips. It’s either that I’m nervous by what 5% of you have to say, or I think it’s time for a snack. I believe that this course may help me, but then again, it may back fire. Most things in my life back fire in one way or another, so I’ll just keep an opened eye for the next one. I have a lot to say, some good and bad things. My friends think I have A.D.D or something, but it’s just that I can’t just talk about one thing, I like to keep it moving. Life goes on, so why not follow it.

j.