June Renew: Day Thirteen
Say it Right
I never really liked the concept of talking points. It pains me to see a smattering of political pundits all come out with essentially the same thought train when it comes to a big issue. They even use the same words and phrases, and none of it sounds organic. Maybe to those who let the others do the thinking for them, but that’s not a very nice thing to say either. It’s just one of those things that’s entirely out of my control, yet people choose to run their mouth so others can run with the narrative.
It seems par for the course for the political type. But it can exist in any medium, I suppose. Teachers who don’t have the passion for it just read out of the book, using words someone else wrote long ago to make a point or just get through the marking period. Scientists and researchers have to use each other’s terminology if they ever hope to advance their findings. Heck, even us news people grab a word or two from articles if they word it better than we ever could.
We all borrow language from one another. But we should really be working on our own turn of phrases too.
Whose Words Are They Anyway?
A bunch of years back, I used to do improv. I had a lot of fun and hope some form of comedic acting will be in my future, but that’s besides the point. There was this sort of “freelance” troupe group that I did for about a year. You pay $60 and are then put on a team with about seven other people who also signed up, given a coach, and got to perform monthly shows at a centralized location. All your team had to do was find and pay for the space each week. It was a nice little way to meet other New Yorkers and work on your improv skills. I have no idea if it’s still going on or The Virus Which Should Not Be Named decimated the process, but it was a nifty little way to be part of the scene.
One of the nights after a team show, our coach wasn’t available to give us all notes afterward. So the guy who ran the whole program volunteered to give us some post-performance pointers. We all stood on the street on a damp New York evening and listened. But I noticed the more he spoke, the more he started quoting other improv coaches. “Like [name] always says…” Over and over and over again. It was seriously every other line, he’d namedrop someone else he knew that I didn’t, if only to make his point.
I found myself frustrated at this line of dialogue, as I wanted to hear his thoughts, not someone else’s. I was wishing he’d be able to formulate them, but I guess not everyone is either capable or even wants to. I found it weird, though no one else on my team did, and I eventually got too bogged down with work to continue the program. I guess in the comedic/acting world, one does have to take from other creators, but is it so much to ask for an organic wordsmithing once in a while?
From Your Mouth…
I’ve written about how my co-workers use all my acronyms, which they still do even to this day. I think it’s flattering and one of the better ways we can all get our points across when the clock ticks closer to showtime. But still, they all have their own personalities and their own thoughts about things without having to double down on someone who came before them.
Maybe it’s not fair of me to be overly critical, especially coming from someone whose livelihood hinges on clear communication. All I really hope is that everyone is able to find their own words out there in whatever form they come in. Using another’s can be a great jumping off point, but you’ll lend yourself more credence once you find your own language. As my mom used to tell me all the time, “Be who you are.” Huh, guess it does feel nice to repeat sometimes.