The Republican GOP:  Slanging Words

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The Republican Party’s newest chairman, Michael Steele, recently addressed a group of conservative supporters with a speech interspersed with slang. "Are there any conservatives in the house?" he asked.  "Young people in the house, stand up!"  Don’t worry—it gets worse.  His attempt at being serious resulted in "Tell America: ‘...we know we did wrong—my bad."  Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann co-signed by telling him, "You be da man!"

Steele has reportedly attempted to spark dialogue with President Obama by using rap song lyrics.  He also wants to battle, yes freestyle battle, Stephen Colbert.  Need I say more?

He, among others, obviously believes that this is an appropriate way of capturing the interest of young (black?) America.  I must say, I am not so sure about this one.  If I were in attendance during his "performance," I’m not sure if I would’ve laughed or been highly insulted.  Imagine your parents speaking slang, like when my mom says someone thinks they’re "all that and a bag of chips."  It’s funny, and for some, it’s downright embarrassing.

I prefer being spoken to as an adult and by the time you’re old enough to vote, you should be pretty much accustomed to conversing in such a manner.  Addressing young people this way isn’t the way to go because first, they need people who can teach them about upward mobility, and second, they need to know they are being taken seriously.  Steele’s plan will take them down the ladder and have them perceived the way I now see him:  as a complete joke.

People have said similar things in regards to babies learning to speak.  If you speak to them using words like "goo-goo, ga-ga" and "bah bah," that is how they will speak to you.  I know some 3-year-olds who could talk me under the table, evidence of their broad linguistic exposure.  The same thing goes for these young people the political world wants so desperately to reach.  Speak to them as if they are well-spoken and eloquent and if they haven’t already, they will eventually catch up and catch on.

Mr. Steele is not Chuck D., so why did Congresswoman Bachmann feel the need to assume the role of hype man Flavor Flav by adding "You be da man?"  Are they serious???  Furthermore, why must this newfound approach be associated with hip-hop?  As Steele put it when he told the Washington Times, his plan will institute a Republican "hip-hop makeover."  Um, newsflash:  Slang existed long before hip-hop was a proverbial itch in music’s pants (read: Shakespeare).

Before anyone gets all up in arms, don’t misunderstand my perspective.  I’m a fan of hip-hop.  And I certainly acknowledge its far-reaching influence, specifically in the political arena.  Who hasn’t seen Diddy’s line of "I Heart Michelle Obama" tees?  Also, the rapid increase in the number of young voters in association with celebrity involvement with the political world has forged an undeniable imprint on the pages of history.  And yes, President Obama’s wide appeal can be partially attributed to the fact that he is extremely relatable (aka "cool" or "hip"), considering that he actually knows who Jay-Z and Li’l Wayne are.

As for the slang usage, I honestly am not above double negatives and subject-verb "combat," and to me, if bootylicious and bling-bling are words, so is ain’t.  After all, they’re in the dictionary.  However, those words used in forceful excess, as was demonstrated by Steele, can completely mar an important message.  This situation takes me back to a story I penned for a school assignment in the fourth grade.  When Ms. Welch told me we could incorporate slang in our projects, I was elated.  I inserted it wherever I could.  My teacher softly suggested that I might consider removing some of it.  I politely declined and proceeded to read the first three sentences of my story aloud, before I got her point.  My classmates had no clue what my story was about because of the overabundance of the aforementioned linguistic faux pas.

That being said, a line should be drawn between being relatable to the young, hip-hop generation, or whoever is a part of Steele’s intended target audience.  Addressing the nation and trying to garner votes should not be reduced to the equivalent of a live musical showcase.  I understand wanting to engage a crowd, but I believe this colorful banter should be limited in professional settings, if present, at all.  Besides, how much of an influence are we going to allow an industry designed for entertainment to have on our personal lives?  Everything surrounding the world of showbiz is about a perceived image, and I’m not quite sure what image he is trying to send.  Surely, if I got the message about the importance of language usage at the ripe old age of nine, voters aged 18-24 can get it. Furthermore, I would like to think that when Jay-Z is considering a business move to add to his ever-expanding million-dollar empire, he doesn’t stand in front of board room execs and say "What it do?  I’m tryna get that paper, baby!"

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but this trend just hearkens back to the buffoonery days of minstrel shows and black faces being stuffed with watermelon and fried chicken.  As I stated before, I use slang but it should be used sparingly in a professional setting if one wishes to be taken seriously.  I say reserve the hip-hop lingo for the radio and the stage.  What say you?  I’d love to hear perspectives, affirming or otherwise.

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