In this Valentine’s Day issue of the Culture Translator, we unpack “the anti-social century,” a quarter of people admit they have flirted with AI chatbots, and Drake might have been the real loser of Super Bowl LIX. To hear CJ (youngish) explain Kendrick Lamar’s diss tracks to Kate (oldish), make sure to listen to this week’s Culture Translator Roundtable! But first:
Slang of the Week: “Bop”
While you might assume “bop” just means a catchy song, the term has taken on an additional meaning for teens. “Bop” is now also a derogatory term referring to a woman who may have had multiple sexual partners. The word itself is a form of “algospeak”—words designed to dodge social media filters and censors (as other words for “promiscuous woman” often get posts flagged and removed). While some online have tried to embrace the term and “reclaim it,” their efforts may have only made the slang term more prominent. “Bop” joins a long list of slang terms designed to tear down women and accuse them of misconduct, a trend that Jesus recognized and spoke out against while still upholding God’s intentions for sexuality (see John 4 and John 8).
And now for our three conversations…
1. Dinner for One
What it is: An article by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic has sparked conversation about just how much time Americans are choosing to spend by themselves.
What is happening: People used to go to dinner together; now, many prefer to order takeout and stay home alone. People used to go to the movies; now, many prefer to stay home and watch television alone. In 2023, people spent even more time alone than they did during 2021—which you’ll recall was the tail end of a pandemic. In particular, the amount of time young men spend alone is increasing faster than any other group. When most of us have a window to the world in the palm of our hands, it might feel like the presence of other people isn’t necessary—but whether their presence is good for our well being is a whole other story.
Continue the conversation: If it were up to you, how often would you see your friends in person?
2. Flirting with Disaster
What it is: A study from World found that 26% of respondents admitted to flirting with a chatbot or AI, either for fun or unknowingly.
Why it’s troubling: The Turing Test, named for computer scientist Alan Turing, was a text-based test to determine whether machines could be said to possess real intelligence. Machines would pass the test if a human judge was unable to tell between interacting with a machine and interacting with a human. Fast forward 75 years: when humans today flirt with chatbots “unknowingly,” bots are clearly passing (while the humans, we might say, are failing). Although social media was initially pitched as a supplement to real-life social interactions, the slope from supplement to replacement is steep. This Valentine’s Day, remind your teens that although real-life relationships can be difficult, we need both the affirmation I pushback that comes with them.
Continue the conversation: What would be the pros and cons of being in a relationship with AI?
3. The Great American Game
What it is: Super Bowl LIX had 137.7 million viewers, but the big takeaways from the Eagles’ big night may have been a few commercials and a score-settling halftime show.
What got teens talking: Philadelphia took a commanding lead from the outset, and Kansas City never recovered. So for the majority of the broadcast, the most engaging onscreen action came from the commercials—a man whose head was shaped like he was wearing a cowboy hat promoted Tubi, a mashup of mascots for grocery store staples combined to plug Instacart, and Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg shared what they pretended to hate about each other for an ad against hate and antisemitism. But perhaps the most memorable moments of the night came via Kendrick Lamar, who led the audience through a medley of his hits while the New Orleans crowd sang along.
Let’s translate this one further…
In some ways, Kendrick Lamar’s performance was as dense and complicated as his song lyrics can be. Samuel L. Jackson played the role of an “Uncle Sam” emcee, sarcastically admonishing Lamar between songs to “play the game,” to not be too “ghetto,” and to give America what they want: something nice and calm to listen to. Dancers dressed in red, white, and blue assembled into the shape of an American flag, turning their backs to Kendrick as he stood in the middle.
In other words, the performance was politically loaded—but personally loaded, too. What might have seemed like a random cut to Serena Williams dancing was actually Drake’s ex celebrating his (verbal) annihilation during “Not Like Us,” in which Lamar accuses Drake of being a pedophile.
When Lamar got to the line, “Trying to strike a chord, and it’s probably A-Minor,” it sounded like everyone in the stadium joined in. Was this because they all believe Lamar’s accusations? Was it because the post-Diddy/Epstein momentum is so strong that anyone even accused of such behavior is condemnable? Or was it just because something in the human heart loves to see another person get publicly humiliated, and wants to participate in their takedown?
One wonders how much the crowd chanting “Give us Barabbas” in Luke 23 really knew about Jesus, or Barabbas for that matter. That is by no means to equate Drake with Jesus; for all we know, Kendrick Lamar’s accusations are accurate. But how many people cheering on Drake’s takedown really know (or care) about the accuracy of Lamar’s claims—and how many just enjoy being on the right side of a group chant?
This year’s halftime show was rich with symbolism, double-entendres, and at least the illusion of poetic justice. If you’ve kept up with the feud between the two rappers, it might have felt like a satisfying conclusion. If you haven’t, it might have just seemed like a bewildering (or boring) display from a rapper wearing 1997’s jeans. Either way, Super Bowl LIX and Lamar’s performance are a perfect example of why generations need to keep the conversation with each other going.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to spark conversation with your teens:
- What do you think Lamar’s halftime performance meant?
- How many of his songs did you know?
- Why do you think so many people sang along during “Not Like Us”?
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!