The “this is going to ruin the tour” meme explained, how social media changes the way slang works, and how Gen Alpha and Gen Z are trading ankle socks for crew socks. But first:
“The girl, so confusing version with lorde” by Charli XCX and Lorde
Charli XCX originally released the song “Girl, so confusing” alone, with lyrics about an unnamed female artist who she was often compared to. Now it’s very clear the song was about fellow pop star Lorde, who features on the remix. The lyrics criticize how the music industry often expects female artists to get along and be friends while simultaneously pitting them against each other. Lorde’s verse in particular highlights how these comparisons contributed to her negative self-image and an eating disorder. Both the remix and the original song feature Charli XCX’s iconic synth-pop sound with auto-tuned vocals and driving beats. For the full lyrics, click here (language).
Three Big Conversations
1. The Tour Is Ruined
What it is: Justin Timberlake’s DUI arrest last week seems to have included a muttered interaction that quickly became a meme-able catchphrase.
Why it’s a meme: Timberlake’s brush with the law is perhaps no laughing matter, but this latest entry in a series of gaffes is entertaining to some teens who mostly know him as a character in Trolls. Apparently, upon his arrest, Timberlake said to the police officer, “This is going to ruin the tour,” referring to upcoming concerts in support of his new album. When the officer asked, “What tour?” Timberlake apparently responded, “The world tour.” The phrase took off online, spawning all sorts of memes and comments about things that might be bad enough to “ruin the world tour.”
Continue the conversation: What’s one thing you think could legitimately ruin the world tour?
2. Phone Speak
What it is: Although the use of localized slang terms once signaled group membership, social media gives everyone access to the same words, which changes their purpose.
Why it matters: “In real life, I do not learn how teenagers talk,” writes Dan Brooks, “because whenever I drift by, they fall silent and glare at me. On social media, there is no such exclusion.” Online, a person’s use of particular terms no longer necessarily indicates anything about their age, ethnicity, or culture; adults can pretend to be teenagers, teenagers can pretend to be adults, and everyone can sound like everyone else. Having a shared language makes it easier for people to attempt to cross cultural barriers—and work to understand each other. But it also can erode the uniqueness of those very cultures in the process (even if that’s not always a bad thing).
Continue the conversation: Is there ever a time when it’s better not to be understood?
3. Tall Order
What it is: Socks that come up to your shin are the true marker of a stylish individual, according to Gen Alpha and Gen Z.
Why it marks a generational divide: Many readers might remember that in the early 2000s, socks seemed to get shorter and shorter, until “no-show” socks became the norm. Today, many agree that the most stylish socks hit much higher on the leg. Visible white crew socks extending over a pair of black leggings, sometimes even paired with a gigantic pair of open-toed slides, are worn by teens without an ounce of shame—a look that Millennials would have probably called “cringe.” Crew socks have become a sign that the wearer is aware of current trends. But while Gen Z might say they’ve grown used to never seeing their ankles, many Millennials seem to be attached to the socks of their youth.
Let’s go deeper on this one…
Ecclesiastes, Resurrection, and Socks
To a generation as concerned with authenticity as today’s young people are, a sock that fully embraced its true sock nature (instead of crouching down by the ankle, lurking within the shoe), might seem fitting. But before Millennials made anti-socks the #1 choice, longer socks were already the norm. “Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’?” asks the Qoheleth in Ecclesiastes. “It was here already, long ago (with Gen X); it was here before our time.”
In reality, what seems stylish and fresh to one generation often seems so just because it’s different from what the previous generation liked. Crew socks are not objectively better than ankle socks, or objectively worse than tube socks. But they feel new right now—and pursuing something new is normal.
In Genesis 2:24, the phrase “a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife,” refers, of course, to marital union. But it also refers to the process of intentional differentiation from those who came before us. There are healthy ways to do this and unhealthy ways; but developing a sense of identity often involves striking out on our own in some ways—which can be reflected in our fashion choices.
Of course, almost all fashion trends that seem cool at one time eventually end up in the graveyard—often only to be resurrected by future generations. The resurgence of so many once-uncool fashion trends is reminiscent of the sorts of cycles that the book of Ecclesiastes bemoans. But in a way these same cycles also suggest the church’s ultimate hope. As Martin Luther is often attributed as saying, “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”
For more on this week’s topics, check out the Monday Roundtable on our Culture Translator podcast (now on YouTube!). In the meantime, here are three questions to help spark conversation with your teens:
- What do you think about crew socks versus ankle socks?
- Is there anything else you’ve seen that people used to consider uncool that seems to be coming back?
- What else in our world reminds you of the resurrection?