The Best Responses. Akshat Iyer

So on Memorial Day weekend, while I was minding my own business, I got a message from one of my friends. The conversation went a little something like this:

Yes, I know that was a bit rude; however, I wanted a quick and short reply to their question without directly answering it. So, I turned to the quick and easy answer of "ur mum." The "ur" in that phrase isn't even something due to laziness. It just adds to the effect of the person on the other end typing a quick and fast and frankly, a quite catcalling-type of response.
This got me thinking, though. What will happen if other people outside our generation (Generation Z) hear these phrases put into context? They need to be educated in what it is like being a teenager in the 2010s. I'm not trying to @ anyone here (there's another 21st century term, it means to "refer" or "mention"), but I have been coming across way too many people from the past generation or two who still don't understand these references to modern day lingo. Also, I probably don't have anything else better to write about, so I'm going to take this leap of faith to try and explain where these phrases came from.

The first phrase is the one above, reading "ur mum." That's it. Short, sweet, and to the point. This originated from all of the "your mom" jokes that occurred in the early 2010s, and due to the overuse of this phrase, the internet quickly started sarcastically saying it, shortening it down to "ur mum" to add to the satire of it. Now it is used as a joke when somebody has nothing else to really say, which is why I responded with it in the example above.

This next one is a relatively new phrase that has been getting thrown around. Of course, we are talking about the "no u." This originated from the period of time where the best way to come back to an insult is to reflect the insult back on the insult-thrower. So, for example, if I were to call you a "meanie-head," the "no u" formula would call for you to say, "Well, you're a meanie-head!" or if you are clever, you could say, "maybe you should check in a mirror!" just to prove to the other person that you know how mirrors work. This formula, however, was so overused, that the internet, like the "ur mum" craze, started to make fun of the people who used the formula too much by satirically using the phrase "no u," which basically sums up the formula in two words. It is the greatest thing that I have ever discovered, and now all I see on reddit are long reply chains of "no u." Back when they were popular, I hated those comebacks, because every single time I made a good roast, the receiver would pull that on me; but now, I can just make fun of them even more! Life is great now.

Alright, let's talk about one more. This one is something that I love saying, and it is amazing when people hear and try and interpret your response. Try using this; it is heavily applicable in almost every conditional question asked. When someone asks you a conditional, non-yes or no question (For example, Do you want to go get popcorn or ice cream?), just say yes. That's it. Nothing else. Leave them thinking. If they ask the question again, respond with the same thing. After that, just say yes after every word they say. This is especially nice if they don't know how to respond, and you can just stand there with their smug smile. I personally love this response, and it is amazing to just watch the confusion and the struggles that people face when they see this response.

Please use these on your friends if you don't already. I want to start seeing millennials and Generation X'ers make fun of each other using our terminology. Just remember to drop it in about 3 months. It is sure to become more unpopular, and if you use it past the expiration date, you are likely to have no more friends. Use them wisely!


AFTERWORD
So while I was writing this, it felt a little strange. This blogpost thing, although it felt like a burden sometimes, also felt like somewhere to express myself. Now it's June, and these assignments are done, and while I am half-relieved, I do believe there is some sentimental value attached to each and every one of these posts. These posts were interesting in that I didn't care about structure. I just wrote. Whatever came to my mind, whatever was swirling there in my brain, it just flowed out of my fingers onto the keyboard, and for once it didn't matter what I wrote. It sort of felt surreal to me, thinking that I can just express whatever I can onto a blog, but now I realize that people do this all of the time. It isn't always about essays and structure and all of that garbage. Sometimes, the key to becoming better is to just not care and be free. These posts highlight the freedom I experienced while writing about whatever I wanted, whatever I felt during that time. I'm sort of doing that right now, writing this Afterword in French Class (don't worry about it), and it doesn't feel like work. It just feels like creative expression. Hopefully AP gives me this opportunity, but if not, thank you for making this my most creative year.
-This is Akshat Iyer, and I'm signing off.