Silas Prophet returns with the following:
I would love to find a way to exorcise the word “superstar” from our collective vocabulary. The word has lost all meaning and significance, if indeed it ever had any. Is there any person in the fields of entertainment or sports who hasn’t been tagged, at some time in their careers, as a superstar?
Even politicians (Heaven help us) are now granted superstardom. An NPR interviewer recently introduced Barack Obama as the “superstar senator”. This is a clear sign we’ve gone way too far.
And please don’t get me started on “supermodels“. According to the popular media there is no other kind of model. When I hear of Tiger Woods (or any other “superstar”) and his “supermodel wife” it takes me an hour to unclench my fist, jaw and sphincter.
Until some singer, actor, athlete or statesman appears in blue spandex and red cape with a big “S” on their chest I refuse to acknowledge the “superness” of anyone.
Except, of course, my supervisor.
Sadly, the same is true of the previously perfectly serviceable word “awesome”. Remember when it meant…well…”awe inspiring”? It was a good word. Now it’s broken.
ESPN is collecting “Bradyisms”, sayings about “Superstar” (sorry) Tom Brady of the Patriots. Reading this reminded me of one of them:
Superman wears Tom Brady pajamas
Here are a few of my additions, that annoyingly pop up too often in both print and electronic media!!!
ARRRGGH
“The pair.” How about simply THEY !! or the men, or the couple, or actually say what they are, surfers, housewives. etc…
“The trio” … Really? What instruments do they play ???
What’s next???
” The quartet ” (Hope they have nice harmonies.)
” the quintet ?? the sextet??”
Sounds very silly
Peter