It's giving incel The evolution of internet slang

It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nHvZ6Szf3kY/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [linguistic-appropriation, internet-culture, algorithmic-influence, incel-ideology, cultural-transmission, language-evolution] > author: [MISSING] > source: NPR Code Switch > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang >  ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - **What happened**: NPR explores how internet slang travels from marginalized communities (Black, LGBTQ+) and extremist spaces (incel forums) into mainstream culture via social media algorithms. - **Why it matters**: Language shapes ideology; normalizing terms from harmful communities can shift acceptable discourse toward dangerous worldviews. - **Key stakeholders**: Social media platforms, content creators, linguists, marginalized communities whose language gets appropriated. - **Risks and tradeoffs**: Cultural appropriation strips meaning from original communities while potentially mainstreaming extremist ideologies through "ironic" usage. - **Bottom line**: The internet accelerates linguistic appropriation and decontextualization, requiring conscious choices about which words we adopt and amplify. ## 📖 Main Content The episode examines how social media algorithms shape language evolution through two parallel streams: appropriation from Black and LGBTQ+ communities ("it's giving," "slay") and normalization of incel terminology ("maxing," "mog," "chud"). Linguist Adam Alex explains that terms like "looksmaxxing" originated in 2010s incel forums, drawing from Dungeons & Dragons "min-maxing" and video game optimization culture. The "black pill" ideology promotes nihilistic views that appearance determines social success, contrasted with the "red pill" political awakening concept. The algorithm incentivizes viral content through "algospeak" - coded language like "unalive" to avoid content suppression. This creates conditions where both marginalized slang and extremist vocabulary spread rapidly, often stripped of original context through short clips and memes. ### 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:03:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=192) Language trickles down from ballroom to Broadway - "It's giving Christmas" - phrase from queer, Black, Latino ballroom scene heard from white elementary schooler - Demonstrates rapid cultural transmission patterns #### ⏱️ [00:12:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=750) Maxing origins in gaming and incel forums - Started as Dungeons & Dragons "min-maxing" optimization - Evolved to "looksmaxxing" in 2010s incel forums - Now mainstream: fiber-maxing, whimsy-maxing, even "lethality maxing" #### ⏱️ [00:18:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=1125) Black pill vs red pill ideologies - Red pill: political awakening (join Republicans, Matrix reference) - Black pill: nihilistic incel worldview that appearance determines everything - Creates "looks destiny" fatalism #### ⏱️ [00:25:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=1515) 4chan as linguistic innovation hub - Created foundational internet terms: slop, copypasta, rickroll, shitpost - Extremely productive at language creation and "rebracketing" - Bridge between niche communities and mainstream adoption #### ⏱️ [00:35:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2120) Irony-to-earnest pipeline - Language often starts as jokes before becoming sincere usage - "Plausible deniability" allows extreme ideas to filter through humor - Shifts Overton window toward previously unacceptable discourse #### ⏱️ [00:42:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2530) Algorithmic decontextualization - Clips remove original context from language usage - Gen Alpha adopts terms like "wallahi" without religious significance - Streamers build careers on "clip farming" sensational content #### ⏱️ [00:48:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2910) Historical appropriation acceleration - "Cool" traveled from 1880s African-American English through jazz, beatniks, mainstream - Internet unprecedented in speed: ballroom → RuPaul → TikTok → widespread adoption - Strips power from originating communities ## 📚 References - [Adam Alex's TikTok - Etymology Nerd](https://www.tiktok.com/@etymologynerd) - [Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming Language](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1Q8X7QK) - [NPR Code Switch Podcast](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase Social media algorithms are fundamentally reshaping how language evolves by accelerating both cultural appropriation and extremist vocabulary normalization. Terms that once took decades to travel from marginalized communities to mainstream usage now spread in months through viral content and algorithmic amplification. Meanwhile, dangerous ideologies from incel forums gain acceptance through humor and irony, creating plausible deniability for harmful worldviews. The internet's clip-based culture strips words of their original context and meaning, leaving users disconnected from the communities and histories that created the language they casually adopt. ## 📰 Newsletter **The Algorithm Made Me Do It: How Social Media is Rewiring Our Language** Ever wonder why your teenager suddenly says everything is "giving main character energy"? Or why your coworker keeps talking about "productivity maxing"? This week's deep dive explores how TikTok and YouTube algorithms are fundamentally changing how words travel from niche communities into everyday speech. NPR's Code Switch team unpacks the dual streams feeding Gen Z vocabulary: appropriated slang from Black and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, and concerning terminology from incel forums that's gone mainstream through memes. The speed is unprecedented—phrases that used to take decades now spread globally in weeks. For web professionals, this highlights how platform design choices have real cultural consequences. The same algorithmic features that make content "engaging" also accelerate the spread of both creativity and toxicity. Worth considering as we build the next generation of online communities. **Resources**: Check out linguist Adam Alex's "Algospeak" for the full breakdown of how social platforms are transforming language evolution. ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create educational content about algorithmic bias in language processing and content moderation systems - Education: Develop workshops on responsible AI and the social impacts of recommendation algorithms - Developer experience: Build tools that help identify and flag potentially harmful linguistic patterns in user-generated content #### Community - Maintainers: Review community guidelines to address language that may normalize extremist ideologies while preserving legitimate discourse - Contributors: Establish protocols for handling cultural appropriation in documentation, variable names, and community communications - Sponsors: Fund research into algorithmic amplification of harmful content and mitigation strategies #### WordPress - Core: Implement better content moderation tools that recognize context-dependent harmful language - Community: Develop guidelines for WordCamp organizers about inclusive language practices - Training: Create modules about digital literacy and understanding how algorithmic systems shape discourse ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. **Algorithmic amplification accelerates linguistic appropriation**: Social media algorithms prioritizing engagement inadvertently strip cultural context from language by promoting viral usage over origin recognition. 2. **Irony serves as a vector for ideological normalization**: Terms that begin as jokes or memes can successfully mainstream extremist worldviews by providing plausible deniability. 3. **Decontextualization reduces empathy for source communities**: When language travels through clips and short-form content, users lose awareness of originating communities and their struggles. 4. **Platform design choices have measurable cultural impact**: Specific algorithmic features (trending hashtags, recommended content, clip creation tools) can be traced to changes in linguistic adoption patterns. 5. **Youth language adoption follows predictable algorithmic pathways**: Gen Alpha vocabulary can be predicted by analyzing content engagement patterns across platforms 6-12 months prior. ### 📊 Methodology Study designs would include longitudinal tracking of specific terms across platforms, sentiment analysis of usage contexts, surveys measuring user awareness of linguistic origins, and comparative analysis of pre/post-internet language evolution speeds. Data sources would encompass social media APIs, linguistic corpora, and ethnographic studies of affected communities. ### ❓ Questions - How can platforms balance viral content promotion with cultural sensitivity? - What technical interventions could preserve linguistic context without stifling organic language evolution? - How do different demographic groups experience linguistic appropriation differently online? - What role should content creators play in educating audiences about language origins? ### 🔮 Future Research Investigate cross-platform linguistic transmission patterns, develop tools for real-time cultural appropriation detection, study long-term community impacts of language commodification, and explore decentralized alternatives that might preserve context better than current platforms. ### 💡 Implications **Practice**: Content moderation needs cultural linguistics expertise. **Policy**: Platform regulation should consider cultural harm alongside individual harm. **Security**: Language can be weaponized for ideological recruitment. **Education**: Digital literacy must include understanding algorithmic influence on language. **Funding**: Support research into ethical algorithm design and community-controlled platforms. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 12th grade (Flesch-Kincaid). Complex vocabulary balanced with clear explanations. #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Clear section headers, bullet points, timeline structure - Improve: Add flowcharts showing language transmission pathways, visual maps of platform ecosystems #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Podcast format with multiple speakers, clear audio quality - Improve: Add timestamps for easy navigation, create audio summaries #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Strong definitions, examples of terms in context, analogies to familiar concepts - Improve: Glossary of technical terms, more explicit comparisons between linguistic evolution patterns #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Interactive examples of scrolling through social media - Improve: Create hands-on exercises tracking word usage across platforms, simulation tools #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-and-effect relationships, systematic analysis of language evolution - Improve: More quantitative data on transmission speeds, algorithmic decision trees #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Discussion format, community impact focus - Improve: Discussion prompts for groups, collaborative analysis exercises #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection opportunities, personal impact consideration - Improve: Self-assessment tools for language usage awareness, journaling prompts #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem metaphors for language spread - Improve: Environmental impact analogies, lifecycle thinking about language evolution ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive link text - Improve: Add ARIA labels for complex content, ensure timestamp links are properly labeled #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard audio player controls - Improve: Add skip-to-content links, ensure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard podcast format with transcription - Improve: Ensure transcript has proper contrast ratios, offer high-contrast viewing options #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive transcript layout - Improve: Test at 200% zoom, ensure no content gets cut off #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided - Improve: Add audio descriptions for any visual content referenced, ensure sync between audio and text #### Forms and interactions - Present: Simple playback controls - Improve: Add labels for all interactive elements, provide error handling for playback issues ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Multiple cultural perspectives, focus on marginalized communities - Improve: Include more global examples of linguistic appropriation, add perspectives from different cultural contexts #### Inclusive language - Present: Respectful discussion of sensitive topics, clear content warnings - Improve: Provide more context for unfamiliar cultural references, expand glossary #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure, consistent format - Improve: Add content warnings for potentially triggering material, provide chapter breaks #### Representation - Present: Diverse host team, focus on voices from affected communities - Improve: Include more perspectives from different age groups, expand expert diversity #### Psychological safety - Present: Respectful tone, acknowledgment of harm - Improve: Clearer content warnings, more explicit discussion of community guidelines ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - **Causal analysis**: Clear connection between algorithmic design and language evolution patterns, supported by specific examples - **Historical comparison**: Effective use of historical precedent ("cool" from 1880s) to contextualize current phenomena - **Expert testimony**: Credible linguist with relevant credentials provides informed analysis #### Fallacies - **Potential slippery slope**: Suggestion that using certain words inevitably leads to adopting associated ideologies lacks nuance about individual agency and context - **False dichotomy**: Framing choice as either "everything matters" or "nothing matters" oversimplifies the spectrum of approaches to language awareness #### Tone of voice - Conversational and accessible, balancing serious academic content with relatable examples. Hosts demonstrate genuine curiosity while maintaining appropriate concern about harmful impacts. ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis No DARVO patterns detected in this content. The discussion acknowledges harm to marginalized communities without attempting to reverse victim/offender dynamics or minimize the impact of linguistic appropriation. ## 🎯 Conclusion The internet has fundamentally accelerated language evolution, creating unprecedented speed in how terms travel from niche communities to mainstream adoption. While this enables rapid cultural exchange, it also strips words of their context and meaning, potentially harming the communities that created them. Social media platforms bear responsibility for the cultural consequences of their algorithmic choices. For individuals, conscious awareness of language origins and deliberate choices about adoption can help preserve cultural respect while still allowing natural language evolution. The key insight: when everything happens in quotation marks through ironic distance, we lose the human connections that make language meaningful in the first place. ## 🔄 Refactor Appendix — It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang ### 📚 Literature Atoms (H3) #### Social media algorithms accelerate linguistic appropriation through decontextualization > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_main > "The internet has allowed for an unprecedented growth of this kind of language... You see something without context and you scroll and then you don't question it. You don't question the original where it came from." **Context & use**: - Core mechanism of how platforms strip cultural meaning from language - Demonstrates how algorithmic design choices have unintended social consequences **Tags**: #algorithmic-bias #cultural-appropriation #decontextualization **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2530)  #### Irony provides plausible deniability for mainstreaming extremist ideologies > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_irony > "There's a constant hopscotching between irony and authenticity and somebody could say something and then say, 'Oh no, I was joking.' That allows more extreme language to filter through through this lens of it being a joke." **Context & use**: - Explains how harmful worldviews gain acceptance through humor - Demonstrates the Overton window shifting mechanism **Tags**: #extremist-recruitment #overton-window #irony-pipeline **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2120)  #### Platform design incentivizes viral content over cultural sensitivity > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_platforms > "The social media platforms themselves created this structure where dangerous ideas can propagate. They tell you they're a platform connoting neutrality, but they're structuring things that create profit for them instead of things that enable and enhance our natural human inclination to be kind to each other." **Context & use**: - Reveals conflict between engagement optimization and social responsibility - Highlights need for alternative platform designs **Tags**: #platform-responsibility #engagement-optimization #algorithmic-harm **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2650)  ### 🧠 Permanent Candidates (H4) #### Language transmission patterns reveal power dynamics between communities **Claim**: The direction and speed of linguistic borrowing exposes hierarchical relationships between cultural groups and demonstrates how digital platforms can either preserve or exploit these dynamics. **Evidence pointer**: [[#Social media algorithms accelerate linguistic appropriation through decontextualization]] **Scope & conditions**: - Holds when examining cross-cultural language adoption patterns - Breaks when power dynamics are deliberately inverted or when platforms implement cultural preservation features **Links**: - [[Cultural capital]] — because extends understanding of how language functions as social currency - [[Algorithmic bias]] — because evidence-for how technical systems perpetuate social inequalities  ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue - Investigate whether content moderation could incorporate cultural context without stifling organic evolution — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY #fleeting #inbox - Research comparative studies of language evolution pre/post-internet across different cultures — etymology and cross-cultural patterns #fleeting #research ### → Things 3 - [ ] Research Adam Alex's book "Algospeak" for deeper technical understanding of algorithmic language influence #things - [ ] Explore whether WordPress community guidelines address cultural appropriation in technical terminology #things --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] This message comes from ISL. Il is an [00:04] award-winning online learning platform [00:06] that helps kids truly understand what [00:08] they're learning. This is the time of [00:10] year when kids benefit from reviewing [00:12] key learning concepts to end the year on [00:14] a high note. One subscription covers [00:16] everything prek through 12th grade for [00:18] all the kids in your home. Make an [00:20] impact on your child's learning. Getl [00:23] now. receive an exclusive 20% offl [00:26] membership when signing up today at [00:28] exl.compr. [00:32] Just a heads up y'all before we get [00:34] started. Uh in June, Code Switch is [00:36] going to start coming out on Tuesdays [00:37] and Fridays. You ain't got to change [00:39] nothing. Just we will be here appearing [00:41] in your feed just on different days. [00:43] >> And this episode is all about language, [00:46] particularly some salty and offensive [00:49] language. Be warned. [00:54] Hey everyone, you're listening to Code [00:56] Switch, the show about race and identity [00:58] from NPR. I'm BA Parker [01:01] >> and I'm Jean Debbie. [01:03] >> All right, so Jean, I had this thing [01:05] happen recently that stuck with me. [01:08] >> Uhhuh. [01:08] >> I went to a Broadway show and there were [01:11] a couple of kids looking at the stage [01:14] and I heard this white kid of elementary [01:16] school age say, "It's giving Christmas." [01:20] >> It's giving Christmas. Okay, [01:22] >> it's giving Christmas. I mean, there [01:23] were like disco balls and twinkly [01:25] lights. Anyways, it made me think about [01:28] how language trickles down [01:32] >> or like spreads like cuz like a phrase [01:34] like it's giving [01:36] >> comes from the ballroom scene in places [01:38] like New York City and the people in [01:40] that space are mostly queer, black and [01:42] Latino folks. [01:43] >> Yes. And then the phrase filters out [01:47] into the mouth of a white maybe third [01:49] grader at Cats the Jellical Ball. [01:51] >> You went to see Cats. Okay, this put [01:53] that aside for a second. [01:54] >> I was entertaining my mama while she was [01:57] in town. And for what it's worth, this [01:59] version is also inspired by New York [02:03] Ballroom. [02:04] >> The per cat [02:06] ball. [02:08] Oh, so maybe it's appropriate that that [02:09] little boy set is given given. But that [02:12] happens with all sorts of words, right? [02:14] Like something like inshallah is an [02:16] Arabic colloquialism that now people [02:18] like Joe Biden sprinkled into the speech [02:20] and throw around. [02:21] >> But let me tell you, Annne Hathaway had [02:23] a little viral moment saying it. [02:25] >> I want to have a long healthy life in I [02:27] hope so. [02:27] >> That's how you end up with kids all over [02:28] the country in the Midwest saying things [02:30] like dead ass, which is another like New [02:33] York regionalism, [02:34] >> right? And Gen Alpha has inherited [02:37] language from Gen Z who absorbed [02:39] language from black and brown folk on [02:41] the internet, right? And they probably [02:43] have no idea where it comes from. [02:45] >> Like were you going to sit down and tell [02:47] this little nine-year-old like about the [02:49] ins and outs of AAV? Like what was your [02:51] plan? [02:51] >> I mean, I wanted to hear memories. So, [02:53] no. But it did make me want to talk to a [02:56] linguist about how language evolves. [03:00] Your words are either coming from from [03:01] black people or it's coming from incelss [03:04] online which are involuntary celibates. [03:06] That is kind of the shorthand if I have [03:07] to tell someone really quickly. [03:09] >> Hold on. Hold on. Who is that? [03:10] >> I'm Adam Alex. I'm a linguist, [03:12] influencer, author based in Manhattan [03:14] and I go online as the etmology nerd. [03:17] >> Adam is a Tik Tocker and also a Harvard [03:20] trained linguist and he wrote a book [03:22] called Algo Speak: How Social Media is [03:25] Transforming the Future of Language. And [03:28] he just touched on the other side of [03:30] what I'm interested in getting into [03:32] today. Like, have you noticed that [03:34] everyone is maxing? [03:36] >> This phenomenon on social media known as [03:39] maxing. [03:40] >> Maxing. You're doing stuff. [03:41] >> You're doing stuff to the max. [03:43] >> Fiber maxing is the hottest wellness [03:46] trend right now. [03:46] >> Nonamaxing where people are trying to be [03:48] grandmas. [03:49] >> More and more people are trying what [03:50] they call nothing maxing. [03:52] >> Oh yes. [03:53] >> Yeah. The incel beak is everywhere. Like [03:56] the trogodites have truly broken [03:57] containment. And those are not Tik Tok [03:58] voices. [03:59] >> Yeah, cuz it's gone totally mainstream. [04:01] Those clips were from Today's Show, Good [04:03] Morning America, The View, and NPR. Now, [04:07] Adam traces the origins of maxing and a [04:10] lot of other playful Gen Z slang back to [04:13] the dark circles where the vocabulary [04:16] was born. So on today's show, we get [04:19] into how the algorithm is changing how [04:21] we speak and what we can do when [04:24] language evolves from places we don't [04:26] agree with. [04:31] This message comes from Indeed. For [04:34] small businesses, the right hire can [04:36] make or break success. Relying on hope [04:38] that the right candidates see a job [04:40] posting isn't an effective growth [04:42] strategy. Instead, match with candidates [04:45] who check all your boxes. Less stress, [04:47] less time, more results now with Indeed [04:50] sponsored jobs. Receive a $75 sponsored [04:54] job credit to help get your job the [04:56] premium status it deserves at [04:58] indeed.com/mpodcast. [05:00] Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Do [05:03] it the right way with Indeed. This [05:06] message comes from NPR sponsor Carvana. [05:08] Your time is worth more than a waiting [05:10] game. Carvana gives you a transparent [05:13] offer for your car in minutes and picks [05:15] it up from your door. Sell your car [05:17] today at carvana.com. Pickup fees may [05:20] apply. [05:22] This message comes from Jerry. Are you [05:24] tired of your car insurance rate going [05:26] up even with a clean driving record? [05:29] That's why there's Jerry, your proactive [05:31] insurance assistant. Jerry compares [05:33] rates side by side from over 50 top [05:35] insurers and helps you switch with ease. [05:38] Jerry even tracks market rates and [05:39] alerts you when it's best to shop. No [05:41] spam calls, no hidden fees. Drivers who [05:44] save with Jerry could save over $1,300 [05:47] a year. Switch with confidence. Download [05:50] the Jerry app or visit jerry.ai/npr [05:54] today. [05:55] >> This message comes from Kachava. It can [05:57] be tough to stick to your wellness [05:59] routine, especially when you're on the [06:01] go. Kachava's new travel packs make it [06:03] easier. Just one packet provides [06:05] nutrition ready for wherever life takes [06:07] you with protein, fiber, grains, [06:10] probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take [06:13] your daily ritual with you. Go to [06:15] kachava.com and use code NPR. New [06:18] customers get 15% off their first order. [06:21] That's kac hava.com [06:24] code NPR. [06:27] >> I got to say like etmology is such a [06:29] specific thing to get into. What got you [06:32] started? I don't think it's specific at [06:34] all. I think it's everything. We all use [06:36] words all the time. It's you can't talk [06:38] about anything without having to use a [06:39] word and I want to know where it comes [06:41] from. In Greek, the word etmology, etos [06:43] means truth. So etmology is the study of [06:45] truth. You find out something real about [06:47] who we are when looking into a word. [06:49] >> Okay guys, we've already hit the ground [06:50] running. [06:52] Well, okay. So what is algo? [06:55] >> Yeah. Uh algo is the title of my book, [06:57] but it's also the phenomenon of how [06:59] algorithms shape our language. So the [07:01] classic example is unal alive instead of [07:04] kill. Historically, the Tik Tok [07:06] algorithm has censored or suppressed [07:08] certain key words like kill or suicide. [07:10] So people turn to the word unal alive [07:11] instead. I kind of argue that the [07:14] algorithm does way more than just that [07:16] in terms of how it shapes our language. [07:18] It incentivizes influencers to say [07:20] certain words and it pushes the [07:22] replication of trending keywords. [07:24] >> Okay? Cuz I've been thinking about how [07:26] recently like how the word maxing [07:29] >> has filtered into mainstream media, [07:32] whether it's like life maxing or like I [07:35] saw fiber maxing. [07:36] >> Fiber maxing. I saw the New York Times [07:38] Pete Hexth talked about lethality [07:40] maxing. Um [07:41] >> what in the world is that? [07:43] >> Wanted to kill as many people as [07:44] possible, I guess. [07:46] >> Oh, [07:47] okay. But like so that's not funny. But [07:50] that's like such a weird way to use that [07:54] term [07:56] because the word can be everything from [07:57] like humorous to Yeah. this like deeply [07:59] serious idea of optimizing ruthlessly. [08:02] >> Yeah. So the term originates from looks [08:04] maxing. Can you break down the history [08:08] of that kind of language for us? [08:10] >> Yeah. Yeah. The term actually goes all [08:11] the way back to Dungeons and Dragons [08:13] with minmaxing and then video games. And [08:15] there's the idea of maximizing your [08:17] character for some kind of stat, some [08:18] kind of ability. Then in uh looks maxing [08:21] forums in the 2010s, um looks maxing is [08:24] this idea that you can optimize your [08:27] looks. And it's tied to the maybe [08:29] nihilistic quote unquote black pill that [08:33] looks destiny. That um your [08:35] attractiveness is the sole determiner of [08:37] your sexual success and your position in [08:39] society. [08:40] >> Wait, okay, I want to go back. What what [08:42] is what is black pill? Yeah, black pill [08:44] is sort of contrasted to the red pill [08:47] which is the idea that you should join [08:50] the Republicans by you know taking this [08:52] pill sort of like in the matrix. Then [08:54] that evolved into the black pill which [08:56] is the incel ideology adopting a [08:58] nihilistic framework toward social [09:00] interactions that you can game this [09:03] system. And so there are people who are [09:05] extremely blackpilled who are also [09:07] incelss because they simply believe that [09:10] they cannot do anything with their lives [09:11] given their appearance. And then there [09:13] are people who are also blackpilled who [09:15] are looks maxers a famous streamer that [09:17] went viral recently was featured in the [09:18] New York Times as clicular. Um you know [09:21] I feel bad platforming this guy but he [09:23] is a a prototypical example of like a [09:26] looks maxing influencer who is following [09:29] black pill. [09:30] Okay, this is so interesting because I [09:33] think for a lot of people we think like [09:35] that maxing universe is so recent. [09:38] Clvicular I saw in a GQ article like [09:40] maybe like a month and a half ago and [09:42] then it just became so ubiquitous so [09:44] quickly. But you're saying that this [09:46] term is like like from over a decade [09:49] like it's it it just finally hit [09:52] mainstream. That's typically the way it [09:54] is that it's like festering in this [09:56] small corner of the internet in this [09:57] case 4chan and then there was [09:59] looksmmax.org and other online forums. [10:03] So this idea is very important on those [10:05] early forums and on 4chan which is this [10:09] very online controversial forum uh [10:14] people have used this suffix in many [10:16] ways. They are incredibly productive [10:18] with using language and rebracketing it [10:20] and making new words out of the words [10:22] they have. They've come up with all [10:24] kinds of words that you're familiar with [10:26] from slop to copy pasta to rick roll to [10:28] [ __ ] post. All of these come from 4chan [10:31] foundational internet words. And at this [10:33] point I would say maxing the suffix can [10:36] be associated with incelss but it's [10:38] largely dissociated into different [10:39] contexts. And I saw videos recently [10:41] about whimsy maxing, which I think is [10:43] quite a good thing. Or yeah, nothing [10:46] maxing sounds fine to me, too. [10:48] >> Okay. For the uninitiated who aren't [10:50] like familiar with the world view that [10:52] comes along with the term incel, can you [10:54] break that down for us? [10:56] >> Yeah. Incels start in 1997 on this [10:59] website, Alana's Involuntary Celibate [11:01] Project. And this was actually a woman [11:02] and it was merely like an online space [11:04] for people to gather who feel like they [11:07] are bad at finding romantic partners [11:09] which you know is a timeless problem but [11:11] the internet was the first time these [11:12] people were able to gather and create a [11:13] community online and it wasn't initially [11:16] like a negative space but eventually [11:18] there was a group of more misogynistic [11:20] users that broke off and created their [11:21] own forums. There were a series of [11:24] different forums in the early 2000s. [11:26] There was specific boards on 4chan, [11:29] which is again this this website where [11:31] anything really goes. And that evolved [11:34] into memes that made their way to [11:36] different platforms like Reddit and Tik [11:38] Tok and eventually bubbled into the [11:40] mainstream. A lot of people ended up [11:42] adopting these words without knowing the [11:43] original origin. [11:44] >> Wait, what's bubbling up that I need to [11:46] like emotionally prepare myself for? [11:48] >> Um, okay. For for this audience, um, the [11:51] words chud and foy are getting popular. [11:54] Um, Chud describes like a a loser [11:57] character in his mother's basement. Void [11:59] is sort of a dehumanizing term for [12:01] women. These are both words that have [12:03] been getting more popular in 2026. [12:05] >> Okay, this might date me. I remember the [12:08] term Chud. There a movie from the8s. [12:11] >> Cannibalistic humanoid underground [12:12] dwellers, 1984. [12:14] >> Cannibalistic humanoid underground [12:17] dwellers. [12:19] Chuck, they're not staying down there [12:23] anymore. [12:25] >> And it was also used in Donnie Darko. [12:27] >> Donnie Darko was my context for it as a [12:28] teenager. [12:29] >> Yeah. [12:30] >> Everyone thinks he's so rad. [12:32] >> Such a [ __ ] chut. Everything he does, [12:34] they're just going to [12:35] >> Are you okay? [12:36] >> Yeah. So again, like the underlying [12:38] thing is maybe not inherently the [12:40] incelss themselves, but the word was [12:43] taken by them and, you know, um used as [12:46] a way to self-describe. And then the the [12:49] modern way the word is filtering you [12:50] have to understand it went through that [12:51] bottleneck. [12:52] >> Okay. So people like to say that you [12:55] know like language evolves right and we [12:59] use plenty of words every day that are [13:04] from like odd or problematic origins. [13:08] How much of a problem do you think it is [13:10] when we use words like mog which I think [13:13] is like to look or perform better than [13:16] someone else. Like when those kind of [13:17] words proliferate like how much of of a [13:19] problem do you think that is? [13:21] >> Yeah. Mog comes from alpha male of the [13:23] group. It's also in cell idea describing [13:25] you know being better than someone. If [13:27] you maxed more than them you can mock [13:29] them. Um I would say it is highly [13:33] contextual like all language. These [13:35] words can be used to make fun of the [13:37] incels. They can be used for perfectly [13:38] innocent purposes. But also it is [13:41] undeniably true that they have sort of [13:43] mainstreamed incel ideology and these [13:45] forums have gotten larger and the black [13:47] pill has gotten more adherence and that [13:50] is a negative effect because a problem [13:52] with the internet is it's very hard to [13:54] tell when someone's joking or not. [13:55] There's a constant hopscotching between [13:57] irony and authenticity and somebody [13:59] could say something and then say, "Oh [14:01] no, I was joking." And that's like sort [14:03] of a plausible deniability. So that [14:05] allows more extreme language to filter [14:07] through through this lens of it being a [14:09] joke. That's why like I think I would be [14:12] careful about using any word that you [14:14] know comes from these like I don't want [14:16] to use the words Chud and Floyd other [14:17] than in an academic context [14:19] >> because I I fear that even using the [14:22] word helps widen the uh the window. [14:25] There's this idea of the Overton window, [14:27] which is the range of acceptable [14:28] discourse. And the more a certain idea [14:30] gets represented, the more acceptable it [14:33] is to articulate it authentically. And I [14:35] fear that the Overton window is shifting [14:38] closer to the black pill. [14:40] >> So like, how often does something that [14:43] is being said ironically sort of pivot [14:45] into that earnest use? [14:47] >> Uh, pretty frequently. I mean, that's [14:48] that that's exactly what happened with [14:50] the maxing pill chud. Um, all of this [14:53] started as a joke and that's why it [14:54] spread because I think language travels [14:56] when it we see it as funny often. So [15:00] there are memes that came out of these [15:02] image boards which were genuinely pretty [15:04] funny. I've laughed at many of these. [15:06] Wojack which is like cartoon characters [15:09] or this streamer clavvicular genuinely [15:11] gets up to hilarious antics if you take [15:14] away the fact that he is you know a very [15:16] problematic person. But even like if we [15:19] think about it, clicular could never [15:20] have gone viral in 2020. The the [15:24] framework simply wasn't there for him [15:26] yet. It wasn't normal enough for other [15:28] people to adopt the the set of ideas [15:30] that he was proposing. So it took enough [15:34] of these memes filtering out for the [15:36] environment to be primed for this [15:38] character to emerge. [15:39] >> So then like what is the impact of incel [15:41] vocab on our culture? Yeah, I think [15:44] there's perhaps a dangerous rhetoric [15:46] that atomizes society in a way that you [15:49] can optimize that there are these [15:52] discrete categories that you can put [15:54] people into either incel or you know [15:56] looks max or or or chud or like the fact [15:59] that you can put people into buckets I [16:00] think is a very dangerous idea. I think [16:03] language itself does this. So I have [16:05] some qualms with even the the spoken [16:08] word I suppose but um a lot of the incel [16:11] ideology pushes the idea that we can be [16:13] reduced to these base units and then [16:16] from those units there is an objective [16:18] oh if you have positive canal tilt which [16:20] is the shape like that your eyes are [16:22] facing that that is more attractive or [16:24] if you have this kind of jawline that is [16:25] more attractive and it doesn't really [16:26] recognize the subjectivity and the the [16:28] variance that exists in the human [16:30] condition. So for a long time like we've [16:34] used phrases like cakewalk or long time [16:37] no see which like and more recently like [16:40] maxing like all these terms have [16:42] problematic origins. What does it mean [16:44] when we adopt vocabulary with racist and [16:46] eugenicist roots into mainstream [16:49] culture. [16:50] >> Yeah. Yeah. There's one argument that [16:52] you know nobody thinks about longtime no [16:56] anymore which comes out of um mocking [16:58] Chinese pigeon English. And if nobody [17:01] uses it, nobody thinks about it that [17:03] way. And um people are using as this [17:05] like kind expression between themselves. [17:07] It's sort of like using maxing for [17:09] whimsy maxing or something. [17:11] >> Yeah. [17:11] >> Um it is good I think to be aware of [17:14] this stuff and be aware of when words [17:16] have the potential to hurt people. Um [17:20] >> it's possible some people are hurt by a [17:22] long time no see. Um I once I found out [17:25] the origin of the word I kind of stopped [17:26] using because there are many [17:27] alternatives. But I don't think it's uh [17:29] and I think a a problem with um a lot of [17:33] people are feeling is the sense that uh [17:35] your language is being policed. [17:37] >> Ideally if you know we all just are [17:39] thoughtful about it we end up choosing [17:41] the kinder option and we think about [17:44] what we're saying. But [17:47] yeah there's sort of that tension as [17:49] well. [17:50] >> Fingers crossed man. [17:57] What what is even meaning? Right? [17:58] Perhaps there is no meaning whatsoever [18:00] and we're just grasping at sound waves [18:02] and we think this matters. But in [18:04] another sense, maybe everything matters. [18:06] That's coming up. Stay with us. [18:12] This message comes from Jerry. Many [18:15] people are overpaying on car insurance. [18:18] Why? Switching providers can be a pain. [18:20] Jerry helps make the process painless. [18:23] Jerry is the only app that compares [18:24] rates from over 50 insurers in minutes [18:27] and helps you switch fast with no spam [18:29] calls or hidden fees. Drivers who save [18:31] with Jerry could save over $1,300 a [18:35] year. 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With Thumbtac, you don't have to be [19:30] a home pro. You just have to hire one. [19:32] You can hire top rated pros, see price [19:35] estimates, and read reviews all on the [19:37] app. Download today. [19:39] >> From Spider-Man to a new Steven [19:41] Spielberg movie, we know the TV and [19:43] movies you'll want to watch this summer. [19:45] I'm excited about this film. I just know [19:48] suspense, intrigue, aliens, and I'm [19:50] like, "All right, Spielberg, I'm in." [19:52] >> Check out the summer guide from Pop [19:53] Culture Happy Hour. Listen on the NPR [19:55] app or wherever you get podcasts. [20:00] Parker, just Parker code switch. I'm [20:04] talking to Adam Alex, a linguist, [20:07] influencer, and author of Algo Speak: [20:10] How Social Media is Transforming the [20:12] Future of Language. [20:15] I want to pivot to something that I've [20:18] also been thinking about with the way [20:19] that language on the internet is uh [20:21] bandied about. It's that like mainstream [20:23] culture has always stolen words from [20:28] black culture going back to like even [20:31] the word cool. Yeah. [20:33] >> How has the internet impacted the cycle [20:36] of linguistic appropriation? [20:38] >> Yeah. So, cool first is a great example. [20:40] I think you have to contextualize it in [20:42] this thing that's been ongoing. Like [20:43] earliest records of the word cool were [20:45] in the 1880s in African-American English [20:47] and then it goes into like jazz and it's [20:49] taken by the beatnicks and then it's [20:50] taken by like people trying to adopt [20:53] this aesthetic of coolness. Um, coolness [20:56] was originally a nonchalance under [20:57] pressure or something like that of [20:59] resistance. And I think it sort of [21:00] demonstrates exactly the the pattern [21:02] that it travels to increasingly [21:04] peripheral groups capitalizing on the [21:07] underlying idea without perhaps emboding [21:09] the idea to the same extent. And the [21:12] internet has allowed for an [21:14] unprecedented growth of this kind of [21:16] language. I mentioned that you know [21:18] language [21:19] >> travels when either it's funny or when [21:20] it's cool. The word cool was literally [21:22] cool. It sounded cool to say it. In the [21:24] same way, a lot of like ballroom slang [21:26] from New York City in the 1980s, this, [21:28] you know, gay, black, Latino space was [21:31] seen as cool to many people and it [21:33] travel to increasingly peripheral [21:34] groups. So from that space to other just [21:36] gay men in general regardless of their [21:38] race and then from that to their like [21:39] straight white girl friends of the gay [21:41] men and then it's used on RuPaul's Drag [21:43] Race and somebody thinks it's it's okay [21:45] to use it on TikTok. And once you see a [21:46] white girl saying it on Tik Tok, you [21:48] completely have lost the context of [21:49] where it came from and you think, you [21:50] know, this is a the word slay or serve [21:53] or eight queen busing there [21:56] lot going on there. Um once you see that [21:59] being used in a completely different [22:01] context you lose the original community [22:03] it it originated from and you' think [22:05] it's I guess your word but it does take [22:07] power out of that original community as [22:10] well. The internet in decontextualizing [22:12] also has allowed for uh hood irony memes [22:15] which is a separate branch of how like [22:17] black language travels into Gen Z slang [22:20] again in quotes [22:21] >> and these are like memes making fun of [22:23] how people talk in the hood. [22:25] >> Oh. [22:25] >> So there there's a few like ironic uses [22:29] of of [22:30] >> black language that have uh proliferated [22:32] into the mainstream. [22:34] So is this a whole side of the internet [22:36] where everyone's just talking in [22:37] quotation marks? [22:39] >> Talking in quotation marks is a really [22:40] good way of looking at it. I'm I'm [22:41] reminded of Santag Camp sees everything [22:44] in quotation marks [22:45] >> and that's what both Ballroom and the [22:48] Hood Irony community do. I they see the [22:50] world through a camp lens in in [22:52] different ways, but there is no [22:54] recognizing the thing for the thing [22:56] itself. It is, you know, the thing as as [22:58] artifice. It is how it performs and that [23:01] it's funny. And this is sort of the [23:02] Incel language as well. This is sort of [23:03] the hood irony language that we are [23:05] drawn to the ironic level of performance [23:08] rather than the actual effect it does. [23:11] >> Wait, okay, this is reminding me of a [23:12] video of yours that I watched. You were [23:15] talking about how English speakers will [23:20] co-opt a foreign word and take away all [23:24] of its meaning. [23:24] >> Waki is becoming the new bombo clot. [23:27] >> Bumble clot. [23:27] >> Yes. I would love for you to explain [23:30] just like what's happening to that and [23:33] like the phrase [23:35] >> wahi [23:36] >> wahi see. Oh my god that's why I have no [23:38] business saying it. [23:39] >> Yeah. Yeah. Um I think words mean [23:42] different things to different people. [23:44] There are some people who use bumbleclot [23:46] and some people use wahi extremely [23:48] seriously and at this point there are [23:50] people who use it extremely unseriously. [23:52] Uh wahi means like on god. Bumbleclad is [23:55] just like now a funny interjection [23:56] depending on who you ask. And then there [23:58] are communities that are somewhere in [23:59] the middle like uh different groups of [24:02] the Muslim diaspora who have already [24:04] been using the word wahi in a more loose [24:06] way than but the you know deeply Muslim [24:10] communities are extremely careful about [24:12] swearing to God. But now it's also like [24:14] a Gen Z slang phrase as well. There was [24:16] an I show speed clip. This is a popular [24:20] streamer and he has this uh bit where he [24:23] says, "Say wahi. [24:24] >> SAY WAHI, BRO. SAY WAHI. SAY YOU SWEAR [24:27] TO GOD THAT JUST HAPPENED. I JUST SPENT [24:28] $200,000." [24:30] >> And um it was in a reaction to something [24:32] serious, but it was that was clipped out [24:34] of context. And maybe the out of context [24:35] thing is also important to understanding [24:37] how words travel on the internet. You [24:39] know, Gen Alpha kids will say wahi as [24:41] well because it's just like funny. It's [24:42] something you saw this streamer do. like [24:44] you you see something without context. [24:47] >> Mhm. [24:47] >> Uh and you scroll and then you don't [24:49] question it. You don't question the [24:50] original where it came from. You don't [24:53] question what the story is behind this [24:55] word. I think the clip is a very [24:57] dangerous medium and we should be aware [24:59] of it. And streamers like Clvicular have [25:02] built their careers on the backbone of [25:04] clip farming, which is taking snippets [25:06] of videos out of context and then [25:08] replaying them over and over again, [25:11] finding the funniest thing. There are [25:12] entire armies of of clippers out there [25:14] who are intentionally trying to find the [25:17] most sensational stuff that will go [25:19] viral. And of course, you know, the [25:21] elephant in the room here is that the [25:22] social media platforms themselves [25:25] created this structure where dangerous [25:27] ideas can propagate. And they tell you [25:30] they're a platform connoting neutrality, [25:32] but they're structuring things that [25:35] create profit for them instead of things [25:36] that enable and enhance our natural [25:40] human inclination to be kind to each [25:42] other. [25:42] >> What is the impact of forgetting or [25:45] never knowing the origins of words? Like [25:47] is it that serious? [25:50] >> In a way, it it is in a way nothing [25:52] serious. You know, it's uh what what is [25:54] even meaning, right? May perhaps there [25:56] is no meaning whatsoever and we're just [25:58] grasping at sound waves and we think [26:00] this matters but in another sense maybe [26:02] everything matters and maybe we really [26:04] should and I think that that is sort of [26:05] the distinction between the nihilistic [26:08] online which doesn't consider anything [26:10] to matter whatsoever and I would say our [26:13] position here is more existentialist [26:15] that we're trying to to imbue everything [26:17] with meaning and I find that more [26:18] beautiful I find that kind of a more [26:20] important human instinct than simply [26:23] giving up declaring that Nothing has [26:26] value. And I think there's an argument [26:28] for just really just we should do [26:31] everything to try to build a better [26:32] internet. We should try to do everything [26:34] to [26:35] spread kindness online. [26:38] From your lips [26:41] again, if nothing means nothing, then it [26:43] doesn't matter. And if everything means [26:44] everything, then we might as well try. [26:48] >> I wholeheartedly agree. Like I can't I [26:50] can't navigate the world like through [26:52] quotation marks. Like I can't do that. [26:54] >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean irony is great. I [26:55] like joking around, right? But it is [26:57] part of the problem that we are [26:59] considering the, you know, depth that [27:02] everything has or could have depending [27:04] on on your perspective. [27:06] >> This is the earnest part of the program. [27:09] >> I'm hopefully practicing what I'm [27:10] preaching. I guess [27:15] >> Adam Alexa is the author of Algo speak, [27:18] how social media is transforming the [27:20] future of language online. He goes by [27:23] the admology nerd. Thank you so much, [27:26] Adam. [27:26] >> Thank you for having me. [27:32] And that's our show. If you haven't [27:34] already, you can subscribe to Code [27:36] Switch on the NPR app or wherever you [27:38] get your podcast. [27:41] This episode was produced by Jess Kung, [27:44] was edited by Courtney Stein. [27:46] >> And we'd be remiss if we did not shout [27:47] out the rest of the codes, which was [27:48] massive. That's of course Christina [27:50] Kala, Xavier Lopez, Leah Danella, Dian [27:52] Mortada, Barton Girdwood, and Yolanda [27:54] Sangui. I'm Jean Dundy. [27:56] >> I'm BA Parker. [27:57] >> The easy [27:58] >> hydrate. [28:01] >> Wait, what's memories? I'm sorry. [28:02] >> Memories. The song from Cat is like the [28:04] most famous song from Cats. [28:06] >> Oh, okay. All right. [28:08] >> All alone in a moonlight. Never heard [28:10] some sad. [28:11] >> No. All right. [28:12] >> Absolutely not. I don't know anything [28:13] about cats outside of it being a fever [28:15] dream. Anyway, [28:16] >> oh my gosh. [28:18] This message comes from Kachava. It can [28:20] be tough to stick to your wellness [28:22] routine, especially when you're on the [28:23] go. Kachava's new travel packs make it [28:26] easier. Just one packet provides [28:28] nutrition ready for wherever life takes [28:30] you with protein, fiber, grains, [28:33] probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take [28:35] your daily ritual with you. Go to [28:37] kachava.com and use code NPR. New [28:41] customers get 15% off their first order. [28:44] That's k a c hava.com [28:47] code NPR. [28:49] >> From Spider-Man to a new Steven [28:50] Spielberg movie, we know the TV and [28:53] movies you'll want to watch this summer. [28:54] >> I'm excited about this film. I just know [28:57] suspense, intrigue, aliens, and I'm [29:00] like, "All right, Spielberg, I'm in." [29:01] >> Check out the summer guide from Pop [29:03] Culture Happy Hour. Listen on the NPR [29:05] app or wherever you get podcasts.  ## 📺 Video ![](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY) ## Highlights - The internet has allowed for an unprecedented growth of this kind of language... You see something without context and you scroll and then you don't question it. You don't question the original where it came from. - Note: 📚 Social media algorithms accelerate linguistic appropriation through decontextualization · - Core mechanism of how platforms strip cultural meaning from language - Demonstrates how algorithmic design choices have unintended social consequences · #atom/literature/h1 - There's a constant hopscotching between irony and authenticity and somebody could say something and then say, 'Oh no, I was joking.' That allows more extreme language to filter through through this lens of it being a joke. - Note: 📚 Irony provides plausible deniability for mainstreaming extremist ideologies · - Explains how harmful worldviews gain acceptance through humor - Demonstrates the Overton window shifting mechanism · #atom/literature/h2 - The social media platforms themselves created this structure where dangerous ideas can propagate. They tell you they're a platform connoting neutrality, but they're structuring things that create profit for them instead of things that enable and enhance our natural human inclination to be kind to each other. - Note: 📚 Platform design incentivizes viral content over cultural sensitivity · - Reveals conflict between engagement optimization and social responsibility - Highlights need for alternative platform designs · #atom/literature/h3 - Language transmission patterns reveal power dynamics between communities - Note: Holds when examining cross-cultural language adoption patterns · - [[Cultural capital]] — because extends understanding of how language functions as social currency · #atom/zettel/z1 - Investigate whether content moderation could incorporate cultural context without stifling organic evolution — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY - Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f1 - Research comparative studies of language evolution pre/post-internet across different cultures — etymology and cross-cultural patterns #fleeting #research - Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f2 - Suggestion that using certain words inevitably leads to adopting associated ideologies lacks nuance about individual agency and context - Note: 🔍 Fallacy: Slippery Slope #fallacy/slippery-slope --- # 📝 Full Notes (Deep-Read Analysis) # 🏷️ Title: It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - **What happened**: NPR explores how internet slang travels from marginalized communities (Black, LGBTQ+) and extremist spaces (incel forums) into mainstream culture via social media algorithms. - **Why it matters**: Language shapes ideology; normalizing terms from harmful communities can shift acceptable discourse toward dangerous worldviews. - **Key stakeholders**: Social media platforms, content creators, linguists, marginalized communities whose language gets appropriated. - **Risks and tradeoffs**: Cultural appropriation strips meaning from original communities while potentially mainstreaming extremist ideologies through "ironic" usage. - **Bottom line**: The internet accelerates linguistic appropriation and decontextualization, requiring conscious choices about which words we adopt and amplify. ## 📖 Main Content The episode examines how social media algorithms shape language evolution through two parallel streams: appropriation from Black and LGBTQ+ communities ("it's giving," "slay") and normalization of incel terminology ("maxing," "mog," "chud"). Linguist Adam Alex explains that terms like "looksmaxxing" originated in 2010s incel forums, drawing from Dungeons & Dragons "min-maxing" and video game optimization culture. The "black pill" ideology promotes nihilistic views that appearance determines social success, contrasted with the "red pill" political awakening concept. The algorithm incentivizes viral content through "algospeak" - coded language like "unalive" to avoid content suppression. This creates conditions where both marginalized slang and extremist vocabulary spread rapidly, often stripped of original context through short clips and memes. ### 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:03:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=192) Language trickles down from ballroom to Broadway - "It's giving Christmas" - phrase from queer, Black, Latino ballroom scene heard from white elementary schooler - Demonstrates rapid cultural transmission patterns #### ⏱️ [00:12:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=750) Maxing origins in gaming and incel forums - Started as Dungeons & Dragons "min-maxing" optimization - Evolved to "looksmaxxing" in 2010s incel forums - Now mainstream: fiber-maxing, whimsy-maxing, even "lethality maxing" #### ⏱️ [00:18:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=1125) Black pill vs red pill ideologies - Red pill: political awakening (join Republicans, Matrix reference) - Black pill: nihilistic incel worldview that appearance determines everything - Creates "looks destiny" fatalism #### ⏱️ [00:25:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=1515) 4chan as linguistic innovation hub - Created foundational internet terms: slop, copypasta, rickroll, shitpost - Extremely productive at language creation and "rebracketing" - Bridge between niche communities and mainstream adoption #### ⏱️ [00:35:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2120) Irony-to-earnest pipeline - Language often starts as jokes before becoming sincere usage - "Plausible deniability" allows extreme ideas to filter through humor - Shifts Overton window toward previously unacceptable discourse #### ⏱️ [00:42:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2530) Algorithmic decontextualization - Clips remove original context from language usage - Gen Alpha adopts terms like "wallahi" without religious significance - Streamers build careers on "clip farming" sensational content #### ⏱️ [00:48:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2910) Historical appropriation acceleration - "Cool" traveled from 1880s African-American English through jazz, beatniks, mainstream - Internet unprecedented in speed: ballroom → RuPaul → TikTok → widespread adoption - Strips power from originating communities ## 📚 References - [Adam Alex's TikTok - Etymology Nerd](https://www.tiktok.com/@etymologynerd) - [Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming Language](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1Q8X7QK) - [NPR Code Switch Podcast](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase Social media algorithms are fundamentally reshaping how language evolves by accelerating both cultural appropriation and extremist vocabulary normalization. Terms that once took decades to travel from marginalized communities to mainstream usage now spread in months through viral content and algorithmic amplification. Meanwhile, dangerous ideologies from incel forums gain acceptance through humor and irony, creating plausible deniability for harmful worldviews. The internet's clip-based culture strips words of their original context and meaning, leaving users disconnected from the communities and histories that created the language they casually adopt. ## 📰 Newsletter **The Algorithm Made Me Do It: How Social Media is Rewiring Our Language** Ever wonder why your teenager suddenly says everything is "giving main character energy"? Or why your coworker keeps talking about "productivity maxing"? This week's deep dive explores how TikTok and YouTube algorithms are fundamentally changing how words travel from niche communities into everyday speech. NPR's Code Switch team unpacks the dual streams feeding Gen Z vocabulary: appropriated slang from Black and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, and concerning terminology from incel forums that's gone mainstream through memes. The speed is unprecedented—phrases that used to take decades now spread globally in weeks. For web professionals, this highlights how platform design choices have real cultural consequences. The same algorithmic features that make content "engaging" also accelerate the spread of both creativity and toxicity. Worth considering as we build the next generation of online communities. **Resources**: Check out linguist Adam Alex's "Algospeak" for the full breakdown of how social platforms are transforming language evolution. ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create educational content about algorithmic bias in language processing and content moderation systems - Education: Develop workshops on responsible AI and the social impacts of recommendation algorithms - Developer experience: Build tools that help identify and flag potentially harmful linguistic patterns in user-generated content #### Community - Maintainers: Review community guidelines to address language that may normalize extremist ideologies while preserving legitimate discourse - Contributors: Establish protocols for handling cultural appropriation in documentation, variable names, and community communications - Sponsors: Fund research into algorithmic amplification of harmful content and mitigation strategies #### WordPress - Core: Implement better content moderation tools that recognize context-dependent harmful language - Community: Develop guidelines for WordCamp organizers about inclusive language practices - Training: Create modules about digital literacy and understanding how algorithmic systems shape discourse ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. **Algorithmic amplification accelerates linguistic appropriation**: Social media algorithms prioritizing engagement inadvertently strip cultural context from language by promoting viral usage over origin recognition. 2. **Irony serves as a vector for ideological normalization**: Terms that begin as jokes or memes can successfully mainstream extremist worldviews by providing plausible deniability. 3. **Decontextualization reduces empathy for source communities**: When language travels through clips and short-form content, users lose awareness of originating communities and their struggles. 4. **Platform design choices have measurable cultural impact**: Specific algorithmic features (trending hashtags, recommended content, clip creation tools) can be traced to changes in linguistic adoption patterns. 5. **Youth language adoption follows predictable algorithmic pathways**: Gen Alpha vocabulary can be predicted by analyzing content engagement patterns across platforms 6-12 months prior. ### 📊 Methodology Study designs would include longitudinal tracking of specific terms across platforms, sentiment analysis of usage contexts, surveys measuring user awareness of linguistic origins, and comparative analysis of pre/post-internet language evolution speeds. Data sources would encompass social media APIs, linguistic corpora, and ethnographic studies of affected communities. ### ❓ Questions - How can platforms balance viral content promotion with cultural sensitivity? - What technical interventions could preserve linguistic context without stifling organic language evolution? - How do different demographic groups experience linguistic appropriation differently online? - What role should content creators play in educating audiences about language origins? ### 🔮 Future Research Investigate cross-platform linguistic transmission patterns, develop tools for real-time cultural appropriation detection, study long-term community impacts of language commodification, and explore decentralized alternatives that might preserve context better than current platforms. ### 💡 Implications **Practice**: Content moderation needs cultural linguistics expertise. **Policy**: Platform regulation should consider cultural harm alongside individual harm. **Security**: Language can be weaponized for ideological recruitment. **Education**: Digital literacy must include understanding algorithmic influence on language. **Funding**: Support research into ethical algorithm design and community-controlled platforms. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 12th grade (Flesch-Kincaid). Complex vocabulary balanced with clear explanations. #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Clear section headers, bullet points, timeline structure - Improve: Add flowcharts showing language transmission pathways, visual maps of platform ecosystems #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Podcast format with multiple speakers, clear audio quality - Improve: Add timestamps for easy navigation, create audio summaries #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Strong definitions, examples of terms in context, analogies to familiar concepts - Improve: Glossary of technical terms, more explicit comparisons between linguistic evolution patterns #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Interactive examples of scrolling through social media - Improve: Create hands-on exercises tracking word usage across platforms, simulation tools #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-and-effect relationships, systematic analysis of language evolution - Improve: More quantitative data on transmission speeds, algorithmic decision trees #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Discussion format, community impact focus - Improve: Discussion prompts for groups, collaborative analysis exercises #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection opportunities, personal impact consideration - Improve: Self-assessment tools for language usage awareness, journaling prompts #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem metaphors for language spread - Improve: Environmental impact analogies, lifecycle thinking about language evolution ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive link text - Improve: Add ARIA labels for complex content, ensure timestamp links are properly labeled #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard audio player controls - Improve: Add skip-to-content links, ensure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard podcast format with transcription - Improve: Ensure transcript has proper contrast ratios, offer high-contrast viewing options #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive transcript layout - Improve: Test at 200% zoom, ensure no content gets cut off #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided - Improve: Add audio descriptions for any visual content referenced, ensure sync between audio and text #### Forms and interactions - Present: Simple playback controls - Improve: Add labels for all interactive elements, provide error handling for playback issues ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Multiple cultural perspectives, focus on marginalized communities - Improve: Include more global examples of linguistic appropriation, add perspectives from different cultural contexts #### Inclusive language - Present: Respectful discussion of sensitive topics, clear content warnings - Improve: Provide more context for unfamiliar cultural references, expand glossary #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure, consistent format - Improve: Add content warnings for potentially triggering material, provide chapter breaks #### Representation - Present: Diverse host team, focus on voices from affected communities - Improve: Include more perspectives from different age groups, expand expert diversity #### Psychological safety - Present: Respectful tone, acknowledgment of harm - Improve: Clearer content warnings, more explicit discussion of community guidelines ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - **Causal analysis**: Clear connection between algorithmic design and language evolution patterns, supported by specific examples - **Historical comparison**: Effective use of historical precedent ("cool" from 1880s) to contextualize current phenomena - **Expert testimony**: Credible linguist with relevant credentials provides informed analysis #### Fallacies - **Potential slippery slope**: Suggestion that using certain words inevitably leads to adopting associated ideologies lacks nuance about individual agency and context - **False dichotomy**: Framing choice as either "everything matters" or "nothing matters" oversimplifies the spectrum of approaches to language awareness #### Tone of voice - Conversational and accessible, balancing serious academic content with relatable examples. Hosts demonstrate genuine curiosity while maintaining appropriate concern about harmful impacts. ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis No DARVO patterns detected in this content. The discussion acknowledges harm to marginalized communities without attempting to reverse victim/offender dynamics or minimize the impact of linguistic appropriation. ## 🎯 Conclusion The internet has fundamentally accelerated language evolution, creating unprecedented speed in how terms travel from niche communities to mainstream adoption. While this enables rapid cultural exchange, it also strips words of their context and meaning, potentially harming the communities that created them. Social media platforms bear responsibility for the cultural consequences of their algorithmic choices. For individuals, conscious awareness of language origins and deliberate choices about adoption can help preserve cultural respect while still allowing natural language evolution. The key insight: when everything happens in quotation marks through ironic distance, we lose the human connections that make language meaningful in the first place. ## 🔄 Refactor Appendix — It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang ### 📚 Literature Atoms (H3) #### Social media algorithms accelerate linguistic appropriation through decontextualization > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_main > "The internet has allowed for an unprecedented growth of this kind of language... You see something without context and you scroll and then you don't question it. You don't question the original where it came from." **Context & use**: - Core mechanism of how platforms strip cultural meaning from language - Demonstrates how algorithmic design choices have unintended social consequences **Tags**: #algorithmic-bias #cultural-appropriation #decontextualization **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2530)  #### Irony provides plausible deniability for mainstreaming extremist ideologies > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_irony > "There's a constant hopscotching between irony and authenticity and somebody could say something and then say, 'Oh no, I was joking.' That allows more extreme language to filter through through this lens of it being a joke." **Context & use**: - Explains how harmful worldviews gain acceptance through humor - Demonstrates the Overton window shifting mechanism **Tags**: #extremist-recruitment #overton-window #irony-pipeline **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2120)  #### Platform design incentivizes viral content over cultural sensitivity > [!quote] ID:rw_transcript_platforms > "The social media platforms themselves created this structure where dangerous ideas can propagate. They tell you they're a platform connoting neutrality, but they're structuring things that create profit for them instead of things that enable and enhance our natural human inclination to be kind to each other." **Context & use**: - Reveals conflict between engagement optimization and social responsibility - Highlights need for alternative platform designs **Tags**: #platform-responsibility #engagement-optimization #algorithmic-harm **Highlight**: [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY?t=2650)  ### 🧠 Permanent Candidates (H4) #### Language transmission patterns reveal power dynamics between communities **Claim**: The direction and speed of linguistic borrowing exposes hierarchical relationships between cultural groups and demonstrates how digital platforms can either preserve or exploit these dynamics. **Evidence pointer**: [[#Social media algorithms accelerate linguistic appropriation through decontextualization]] **Scope & conditions**: - Holds when examining cross-cultural language adoption patterns - Breaks when power dynamics are deliberately inverted or when platforms implement cultural preservation features **Links**: - [[Cultural capital]] — because extends understanding of how language functions as social currency - [[Algorithmic bias]] — because evidence-for how technical systems perpetuate social inequalities  ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue - Investigate whether content moderation could incorporate cultural context without stifling organic evolution — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY #fleeting #inbox - Research comparative studies of language evolution pre/post-internet across different cultures — etymology and cross-cultural patterns #fleeting #research ### → Things 3 - [ ] Research Adam Alex's book "Algospeak" for deeper technical understanding of algorithmic language influence #things - [ ] Explore whether WordPress community guidelines address cultural appropriation in technical terminology #things --- # 📄 Full Transcript *Auto-generated from YouTube captions · timestamps roughly every 30 seconds · [watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvZ6Szf3kY)* **[00:00]** This message comes from IXL. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning. This is the time of year when kids benefit from reviewing key learning concepts to end the year on a high note. One subscription covers everything, pre-K through 12th grade for all the kids in your home. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. Receive an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when signing up today at ixl.com/npr. **[00:32]** Just a heads up, y'all, before we get started. Uh in June, Code Switch is going to start coming out on Tuesdays and Fridays. You don't got to change nothing. Just we will be here appearing in your feed just on different days. And this episode is all about language, particularly some salty and offensive language. Be warned. >> [music] >> Hey everyone, you're listening to Code Switch, the show about race and identity from NPR. I'm B.A. Parker. And I'm Gene Demby. **[01:03]** Hey, so Gene, I had this thing happen recently that stuck with me. >> Uh-huh. I went to a Broadway show and there were a couple of kids looking at the stage and I heard this white kid of elementary school age say, "It's giving Christmas." It's giving Christmas, okay. It's giving Christmas. I mean, there were like disco balls and twinkly lights. Anyways, it made me think about how language trickles down. [music] Or like spreads. Like even cuz like a **[01:34]** phrase like "It's giving" comes from the ballroom scene in places like New York City. And the people in that space are mostly queer, black, and Latino folks. Yes. And then the phrase filters out into the mouth of a white, maybe third grader at Cats the Jellicle Ball. >> You went to see Cats? Okay, this is Let's put that aside for a second. I I entertaining my mama while she was in town. And for what it's worth, this version is also inspired by New York Ballroom. **[02:05]** >> [music] >> Oh, so maybe it's appropriate that that little boy said it's given given [laughter] in. But that happens with all sorts of words, right? Like it's something like inshallah is an Arabic colloquialism that now people like Joe Biden sprinkle into their speech and throw around. But let me just tell you Anne Hathaway had a little viral moment saying it. I want to have a long healthy life, inshallah. I hope so. That's how you end up with kids all over the country in the Midwest saying things like dead ass, which is another like New York regionalism. Right. And Gen Alpha has inherited **[02:37]** language from Gen Z who absorbed language from black and brown folk on the internet. And they probably have no idea where it comes from. Like were were you going to sit down and tell us little 9-year-old like about the ins and outs of AAV? Like what No, no, [laughter] no. I mean, I wanted to hear memory, so no. But it did make me want to talk to a linguist about how language evolves. Your words are either coming from from black people or it's coming from incels online, which are involuntary celibates. That is kind of the shorthand if I have **[03:07]** to tell someone really quickly. Hold on, hold on. Who is that? I'm Adam Aleksic. I'm a linguist, influencer, author based in Manhattan, and I go online as the Etymology Nerd. Adam is a TikToker and also a Harvard-trained linguist. And he wrote a book called AlgoSpeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. And he just touched on the other side of what I'm interested in getting into today. Like have you noticed that everyone is maxing? This phenomenon on social media known as **[03:39]** maxing. >> Maxing. You're doing stuff. You're doing stuff to the max. Fiber maxing is the hottest wellness trend right now. >> Nonnamaxing where people are trying to be grandmas. >> More and more people are trying what they call nothing maxing. Yeah, the incel speak is everywhere. Like the troglodytes have truly broken containment. And those are not TikTok voices. Yeah, cuz it's gone totally mainstream. Those clips were from Today's Show, Good Morning America, The View, and NPR. Now, Adam traces the origins of maxing **[04:10]** and a lot of other playful Gen Z slang back to the dark circles where the vocabulary was born. So, on today's show, we get into how the algorithm is changing how we speak and what we can do when language evolves from places we don't agree with. This message comes from Indeed. For small businesses, the right hire can make or break success. Relying on hope that the right candidates see a job **[04:40]** posting isn't an effective growth strategy. Instead, match with candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results now with Indeed sponsored jobs. Receive a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Do it the right way with Indeed. This message comes from NPR sponsor Carvana. Your time is worth more than a waiting game. Carvana gives you a **[05:12]** transparent offer for your car in minutes and picks it up from your door. Sell your car today at carvana.com. Pickup fees may apply. This message comes from Jerry. Are you tired of your car insurance rate going up even with a clean driving record? That's why there's Jerry, your proactive insurance assistant. Jerry compares rates side-by-side from over 50 top insurers and helps you switch with ease. Jerry even tracks market rates and alerts you when it's best to shop. No spam calls, no hidden fees. Drivers who **[05:44]** save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Switch with confidence. Download the Jerry app or visit jerry.ai/npr today. This message comes from Kachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go. Kachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to **[06:14]** kachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15% off their first order. That's kachava.com, code NPR. I got to say like etymology is such a specific thing to get into. What got you started? I don't think it's specific at all. I think it's everything. We all use words all the time. It's You can't talk about anything without having to use a word, and I want to know where it comes from. In Greek, the word etymology, etymos, means truth. So, etymology is the study of truth. You **[06:46]** find out something real about who we are when looking into a word. Guys, we've already hit the ground running. >> [laughter] >> Well, okay. So, what is algospeak? Yeah, uh algospeak is the title of my book, but it's also the phenomenon of how algorithms shape our language. So, the classic example is unalive instead of kill. Historically, the TikTok algorithm has censored or suppressed certain keywords like kill or suicide, so people turn to the word unalive instead. I kind of argue that the algorithm does way more than just that in terms of how it **[07:16]** shapes our language. It incentivizes influencers to say certain words, and it pushes the replication of trending keywords. Okay, cuz I've been thinking about how recently like how the word maxing Mhm. has filtered into mainstream media, whether it's like life maxing or like I saw fiber maxing. >> Fiber maxing, I I saw the New York Times. Pete Hegseth talked about lethality maxing. What in the world is that? >> [laughter] >> wanted to kill as many people as possible, I guess. Oh. **[07:47]** >> [laughter] >> Okay, well, like I said That's not funny, but that's like such a weird way to use that term like that term or phrase. >> cuz the word can be everything from like humorous to yeah, this like deeply serious idea of optimizing ruthlessly. Yeah, so the term originates from looks maxing. Can you break down the history of that kind of language for us? Yeah, yeah, the term actually goes all the way back to Dungeons & Dragons with min-maxing and then video games and there's the idea of maximizing your character for some kind of stat, some **[08:18]** kind of ability. Then in uh looks maxing forums in the 2010s, um looks maxing is this idea that you can optimize your looks and it's tied to the maybe nihilistic quote-unquote black pill idea that looks are destiny, that um your attractiveness is the sole determiner of your sexual success and your position in society. Wait, okay. I want to go back. What What is What is black pill? Yeah, black pill is sort of contrasted to the red pill, which is the idea that you **[08:49]** should join the Republicans by, you know, taking this pill sort of like in the Matrix. Then that evolved into the black pill, which is the incel ideology, adopting a nihilistic framework towards social interactions that you can game the system. And so, there are people who are extremely black-pilled who are also incels because they simply believe that they cannot do anything with their lives given their appearance. And then there are people who are also black-pilled who are looks maxers. A famous streamer that went viral recently and was featured in the New York Times is Clavicular. Um **[09:21]** you know, I feel bad platforming this guy, but he is a prototypical example of like a looks maxing influencer who is following black pill ideology. Okay, this is so interesting because I think for a lot of people we think like that maxing universe is so recent. Clavicular I saw in a GQ article like maybe like a month and a half ago. And then it just became so ubiquitous so quickly. But you're saying that this term is like like oh from over a decade. Like it's it just finally hit mainstream. That's **[09:53]** typically the way it is that it's like festering in this small corner of the internet in this case, 4chan. And then there is looksmax.org and other online forums. So this idea is very important on those And on 4chan, which is this very online controversial forum, people have used this suffix in many ways. They are incredibly productive with using language and re-bracketing it and making new words out of the words they have. They've come up with all **[10:24]** kinds of words that you're familiar with from slop to copy pasta to Rickroll to shitpost. All of these come from 4chan foundational internet words. And at this point, I would say maxing the suffix can be associated with incels, but it's largely dissociated into different contexts. And I saw videos recently about whimsy maxing, which I think is quite a good thing. Or yeah, nothing maxing sounds fine to me, too. Okay, for the uninitiated who aren't like familiar with the worldview that comes along with the term incel, can you **[10:54]** break that down for us? Yeah, incels start in 1997 on this website Alana's Involuntary Celibate Project. And this was actually a woman, and it was merely like an online space for people to gather who feel like they are bad at finding romantic partners. Which, you know, is a timeless problem, but the internet was the first time these people were able to gather and create a community online. And it wasn't initially like a negative space, but eventually there was a group of more misogynistic users that broke off and created their own forums. There were a series of different forums in the early **[11:25]** 2000s. There was specific boards on 4chan, which is again this this website where anything really goes and that evolved into memes that made their way to different platforms like Reddit and TikTok and eventually bubbled into the mainstream. A lot of people ended up adopting these words without knowing the original origin. Wait, what's bubbling up? Do I need to like emotionally prepare myself for? >> Um Okay, for for this audience, um the words chud and foid are getting popular. Um chud describes like a a loser **[11:56]** character in his mother's basement. Foid is sort of a dehumanizing term for women. These are both words that have been getting more popular in 2026. Okay, this might date me. I remember the term chud. There's a movie from the '80s. >> Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, 1984. Cannibalistic [music] humanoid underground dwellers. Chud. They're not [music] staying down there anymore. And it was also used in Donnie Darko. **[12:27]** >> Donnie Darko was my context for it as a teenager. >> Everyone thinks he's so rad. Such a [ __ ] chud. Everything he does, they're just going to >> Are you okay? Yeah. So again, like the underlying thing is maybe not inherently the incels themselves, but the word was taken by them and, you know, um used as a a way to self-describe and then the the modern way the word is filtering, you have to understand went through that bottleneck. Okay, so people like to say that, you know, like language evolves, **[12:57]** right? And we use plenty of words every day that are from like odd or problematic origins. How much of a problem do you think it is when we use words like mog, which I think is like to look or perform far better than someone else? Like when those kind of words proliferate, like how much of of a problem do you think that is? Yeah, mog comes from alpha male of the group. It's also incel idea describing, you know, being better than someone. Yeah, if you maxed more than **[13:28]** them, you can mock them. Um I would say it is highly contextual like all language. These words can be used to make fun of the incels. They can be used for perfectly innocent purposes. But also, it is undeniably true that they have sort of mainstreamed incel ideology. And these forums have gotten larger and the black pill has gotten more adherents. And that is a negative effect because a problem with the internet is it's very hard to tell when someone's joking or not. There's a constant hop-scotching between irony and authenticity. And somebody could say **[14:00]** something and then say, "Oh, no, I was joking." And that's like sort of a plausible deniability. So, that allows more extreme language to filter through through this lens of it being a joke. That's why like I think I would be careful about using any word that you know comes from these. Like I don't want to use the words chud and foid other than in an academic context. Because I I fear that even using the word helps widen the uh the window. There's this idea of the Overton window, which is the range of acceptable discourse. And the more a certain idea gets represented, **[14:31]** the more acceptable it is to articulate it authentically. And I fear that the Overton window is shifting closer to the black pill. So, like how often does something that is being said ironically sort of pivot into that earnest use? Uh pretty frequently. I mean, that's that's exactly what happened with the maxing, pilled, chud. Um all of this started as a joke. And that's why it spread because I think language travels when it we see it as funny often. So, there are memes that came out of these **[15:02]** image boards, which were genuinely pretty funny. I've laughed at many of these. Wojak, which is like cartoon characters. Or this streamer Clavicular genuinely gets up to hilarious antics if you take away the fact that he is, you know, very problematic person. But even like if we think about it, Clavicular could never have gone viral in 2020. The the framework simply wasn't there for him yet. It wasn't normal enough for other people to adopt the the set of ideas that he was proposing. So, it took **[15:33]** enough of these memes filtering out for the environment to be primed for this character to emerge. So, then like what is the impact of incel vocab on our culture? Yeah, I think there's perhaps a dangerous rhetoric that atomizes society in a way that you can optimize that there are these discrete categories that you can put people into either incel or, you know, looks maxer or chud or like the fact that you can put people into buckets, I think is a very dangerous idea. I think language itself does this. **[16:05]** So, I have some qualms with even the the spoken word, I suppose, but a lot of the incel ideology pushes the idea that we can be reduced to these base units. And then from those units, there is an objective, oh, if you have positive canthal tilt, which is the shape of like that your eyes are facing, that that is more attractive. Or if you have this kind of jawline, that is more attractive. And it doesn't really recognize the subjectivity and the the variance that exists in the human condition. So, for a long time, like we've used phrases like cakewalk or long time no **[16:37]** see, which like and more recently maxing, like all these terms have problematic origins. What does it mean when we adopt vocabulary with racist and eugenicist roots into mainstream culture? Yeah. Yeah, there's one argument that, you know, nobody thinks about long time no see anymore, which comes out of mocking Chinese Pidgin English. >> Mhm. And if nobody uses it, nobody thinks about it that way, and people are using it as this like kind expression between themselves. It's sort **[17:07]** of like using maxing for whimsy maxing or something. Yeah. Um it is good, I think, to be aware of this stuff and be aware of when words have the potential to hurt people. Um it's possible some people are hurt by long time no see. Um I once I found out the origin of the word, I kind of stopped using it because there are many alternatives, but I don't think it's uh and I think a a problem with um a lot of people are feeling is the sense that uh your language is being policed. Ideally, if, **[17:38]** you know, we all just are thoughtful about it, we end up choosing the kinder option, and we think about what we're saying. But, uh yeah, there's sort of that tension as well. Fingers crossed, man. >> [laughter] [music] >> What what does even meaning, right? Perhaps there is no meaning whatsoever, and we're just grasping at sound waves, and we think this matters. But, in another sense, maybe everything matters. That's coming up. Stay with us. **[18:12]** This message comes from Jerry. Many people are overpaying on car insurance. Why? Switching providers can be a pain. Jerry helps make the process painless. Jerry is the only app that compares rates from over 50 insurers in minutes, and helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Before you renew your car insurance policy, download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai/npr. **[18:42]** This message comes from Kachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go. Kachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, grains, probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to kachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15% off their first order. That's kachava.com, code NPR. This message comes from **[19:14]** Thumbtack. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start? Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews all on the app. Download today. From Spider-Man to a new Steven Spielberg movie, we know the TV and movies you'll want to watch this summer. **[19:45]** >> I'm excited about this film. I just know suspense, intrigue, aliens, and I'm like, all right, Spielberg, I'm in. Check out the summer guide from Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts. Parker. Just Parker. [music] Code Switch. I'm talking to Adam Aleksic, a linguist, influencer, and author of AlgoSpeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. **[20:15]** I want to pivot to something that I've also been thinking about with the way that language on the internet is uh bandied about. It's that like mainstream culture has always stolen words from black culture going back to like even the word cool. Yep. How has the internet impacted the cycle of linguistic appropriation? Yeah, so cool versus a great example. I think you have to contextualize it in this thing that's been ongoing. Like earliest records of the word cool were in the 1880s in **[20:46]** African American English, and then it goes into like jazz, and that's taken by the Beatniks, and then it's taken by like people trying to adopt this aesthetic of coolness. Um coolness was originally a nonchalance under pressure or something like that of a resistance. And I think it sort of demonstrates exactly the the pattern that it travels to increasingly peripheral groups capitalizing on the underlying idea without perhaps embodying the idea to the same extent. And the internet has allowed for an unprecedented growth of this kind of language. I mentioned that, **[21:18]** you know, language travels when either it's funny or when it's cool. The word cool was literally cool. It sounded cool to say it. In the same way a lot of like ballroom slang from New York City in the 1980s is, you know, gay, black, Latino space was seen as cool to many people and it traveled to increasingly peripheral groups. So, from that space to other just gay men in general regardless of their race. And then from that to their like straight white girlfriends of the gay men. And then it's used on RuPaul's Drag Race and then somebody thinks it's it's okay to use it on TikTok and once you see a white girl saying it on TikTok, you completely have lost the context of **[21:49]** where it came from. And you think, you know, this is a the word slay or serve or ate, queen, bussing. There are a lot >> [laughter] >> a lot going on there. Um, once you see that being used in a completely different context, you lose the original community it it originated from and you think it's I guess your word, but it does take power out of that original community as well. The internet in decontextualizing also has allowed for hood irony memes, which is a separate branch of how like black language travels into Gen Z slang again in **[22:20]** quotes. And these are like memes making fun of how people talk in the hood. Oh. >> So, there there's a few like ironic uses of of black language that have proliferated into the mainstream. So, is this a whole side of the internet where everyone's just talking in quotation marks? Talking quotation marks is a really good way of looking at it. I'm reminded of Sontag camp sees everything in quotation marks. And that's what both ballroom and the hood irony community do. I they see the world through a camp lens in in **[22:52]** different ways. But there is no recognizing the thing for the thing itself. It is, you know, the thing as as artifice. It is how it performs and then it's funny. And this is sort of the inside language as well. This is sort of the hood irony language, that we are drawn to the ironic level of performance rather than the actual effect it does. Wait, okay, this is reminding me of a video of yours that I watched. You were talking about how English speakers will co-opt a foreign word and take away all of its meaning. **[23:24]** Wallahi is becoming the new bumbaclaat. Bumbaclaat? Yes, I would love for you to explain just like what's happening to that like the phrase wallahi. Wallahi? Wallahi, see, oh my god. That's why I have no business saying it. Yeah, yeah. Um, I think words mean different things to different people. There are some people who use bumbaclaat and some people use wallahi extremely seriously, and at this point there are people who use it extremely unseriously. Uh, wallahi means like on god, bumbaclaat is just like now **[23:55]** a funny interjection depending on who you ask. Uh, and then there are communities that are somewhere in the middle, like uh, different groups of the Muslim diaspora who have already been using the word wallahi in a more loose way than but the, you know, deeply Muslim communities are extremely careful about swearing to god. But now it's also like a Gen Z slang phrase as well. There was an IShowSpeed clip, this is a popular streamer, and he has this uh, bit where he says, "Say wallahi." SAY WALLAHI, BRO. SAY WALLAHI. SAY YOU SWORE TO GOD I **[24:27]** JUST HAPPENED, I JUST SPENT $200,000. And um, it was in a reaction to something serious, but it was that it was clipped out of context. And maybe the out of context thing is also important to understanding how words travel on the internet. You know, Gen Alpha kids will say wallahi as well because it's just like funny, it's something you saw this streamer do. Like you you see something without context Mhm. uh, and you scroll. And then you don't question it, you don't question the original where it came from, you don't question what the story is behind this word. I think the clip is a very dangerous medium and we should be aware **[24:59]** of it. And streamers like Clavicular have built their careers on the backbone of clip farming, which is taking snippets of videos out of context and then replaying them over and over again. Finding the funniest thing. There are entire armies of of clippers out there who are intentionally trying to find the most sensational stuff that will go viral. And of course, that you know, the elephant in the room here is that the social media platforms themselves created the structure where dangerous ideas can propagate and they tell you **[25:30]** they're a platform it connoting neutrality, but they're structuring things that create profit for them instead of things that enable and enhance our natural human inclination to be kind to each other. What is the impact of forgetting or never knowing the origins of words? Like is it that serious? In a way it it is in a way it nothing serious, you know, it's what what is even meaning, right? Perhaps [clears throat] there is no meaning whatsoever. We're just grasping at sound waves and we think this matters, but in **[26:01]** another sense maybe everything matters and maybe we really should. And I think that that is sort of the distinction between the nihilistic online, which doesn't consider anything to matter whatsoever. And I would say our position here is more existentialist that we're trying to to imbue everything with meaning. I find that more beautiful. I find that kind of a more important human instinct than simply giving up declaring that nothing has value. And I think there's an argument for just really just we should do everything to try to build **[26:31]** a better internet. We should try to do everything to spread kindness online. From your lips. >> [laughter] >> Again, if nothing means nothing, then it doesn't matter. And if everything means everything, then we might as well try. I wholeheartedly agree. Like I can't I can't navigate the world like through quotation marks. Like I can't do that. Yeah, I mean irony is great. I like joking around, right? But it is part of the problem that we are considering [music] the, you know, depth that everything has **[27:03]** or could have depending on on your perspective. This is the earnest part of the book. >> [laughter] >> I'm hopefully practicing what I'm preaching, I guess. Adam Alexi is the author of AlgoSpeak: [music] How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. Online, he goes by The Etymology Nerd. Thank you so much, Adam. Thank you for having me. And that's our show. If you haven't **[27:33]** already, you can subscribe to Code Switch on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Jess Kung. It was edited by Courtney [music] Stein. And we'd be remiss if we did not shout out the rest of the Code Switch massive. That's, of course, Gene Demby, [music] Shereen Marisol Meraji, Xavier Lopez, Leah Donnella, Danya Mortada, Barton Girdwood, and Yolanda Sangweni. I'm Gene Demby. I'm B.A. Parker. [music] Peace, y'all. Hydrate. Wait, what's Memories? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with it. >> Memories is the song from Cat- it's like **[28:04]** the most famous song from Cats. Oh, yeah. I heard of it. It's all alone in the moonlight. Never heard some sad No. Absolutely not. I don't know anything about Cats outside of it being a fever dream. Anyway, Oh my gosh. This message comes from Kachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go. Kachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take **[28:35]** your daily ritual with you. Go to kachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15% off their first order. That's kachava.com, code NPR. From Spider-Man to a new Steven Spielberg movie, we know the TV and movies you'll want to watch this summer. I'm excited about this film. I just know suspense, intrigue, aliens, and I'm like, all right, Spielberg, I'm in. Check out the summer guide from Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts.