Clichés are omnipresent in our ADD society. From The New York Times to Bazooka Joe, we just can't stop till we get enough. Here on the information superhighway it is even more pronounced. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, James Frey has a LOT of fans in blogging: derivative, hackneyed, predictable, a favorite of Oprah ... wait, that's the president. But let us be clear, blogging is a cliché hotbed. The collision of blogs with political and popular culture is the perfect storm of bad writing. Uber annoying.Well, every dog has his day, and today is Cliché Day on the Internet. In honor of the occasion, Asylum has compiled a list of some of the
In Which I:
In which we suggest that the "in which I" construction has had its 15 minutes. Seriously. In which it was enough. In which it has been beaten to death. In which it is so worn out, even mocking it is annoying. The breathless overuse of this form in blogs must be stopped at any cost.
Breathless
Breathless prose, breathless objections, breathless reporting. We don't know if this is a result of Global Warming, but we think it is high time we get some air back. We've had it up to here. Start breathing, ladies and gentlemen. Hey bloggers, Danielle Steele called, she wants her imagery back.
Hey the Internet, the Real World Called, They Want Their Suck Back
"Hey [blank], the [blank] called" jokes are really starting to get our goat. This one is most often used to call out or attack other clichés, which we think may cause a rift in the space-time continuum. If you're going to snark at someone for using a worn-out joke, try not to do it with a worn-out joke. You actually made us throw up in our mouths a little just now.
I Just Threw Up in My Mouth
I just threw up in my mouth, I just peed myself a little, I think my bowels just moved ... Yes, that describes last Saturday morning pretty effectively, but it is as worn out as Internet jokes get. It's in blogs, it's in the comments sections. Snark isn't so snarky when it's so overused, last time I checked. Snark FAIL.
FAIL!!!!!!
Hey, rest of the world, Failblog called, they want their carefully guarded intellectual property back. OK, in all likelihood we'll never get past this one. The FAIL meme is simply too useful. But we can at least use it sparingly and smartly. Rule of thumb on use of FAIL: Asylum bloggers, yes; Michael Steele, no. When old fogies do it, they come off looking like they don't know their arse from a hole in the ground, mate.
Spot On
Spot on! Brilliant! Arse! Bum! Bloggers casually throwing about British slang, euphemisms and style are tossers and should sod off. It doesn't make anyone believe you're not taking a "Futurama" marathon break to stare at your Megan Fox shrine. Coolness FAIL.
Megan Fox
That's it. Just Megan Fox. One more Megan Fox joke and we will literally puke into our collective mouths.
Literally
The misuse of literally on the internet is literally an epidemic. Whether people do it as a joke or because they are literally mentally challenged, using literally as if it meant figuratively makes us want to kill and eat puppies. Literally. Misuse of this word is literally worse than Hitler. Its meaning has been tied to a chair and literally waterboarded for months. Seriously, I can haz no more literallys?
I Can Haz
Ha ha ha, that cat wants a cheeseburger. OK, we're done laughing now. The I can haz meme is literally more contagious than swine flu. Yes, we think those pics are funny and yes, we read that blog so obsessively we lost three jobs, but everyone and their brother is out there creating lolcats contests and graphics as filler for otherwise useless blogs. It's literally more ubiquitous than Megan Fox. See what we did there?
See What I Did There?
Like FAIL or "threw up", "see what I did there" is a snark crutch. You take what someone said, turn it back on them, and then say, "See what I did there?" You know, like a Charlie Gibson interview. I can haz Bush doctrine? We get it, snark is funny. But must we reuse so much content? In which it was time to get your clever on.
Reusing Old Blogs As If They Were New
Let's skip this one. K?
It'S the Internets. K?
lolspeak, l33t, whatever you want to call it, it has fast gone from intentionally unhip to actually unhip. Sure, we all do it. But it is losing its funny faster than old SNL skits. So quit being teh suk and get with teh awesome internets. K?
Needs More Cowbell
Hey, you remember the part, um, on SNL, um, when Christopher Walken was in the recording studio? And he kept saying "I need more cowbell"? Remember that part?
That was awesome.
And then blogs happened. Do you have any idea how many MySpace profiles are titled "Need more cowbell?" Here's another rule of thumb, if you're yukking it up to the same joke as someone who's MySpace page features a Twilight background and plays Lady Gaga when it loads, you're doing it wrong.
You're Doing It Wrong.
This cliché is only on the list because it's teh awesome. As far as we are concerned, this one never goes out of style. In fact, if you hate it, you're doing it wrong. But hey, you're "entitled" to your own "opinion."
"Clever" Use of Quotes:
It has been said that this one is "immortal." Using "cleverly" placed quotation marks is, after all, one of the most "subtle" and "clever" forms of snark. See what we did there? Still, you can have "too much" of a "good" thing. Maybe "we" should ease up on this "before" we "start" looking like hacks. Enough said.
Enough Said:
Enough said.
Of course clichés aren't just found the blogospherical. StreetLevel has compiled The Most Clichéd Hip-Hop Album Cover Poses for today's celebration; ComicsAlliance is roasting the biggest clichés in comics; and don't forget the Top 10 Music Clichés.
So now we leave it to you, our "clever" and "numerous" readers, to leave in the comments YOUR hated favorite clichés.
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Tuesday 03 November
By streetwise
Now, Caleb, I can't swear to it, but I think you may have used fail quite recently.
Time for a blog in which I expose Caleb Howe! Literally! Because these types of articles make me literally throw up in my mouth, and leave me breathless.
:)
Reply
Tuesday 03 November
By Socrates Isnotloren
I think he even used "epic fail", street, which is off the charts cliche. I mean, that's so late October. Ten lashes with a wet noodle for him.
I swear.
Tuesday 03 November
By Blago Bloggo
What a bloody brilliant giant sized piece of cliche tart! I can haz my bowels moved a lilbit. Nuff said.
Tuesday 03 November
By Takahashi
Well done! The use of quotation marks to to imply "sarcasm" should be sparingly used, or else any of the quoted terms become "redundant" and loose all "emphasis". It's even worse when people have to use the quote fingers when talking to one another face to face. You've the tones and the facial expressions there. You don't need them.
Some more annoying cliches:
End of story!
Stating "question" before a question is presented
Improper use of the word "plethora"
Misuse of F.U.B.A.R.
"I'm in your ___, ____ your ____"
I'm done, k!
Reply
Tuesday 03 November
By Takahashi
Didn't even think about it until I ran into it again, the abuse of "FML" for everything. It's even worse when people use it on twitter or on Facebook when it's something that is entirely their fault. "I forgot to set my alarm, so I'm late for my philosophy class again. FML."
Tuesday 03 November
By Caleb Howe
Ha ha! Awesome.
Tuesday 03 November
By Flagstaff
Hah! I'm afraid to type now.
Being one of those "old fogies [who, when they] do it, they come off looking like they don't know their arse from a hole in the ground, mate," I usually don't even know what those WorldWideWeb cliches mean.
My cliches tend to be so old that young whippersnappers like you don't even realize how hackneyed my cliches are.
But you simply can't have too much Megan Fox. Only too much clothing on her.
10-4, good buddy.
Sign me,
"Not yer Uncle David"
Reply
Wednesday 04 November
By Xhul
Dammit. Why did "Fail" have to be the one least likely left in the anals of time? Everytime someone uses it, it just makes me mono-browed.
Reply
Wednesday 18 November
By Patty
Can someone tell me please, why the picture of a known Cuban communist murderer is being used for this story? I am so tired of seeing this man's face being celebrated as some sort of rock star. He was a murderer, executing hundreds under Castro's rule. He is not cool, he is not a hero. His name is Che Gueverra. Look it up! I've seen this face on children's t-shirts, desensitizing our youth to the perils of communism. This is the most un-American face anyone can glorify! I strongly urge the authors of this "blog" to take it down. And if anyone out there sees it, please let the unknowing people that are displaying it to do the same, and inform them of who this man is and what his true place is in history.
Reply
Wednesday 18 November
By Caleb
That's the point Patty. Che shirts are CLICHE. See?
Monday 23 November
By Mark
I like Che. Have read books about him. Know alot about him. I think he's cool.
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