You may have heard that language is like a virus, and as we stare at Twitter all day it’s like looking through a microscope and seeing new organisms develop. We realize that “Be Best” is the official name of first lady Melania Trump’s anti-bullying initiative, although some outlets insist she stole the words from Michelle Obama.
Another we’re seeing a lot of is, “Do better.” For example, a progressive might get bent out of shape that The New York Times published a factual, non-biased headline about Trump, and after canceling their subscription in an outrage they’d implore the offending paper, “Do better.”
We’ll credit Ben Shapiro for tweeting this into our timelines; it’s a great thread to read if you’re sick of being told, “Do better.”
"Do better."
How did this cloying, schoomarmish castigation enter the current lexicon? What sort of kumbaya infantilization of everything made it so that adults tut-tut each other with something I'd tell my three-year-old?
— Antonio García Martínez (@antoniogm) August 6, 2019
"Do better."
This reflects some unmoored moral universe where absolute principles are gone, and everyone is trying to rally everyone else in some preferred new moral direction, using the language of parental scolding to shame them into compliance. What pablum (in both senses).
— Antonio García Martínez (@antoniogm) August 6, 2019
Nailed it.
You answered your own question.
— Aaron D Dyer (@aaronddyer) August 6, 2019
Totally agree with you. I hate that phrase.
— Christopher Cole (@ChrisACole) August 6, 2019
"Be Best"
— Remy LeHeaux (@DKostus) August 6, 2019
You shouldn't be saying this to a child either.
Do better.
— Michael J Erwin (@MetaMJE) August 6, 2019
They are literally children, developmentally, and they think and express themselves like children.
— GuardFork (@GuardFork) August 6, 2019
Bless their hearts, they communicate on the highest level they can.
— Ted Rossier ن (@TedRossier) August 6, 2019
Maybe if the "adults" stopped acting like 3 year olds, it wouldn't be an issue. https://t.co/B7luOTXX2I
— Baddest Shirt Co. (@BaddestShirt) August 6, 2019
Because twitter is full of adults arguing like 3yr olds..
"Do better" instills vagueness into the person.. because they are usually vague in their rationale.
You say it to a 3yr old because they don't understand why they're wrong and you want them to reflect. Similar idea. https://t.co/T2b1YiyF29
— Tyler Timmons (@TylerDaTerrible) August 6, 2019
I'd argue the point of language is to convey idea's and messages between people
so when someone comes along and does something a would expect of a three year old to have the wisdom to know "that's a dumb" you need to speak to them as if they were a child and not an intellectual
— angry fro-mun (@tomix55100) August 6, 2019
millennials ARE children, it's clearly seen in their culture, language, hobbies, workplaces, etc. they also think morality is purely performative, meaning you can only be good if you point out and scold people who are 'bad'
— Blumpo ? (@divintrial) August 6, 2019
"That's nice, dear."
— MGrenwuld (@grenwuld) August 6, 2019
— Zach (@zatothemfk) August 6, 2019
Put down the thesaurus dude
— William trovato (@trovato_william) August 6, 2019
Uh…some people just have a vocab. Maybe you should pick up a dictionary instead.
— Antonio García Martínez (@antoniogm) August 6, 2019
He should really do better
— eznark (@eznark) August 6, 2019
You're better than this. 😉
— CLA (@ConservativeLA) August 6, 2019
It didn’t take long to find “Do better” in its natural habitat. Here’s Soledad O’Brien scolding Weijia Jiang and Norah O’Donnell for reporting accurately on President Trump’s speech:
This is bullshit ladies. Do better. https://t.co/tTwdbAl8zb
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) August 5, 2019
Please do better
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) August 5, 2019
That’s trashy and biased of you to say, Soledad. Do better. https://t.co/Vts2gBw1bv
— Dr Gina (@RealDrGina) August 5, 2019
Related:
WEAK SAUCE. Alyssa Milano resolves to ‘be better in 2017’, trashes Trump 24 hours later https://t.co/9rC6jaOE4v
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 2, 2017
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