When everyone wants to be a ‘slayer’
Photo Credit: cancerfashionista.com
Our society have witnessed and is still witnessing the era of slay princess, queens and mamas. Titles as slay papas, boys, guys, kings are just something we may anticipate.
By EveEden
Regardless being a four-letter word, the word slay has proven the proverbial expression ‘small but mighty’ true. The word is constantly used today than most big words. It is has gained more online presence by internet users. It is even more popular than some Nigerian celebrities. Let’s presume the word slay has come, saw and conquered. It denotes anything but class and posh. Looking beautiful equals slay. Living rich also equals slay. We can’t even use the old words that have stuck with us throughout the beginning of English language rebirth. Such words as classy, beautiful, elegant, posh, amazing have become inadequate to describe how great a lady looks. Mind you, this word is a female thing. Our society have witnessed and is still witnessing the era of slay princess, queens and mamas. Titles as slay papas, boys, guys, kings are just something we may anticipate.
I believe there has been one and million social media post tagged with the word slaying. Example, I read one this weekend titled “when slaying, leave no surviving. This post sure made my weekend a delighted one. I was amused! That post became questionable in my head. I tried making meaning out of the post and why on earth would a being title a post such. Her picture looked great but affiliating the word slay with the post stripped her photo the beauty it ought to portray (my opinion). Now, instead of her followers to drool and gush over pictures; we became more interested in trying to sift if she really ‘slayed’ and left no survivors.
Genuinely, I don’t know if I have clicks who share the idea that the word slays means something different other than the obvious. Pardon me, I know what the dictionary says slay means. First of all, when I read slay or hear it I am left with two options. My mind instantly interprets it as a dirty tacky appearance; someone constantly choking herself with all kind of cheap beauty products in order to slay. So absurd! I wouldn’t see a picture of Mitchell Barracks and tag her as a slay queen, or Meghan Harry and even our own timeless Nigerian celebrity –Genevive Nnaji. Slay can’t portray these personalities meaningfully or accurately. There is no beautiful uplifting interpretation that the words slay conveys. It’s just a ridiculous beauty. It is even demeaning to think that instead of my appearance to exude beauty or attraction; it is slaying! Slaying for what? (My mid-night cravings).
On the other hand, another meaning my mind interprets slay as; is that my mind hypothetically pictures a lady pulling out a sword from its sheath dressed in a Sumari costume ready for war. At least my friend who titled her post “when slaying… leave no survivors” confirmed this; you can denote that killings occurred and no one survived.
Why on earth would I prefer to slay when I can flaunt great poise via my look. I would rather prefer you detail my look with classy, sassy, young, charming, savvy but please never slay, slaying, slayiest or whatever form of parts of speech you may turn that word into. It’s just one of the few words; I would talk my future daughter into believing as a curse word or for mediocrity. I guess it’s time this slay word becomes buried. It has come and rocked its time. It should join the cliché bank of expressions.
In essence this is an appeal to all ladies to bid farewell to this slay word. It doesn’t conjecture anything greatness but ugly or drab and a gutter expression. We should heed back to the ancient times and detail our self as a queen, princess, mama with the title slay.
Aside this, there are so many online junks that I just clinch my teeth each time I read them. Why say I heart you when you can just say I love you. I admire you. You are my sunshine. Remember when the word lit had its own fame? Everything just had to become lit. We couldn’t tell that an event was eventful, bubbling, colourful, exciting, lively etc. All events, meetings, gatherings seminars became nothing but lit.
To cap it, when I read some emotional notes poured online; I deduce some fakeness in them. The diction, length pace and the theme of the entire piece suggests to me that the writer was being whipped while writing. Like the writer was given an ultimatum that refusing to write would lead to jail; so they had to avoid that. Why this rite that we only get to celebrate our family important figures during their worlds celebration day? I read many shock absorbing contents online this weekend all in the name of Fathers Day. For some women it became Husbands Day and Boyfriends Day. A lady comes online and instead of appreciating her father, she first of all greets the online media with “Happy Fathers day to my future husband” and a married woman who have to be the spokesperson for her infant daughter and unborn children. Lavishing words of praise how her husband is the father her infant daughter and ones yet to born prayed to have. Perhaps, let’s assume she is now a prophetess who sees through infants and knows their heart desires. I should cut her some slacks, she is the mother and maybe able to tell the kind of father her children would love to have. I should believe the daughter should grow up and never wish otherwise as a father. I can’t recall her epistle acknowledging her own Dad (maybe she must have mentioned him once because the entire piece was on her hubby not her father).
Well, I pardon them for swirling my emotions up. After all we are in a country where freedom of expression prevails and this is me expressing my own thoughts.
