Okey-dokey artichokey. I have read that is how Hillary Clinton concludes her staff meetings. I'm not sure if that's true, but I like to think it is. I like to think that people in monumental jobs can act and talk like the off-the-rack day-ware people, the people who don't make the news and who don't tilt the axis.
I think more people in monumental jobs should say silly phrases and say them publicly. Enough with the debate over whether an action is a surge or an escalation. Enough with tossing words around in order to effect public opinion. Let's have the monumental people say silly things into a microphone so we can see them as human beings, and then we might connect with them just a bit more, the way we connect with Gomer Pyle when he says something like, "Shazam."
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. Sufferin' succotash. Golly gee willickers. Gad zooks. Jinxy. Holy moly. These are all phrases and words you would never expect to hear from someone with national or international importance, someone who forms policies and creates law. But if you did, wouldn't you like that person a little more? Wouldn't you want to invite that person home for dinner, or cookies at least? And wouldn't that person feel a little less important?
Maybe that's what we all need, for each of us all to feel a little less important. And if we ended official business with "okey dokey artichokey," that might help in taking us down a peg or two.
How about this? How about the next time you find yourself on the spot with a microphone in front of you, and everyone is waiting for you to say something profound, sing:
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
which, when said backwards, is dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus.
I think more people in monumental jobs should say silly phrases and say them publicly. Enough with the debate over whether an action is a surge or an escalation. Enough with tossing words around in order to effect public opinion. Let's have the monumental people say silly things into a microphone so we can see them as human beings, and then we might connect with them just a bit more, the way we connect with Gomer Pyle when he says something like, "Shazam."
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. Sufferin' succotash. Golly gee willickers. Gad zooks. Jinxy. Holy moly. These are all phrases and words you would never expect to hear from someone with national or international importance, someone who forms policies and creates law. But if you did, wouldn't you like that person a little more? Wouldn't you want to invite that person home for dinner, or cookies at least? And wouldn't that person feel a little less important?
Maybe that's what we all need, for each of us all to feel a little less important. And if we ended official business with "okey dokey artichokey," that might help in taking us down a peg or two.
How about this? How about the next time you find yourself on the spot with a microphone in front of you, and everyone is waiting for you to say something profound, sing:
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
which, when said backwards, is dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus.
Comments
Robyn, how am I supposed to eat my lunch with the huge grin you just put on my face?
I totally agree with you, though I wouldn't sing "Supercalifragilistic"; my choice would be "Jollity Farm" by The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band. Making lots of silly animal noises is always good for the soul.
Neato mosquito post there, chickidee.
Too bad the rest of the world takes itself too seriously. I know a 20-something who got reprimanded at work for typing the phrase "okey dokey" into an instant messaging program to a coworker. Apparently intra-office instant messaging is some kind of official business communication.
To that I say bologna!
I tend to go the other way and would prefer our world leaders to be a little more professional.
But I'm boring like that.
Sassy, I love "neato mosquito." I hadn't thought of that one, and I have been trying to think of nonsensical phrases that makes people sound silly.
Anonymous, who ever you are, makes you want to type "okey dokey" to the entire, staff, doesn't it.
Ms. Mac and Lynn, point taken. I don't want my leaders to sound like morons (ex, I don't want them to say words like "thumpin" because it makes them sound like rednecks), but I do want them to be real.
Gina, my girls are 16 and 19, and I still try to amuse them with my silly talk. They tend to outgrow the amused phase at some point. It's a shame. Now they just tell me to stop it.
We all do.
Except his was in german.
funny man.
but then again, all teens think their parents are stupid.
Rich, what my kids really dont' like is when I sing in public. I was in a doctor's office waiting room with my daughter yesterday, and they were playing snooze music, but then Diana Krall came on--I Get Along Without You Very Well--my eyes lit up and I grinned, and she knew. "Oh no, don't sing," she says. So, of course, I had to.
Give them a few more years and they'll be joining in.
Did any of your kids go through a sarcasm period? My son.. everything oput of him is sarcasm. hmmm when I think of it I used to be pretty good at that.
I just don't get it...I couldn't even hear mySELF singing...how could THEY?
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! ;)