Coming at you today with something a little bit different — a PSA, if you will, and you can do what you what with it, ignore it or not, w/e — but first, I have a few pop culture-y things to say.
Starting with: Kody Brown saying Janelle is only with him because she thinks he is hot is officially my Roman empire.
The must-watch of this week/this month is undoubtedly Megan Thee Stallion vs. Tory Lanez: Five Shots. It’s giving Depp vs. Heard vibes (but more interesting IMHO).
Lastly, who else is practicing their *NSYNC choreography a la Darrin’s Dance Grooves? I just can’t get down that one transition-y part in “It’s Gonna Be Me,” and I really need to nail it before they finally confirm the tour rumors. I gotta stay ready, you know what I mean?
And now a PSA / free tip of the week:
Keep it' ‘scary,’ keep it ‘eerie,’ but pls don’t keep it ‘spooky’
There is a looooooooooooot, and I mean a loooooooooooooooot of “keep it spooky,” and “it’s finally spooky szn!” going around the blogz rn.
Sorry, had to throw that in there. Not to make light of an actually serious situation, but Real Housewives Out of Context is chef’s kiss.
Like I mentioned earlier, you can do what you please with this information, but this is a real thing that writers must know about, and must circumvent in their inbox, as many brands have a rule about using the word “spooky,” as it is often regarded as a racial slur due to its history rooted in slavery.
As a cis-straight-white woman, I am not the person to explain it, but I think, as allies, it is important to share this information, and understand it.
Let me be transparent: I am extremely guilty of this ignorance as well. My byline is stamped on plenty of headlines that use the term in this way, as recently as 2022, and I hate it. It’s a critical and racist misstep, and I wish I had the power to delete / reconstruct those HEDs. I also hold the editors that let that publish accountable. I promise to continue to learn, and do better.
For more context, you can read Newsweek’s deep-dive into the word’s cruel origins below (not written by me), for fact-checking and historic purposes): Before You Use the Word 'Spooky' You Should Know Its Racist Origins.
Obviously, this is especially relevant right now because of the season. Keep it in mind.
Other potentially controversial/harmful words to consider include:
master suite/bedroom/bathroom (read about that here, and use ‘primary’ instead)
gypped (read about how the word derives from ‘gypsy’ and is offensive to the Romani people here / use ‘ripped off’)
sherpa (learn more about how it has been appropriated from Tibetan culture here / use ‘teddy’ instead)
drinking the Kool-Aid (an idiom that refers to a 1978 mass suicide, which you can read about here; use ‘buy into it/an idea’ instead
So, yeah, stay scary, but you know, don’t stay ignorant.
Let me upgrade ya~
If you’re still living life as a free pitch, stop messing around and live like a paid pitch, with access to incredible content such as:
A published pitch
A list of what went live recently:
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I Use This Clever Kitchen Tool Every Day, And It Changed My Morning Routine (Southern Living)
This Secret Amazon Storefront Is Full of Earthy Tones for a Fall Bathroom Refresh (Real Simple)
Be It Book Club Or Brunch, This Clever Host Gift Is Perfect For Your Next Soireé (Southern Living)
Get the Library Look With Ladder Bookshelves for $100 or Less on Amazon (Real Simple)
See you next time, pitches.
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Wow, I had no idea, thank you for informing us!
Wow - I had not even given that a thought and even some of the other words (gypped I don't think I 've ever written so didn't connect the spelling, but have def said). Thanks so much for sharing!