"Word Crimes"

Essay by DudleyTCollege, UndergraduateB, September 2014

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Dudley

Taylor Dudley

Composition 1

September 5, 2014

Word Crimes

Grammar Nazis can be the worst! Weird Al Yankovic becomes one of the biggest grammar nazis in his video, "Word Crimes." Yankovic is widely known for his humorous songs and for the distinct parodies that he creates in order to grab the attention of his audience. He tries to create a more exciting way to send knowledgeable messages, especially for younger ages. In his parody "Word Crimes, " he focuses on the misuse of proper English grammar. Although he has many valid points within the video, he seems to belittle his audience. No one is perfect, and this video makes it seem that everyone should use proper grammar at all times. On social media, or even texting a friend, grammar is not as important as it would be in school or in a letter. Spell check can also make mistakes while someone is writing.

Using the correct pronouns and abbreviation is important, but are not a "do or die" situation, and making the audience feel unintelligent was not the best approach. Yankovic could have qualified some of his well-intended points by also mentioning times when improper grammar would be accepted.

Initially, everyone tries to find a faster way to communicate with others in this fast paced world. We use slang to shorten our text messages and our emails. However, we do not shorten our messages to the point where they are unreadable. Grammar is not that important as long as the recipient understands our given message. It is obvious when sending a message to someone professionally, proper grammar and spelling should become an important aspect. In "Word Crimes," Yankovic makes a point that if people do not use proper grammar, even in causal writing, they are uneducated...