"Goblincore and delulu are still used with their real meanings in unironic contexts. Skibidi and gyat, on the other hand, are more frequently used as examples of brainrot than with their original definitions. I might hear people actually talk about goblincore clothing or say that they were acting delulu last night, but nobody really says “gyat” instead of “butt.” Rather, it and skibidi are treated in the sense of “haha funny word.”
Not a linguist but a junior in highschool who just spent an entire JV volleyball season around freshmen/sophomore girls: They 100% do say, "Oh my gyatt!" and use "gyatt" in that abstract sense but I will note that they also do sometimes use gyatt as an actual stand in for butt. They kind of use it the way we'd use "ass," but it's not a curse word. Ex: Their Coach (24f) was making them condition and do squats, and one of the sophomores said, "It's because she wants us to have a massive gyatt like her"
I know this is very focused on the vocabulary aspect, but HealthyGamergg (Dr. K.) has a great video about brainrot from a more psychological angle.
Additionally, I don’t know if I agree with the end there. I’m not so sure people are using it as this extremely meta post-post-post irony thing because that would mean that they have to be aware of all these things that came before it. The internet and media environment as a whole is a lot more fragmented than it was even 5 years ago. To me, that means that there is not one cultural zeitgeist, but hundreds that are contained to their respective in-groups—one of which would be age groups. These obviously move around a lot, but for someone who is just coming onto the scene like a Gen Alpha kid, I’m not too sure they’re being fed enough (if any) content from these past “movements.”
That isn’t to say I don’t think the creators might be doing that—that’s entirely possible. But I think the content takes a life of its own when it’s in the hands of an audience.
Last thought: like it or not y’all, skibidi toilet and the rizzler song are legitimate forms of art. They do the things that art does—I don’t know if I’ve never seen so much defamiliarization in a piece of content.
I would have to disagree on one single detail. The side of the internet that became enraged at the word delulu diluting the meaning of being delusional in a mental health context it is used in the context of describing the average brainrotten. For example: yeah she's the "I'm so delulu haha skibidi sigma rizz" type. The "skibidi sigma rizz" in this specific order refers to a mainstream tiktok sound, it's meant to imply that this specific person has no actual connection to brainrot in a normal context, nor do they understand the potentially harmful effects of using "delulu" and instead flaunts these words to hint at how "quirky" they are.
Funny things is I am almost "chronically online" but I don't interact with the memes directly relating to gyat, rizz, skibidi, ohio in an obvious sense. Infact, I actually only get content regarding how these words or memes are hard to understand and how it is shaping a certain generation. Maybe it could be due to the demographics like age, location and what I usually like and prefer, but sometimes it makes me wonder what if the content that I am consuming about describing brain rot is brain rot for me. Is it adding any value in my life? Probably not, but social media was never meant to add value to your life, so as a whole, making use of the content at the end of the day could also classify into a "brain rot" or "brain tool" type of content?
Please excuse my grammar, English is not my first language.
Good post in general but I disagree about 'gyat' and 'rizz' not being used outside of the brainrot context... I've seen both of these used in their original meaning pretty often. Sure, not in a very serious context, but you can't say that they are completely nonsensical. They DO have usages outside of memes.
Agree but this usage outside of a more ironic context is usually seen in younger age groups- which makes sense as they wouldn’t really associate it to a more post-ironic and aware (of being “chronically online”) context and rather that these are accepted terms that flourished from being unserious to an actually known and communicated thing in those younger communities. So it all did come from the same ironic place - just that different generations and ages perceive it’s acceptance differently imo
"Goblincore and delulu are still used with their real meanings in unironic contexts. Skibidi and gyat, on the other hand, are more frequently used as examples of brainrot than with their original definitions. I might hear people actually talk about goblincore clothing or say that they were acting delulu last night, but nobody really says “gyat” instead of “butt.” Rather, it and skibidi are treated in the sense of “haha funny word.”
Not a linguist but a junior in highschool who just spent an entire JV volleyball season around freshmen/sophomore girls: They 100% do say, "Oh my gyatt!" and use "gyatt" in that abstract sense but I will note that they also do sometimes use gyatt as an actual stand in for butt. They kind of use it the way we'd use "ass," but it's not a curse word. Ex: Their Coach (24f) was making them condition and do squats, and one of the sophomores said, "It's because she wants us to have a massive gyatt like her"
I know this is very focused on the vocabulary aspect, but HealthyGamergg (Dr. K.) has a great video about brainrot from a more psychological angle.
Additionally, I don’t know if I agree with the end there. I’m not so sure people are using it as this extremely meta post-post-post irony thing because that would mean that they have to be aware of all these things that came before it. The internet and media environment as a whole is a lot more fragmented than it was even 5 years ago. To me, that means that there is not one cultural zeitgeist, but hundreds that are contained to their respective in-groups—one of which would be age groups. These obviously move around a lot, but for someone who is just coming onto the scene like a Gen Alpha kid, I’m not too sure they’re being fed enough (if any) content from these past “movements.”
That isn’t to say I don’t think the creators might be doing that—that’s entirely possible. But I think the content takes a life of its own when it’s in the hands of an audience.
Last thought: like it or not y’all, skibidi toilet and the rizzler song are legitimate forms of art. They do the things that art does—I don’t know if I’ve never seen so much defamiliarization in a piece of content.
I can't wait to read your book! All your content is amazing, in another life I would have loved to study etymology.
I would have to disagree on one single detail. The side of the internet that became enraged at the word delulu diluting the meaning of being delusional in a mental health context it is used in the context of describing the average brainrotten. For example: yeah she's the "I'm so delulu haha skibidi sigma rizz" type. The "skibidi sigma rizz" in this specific order refers to a mainstream tiktok sound, it's meant to imply that this specific person has no actual connection to brainrot in a normal context, nor do they understand the potentially harmful effects of using "delulu" and instead flaunts these words to hint at how "quirky" they are.
ah, perhaps a bad example then, but if anything that reinforces the idea of concerns about the internet feeding into this ironic comedy genre
Meanings aside, I think the word “skibidi” as a triplet is pretty satisfying to say - from a purely metric point of view 😁
I’m a mom to an 8-year-old, and this means having to be in the loop. I delight in using slang incorrectly - if only to see Gen Alpha squirm 😅
Funny things is I am almost "chronically online" but I don't interact with the memes directly relating to gyat, rizz, skibidi, ohio in an obvious sense. Infact, I actually only get content regarding how these words or memes are hard to understand and how it is shaping a certain generation. Maybe it could be due to the demographics like age, location and what I usually like and prefer, but sometimes it makes me wonder what if the content that I am consuming about describing brain rot is brain rot for me. Is it adding any value in my life? Probably not, but social media was never meant to add value to your life, so as a whole, making use of the content at the end of the day could also classify into a "brain rot" or "brain tool" type of content?
Please excuse my grammar, English is not my first language.
dude I’m so sorry to correct you on brainrot, but I’m afraid gyatt has an extra T on the end. Gyatt vs. Gyat. (What has my life come to)
I would love to read your book!
congrats on finishing ur book🫡
you're so skibidi for writing this
I can't confess to what degree of irony, but I do in fact use "gyat" to refer to butts.
Good post in general but I disagree about 'gyat' and 'rizz' not being used outside of the brainrot context... I've seen both of these used in their original meaning pretty often. Sure, not in a very serious context, but you can't say that they are completely nonsensical. They DO have usages outside of memes.
Agree but this usage outside of a more ironic context is usually seen in younger age groups- which makes sense as they wouldn’t really associate it to a more post-ironic and aware (of being “chronically online”) context and rather that these are accepted terms that flourished from being unserious to an actually known and communicated thing in those younger communities. So it all did come from the same ironic place - just that different generations and ages perceive it’s acceptance differently imo
But people do use the words from knowing it in an ironic context?
in a way, maybe even the phrase 'brainrot' will eventually be seen as brainrot itself, but under a new term
Seeing the words "skibidi" and "gyatt" in a well-formatted and written essay cracked me up.
If you're interested in language perhaps you shouldn't confuse "addiction" with "dependence".
This is gold. I will devour your book like anything. Just tell me when it's getting published