SociableSport

Like many of us, I felt compelled to blog after watching Sacha Baron Cohen's new film, Brüno, but found myself with something of a writer's block - either from shock or some form of mental anguish; I'm not entirely sure. Bruno was, undoubtedly, shocking but also funny insomuch as it made me chuckle among all the winces, groans and tooth-clenching. Why is this? Why is Bruno funny? It reminded me of a definition I read a few months ago on www.urbandictionary.com, for the acronym "lol".

As internet folk(sters), you will more than likely be familiar with "lol", which translates instantly either as 'laughing out loud' or 'lots of love' (usually the former). It's a pretty popular thing to add into sentences, especially among those under the age of 22 (who grew up from the age of 13 with mobile phones and by the age of 15 had good access - in the UK at least - to the internet... MSN Instant Messenger, AOL Messenger, chat rooms etc. simply because it's a short-fire way of adding some personality to otherwise pretty mundane conversation. "lol" isn't something you can say at a water-cooler at work, nor is it something you can really use when chatting up a hot girl (or guy) at a party. In fact, it is used so much in so many different (impersonal) situations that some argue it has lost and relevance, credibility or impact. Perhaps this was always on the cards, that instead of writing 'man, you've made me laugh so much I actually laughed out loud just then' we just say 'lol' instead, sometimes without actually finding something funny at all. And this is where it gets interesting.

Urbandictionary is, in my humble opinion, the richest source of amusing content anywhere on the internet and this instance was no exception. Many thanks go to urbandictionary user no_one_2000 for inspiring this post. Here are some of the definitions - uses of the acronym 'lol' in context - they submitted to the dictionary:

Statement: Sorry if I'm not too cheery, my best friend just died yesterday.
Worthless Reply: lol

Statement: The golden ratio is truly an interesting aspect of not only mathematics, but art as well.
Worthless Reply: lol

A worthless reply to a comment is one thing, but 'lol' is such a prolific statement of comedic value that it can completely change our perception of a sentence, and this is where the 'lol' Test is born. Take a look at the sentences below and ask yourself 'why do I think he finds that funny?' the answer will tell you more about yourself than it does about me, because I don't actually find any of the below funny and I can assure you I'm not laughing out loud while writing them. Even so, here they are:

1. Barack Obama has been elected the first black President of the United States of America lol
2. Swine Flu is expected to claim 65,000 people this winter lol
3. I got fired from my job today and now I have to live on the street lol
4. My son just told me he's homosexual lol

Sometimes it's important to ask ourselves why we find something funny. Lots of people claim Brüno made them laugh but I don't think many people could tell you why. I struggle to put it into words myself. But by simply adding 'lol' to the otherwise completely unfunny sentences above asks us to think creatively about what possible comic value there is, and you may even find some, depending on your sense of humour. Perhaps that's why we call it a 'sense' of humour; that how funny we find something depends how our own perception - how hard we're willing to look, or what we're naturally quite adroit at noticing - and experience either of culture, society (another over-used word) or upbringing generally. Bruno isn't for everyone, but perhaps that's what's funny about it, just like it's quite funny that adding 'lol' to the above sentences completely changes how they are read... it's ridiculous really. Then again, ridiculous things are often funny, no?

What's this got to do with sport, media and the future of communications? I could try to fit it in, but alas I have run out of time lol.

Recession...

It's a big, dark, gloomy word.

'Current economic climate' is a much happier phrase, and one everyone seems to prefer. Here's why -

'Current' invokes a sense of immediacy. It also implies that the future is yet unknown - that it is likely to change. Imagine 'economic climate' without the word current. The duration of the description would seem much longer.

'Economic' (instead of, say, recessionary) is a very vague word. When we talk about 'economic forces' or 'economic factors' we invariably talk about things beyond our control. When they are under our control they become policy - monetary policy, fiscal stimulus etc. This sense of vagueness is coupled with disownership. The word 'economic' is itself an adjective relating to the word 'economy' (a noun). And what it is here we're describing as economic?

'Climate' - also likely to change, also beyond our control (unless you're in a really nice car). To be exposed to a certain climate is to be subject to certain external circumstances - such as heat or cold, or rain and snow. But these are all things you can make the most of - some people don't like too heat but some do and vice versa - it's a matter of opinion. As humans, we can adapt to different climates to suit our own preferences. In this sense, then, an economic climate is whatever you want it to be. If you're the type that won't go outside unless it's precisely 24degrees with zero chance of precipitation, then perhaps you'll be agitated when the temperature rises or falls, or if clouds start to form in the sky. Even so, in this case 'climate' is only a 'current' situation, by definition it is not consistent. The current temperature may be 22degrees - or even 12degrees - but it's not going to stay like that forever. So, even if you're a die-hard cynic refusing to leave the comfort of your climate-controlled home unless there's a clear, blue sky and a warm 24degrees showing on the baraometer, you can sit by the window and wait for things to get better because - eventually - they will.

'Recession', on the other hand, is like a hurricane. Hurricanes can be very dangerous and very unpredictable. Everyone is adviced to stay indoors and even the emergency services struggle to cope in the stormy conditions. No one feels safe and no one really knows how bad it's going to be, how long it will last or where it's going to cause the most damage. What we do know is that it won't last forever, but when one comes along our main concern should be protecting ourselves from the associated dangers. This is no time for sitting by the window wondering when the sun is going to have his hat on - you may get a face full of glass!

Can you see the difference? By describing a recession using the phrase 'current economic climate' we avoid the need to 'weather the storm'. Instead, we describe something that's out of reach (economic), as being short-lived (current) and something perfectly natural (climate).

It's a climate of expectancy (let's look forward to when it gets better!) rather than a climate of fear (how bad is it going to get?).

I don't know about you, but it's back to work for me!

Lyndon