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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Pimp Is Not A Verb

Lately, I've noticed a disconcerting tendency to use the word "pimp" as a term which refers to fixing up things to make them look really spiffy. An example of this type of social aberration was the show known as "Pimp My Ride".

Here's my question: Since "pimping" apparently refers to taking something which is in poor condition and fixing it to improve it, what in the world does that have to do with the original meaning of the word "pimp"? A pimp, for goodness' sake, is a person who exploits (and sometimes abuses) men or women who sell (or more accurately rent) their bodies for sex.

Also, if taking something which is in poor condition and fixing it is now to be known as "pimping", should we now describe Jesus Christ as a pimp? After all, Jesus is the ultimate fixer of souls in need of repair.

I think that it says something rather sad about certain individuals that they use the word "pimp" as if it's a good thing to be one. Pimps are criminals in societies where prostitution is still illegal. They are not good people worthy of emulation or adulation.

Of course, for those inclined to reinvent and redefine words, perhaps we should accommodate that tendency by creating a new show about the political process. We could call it "Whore Myself Out".  Considering what some people do to win elections, that seems as if it would be fitting.

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