Randomness

Randomness

Monday, November 13, 2006

Oh My God, That's SO Random!

This is a word people need to stop using incorrectly. After reading some rather well-formed Dane Cook bashing today, I was quite happy to learn that my dislike for him of late has been echoed, and much better worded than I ever could have. But then I kept imagining how one of his all-too-loyal fans might respond to some of the things I've read. It's almost guaranteed that someone will use the word "random" to justify something that isn't actually comedy as being funny.

The problem is that you can't describe a person as random. Well, maybe Dane Cook you could. Some people would call it an unfortunate accident that his genes combined just the way they did to make him who he is. But outside of the selection and formation of which one is, a person cannot, by definition, be random.

One can say random things, certainly. But one's humor can't be random, and just because you didn't expect something in a conversation doesn't mean it's random. It's a non-sequitur. You could certainly say "You must have picked that interesting or funny observation at random from the items in your brain." Then you'd be speaking what we like to call English.

I'm certain I've suffered this mental block before, using random as an adjective. And I'm almost certain that it’s shown up on UrbanDictionary.com as meaning "funny." Be specific when you use the word. And don't let it define your love for Dane Cook. And then realize you don't love Dane Cook. Dane Cook is evil. Not just because he's successful, but because he's successful by saying nothing.
posted by Jason at 6:03 PM

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