How to be “un”

These days it is seems more important to not be something than to be something. I call this how to be “un”.

When did this un-trend get started?

It seems to me it has been ongoing for a long time, but lately has regained momentum.

Remember back in the day when a certain soft drink company decided to market their beverage as the “uncola”. That meant you could drink something, but at the same time not be drinking a cola. Your were therefore defining what you were drinking by drinking something that wasn’t something else. When you think about it that doesn’t make much sense.

Is milk “unwater”?

Is a potato an “untomato”?

Is lettuce “unkale”?

Then there was the whole spate of musicians who were doing “unplugged” versions of their compositions. So they unplugged their electric guitar and used an acoustic guitar which then became an “unplugged” guitar. It did not have a plug on it in the first place, so what was that about?

Wait a minute I am just getting started!

Now you have people running around claiming to be “uncensored”, “unfiltered”, “unbound” and frankly unhinged!

Why the need to be “un”? Isn’t it enough just to be who and what you are, without defining yourself as something that is not something else?

And while I am at it, who was censoring, filtering and binding those who felt they had the need to get un-somethinged in the first place?

I don’t mean to be unhappy or unpolite, but what the hell people, just be something and don’t worry about what you are not.

Although, now that I think about it, if you really want to help me out, send me some money so I can become “unpoor”.

As always I remain your unfaithful unservant Fred U. Moople (the u stands for unsubtle).

Addendum

Silly me I forgot one of the most “un” trends currently ongoing – unboxing!

So taking something out of a box is now known as “unboxing”. In the good old days we used to called it opening a package, but apparently the “un” is the thing now, since once something is no longer in a box it is now “unboxed”.  When you think of it, it is rather difficult to use something that comes in a box, without actually removing from the box first. So I have a whole lot of stuff that is now “unboxed”.  In fact, I am wearing some “unboxed” shoes right now!

Well folks, I am glad we had this opportunity to unpack the whole unboxing thing.

Cheers

F. (never been boxed!)