For those of us who are longtime news junkies, we rely on our smart phones, tablets or laptop screens for around-the-clock cliché-laden news. And then there’s “fake news.”
There are two types of “fake news.”
The first is real news that the subject doesn’t want others to accept as true. Thus, getting caught red-handed (cliché) saying or doing something immoral, improper or illegal is fake news only from the perspective of the embarrassed/guilty party.
People called out for their improper actions or comments often claim: “I never posted those remarks. My [opponent, CNN, the “fake news,” etc.] used AI to create the things they said I said.”
Then there’s “legitimate” fake news—stuff that for propaganda purposes really is made up. Often with the help of artificial intelligence. This type of fact news is produced by state actors, unscrupulous political opponents or outright crazy people.
Fake or real, our daily deluge of online content comes both from traditional media and pundits as well as the ever-expanding universe of bloggers, X (formerly Twitter) users, Instagrammers, podcasters, ad nauseum. This unrelenting commentary—be it from D people, R people or (Wierd) people—consists of real facts, made up “facts,” and outrageous zero-fact conspiracy theories.
In an effort to make all this digestible, the purveyors generally strive to write cleverly.Of course, “striving” is not “accomplishing.”
From news people to pundits to content providers, many rely on the tried-and-true(cliche) classic cliches.Still, if you want to be seen as the cleverest of the clever, you need to keep abreast with cutting edge(cliché) cliches. Happily, some writers actually come up with original expressions. But then others start using the term and another cliché has been born.
So, before the term gets completely out of hand (cliché), it’s time to shed light (cliché) on the hottest new cliché:
“Wait for it”
Lately, those who believe they are particularly with it have begun using those three words. As in:
“The [candidate or whomever]—wait for it—said [something completely stupid].”
One blogger essayed to explain the term:
“[‘Wait for it’ has] become quite a favorite with the higher brows among us. It signals the reader that something deliciously ironic or amusing or ridiculous is about to be revealed: “So they caught that sanctimonious Pastor…in a strip club last night, and he said he was just there to—wait for it—do some research.”
Let those of us who write for a living—wait for it—stop waiting for it and just say it.