Slam+Poetry

Totally like whatever, you know?


 * By Taylor Mali **

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In case you hadn't noticed,  it has somehow become uncool  to sound like you know what you're talking about?  Or believe strongly in what you're saying?  Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s  have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?  Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences - so-called  because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true  as opposed to other things which were, like, not -  have been infected by a totally hip  and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?  Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this;  this is just like the word on the street, you know? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> It's like what I've heard? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">What has happened to our conviction? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Where are the limbs out on which we once walked? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Have they been, like, chopped down <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> with the rest of the rain forest? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Or do we have, like, nothing to say? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Has society become so, like, totally. . . <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> I mean absolutely. . . You know? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like. . . <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> whatever!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">And so actually our disarticulation. . . ness <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> is just a clever sort of. . . thing <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> to disguise the fact that we've become <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> the most aggressively inarticulate generation <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> to come along since. . . <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> you know, a long, long time ago!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> I challenge you: To speak with conviction. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> the determination with which you believe it. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> You have to speak with it, too.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The poem "Totally like whatever, you know?" is an insightful, comical exploration into the way we speak in these times. In fact, the title itself gives an insight into the poem, with an obvious touch of verbal indecisiveness that resonates many times in the poem. Taylor Mali criticizes, dices and slams the "authoritative" way of speech many use nowadays, showing a not-so-subtle disagreement with alternating satire and declarative statements. One of the best examples of this is a comical, stereotypical figure unsure of his motives as notably lacking authority in his speech patterns; the perfect platform for each stanza to spread its message. This is reinforced by the poet's "take no prisoners" style of aggressive reading in alternating stanzas, creating shifts in mood that keep an audience off-balance and constantly guessing, even though there are obvious patterns in the language used. Still, it is the language that gives the poem its true gist and flavour, with generous amounts of verbal irony and metaphor, most notably in "Where are the limbs out on which we once walked? Have they been, like, chopped down with the rest of the rain forest?" All of these send out an underlying message: We as the current generation(s) need to speak with more authority and be sure of what we say along with what we believe in. As "Totally Like Whatever, You Know?" puts it best: "...contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY. You have to speak with it, too."