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The following essay is property of Kitty. Please do not use or cite without permission. Thank you. WRITTEN: Spring 1999
"Slayer Speak" The Logic of a Nonstandard Dialect "I've never been frightened of being enlightened, but some things can go too far. Though sometimes I stammer or mix up my grammar, you get what the meanings are." - Ed Robertson, The Barenaked Ladies
Language never ceases to be fascinating. The way it sounds, the different dialects and vernaculars, all providing us with a little key that opens the door to people, cultures and, ultimately, human behavior. One of the coolest things about language, in my opinion, is that it is always in a constant state of flux and perpetual change. When we look at the history of the English language in particular, we discover that standards really only exist in particular times and places, and features and patterns that were considered nonstandard in one period of time become standard in another. (Gadda, 1993) And who better to start that cycle of change than the typical teenager. When we look at today's teens, who seem to have been developing their own dialect since the beginning of time, we see that their vernacular is not only interesting and fresh with regards to how they view life, but, in most cases, extremely logical as well. I think all too often adults not only neglect to give teens enough credit for what they say, but they tend to shun and disregard how they say it even more. Teenagers are a lot smarter than people give them credit for and their language, no matter how unusual it may sound, reflects that. And although there sometimes lies a dichotomy where teens seem totally oblivious to their surroundings, it doesn't necessarily mean they lack understanding or have nothing intelligent to say. William Labov, who did research on Black English Vernacular, tells us that "there is nothing in the vernacular which will interfere with the development of logical thought, for the logic of standard English cannot be distinguished from the logic of any other dialect by any test that we can find." And while I am not necessarily comparing "Slayer Speak" with everything that encompasses BEV, my point is, however, that teenagers, have a style of language, too, that is all their own. They maintain a sharpness in their language which helps them make sense of the world through their young eyes; a style and system that, like so many other nonstandard dialects, is highly structured (Labov, 1979) and should not be neglected or ignored. Labov demonstrates, through many of his interviews, how a complex argument can be summed up in a few words, with its full force coming through without qualification or reservation. And although the formulation is not standard English, it is still clear and effective even for those not familiar with the vernacular. This, I believe, is also true with the teenage vernacular. To explain my point further, I have chosen one of the favorite's in teenage pastimes: Watching television; which, as much as we might hate to admit, both dictates and reflects a great deal of what teens today are doing and saying. And as much as we would hope that what is bound between the pages of a book, or written in a credible newspaper or magazine is what influences teens, we must face the fact that the so-called "idiot box" is here to stay. Enter one of the most highly acclaimed (T.V. Guide, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today) television shows out there today: Buffy The Vampire Slayer. With it's popularity, much like The X Files, transcending the boundaries of teen viewers to adult pop-culture and cult status, Buffy not only has down what teens think and feel, but the show's teen characters essentially have their own version of the English language, providing them with a clever, witty edge. Being the "chosen one," Buffy is called upon to fight the vampires, the demons, the monsters, and any other evil that may come to plague the town of Sunnydale, which just happens to be conveniently located on top of a Hellmouth. Flanked by her loyal friends, "The Scooby Gang," and her ever faithful Watcher, the stuffy, but lovable Englishman, Rupert Giles, who loves the smell of old books and keeps his nose in ancient texts, Buffy is obviously not your typical teenager. Buffy: Do they know
about 'fun' in England? However, the writers of the show have done an excellent job in not only making Buffy and her friends (Xander, Willow and Cordelia) typical teens despite the horrors or Sunnydale, but they have also given them quick and witty, pop-culture metaphoric dialogue that, especially in contrast with Giles, gives them a believable quality which you can hear repeated on the streets and in the schools, not to mention plastered throughout the internet. Robert Bianco, television critic for USA Today, who placed Buffy on his list of top ten shows of 1998, distinguishes the show by its ability to juggle teen issues and clever horror. "Obviously, the writing and acting is strong. But I think what distinguishes Buffy is the cleverness of the defining metaphor - high school as a Hellmouth - and the ability that Joss (Whedon, creator of Buffy) has shown to take that metaphor in so many different directions without ever allowing the show to become predictable or absurd." Bianco also goes on to say that the sophistication of Buffy is so adept that it often tackles important teen issues better than more "serious" teen dramas on television today. The following are dialogue excerpts from the different episodes demonstrating the dialectal differences between Giles, Watcher/school librarian who uses the standard form of English, with that of Buffy and Xander. What I particularly like about these examples is the contrast between Giles, who wrestles with the perfect way to use the Queen's English, and the teenagers who brilliantly utilize wit and improvisation, twisting the language to make it their own. And while it is obvious that Buffy and Xander know exactly what Giles is saying, (and vice versa) they choose to use their own vernacular to sum it all up.
In addition, another interesting comparison can be made. Labov tells us that all linguists who work with BEV recognize it is a separate, highly structured system. Similar to what Labov was saying about this system - meaning that it differs from other dialects in regular and rule-governed ways - Slayer Speak, like the BEV, also has equivalent ways of expressing the same logical content. (Labov, 1979)
I think that these dialogue examples not only satisfy the fact that these teenagers have their own intelligent vernacular, but they also defunct the notion that a good speaker is one who only uses standard English. Labov reminds us in his study that people who use "middle-class verbosity" are usually credited with saying something intelligent because it is a stylistic device of an educated person. But, as Labov also points out, although someone may be more educated, like Giles, for instance, it doesn't necessarily mean he is more rational, logical or intelligent than Buffy and her friends; and there is no reason to think that he is any better at solving problems either. "All too often, standard English is represented by a style that is simultaneously overparticular and vague.... It is this verbosity which is most easily taught and most easily learned, so that words take the place of thoughts, and nothing can be found behind them." (Labov, 1979) I think I can safely say that Slayer Speak is anything but overparticular and vague, with words and thoughts co-existing in harmonious synergy, instead of overshadowing, with meanings and intent lost in verbiage. Another interesting idea regarding the language of teens the influence of the peer group. Much like how teenagers are influenced by the language that appears on television, they are also greatly influenced by the language of their friends, not to mention their hormones. Teenagers are social creatures in need of constant stimulation and, according to Labov, the social situation is the most powerful determinant of verbal behavior, and their language is restructured to fit the rules used by their peer group. Also, from a linguistic point of view, the peer group is even a more powerful influence than the family, (Labov, 1979) or even that of a Watcher attempting to influence his Slayer. In this first scene, Buffy attempts to infer to Giles that she needs a break from slaying to go out on a date. In the second scene, Buffy struggles to explain to Giles that Xander's unusual teen behavior is far from a normal occurrence. And in the third scene, Xander and Cordelia amusingly demonstrate peer influence.
In my opinion, it is obvious that Slayer Speak is an intelligent language style that is emulated by "real teens" in the "real world," but the notion of teen language as a whole, and whether or not it is, or should be considered academic, is another interesting concept for contemplation. In Joseph Harris's study on community, he explains the popular debate over whether students should have a "right to their own language," or be taught the ways and forms of "academic discourse." He notes, however, that we all belong to "different and fairly distinct communities of discourse, that we (professors) have 'our' 'academic' discourse and they (the students) have 'their own' 'common' ones. The choice is one between opposing fictions. The 'languages' that our students bring to us cannot but have been shaped, at least in part, by their experiences in school, and thus must, in some ways, already be 'academic.'" (Harris, 1989) I can help but agree with this idea, and Buffy's Slayer Speak seems to agree with it as well. By giving teens, like Buffy and her friends, for example, a right to their own language, a right to express themselves in a way that is familiar and logical to them, they have confidence in themselves and in their actions. And since the show takes place primarily on school grounds, in the library in particular, Harris's idea comes into focus even more. Although, at times, Buffy and her friends get into considerable amounts of trouble, they are always in school, they are regularly seen going to, as well as in class, and they are all, with the purposeful exception of Xander, college bound with respectably high SAT scores. Despite their seemingly unorthodox, nonstandard language style, these teens are smart and their intellect shines through. In this first scene, Giles, confronted by the principal of Sunnydale High, defends Buffy, and students in general. In the second scene, Willow, Buffy and Xander, once again, use their own language style to demonstrate the importance, as well as the horrors, of school.
Language, in my opinion, is a lot like music. Some musicians play with a classical or traditional style, while others prefer newer or different styles, taking from what has already been done, improving, experimenting and improvising with the music until they have essentially written something eclectic that is all their own. It is the stylistic differences that should be respected and celebrated. That is what makes music interesting, that is what makes language interesting. It should not be about favoring one form of language, dialect or vernacular over another, or to say that, perhaps, one is better. In this case, both standard and nonstandard dialects should not only be seen as valid art forms, but as valid forms of the English language that should be appreciated for their uniqueness and diversity.
Works Cited Labov, William, "The Logic of Nonstandard English," 1979, reprinted in Language Issues: Readings for Teachers, by Diane Bennett Durkin, 1995, (pp. 281-314) Longman Publishers, NY. Harris, Joseph, "The Idea of Community in the Study of Writing," College Composition and Communication, Vol. 40, No. 1, February 1989. (pp. 11-22) Bianco, Robert, "Buffy Makes the Grade" Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer 1999.
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