Is dumb the new cool?

We all know, in one way or another, that the two reality television shows of Made in Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex have escalated massively in the past year in the lives of teenage TV lovers. It’s the topic of conversation of their everyday lives, sometimes a little too much. But how much do these programmes influence everyday language of Great Britain?

The phrase ‘dumb blonde’ is an understatement for the Essex television celebrities as they strut the streets in their ten inch heels and mile-long cheesy puff legs. The way they speak in a slow moving strong Essex accent creates an image of the audience which either they can relate too or laugh at, but for most, the programme is just a hilarious sitcom whereby people can laugh at the misfortune of the Essex stars. The light, fun and exciting television show allows us to escape into the lives of the airy-fairy Essex characters.

Introducing the ‘vajazzle’ and ‘glamping’ to the English vocabulary, the reality TV stars of ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ have created a buzz of new language to the teenage population all around Britain. It is very peculiar how the contemporary culture of the programme has such a strong influence on modern day slang of young adults. Not to mention the latest addition of ‘reem’, a term of endearment meaning ‘cool’  created by Joey Essex. His input to the teenage terminology system is tremendous, his catch phrase being ‘Don’t be jel, be reem.’ I suppose it doesn’t help with his charming good looks and warm personality. You will be surprised at the amount of us who use this phrase after it was leaked on television just months ago. 

Made in Chelsea is the latest addition to the reality TV soap opera collection and seems to be one of the most popular. Including over ten twenty something’s frolicking around in the high society of Chelsea’s embankment, they enjoy wining and dining each other to the highest of standards. The wealthy lives of the Made in Chelsea participants are only ones we dream of. Endless parties, holidays, dates and shopping trips are all they seem to do in their spare time whilst having moments of trouble with relationships on the way. In comparison to The Only Way is Essex, this programme contains a larger drama element, with ideology of what the highest point of life could be like if we lived in a society like theirs. This entertainment is supposedly ‘reality’ TV with undoubtedly a pinch of salt thrown into the mix.

The Only Way Is Essex cast aren’t the only victims of having contributions to the English language.  A donation of the word ‘wa*h’ (*add extra ‘As’ for emphasis) has been given to us by MIC star Jamie Laing. Meaning ‘good-looking’, the Chelsea boys often use this phrase to describe a girl they look for in a sexual partner. A very popular one given by the Made in Chelsea cast is ‘totes’, meaning ‘totally’. This contraction is said in a strong English accent and adds a hint of arrogance to the conversations within the Chelsea characters.

The interesting thing is, is that the language of Made in Chelsea characters does not seem to rub off on us television lovers as much as the language of TOWIE. Why is it that the working class dialogue is more influential than the higher class dialogue? Why is the RP accent, the language of power, rejected by young people? That’s what I would like to know. It’s almost as if we don’t want to sound intelligent or use a powerful and dominant accent but would rather speak in a way that familiarises ourselves with the middle class language, as if we don’t want to be anything but ordinary.

It is clear that the media influences contemporary slang in a way that no other popular culture can. It has become socially acceptable to dumb ourselves down in the language which we chose to speak. Surely we should all be aiming to be the best we can be, instead of laughing at those who are supposedly in a ‘higher’ class. It is strange that we chose to adopt the language of those who are less intelligent. In my opinion, the media is to blame. Why is it that the language of the higher class society is made fun of in the media? The emphasis on the stereotyping of higher class language users is tremendous. They play polo and drink tea whilst talking about splashing out money on useless and unnecessary items. We ‘make fun’ at those who are more successful.

What does this say about our society?