Cut Down to Size
Recently, the founder of a well-respected travel guide for women was overheard describing her publication thusly: “It’s kinda high glamour, luxury, kind of Sex-and-the-City, kind of SJP.” Right.
Aside from pinning the tail directly on the demographic donkey, this is a doubly interesting statement. First, it demonstrates how easily cultural institutions like Sex and the City can become adjectives (a fact already known to anyone who has listened to a musician describe his/her band as “kinda Pavement, kinda Creedence, kinda Morissey”). Second, it demonstrates that Sarah Jessica Parker is not only an adjective, but an acronym as well.
I will concede that “SJP” isn’t standard issue for America at large. But it’s not the first time I’ve encountered it, nor is it my first personality acronym. While in college and rooming with film students, “Paul Thomas Anderson” was frequently cut down to “PTA” for convenience’s sake. I’ve also heard, in the lit-crit circle, “David Foster Wallace” as “DFW.” I’m sure there are more. Three general observation on these celebcronyms:
1. They spring up in communities where the celeb in question is referred to with such regularity that it becomes awkward to say (or type) the full name each time around.
2. The acronym rolls off the tongue, otherwise it can’t get traction.
3. The celebrity must have a three-component name. Even though Leonardo DiCaprio has a beefy eight syllables (SJP, in her elongated form, weighs in at seven), you won’t hear “LD” tossed around.
People have been shortening celeb names in various ways since forever (personal favorite: Paul McCartney, in British press-speak is “Macca”). However, these shortenings generally seem to be constructions of the media. More specifically, members of the media who must fit celebrity names into constrained headline space. Celebcronyms, on the other hand, are all fan-made, probably because they require deep levels of insider knowledge to decode. At least, that’s true initially. If planted in the right conditions, they could hypothetically grow to the size of a “JFK” or an “MLK.” All due respect, don't expect it from SJP.
Aside from pinning the tail directly on the demographic donkey, this is a doubly interesting statement. First, it demonstrates how easily cultural institutions like Sex and the City can become adjectives (a fact already known to anyone who has listened to a musician describe his/her band as “kinda Pavement, kinda Creedence, kinda Morissey”). Second, it demonstrates that Sarah Jessica Parker is not only an adjective, but an acronym as well.
I will concede that “SJP” isn’t standard issue for America at large. But it’s not the first time I’ve encountered it, nor is it my first personality acronym. While in college and rooming with film students, “Paul Thomas Anderson” was frequently cut down to “PTA” for convenience’s sake. I’ve also heard, in the lit-crit circle, “David Foster Wallace” as “DFW.” I’m sure there are more. Three general observation on these celebcronyms:
1. They spring up in communities where the celeb in question is referred to with such regularity that it becomes awkward to say (or type) the full name each time around.
2. The acronym rolls off the tongue, otherwise it can’t get traction.
3. The celebrity must have a three-component name. Even though Leonardo DiCaprio has a beefy eight syllables (SJP, in her elongated form, weighs in at seven), you won’t hear “LD” tossed around.
People have been shortening celeb names in various ways since forever (personal favorite: Paul McCartney, in British press-speak is “Macca”). However, these shortenings generally seem to be constructions of the media. More specifically, members of the media who must fit celebrity names into constrained headline space. Celebcronyms, on the other hand, are all fan-made, probably because they require deep levels of insider knowledge to decode. At least, that’s true initially. If planted in the right conditions, they could hypothetically grow to the size of a “JFK” or an “MLK.” All due respect, don't expect it from SJP.
posted by John S. at 3:42 PM
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