As many readers of my articles at The Battalion likely know, I’m something of a Skibidi Toilet enjoyer.
Although my belief in the artistic integrity of the Skibidi Toilet series remains firm, I’ve noticed a concerning phenomenon surrounding this and other Generation Alpha “brainrot” which is completely unrelated to any artistic merit therein — a phenomenon which urgently demands an explanation and critique.
Specifically, a dislike has arisen among older people of not just the Skibidi Toilet series, but of the entire culture and language of Gen Alpha.
Consider, for example, the seminal ballad: “Sticking Out Your Gyatt for The Rizzler.” A brief excerpt of this work reads as follows:
“Sticking out your gyatt for the rizzler
You’re so skibidi
You’re so fanum tax
I just wanna be your sigma
Freaking come here
Give me your Ohio”
At first glance, the ballad may seem meaningless. To that point, many have attacked it, calling it “nonsense,” “useless” or “brainrot” — which was originally a pejorative term — and just generally deriding it. Some are against it in jest, while others oppose it with ferocity.
You may be tempted to agree with them. However, I’d like to suggest an alternative perspective: Instead of looking at new Gen Alpha terms as brainrot, we should look at them as unique and valuable cultural expressions — ones which we should adopt ourselves.
Why? Two reasons.
First, Gen Alpha language often incorporates unique semantic meaning that cannot be found anywhere else in the English language.
Consider the word “skibidi.” It can be used in a number of ways, all of which I verified with an accredited Generation Alpha linguist.
First, you could say skibidi in reference to the Skibidi Toilet series or the skibidi toilets themselves. Obviously, this would carry a very literal meeting.
Second, you could say something like “that’s not very skibidi.” That would basically be equating skibidi with something like “good” or “acceptable.”
Third, you could say “you’re a skibidi,” which is essentially the equivalent of calling someone stupid. And I promise you, when you call someone you dislike a “skibidi,” it’s an insult they won’t soon forget.
The usage of this term — like a lot of other Gen Alpha terms — is essentially dependent on context. The context-dependent nature of these terms is what makes them so powerful, and one of the reasons I continue to use them in my daily life.
In light of that fact, we can reexamine lines like “You’re so skibidi” in a number of different ways, each one opening up new interpretations of the ballad. These permutations only multiply when we inquire about the nature of “fanum tax” and “sigma,” each of which has special meaning in certain contexts. In short, these words aren’t just powerful; they’re meaningful.
If you can’t see the artistic and semantic value exposed through an illumination of a mere fraction of the Generation Alpha lexicon, you might just be a “skibidi” yourself.
Putting aside the special meanings of these terms, I think we have to consider another — more important — reason to use Generation Alpha language. Simply put, if you don’t use Gen Alpha terms, you’re a xenophobe.
Ageist prejudices often underlie deep discriminatory attitudes, and these things don’t just come out when you’re dealing with the people of a generation; they come out just as often when you interact with that generation’s cultural artifacts and expressions.
Whether it’s The Beatles, Skibidi Toilet or skinny jeans, we need to respect the cultural expressions of each generation. It isn’t enough to merely tolerate these expressions; we must adopt them as our own.
I say Gen Alpha is the most “fanum taxed” (or oppressed, for those not educated) group on the planet. Will you skibidify your life and help us fight back?
Kaleb Blizzard is a philosophy sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion.
