Don’t Fall Victim to Word Crimes

• Crisis
• August 12, 2014
• by Emily Turner

I have had the privilege—and yes, you read that correctly—privilege of seeing “Weird Al” Yankovic perform live on stage. He put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. His attention to detail and timing, fantastic costuming choices and famous word play in a live setting was just as impeccable as his recent hit, “Word Crimes,” a video parody of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Do me a favor and take a few minutes to watch it here to be reminded of some very valuable lessons and feel validated knowing that there are a lot of us out there who still care about proper English and grammar.

The truth is, it’s harder than ever not to fall victim to word crimes in this age of quicker, faster media consumption and the 24/7 nature of the world. However, when do word crimes (like saying you’re “doing good” when you really mean to say you’re “doing well”) equate to crisis time?

We preach the importance of reputation management for companies, but the same goes for you as a professional. I’m not even arguing for perfection the first time around. I am making the case for the necessity of proofreading. Consistently upgrading and refreshing your writing and speaking skills can have a positive effect—not to be confused with affect—on your organization and, most of all, on your personal reputation.

Oh, and don’t forget to sign the petition to have “Weird Al” chosen to headline the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show. I promise it will be a show you will never forget!