Fire

In the mid-1980's, there was a rap song called the Pee Wee Herman.  It was made by people you'd never hear of again if it wasn't for YouTube.  It had a lyric that included a made up word: stupid-id-ily as in, "Just act like Pee Wee very stupid-id-ily."  Gotsta make that rhyme...

I think they were trying to start a dance craze.  You know, hands crossed at the wrists fists shaking in front then hands crossed at the wrists fists shaking in back while walking in that deliberate, extra knee bendy way. In his classic film Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Pee Wee hears the song Tequila and starts dancing in this career defining way.  I cannot remember why.  Alls I know is these rappers, whoever there are, were interested in taking this dance to the people.  

It's a weird thing when you try to start a trend.  Unless you are some marketing wizard, to keep repeating a something in hopes that your spark of creativity starts a forest fire that'll sweep the countryside, well, it might take off or you might be called an arsonist.  Trends need to seem authentic.  I've tried to start the forest fire and irritatingly (irritate-ing-le-lee) none ever burned a goddamned thing.  Check it:

Ellens - This was right after Ellen Degeneres came out on TV and got her show cancelled.  I felt "Ellen" was a perfect term for lesbian, particularly lesbians of the rumpled, preppy, Berkeley mom persuasion (capri pants, golf shirt, Tevas).  Example sentence: Those Ellens on table five need their ice teas refilled.

Muffin - Think Noel and Liam Gallagher circa 1996.  It was the haircut du jour for a certain type of white guy one would see working in a record store or combing the racks of the Salvation Army for yet another pair of ill-fitting polyester Levis.  The "butter on the muffin" referred to the kid whose parents supported him financially, grandly, and still, his jacket was two sizes too small.  This guy and his current music and fashion needs is now called hipster.  I don't like this word.  Muffin is better.  But the hairstyle, the look n'existe pas and therefore, it cannot live.  Sigh.

Fascination - I was a spirited junior high schooler and thought, "Why ask someone how they're doing when you could ask, 'What's your fascination?'"  Needless to say, little Bouvier was wildly misunderstood just like current Bouvier.  

It's hard trying to start a fire.  Damn hard.