musitorial noun, a mashup of music, musings and
editorials, music and song that evokes thought and commentary.
Today’s musitorial has been inspired in part by Little
Stevie Wonder’s oft-repeated parting words: “see ya!”
In truth, I don’t really know if it is or was repeated ‘oft,’
but he did say it at least once – on Bob Dylan’s The 30th Anniversary
Concert Celebration (1993, producers Jeff Kramer Jeff Rosen Don DeVito, Columbia)
concert and double album. That album featured a long list of iconic musicians
performing Dylan’s songs. “Little” Stevie Wonder did “Blowin’ in the Wind”
(orig. 1963, Columbia Recording, John H. Hammond, prod.) – an unbeatable rendition
at the end of which he (Wonder) signed off saying, “see ya!” Very funny. As
everyone knows, Stevie wonder is blind since shortly after birth.
Little Stevie is not directly connected with my musings
today, but seeing is.
I have long been perplexed, even perturbed by the
oft-repeated parting words of radio hosts (and of regular columnists) who depart
saying “see you tomorrow” (as the case may be).
Stop saying that – puhleeze!
No, you won’t see them tomorrow, or in the foreseeable
future unless they will be in the studio tomorrow. No, you won’t see me
tomorrow or in the foreseeable future either – possible never.
Am I being overly pedantic? Perhaps. But surely there’s at
least one final space in the mediasphere wherein precision in language counts
for something.
Not long ago, I heard an on-ait newsreader us the term “T-bone”
to describe a traffic accident. Geez, is nothing sacred? When I log onto
Facebook I am challenged to make sure I’m “not a robot,” but when I successfully
pass the test, I am told: “I’m not a robot.” Surely it should say “you’re” not
a robot?
Anyway, in recent years I’ve found it interesting that some
language roles have shifted – even reversed. Where the aforementioned radio
hosts are gradually losing language precision in favour of the colloquial, many
previously down-to-earth and even inarticulate occupations have been increasingly
pedantic. In particular, a new level of professionalism is evident among
firefighters and law enforcement professionals.
This is not, I repeat not to denigrate those actors. Indeed,
I am by no means perfect either, and at my advanced age I sometimes have to
accept the first words that are closest to what I think I’m saying. However, I
wish the firefighter next door didn’t have to say he and his colleagues “knocked
down” a fire at a “domicile” that was the result of an “incendiary
conflagration,” etc.
Just what am I saying? Is there a need for a grammarian
version of language police, or should we let language-use evolve willy-nilly. I’m
of two minds about that – or somewhere in between, I guess.
Of course language use should evolve. No question in my mind
that, as our awareness and knowledge of our world evolves, words, definitions
and ideas all evolve accordingly, rightfully. Just think of some of the words
we now know are absolutely unacceptable but were in everyday use forty or fifty
years ago and have been eclipsed by new understandings and sensitivities – a
couple of which haven’t left my lips in decades.
I think my original point was more about precision in
definitions and usage and whom should be the keepers of same. Well, one “whom”
is school teachers. This is not to say that teachers ought to flog users of
slang (as they once did), but they should be prepared to keep them in use.
The other “keepers” should be media, and I guess that’s
where we came in. I wouldn’t expect that “The Little General,” Ronny Bourgeois,[1] on
CKCW in Moncton, NB, should be careful to use biblical references during his
broadcasts of 1960s commercial Rock and Roll hit parades, but I would prefer
and request that our national broadcaster, CBC, be mindful of the difference. “See”?
=30=
Link to Wikipedia entry about the venerable Little
Stevie Wonder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder
Link to Wikipedia entry about the song, “Blowin’ in
the Wind”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowin%27_in_the_Wind
Link to Wikipedia entry about The 30th Anniversary
Concert Celebration double album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_30th_Anniversary_Concert_Celebration
Link to Wikipedia entry on CKCW-FM (formerly AM): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKCW-FM
Link to a Facebook post (Old Moncton Photos, Travis O'Toole,
May 20, 2025) about “The Little General,” Ronnie Bourgeois: https://www.facebook.com/groups/20642950449/posts/10163506688065450/
[1]
Bourgeois also hosted the CKCW-TV show, Top Ten Plus, in the same era.
My friend in those days (Ed Savard) had an “in” with The Little General, in
that his older sister (Sharon) worked at CKCW, so Ed and I were among the
privileged few to visit the station’s remote broadcast trailer when The Little
General was on site – usually at the A&W drive-in on Mountain Road
(Moncton). I was on the dance floor of Top Ten Plus once. I won a
paisley belt that coincidentally matched one of my paisley shirts. Lucky me!
