Vaticanever Get it Right

Happy All Saints Day, now let’s bash the Vatican. I’m not even going to get into everything the Vatican does wrong, only the most recent one because if you’re a normal citizen, you should be offended by it. They say today that they may eventually limit visits to the Sistine Chapel because the public doesn’t follow the rules, basically. Okay, that’s fair enough, so what rules do they break when they go there? Vandalism? Anything moderately serious? According to this article, the public “unwittingly risked damaging the frescoes with their breath, their perspiration, the dust on their shoes and their body heat.”

…..So they don’t want the public going to see one of the most important and awe inspiring paintings on earth because we breathe, sweat, and dust clings to us when we walk. Here comes the irony, part of the painting is titled The Creation of Adam, where it shows god giving life to man. So here is the logic the Vatican is using.

God makes man, makes man have to breathe and sweat, man worships god, paints chapel to praise him, Vatican says we cannot praise him there anymore because we breathe and sweat. So the Vatican is blaming God essentially. Wouldn’t God not care if our breath wore out his paintings? Or are they doing it to preserve a historical artifact? Because paintings can be treated and maintained for a very long time if you take care of them, so that can’t be the reason. Also, how much can our breath and sweat and dust REALLY be affecting it? It’s on the god damn ceiling for Christ sake.

A Brief History of Swag

The word “swag” is seemingly becoming more and more prevalent in today’s culture. It has burst onto the mainstream scene from relative obscurity over the past five years and shows little intent on slowing down. To fully understand how this has happened, the origin of the word must first be understood. A common misconception is that “swag” is a shortened form of the word “swagger”, “swag” is indeed its own word dating back to 1593, meaning controlling influence. Previous to this definition, “swag” meant loot or booty. Numerous prestigious authors have used the word “swag,” a word that many people consider slang. One ample reason that people interpret “swag” as slang is the use of the word in hip-hop lyrics and in the media.

The first time that I was introduced to the word through hip-hop was in “All I Need” by Jay-Z, which was released in 2001. Like numerous other trends in hip-hop, it started in New York. Fellow New Yorker and recording artist DMX also used the word “swagger” in his song “We In Here,” but the word id not hit the U.S. Billboard Top 100 until the T.I. hit “Swagga Like Us” in 2008. Interestingly enough, Jay-Z was featured on the track as well as other platinum recording artists Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne. But the word “swagga” is a shortened form of “swagger,” so it is not technically the word “swag.” It did not take long for swag to hit the charts, just one year later in 2009 when Soulja Boy released the song “Turn My Swag On,” which hit 19th on the U.S. Billboard Top 100 and 3rd on the U.S. Billboard Top 100 Hot Tracks. Being on the charts two years in a row after hardly being used as a common idiom is a true feat for a word. It transformed it to more than a word; it became a goal for hip-hop fans around the world, to possess swag. Hip-hop fans hunger for that almost indescribable mixture of confidence and style that their favorite artists are rapping about. Going back to the original definition meaning “controlling influence,” it is apparent that these rappers do indeed procure swag.

Terms that hip-hop artists invent sometimes fuse into culture. A good example of hip-hop word fusion is the term “Benjamin,” meaning hundred dollar bill. Merriam Webster recently added it to the actual dictionary; clearly it is here to stay. I believe the same to be true for “swag.” Although it has been a legitimate word for hundreds of years, its popularity is just now peaking. It has truly transcended music and become culture, which is the ultimate stamp of approval. It is still merely a trend, but the test of time is a test that cannot be hurried. Swag.