'Is Dead' Isn't Dead-But Maybe It Should Be

摘要

When was the last time you read some piece of econtent (or print content) proclaiming "X is dead"-where X is something other than a person who's recently deceased? Five minutes ago? An hour ago? Yesterday? Unless you're luckier than most or read only in rarefied circles, I'll bet it's been less than a week-probably a lot less. I'll also bet that X is not dead. It's gone beyond cliche to the point that it weakens stories to which it's attached. Many stories that use it are sloppy futurism, equating "weaker than it was a year ago" with "dead or about to be," which isn't the way most things work. Others just ache for attention, such as articles that explicitly say, "OK, so X is not dead" after a paragraph or two of sensationalism. I believe the usage itself should die.