1. A one–gal crusade against lol or LOL is completely exhausting.
2. No one joined my anti-LOL Facebook group. Ok, I never actually started the group but only because I was so tired from the aforementioned one–gal crusade.
3. I need to conserve my energy for wondering why Nate and Blair, who have absolutely no chemistry, would possibly get back together on “GG.” Boy, those 23 year-old writers must think we old broads will believe anything.
4. Even though it’s completely overused, LOL is indeed a compliment. Or it means that someone hasn’t read your post but knows you bill yourself as a humor writer so they figure, what the hell, she’ll never know the difference. But either way, it’s still more of a compliment than “You suck.”
5. Even my real estate broker writes LOL in his emails which means this acronym has seriously gone mainstream and the momentum just can’t be stopped. I know my mother is going to get wind of this soon enough. Of course, at this moment, she’s reading this and wondering what it stands for. Laughing Out Loud, mom. That will keep her from getting all crazy with the google.
6. Marinka uses LOL so it must be cool.
7. I feel like a bully targeting LOL when LMAO, ROFL and HeHe are out there and spreading like princess glitter and Legos.
8. I was afraid all the other bloggers would start mocking me for being an LOL virgin. Word was getting out. And frankly, it’s embarrassing at my age.
9. I can’t hate LOL because it’s a vital part of my newest acronym… LOLEMCCE: Laughing Out Loud while Eating Matzoh and Cadbury Creme Eggs. It’s interfaith and seasonal. Feel free to use it liberally.
Can you believe I didn’t bother to come up with a number 10? I mean, seriously would it be that hard to think of one more stupid reason? Man, am I super lame, or what? lol.
mama bird notes:
As you know, I recently had the opportunity to have my DNA analyzed by a new genetics company, 23andMe. I learned a lot of great information about my risk for certain diseases, my ancestry and my personal traits. But to find all this out, first I had to spit. I’m writing about the experience each week on the 23andMe website. Here’s an excerpt from my latest post.
“How difficult can spitting be? Just a few months ago, I sat in the front row of this Off Broadway one man show and the actor let his saliva fly for 70 straight minutes. I could have done his genotyping right there. Spitting looked pretty darn easy. When I recently sat down to fill up my 23andMe spit vial, I figured it would take a minute or two. Except trying to generate all that saliva was actually kind of hard…”
To read more of this post and check out the 23andMe community, click here.
Finally, I just want send my love and prayers to the Spohr family. They lost their little girl Maddie this week and there are just no words. My heart hurts for them. They are asking for contributions to the March of Dimes. Please click here to contribute.
44 Responses to 9 reasons why I am ending my crusade against the use of lol
Leave a Reply to HeatherPride Cancel reply
kelcey kintner
I have to say, I’m not a fan of the LOL or the ROFL or the other horrible acronyms. But I also hate emoticons and use them willy nilly because otherwise I get misunderstood. Evidently sarcasm doesn’t translate well to the written word. 🙂 LOL!
I use Ha! or a cool Heh. instead, depending on what’s been said. But I use the smiley face emoticon way too much, and the wink.
There’s your next campaign right there, in case you get bored.
number 10 could be the awful confusion that could arise between wondering whether it’s a laugh out loud or a lots of love!!! happy easter!
Dude. Nate and Blair. WTH????
using lol always makes me feel like I’m 15 and acting like me daughter. I always tell her I can be cool! Whatever Mom stop writing lol and other young things!
PS you are damn funny -DF !
i hate ROFLMAO because really, i’ve never been that funny in real life, i KNOW i’m not that funny anywhere else.
I don’t think I’ve ever used lol, or any of the “laughing” acronyms. I’m not big on heh, eh, or meh, and I know I do the little winky face too much ;). I would have joined your crusade… next time, pick me!
Well, this is awkward. I just made a Passover resolution to stop using it.
Great list!
Wow. It lifts my heart to know I’m not the only anti-LOL-er out there!
Nate and Blair getting back together feels like the writers are running out of ideas. At least in the books when they get back together, it felt more organic and real (not that it lasted…). GG needs some new blood for hook-ups!
I can honestly say I have never used it in a blog comment, email however- yes various forms of LOL have flowed from my keyboard, and their now I have used it in a comment too.
My 13 year old son uses ROFL in conversation. I just can’t have that. It’s not right.
But I don’t mind it on the boards.
I boycotted lol years ago. Now I use haha or hehe – because that is closer to my real sound of laughter. I just saw ROFL for the first time when I joined the blog world last year and I will never use it. The previous sentence doesn’t count!
I’m embarrassed to tell you how long it took me to figure out what ROFL means. Are we in THAT much of a hurry that we need to use acronyms for everything? FYI, I”m over it.
It took me the longest time to learn that acronym DOESN’T stand for “lots of luck.” I kept trying to apply it to jokes, humorous toddler stories and embarrassing elevator moments.
Finally, a thirtysomethng provided the current translation for me and life has made much more sense.
LOL! OMG! This post totally made me LOL! IDKY (I don’t know why) it just totally did. Now I’m ROTFLMAO. Must GAG (get a grip – I just made that one up)
TTFN.
UR BFF,
Bekki
I am probably one of the biggest abusers of LOL or as I always use it, *lol* . I use it everywhere. I’m surprised, when I recently wrote to one of my state Senators and found some of her votes to be laughable, that I didn’t use it in that letter.
Well, now that I think about it….maybe I did? Perhaps that’s why I never got a response.
I was totally with you on the anti-lol band wagon … until my father-in-law threw it into a text message. I’m not sure whether to be more horrified that he used LOL or that he actual knows how to text message. ha.
I wrote of Matzo and Cadbury Creme Eggs today, but not in the same sentence. This is way you are a comic genius.
Ummm…motzoh and Cadbury creme eggs. That sounds kinda good. I’ll have to try that combo…
I have to say I disagree with you about LOL… I believe anything that let’s people know that they are making you laugh is fine by me! I do agree with the whole GG thing! ha ha
My heart broke when I read about little Maddie. I went right to paypal and made a contribution! We should count our blessings that our children are healthy.
Enjoy the Matzo and Cadbury Creme Eggs! Have a great weekend!
I see everything that Marinka says as a “must say”.
#10 should be something about the cats. Won’t someone think of the lolcats?
Okay, this is embarrassing, but I just had to google “ROFL”. Mom, it means rolling on the floor laughing. Man, that’s extreme.
i had no idea what LOL meant until I started blogging. Now I don’t know what ROFL means.
While I am not a fan of internet slang abbreviations, I do find myself falling into their traps, occasionally…
I’ve always typed “Pftz” in various forms of capitalization.. since before blogging, when I was merely sending emails decades ago. It sounds more or less how I laugh, whether I’m blowing Dr. Pepper across the room or snickering. Rarely do people know what I’m talking about when I type it – but “LOL” makes me crazy. I would have joined your crusade. I say DON’T give up!! To me, it sounds like “lull” or “lawl” which makes me think of this lady down the street when I was little going “lawl mercy” – and I just can’t HANDLE it.
Either way, I continue with “pftz” because I would rather type a sound than a bad hick memory.
I’m ok with LOL because I know what it means. However, some of those other acronyms leave me feeling lonely and left out. It hurts my feelings a little to know that I’m so out of the loop and that the cool kids won’t play with me.
Yeah, that’s pretty pathetic, huh? LOL!
I, too, am a hater of LOL but a lover of Maddie! I still can’t believe the news. So utterly sad. I am nowhere near L.A. but I am planning on wearing purple on Tuesday as a tribute. I feel like I knew them all personally. Sweet baby. So sad.
You know…I’m not a big LOLer…perhaps I’m too serious? Maybe I’m over thinking it…
I only use LOL when I actually LOL and I LOL’d at number 3! WTH? This old broad can’t figure it out either! Go BLUCK! Or CHAIR! Whichever!
I never use lol. Maybe because I rarely actually laugh out loud. I’m more of an internal chuckler. When I do laugh out out, whatever made me laugh must be REALLY FUNNY and then “lol” seems inadequate.
Darn! Why didn’t you tell me? I could have let you know that you weren’t the only one. When I started blogging, I swore to myself that if I started using certain acronyms, I would quit. And I never have. I would have joined your Facebook group.
Although, now that I’ve been blogging a while? I don’t mind seeing those acronyms at all. I’ve totally drunk the KoolAid.
I’m embarrassed to say that it took me the longest time to figure out what LOL meant. Sadly, I still don’t know what many of the other acronyms are… clearly I lead too sheltered of a life!
My 19 year old daughter reads my blog and all my commenters. She says LOL is way outdated and no one her age uses it anymore…. But at 51, I think it would be more sad if I tried to be cool by my 19 year old’s standards.
Worst is when someone SAYS “LOL…”
I want T-Shirts made that say, “You keep SAYING ‘LOL;” I do not think it means what you think it means…”
I used to be on a crusade against LOL, too. Then I gave up because it seems to not be going away. I refuse to use it in any way other than sarcastically, though – and then, I usually spell it out ala “ell oh ell”
i am briefly poking my head out from my self imposed blogosphere exile to comment on this post because i seriously hate LOL. bleh. typing it just then made me regurgitate a little. when someone uses LOL, i automatically classify them with the people that have “@aol.com” email accounts. nuff said.
It’s really tempting to just comment ‘lol’ but no, I can resist. I get lazy and use it, especially when I’m not sure if someone will understand that I’m being sarcastic. But, I’m not a huge fan. It does seem to be here to stay.
I never hated LOL before reading you. Now I’m confused and depressed, searching for the meaning of humor. How do we convey such laughter in the face of impersonal, computer interactions?
If only Stumbleupon had guided me to you sooner, I totally would have joined your crusade. I might have even taken the time to set up the Facebook group because LOL needs to DIE A PAINFUL DEATH.
Hehe.
LOLEMCCE – Hope all your holidays were happy! No Nate and Blair. Great post! xoxo
I had no idea that LOL had been causing you undue anxiety; poor thing. I promise not to use LOL in my comments. FRB (frowning really big).
Hey Mama Bird, I found this while looking up Lol Creme (an actual guy, not a chocolate egg!) Happy tenth anniversary to your crusade!