13. A Brief History of Dude

J. J. Gould, executive editor of TheAtlantic.com, writes about the word “dude”. The word “dude” has many connotations depending on the intonation and context. However, they all enforce a relationship of “solidarity without intimacy.” The author makes a parallel between “dude” and Mandarin, where intonation of a syllable can drastically change the word’s meaning. Similarly, “dude” can be used as thrilled appreciation or sober disapproval. Dictionaries struggle when defining “dude”, which is why they include many different meanings. Gould explains that its contemporary use began in the “Pacific Coast surfing culture” in the 60s and became “mainstream popular culture” in the 80s. Now, it implies a relationship of “laid-back camaraderie” among guys. Over time, it also applied to girls and gays. However, women and gays do use the word in different circumstances/connotations. The author explains that the term “dude” has evolved over the years and been applied in different “cultures”.

Gould does a brilliant job in writing his essay. First, he utilizes humor. For instance, he writes in the introductory paragraph, “It always implies the same thing: solidarity without intimacy. It says close, but dude, not too close.” The humor fulfills two purposes; it helps explains the ideas that are presented and it also makes the essay interesting and playful. Additionally, the author writes with an informal tone. The way he structure his sentences and paragraph resembles a conversation. The informal tone is also evidenced in the essay by the usage of the personal pronouns “I” and “you”, which indicates when Gould directly addresses the audience. The audience is probably young adults who are familiar with modern slang, due to the high number of slang used in the essay and the informal, playful tone the author uses to write. The usage of research information, quotes, and the dictionary definition also helps to support his claims and ideas. Gould remembers to include the sources of these so as to demonstrate his credibility. Overall, the author writes beautifully and does a great job in structuring his essay.

 http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/dude-transcends/309528/