Okay wait, now I’m actually getting angry about Weird Al’s “Word Crimes” because everyone is saying something along the lines of “look at this amazing grammar lesson, instead of the old misogynistic version”.

But while pretty much any song is better than what Blurred Lines originally was, I'm not going to praise Weird Al for this one. (And believe me, I’m usually quite the Weird Al fan.)

This song directly mocks and devalues any form of English that doesn’t conform to the “standard” set by the upper and middle white classes. Any dialect, accent, or other linguistic system is seen as lesser in this video, and it’s black and white with this song’s language, no blurred lines about it. Remember: a linguistic system that functions in communication doesn’t have to be verified or validated by any official body.

On top of that, there is a point about education made that is severely classist, implying that not speaking in this prestige dialect is your own fault due to “not paying attention in second grade”, and judgment is passed on these people with ableist language about their intelligence and ability.

I want people to remain critical of this song. It’s better than Blurred Lines, but in the way that a bad cut is better than violent amputation. You don’t want either, and neither do I.