Overheard on the Net: Bro, Armani, Incurable Diseases & Peace
by Thomas Frederick/Creative Commons
In this edition of “Overheard on the Net,” the comments have come out of a mixed bag – there are some that will make you cringe, laugh and feel all warm and tingly inside. Let’s get to them, shall we?
- I know he’s speaking Spanish, but you would think he is Armenian with the amount of times he says “bro”
Ah, yes. I’m not sure how prevalent the habit of calling your friend, compadre, counterpart if you will “bro” is in Armenian communities outside of Los Angeles, but it’s safe to say, it’s a staple phrase here, much like ridiculously flashy cars and Armenian girls who are fond of the, how shall I say it, stripey-zebra blond look (newsflash: you look pretty horrible). “Bro,” short for “brother,” can be heard quite frequently, especially if you’re in the 30 square mile radius known as Glendale.
- Does Kim Kardashian wear Armani because she is Armenian?
I guess this comment is the girl equivalent of the one above. I have no statistical facts to back this up in anyway, but I’m pretty certain that I can say the following: She doesn’t wear Armani because she’s Armenian, she wears Armani because she’s rich. loaded. unbelievable wealthy. Take your pick. However, it is in fact a true statement that a majority of Armenian girls do have an affinity for Armani. And Bebe. And Gucci. And Louis Vuitton. And [Insert any high priced ridiculously trendy high fashion here]. I have pondered the reasons for this phenomenon for a while and come up with a few theories, which I hope I can get to in another post. What I hope I don’t have to post about again, is people referencing Kim Kardashian all the time. This needs to stop.
- I’m finally beginning to realize that being an Armenian is like having an incurable disease.
Although I’m not sure what context this is said in or what prompted such a statement, I want you to know, dear commenter, that I know how you feel. Generally speaking, having an Armenian identity is hard – sometimes you feel misunderstood, other times you feel alone, you spend time trying to compensate for the sometimes ignorant and unpleasant actions of others who share your culture. But it’s ok. You can fight the disease and turn it into something better, something that you can coexist with and perhaps embrace. It might take time, or an unlikely event might cause a spark, but you’ll get there.
- I swear sometimes I feel like the only smokers left in the world are me and old Russian-Armenian taxi drivers
After observations about colloquialisms, affinity and loyalty to brands, we’ve reached another Armenian vice: smoking. One time, my boyfriend had to take a taxi in Los Angeles (unbelievable, I know) and sure enough, the driver turned out to be Armenian. He was a friendly man, who chatted him up, yet despite the driver’s polite banter, the only thing he was able to notice was a Snapple bottle, full up to to brim with used up cigarette butts. He could not get this image out of his head. The makeshift Snapple-cigarette tray haunted him and every time he told me about it, I cringed. When the taxis line up on the streets of Santa Monica, and you see Armenian men playing cards while they wait to drive tourists away into the L.A sunset, sure enough, you wont be able to get by without passing in a cloud of smoke.
- Today I’m gonna meet my friends. one Greek, one Armenian and one Turkish. peace, friendship forever and all racists r suck!
This is probably my favorite comment of all time, at this point. What a simple powerful statement. Even the slight broken English doesn’t deter the message from coming through, in fact, it enhances it. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was full of thoughts like this? And yes, I agree. Racists r suck!
