Project Mayhem

I’ve just invented my own word: dodzi. Well, actually, my nephew created it. One of the first words he learned was doggie, but it came out “dodzi.” Unfortunately, however, his limited vocabulary ensured that everything was a dodzi: a horse was a dodzi, a car was a dodzi, his brother was a dodzi, his … well, you know, was a dodzi. Anything and everything was a dodzi.

Dodzi, therefore, means, “Anything that is overused, generic or familiar to the point of being meaningless.” Consider dodzi my one-word expression of things that have jumped the shark … twice.

The word “creative,” for example, is dodzi, so is “unique.” Quoting Einstein, Aristotle, Roosevelt or Churchill is dodzi. Producing a colored bracelet or ribbon to represent your social cause is dodzi. Reality TV: definitely dodzi. Images of politicians attending a religious service: dodzi. The latest food, pill, beverage, herb, commodity, chemical or behavior that now causes (or prevents) cancer is dodzi. Athletes on steroids is dodzi. Celebrities in rehab is dodzi. Celebrities involved in the latest causes are dodzi. Award shows: dodzi. MySpace is dodzi. Corrupt CEOs (Redundant?) are dodzi. U.S. automakers complaining about fair trade is dodzi. The Clintons and Bushs: dodzi. Stories about clever Super Bowl ads are dodzi. OJ is dodzi. Hearing about the space station is dodzi. Evoking JFK comparisons during every election is dodzi. In fact, books about JFK are dodzi. Lying under oath is dodzi. Harry Potter is dodzi. Car chases on the news are dodzi. The world “like” is a dodzi. American Idol and stories about the winners and loser is dodzi. Diet books, drinks, pills, food are dodzi. Boxing is dodzi. Energy-saving light bulbs are dodzi, as is “Green living.” Sports analysts are dodzi. Hot teachers sleeping with their students: dodzi. Starbucks is dodzi. “The Simpsons” is dodzi. China is dodzi. SUVs are dodzi.

At this point, dodzi is getting dodzi. Anybody got any others?

– Jeremy