Guilty as charged:
The term BFF has morphed into a meaningless platitude due to extreme overuse.
Now, the term is even being used to hurl an insult.
The evidence: The
headline of a recent op-ed in the New York Times read, Rudy and Bernie: B.F.F.’s?
The popular acronym “best friends forever” (typically used with gushing
insincerity) was being used to criticize the blind loyalty that presidential candidate
Rudy Giuliani displays towards his friend, Bernie Kerik. A former NYC police
commissioner under the Mayor, Kerik was indicted last week on counts of tax fraud,
corruption and conspiracy. Many critics believe that in their relationship,
loyalty and friendship have trumped integrity.
What caught my eye---as a friendship blogger---is that the
acronym wasn’t being used, as it typically is, as a term of endearment. The headline
writer was using it pejoratively to describe a relationship that logically should
have long since ended.
And the big news:
Its appearance in the venerable Gray Lady suggests that the term BFF has moved
from an IM shortcut to the accepted lexicon of language and print.
“Whenever you read that a candidate ‘values loyalty above
all else’ — run for the hills,” wrote Times columnist Gail Collins. “Loyalty is
a terribly important consideration if you’re choosing a pet, but not a cabinet
member.”
Which again raises the question, should we maintain friendships
and keep friends whatever the cost?
by Irene S. Levine, PhD