Bling-bling
Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy
Origins and popularization of the term
This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. (October 2020) |
In linguistics terms, bling is either an ideophone or an onomatopoeia, depending on the definition one uses, with bling-bling being its reduplication. Some have attributed the term to rappers that came before B.G., or to the old cartoonish sound effects meant to convey the desirability and or shininess of gold, gems, jewels, money, and more.[3]
Bling became increasingly entrenched within the
Mass usage
The word was added to the
The term was subsequently used for anyone displaying a luxurious and ostentatious lifestyle.[7][8][9]
In other languages
The term has spread to Spanish speaking countries around the world, with Latin hip-hop and reggaeton artists from places like Puerto Rico and Panama. The main nuance is that, in Spanish, it is often stylized and pronounced as "blin-blin".[10] Furthermore, the Spanish word blinblineo also refers to bling and its style. Similarly, in French, "bling" traditionally describes nouveau riche attitudes; such as "wearing expensive suits, stylish sunglasses and conspicuously large wristwatches" or anything that is ostentatious and can be considered of "poor taste".[11] In German, it is usually used as simply "Bling".[citation needed]
Criticism and response
The short film Bling: Consequences and Repercussions explains the troubled backstory of many of the diamonds jewelers often use to make the gaudy jewelry. Explicitly, the film takes issue with the fact that, occasionally, the diamonds were originally
From a different perspective, many people consider bling and its aesthetic as empowering, rather than literally and metaphorically likening the expensive chains to slavery.[13][14]
See also
- Hip-hop culture
- Braggadocio (rap)
- Grill (jewelry)
- Nameplate necklace
- General
- International
References
- ^ "Definition of BLING". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ISBN 978-1-932958-02-7.
- ^ Renee Tawa (July 9, 2003). "'Bling-bling' in the Oxford dictionary? That's phat". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ DONOVAN BARNETT (2023). "'A Brief History of Bling: Hip-Hop Jewelry Through the Ages". HIGHSNOBIETY.
- ^ "MTV: Bling Bling - Advertisement". MTV. Creativity Online. July 13, 2004. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ "15 Most Expensive Gold Chains In Hip Hop". Hatton Jewellers Blog. December 3, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Jason Moyo (April 4, 2012). "Preaching the gospel of bling". Mail & Guardian. South Africa/
- ^ Kate Bowler (October 9, 2013). "Believers in bling: Behold, the prosperity 'Preachers of L.A.'" Archived 2020-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. CNN.
- ^ "De choses et d'autres - Cachez ce bling-bling!". L'Indépendant. (May 14, 2020).
- ^ "Blin blin". Diccionario Libre. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ Crumley, Bruce (2007-12-20). "Sarkozy's 'Bling-Bling' Presidency". Time. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- ^ Edouard, Kareem (2009-03-02). "Bling: Consequences and Repercussions". WGHfilms.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
- ^ Thompson, Krista. Shine. p. 51.
- ^ Thompson, Krista. Shine. p. 100.