It is a takeoff on someone talking through a new retainer (as in braces - for teeth).

Origins: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ermahgerd

A lisp is the 'th' sound in place of an 's'. No 's' in Oh My God. Ermahgerd is vowel based, not consonant.

took a whole 30 seconds on google.

But lets play it your way. Making fun of people with a retainer is FUN!

as have several friends with varying horror stories of braces, retainers and dental visits from hell. I've had to pry tender inner cheek skin out of braces for students before. That in itself is horrible and traumatic, let alone head gear, retainers, wires, other scary things.

Not pickin' on you bunnies but I'm guessing a lot of people had no idea what that meme meant. I have never used the phrase but have seen it (on a goofy kitten picture) and had no idea it was being cruel to anyone.

Maybe we just take this as a teachable moment: "Hey DU, that whole Ermagod thing is really offensive to people with speech issues. It can make them feel bad. Can we set an example and stop using it?"

Most people in here have amazing hearts and we are all eagerly seeking knowledge or we wouldn't be on here. I personally vow to never use it from you point out it is offensive. I want to be enlightened, but, jeez, you don't have to get so mad at us.

But thats the thing that sticks in my craw. As you suspect, "a lot of people had no idea what that meme meant"... yet they defend it and use it repeatedly anyway. As usual, you said it in a way more articulate way than I. Sometimes the hypocrisy just eats at me. If this were a meme about overweight people with talking with a mouthful it would be viewed as the most offensive thing ever. But because it mocks those with speech issues, dentalwork inspired or otherwise, its totally ok here. ugh.

I think, at least with the Romeny meme, it actually looked pretty funny all on its own, not knowing what it meant. So, I know I for one, felt a little guilty for thinking it was funny when I found out what it meant. I just assumed it was some teen movie or south park episode that I hand't seen but it still just looked funny. Anything that makes romney look stupid, i tend to like.

But I don't need to use a disability for a laugh or harm some poor kid's ego just because they are stuck with a retainer. Like I said, I'll know better next time.

Jurst how hertless er u, jberryherl?

No - I am not offended, but by all means - do carry on.

Forums have been destroyed faster and more thoroughly by word nitpickers than by trolls and factionalization.

Right?

word police suck. Or does does that only apply to "certain" words...

It isn't pretty.

But Im not generally a word policewoman. This is my first foray into the genre. Cut me a little slack.

And so fking tiresome. There are some words that are inappropriate for DU. What gives me that dull ache behind my eyes are the people who data-mine DU looking for new things to work themselves into poutrage about.

witnessed or understands. It's often used with great affection or as a self-deprecating term. "I just met Obama, and basically all I said was 'ermergerd.'" "I went to the grocery store, and EHMERGERD, MALLOWCREME PERMKINS!"

Most of the time it's used, it's supposed to sound like an early teenager. Just as "Ohmigod" was a hallmark of val-speak, this was val-speak as spoken by a young teen just getting used to braces.

I didn't know what it was all about either. Then again, I'm old. I'm not supposed to know this stuff.

but if it was supposed to be a way of ridiculing Southern accents, I'd be all over you for Dixie-bashing.

I think it's Valley Girl speak for 'oh my god'

on her dad Frank's tune "Valley Girl" almost thirty years ago.

Lighten up, Francis.

wabbits?

seem's along the same lines as a retainer inspired lisp.


or is old school mocking okay?

WHAT?

NOOOOOOOOO IT ISN'T!

What person with a LISP pronounces "Oh my God" as "Er Mah GERD"!?!?!?!?

I think that's supposed ti be Cartman's voice from South Park

It's hilarious, frankly. My son and I speak in ehrmegerd. He's 13; we reach!

No, I'm serious.

just sayin.

Or you might flip out on me and blow your stack.

Poster with meme-avatar bitching about memes.

whatever though.

I mock everyone. Two types of mockery get special treatment: things about myself, and people with no sense of humour. I know where I fit into that...do you see where you fit in?

ferh rerhl!

<a href="http://diylol.com/meme-generator/ermahgerd--18/memes/ermahgerd-berners"><img alt="Ermahgerd-meme-generator-ermahgerd-berners-236180" src="" /></a>

Ah jerst perst merserf!

:rerfl:

There is pretty large line between derision and humor.

precisely.

Youll have to pry my pancake from my cold dead head!

But who's counting?

I suspect you're completely missing my point but please elaborate anyway.

Dont you know?

Not that this post itself is why liberals aren't taken seriously.

in fact, I think this meme blew past me for months until I saw this:



when I said it out loud, I till I

...and really, there's no harm in making fun of something many of us said as we were growing up. I was a total valley girl AND had braces for the better part of jr. High..and I am PROUD of my NERDSPEAK!!!

Or perhaps I should say....


Er fer ferrks serk.

Of all the things to be concerned about or outraged about or even to take the time to complain about on a message board NOTORIOUSLY populated with smart people who like to poke fun...................



.


And YOU picked this one.

Huh. Amazing.

Outrage? I haz none.

at teh doggiez.

Well, almost. The 'ermagerd' meme isn't truly mocking anyone in the sense you seem to insist it does. But in general, yes, - some things are okay to have fun with.

absurd or if there are just more funvacs since I first joined.

That is all.

It's sad that everything has to be so solemn.

I'm 64, a woman and rather matronly looking. I can laugh with the best of them about jokes about matronly 64 year old women. If you learn to laugh at yourself a little life gets easier. If you're going to be offended by every single thing people say life will be pretty miserable.

When my son was a toddler he said pinza instead of pizza and frencherize instead of french fries. To this day the family still says it the way he did. We're not making fun of him. We're using words he used that we thought were delightfully funny. He doesn't mind a bit.

Im not personally offended by this. Hell. Im not personally offended by much. Ive never had a retainer & Ive never had a lisp. Im not personally touched by this meme at all. Im just trying to understand which groups are ok to mock and which are not.

I'm talking about humor. And I'm saying that it's a very sad thing to not have any sense of humor at all. when people mock, no one laughs except the cruel. It's like having an eye for art. No one can dictate to another what art is. So in the same way, no one can dictate what is funny versus what is just crude mocking.

So your personal opinion really can't be made into law that the rest of us must follow. Anymore than mine can. Perhaps you should just not participate in what you find offensive instead of trying to make rules based on your own personal reaction. That or learn the difference between humor, crude as it may see, and mocking. When you make something up and people laugh it's usually humor. When you point at someone and imitate them and laugh you're mocking them.

I don't think it's funny. It's just one of those things I find incredibly and mind-numbingly stupid.

I'm glad other people find it funny, but as any other trend, fad, or meme that annoys the shit out of me, I wish it would just go the fuck away.

I do like your pancake bunny, though.

Thanks Venus! Im not gettin much love here but your post made me smile.

It even has its own Wiki entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valleyspeak

Which was made famous by... Moon Unit Zappa.

Even with a retainer! I try hard not to pick up any of the Val intonations, it's infectious still

DU, why do I seek your council?

type of speech impediment.

One of my friends speaks South Bostonese, when he says OMG it sounds just exactly like ermagherd.

Everyone has a hard time understanding him because his accent is so thick. Even his California born wife nods her head yes, and grunts an ocassional "uh-huh" when he is talking and she has no clue what he is saying.