I don’t want to keep calm anymore, and telling someone to keep calm is easily one of the worst tactics to use in an argument. I can promise you it will undoubtedly incite rage that may have not been fully formed before uttering those terrible words, but by the end of your sentence, the anger will be unmistakable.
I’m certain I’m not the only one that feels this way, so why is this phrase the only thing people think is viable or interesting when advertising student housing, clubs, organizations or companies?
“Keep calm and ______ on” is the biggest creative cop out of these past few years and probably the laziest meme of all time. Then again, I’m probably just this upset because people keep telling me not to be.
While there are many contenders for the spot of most popular way to “carry on,” most resort to advising someone to eat a dessert of some sort, call a superhero or, most redundantly, “don’t stress.”
I’m not sure people even know why the saying became popular, but it’s older than Batman and zombies.
The original poster was red with white lettering and said, “Keep Calm, and Carry On” with a British crown at the top signifying the royal family’s endorsement. This was pre-war propaganda intended to boost the public’s morale while they sat and waited for the air strikes that would draw their nation into World War II.
So how has this translated into “Keep Calm, and Cupcake On,” or “Stay Alive, and Avoid Zombies”?
To be honest, I’m not even sure how to cupcake on. Do I bake some, eat some and spread them all over my body?
It’s a common saying that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Maybe this is how today’s advertisement experts and graphic designers want to spare us from any unsavory world wars or military attacks.
But if it’s not, hopefully I can keep calm long enough for the onslaught to be over. Maybe a change in the all capital letters would make me feel more calmed and less yelled at to do whatever comes next.
With enough creative minds around, this should wind up in the clearance bins of Hot Topic and Wal-Mart soon enough. Until then I’m going to figure this whole cupcake thing out.