based


image:

screenshot of a Tweet from Running With Scissors reading

“We’ve been told our games are too expensive in some countries but we’ve been using Steam’s recommended pricing for a while. We trust Valve enough to not change this. If our games are still too expensive for you, you can pirate them until you have enough to support us.”

    • Naatan@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      I’m getting old … what does this mean and why is it objectionable? Google suggests it means they have strong character, which seems like a fair assessment.

      • Rentlar@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        What I understand this originates from is “not based on anything”, so essentially bucking the trend or the norm. Doing things not because something or someone told them.

        It’s 4chan type of language, itself an alt-right cesspool.

        • Naatan@lemmy.one
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          1 year ago

          Gotcha… From reading all the responses, it sounds like the word and meaning itself isn’t really objectionable, it’s more the people that use it. Which isn’t something a search engine tells you… 😅

          • blindsight@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            It’s gone mainstream. I hear it in high schools all the time from many different students. I think it’s pretty unobjectionable.

      • Dave@lemmy.nz
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        1 year ago

        To a zoomer, based is the opposite of cringe (I’m told). This is the first time I’ve seen it mentioned in regards to alt-right, that sounds like they happened to be alt-right zoomers.

        • P03 Locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          No, it’s not the “opposite of cringe” and it’s not an alt-right dog whistle. It just means the person or group is willing to do the right thing, above politics or greed. It’s more comparable to Giga Chad, but it’s more accurate to say that Giga Chad when used in memes is the representation of a based individual.

          Also, “alt-right” is a dog whistle for “white supremacist”, invented by a white supremacist to soften the language. Stop using it. Just call them white supremacists or fascists.

          • cobra89@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            My understanding of “based” from years and years ago was that it was used as an exclamation when people essentially weren’t afraid to speak their minds even if they’re likely to get shit for said opinion.

            That’s why it’s gotten associated with the alt-right because it was usually bigoted douchebags saying bigoted shit that other bigots would then respond “based” to. I feel like the terminology was associated with 4chan in its early usage and spread to reddit.

            I believe your definition that is popular with Gen Z is a newer development.

      • mothersprotege@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I’ve long regarded it as a red flag, since the first people I encountered using it were alt-right dipshits. Subsequently it seems to have been adopted wholesale, and I get the impression that most people don’t see it as politically charged.

          • Crotaro@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            My man, that’s so not funky of you! If you skedaddle into this far out place called internet, you have to expect to come across new terms that are slammin and radical to some people. Instead of giving them hairy eyeballs and going “No can do”, how about you say “Word, brother”? Every generation invents its own gnarly slang and that’s pretty fly, actually. Like, what makes your slang groovy and theirs bogus?

        • bundes_sheep@lemmy.one
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          1 year ago

          I figure people need to pick up on new slang or risk becoming the old man or woman that yells at kids to get off their lawn one day.

        • Naatan@lemmy.one
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          1 year ago

          Lol… it definitely reminds you of how old you’re getting. But I’m sure the generations preceding ours felt the same.

    • frei@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Based is just a common word zoomers like me use. While your likely implication of it being some sort of dogwhistle or right wing term might have been correct like, half a decade ago, it doesn’t apply anymore. Everyone uses it between the age of 16-20.

      Simply: Based = Good Cringe = Bad

    • Satan@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      It’s just slang that more-or-less means “confident”, originally coined by the rapper Lil B.

      While it’s an interesting line of inquiry as to why internet culture may appropriate and adopt words like this, this comment is just giving off major “old man yells at cloud” energy.