Editor Wanted

I came across this advertisement while skimming through Facebook today and couldn't help but laugh. If you're going to use an automatic ad-generator, you should program it to recognize the difference between a woman and a man.

This is something that seems to be rampant of late. I was looking at a Disney construction play set the other day, and on the back of the box, they referred to a chute as a "shoot." I've heard of photo shoots and shooting at targets, but I've never seen the word in reference to tubing. It's surprising that such a large company would allow that sort of mistake on its packaging.

Similarly, there have been multiple signs referring to "complementary [product name]." The restroom in the airplane where I'm sitting humbly requests that passengers use their towels to "wipe sink" as a courtesy to the next person in line. Then there's the song "Cooler Than Me," which always sets my teeth on edge in spite of its catchy tune. Perhaps life would be easier if I simply gave up caring about these things, but it is worrisome that this lackadaisical approach to the English language persists. This does get into the argument about the constant evolution of languages, a sensitive issue which I will gingerly sidestep for now as I attempt to climb down from my soapbox. Ranting and raving will not create change, but voting against educational budget cuts might. I hope.