You Can't Do Nothing About This

[GuvWurld]

Last night this phrase just popped into my head and I immediately jumped out of my seat and wrote it on my white board.

You can't do nothing about this.

This clearly has multiple meanings but the most important of them that I see is as a call to action. You can't be in denial, you can't be complacent, you can't just sit there and do nothing. This phrase could be used on any issue.

You can't do nothing about election reform. That's right, I can't do nothing so I do everything I can. And I'm determined so I won't be intimidated by being told I can't do nothing about election reform.

Shortly after writing the No Confidence Resolution I also wrote the No Confidence Movement Strategy and Talking Points Primer. In this outline I mention the need to create a meme. I throw this out to the DU universe: could this get legs?

[SouthernDem2004]

1. I like the word "anything" better.

[scarletwoman]

2. Then it wouldn't be a double negative -- which is the whole point.

The sentence structure is a bit awkward but the basic idea is, "You can't NOT do anything." or, conversely, "You must do something!"

sw

[ktowntennesseedem]

3. As an intentional double negative, it makes perfect sense.

It threw me a bit at first; thanks for the clarification.

(Reminds me of the time a tornado swept through my area, wiped out a trailer park of course, and the local television news-crew interviewed an eye-witness, who said, "I ain't never not seen nothin' like that!")

[davidgmills]

7. Not fond of double negatives

Maybe it's two English degrees and a law degree. Sounds uneducated; not to mention unclear.

[scarletwoman]

10. Not fond of them either. I was merely explaining, not advocating.

I personally believe that structuring an exhortation in positive terms is more psychologically effective.

However, in this particular case there is a somewhat arresting quality about the phrasing of "you can't do nothing", in that the awkwardness itself poses a challenge to tease out the real meaning. A semantic nudge, as it were. ;-)

sw

[LatePeriduct]

4. You Cant Do Nothing

The slogan of the new media!!!!

[Fly by night]

6. I love it!! It will work real well in the South. n/t

[GuvWurld]

5. Kick (eom)

[LatePeriduct]

8. kick /nt

[LatePeriduct]

9. kick