Additional Piece: The Rise of “X”: From a Letter to a Symbolic Powerhouse
Introduction:
– The evolving role of the letter “x” in the English language
– Elon Musk’s fascination with the letter and its incorporation into his brands
– The potential impact of this linguistic hoarding on the rest of society
I. The Playfulness of Language in the Digital Age
– The creative naming conventions in the digital world (e.g., MySpace, Facebook)
– Dropping vowels and the rise of abbreviations (e.g., iPhone, iPad)
– Twitter’s unique vibe and its cute logo
II. Musk’s Linguistic Hoarding
– Musk’s acquisition of the X.com domain and its transformation into PayPal
– The integration of “x” into Musk’s brands and releases
– Tesla model, AI venture xAI, Elon Musk’s son’s name X Æ A-Xii
– The potential consequences of Musk owning the concept of “x”
III. The Historical Significance of the Letter “X”
– Its Latin and Greek roots as an indicator of the stranger or the “ex”
– Filling linguistic gaps in various contexts (e.g., X-ray, algebra)
– Symbolic representations in religion, counterculture, and identity (e.g., Malcolm X)
IV. Musk’s Corporate Appropriation
– Drawing parallels with Google’s rebranding as Alphabet
– The power of the domain name in Musk’s hands
– Intellectual property concerns and the spread of Musk’s linguistic influence
V. The Power of Singular Elements in Language
– Georges Perec’s use of absence and single letters in his novels
– Exploring the possibility of dropping words with “x” in protest
– Delving into unconventional expressions and embracing the exceptional nature of “x”
VI. Twitter’s Changing Identity and Potential End
– Twitter’s transformation from a symbol of democracy to a more rapacious platform
– Brand destruction and the inevitable replacement by Musk’s Unicode version of a Jolly Roger
– Speculations on the future of the platform and its influence on language
VII. Unique Insights and Practical Examples
– Discussing the impact of language on branding and consumer perception
– Exploring the role of language in shaping culture and identity
– Sharing anecdotes and statistics related to the influence of linguistic choices on brand success
Conclusion:
– The ongoing evolution of language and its connection to corporate interests
– Balancing the need for innovation with the preservation of linguistic heritage
– The potential consequences of allowing corporate appropriation of language
– The importance of cherishing and protecting the diverse elements that make up our communication system
Summary:
In a world where language and branding intersect, the letter “x” has become a focal point of corporate interests. Elon Musk’s fascination with this symbol has led to its integration into various aspects of his brands, raising questions about linguistic hoarding and the implications for the rest of society. However, “x” is not just a neutral letter; it holds historical and symbolic significance in different contexts. As Musk seeks to appropriate this potent element of the English language, it is essential to reflect on the power of linguistic choices in shaping culture, identity, and brand perception. While some may protest by dropping words that include “x,” others may embrace the exceptional nature of the letter. The future of language and its relationship with corporate interests remains uncertain, but it is crucial to navigate this evolving landscape with awareness and appreciation for the rich tapestry of communication.
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Consider the situation of the letter “x”. Once comfortably nestled towards the end of the alphabet, used for mysterious unknowns or confounding variables, or adding a dash of Latin sophistication, it now finds itself in the crosshairs of corporate interests.
After his adventures with Tesla’s electric cars and SpaceX’s spaceships, Elon Musk seized this symbol for his own ambitions, extending his influence from the tangible world of technology to the practical aspects of language.
His purchase of the X.com domain in 1999, initially for a bank that would eventually transform into PayPal, was an early example of this linguistic hoarding. Now it’s putting it into various aspects of its brand and its releases: a Tesla model, the AI venture xAI, its son X Æ A-Xii and its so-called “everything app”. If he gets to own the concept of x, what are we going to use for the rest of us?
The first decades of the 21st century were filled with the playfulness of language in the new territory of digital names. Word combinations were mixed together: MySpace, Facebook. Letters were entered – iPhone, iPad – and vowels were dropped on Flickr and Tumblr. Twitter has adapted this vibe, with its tweets evoking a singsong call between friends and colleagues, the soft circles of its logo giving it a cute look. The rumored new name, a “xeet,” sounds more like an expectoration.
It might be true that, over the past decade, Twitter has become less a songbird of democracy, as it was hailed during the Arab Spring, more rapacious after Trump’s election in 2016. It may also be that brands need to revamp more. now and then. Where is Ronald McDonald nowadays, and what about the Marathon candy bar? But old names are usually pulled back with a certain dignity and nostalgia, and a bit of notice to their customers.
Not this time. On Monday, hours after the name change was announced, Twitter’s name was systematically removed, letter by letter, from the company’s facade in San Francisco. No metaphor was needed for brand destruction. It now seems inevitable that it will be replaced by Musk’s modern Unicode version of a Jolly Roger.
However, X is not a neutral state: although it is a letter, it also has a meaning. From its Latin and Greek roots, it indicated the stranger, the “ex” or the other, the xenon. The letter stepped up to fill linguistic gaps, both in X-ray, initially a term for unknown radiation, and in x, the riddle we strive to solve in acrobatic algebraic problems. Tell our genetic stories through the X chromosome and inject a dash of X-factor charm.
At times it was the symbol of Christ, even an outsider, of the counterculture, a sign of abstinence for the Straight Edge movement, and also a defiance in America in the 1950s: those who converted to the Nation of Islam abandoned the surnames given to them by the slavers, replacing them with an X before assuming an Islamic name: Malcolm X being the most prominent.
The shape of the letter, two opposing strokes of a pen, made it a symbol of both approval and disapproval, signifying a vote, a rejection, even a kiss or an erasure in old typed documents.
Musk seems to want to appropriate one of the very atoms of the English language for corporate purposes, not unlike when Google renamed its parent company Alphabet in 2015, in reference to the core elements of its core service: search. Then CEO Larry Page said so explicitly in a letter regarding the rebranding. (Facebook also went the ancient Greek route, but ended up with the conceptually abstract Meta, or “beyond.”)
However, Musk has one trump card that Google has never had: the domain name. Among other single-letter domains, the Internet’s other bad boys – Q.com and Z.com – belong respectively to an Internet fiber company and a bullion trading company in Japan. The other 23 letters are not available in that form.
K stands for new Korean culture, the small e is attached to the Internet. More ominously, the Russians wield Z on their tanks and Q, once a questioning type, is now claimed by the shadowy group QAnon.
Intellectual property owners will wonder if something as generic as X can be registered as a trademark. However, as more Musk brands adopt it, the infection will spread to our language. It will no doubt try to co-opt more words: The new HQ has reportedly already christened conference rooms with names like eXult, eXposure and s3Xy.
Georges Perec, who wrote the entire novel The Disappearance (brilliantly translated into English by Gilbert Adair as “A Void”) without using the letter “e”, he had identified the power of these singular elements of language.
The absent “e” was a reference to his parents, who disappeared during World War II. She followed this up with another novel, W, or The memory of childhoodin which the solitary letter comes to represent a similar company The Hunger Games.
We could, in protest, take a Perec-esque stance and start dropping words that include “x.” Or maybe it would be better to express ourselves widely with this exceptional letter. Our lexical war cry: “Don’t attach the x.”
Or we could allow twitter and tweet to become generic terms in exchange for its x. Our tweets may have been brief, but the memory may be long.
Follow Joy on @joy_lo_dico
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