A museum in Seattle is facing criticism for its wording in a Nirvana exhibition. According to the Guest Curator, Kurt Cobain did not lose his life to suicide but "un-alived himself".
ADVERTISEMENTSeattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is facing criticism for a Nirvana exhibition that says Kurt Cobain “un-alived himself.”
The term “un-alived” originated on TikTok, in order to circumvent censorship from algorithms, which ban users for words like “suicide.”
However, that language has manifested IRL, so much so that it’s in this Nirvana exhibit, Cobain did not die by suicide on 4 April 1994 at the age of 27 but “un-alived himself at 27.”
Another sign explains the use of the term, reading: “We recognize the dynamic nature of pop culture and its role in shaping language and social discourse.”
It continues: “In the digital age, social media influences how online communities engage in discussions, particularly around sensitive topics like mental health. One example is the term “unalive,” which has emerged online to describe death by suicide or homicide. Users on social media platforms created this term to navigate around algorithms that censor content related to mental health and explicit topics. “Unalive” has sparked constructive conversations, especially among young people, addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide.”
“In this exhibition, the Guest Curator has chosen to utilize the term “unalive” as a gesture of respect towards those who have tragically lost their lives due to mental health struggles. By bringing awareness to this language, we aim to foster meaningful dialogue and raise awareness about the complexities of mental health and language in our society."
This has led to criticism – as opposed to constructive conversations - on social media. And rightly so.
While using appropriate and respectful language when talking about mental health - “committing suicide” has negative connotations, as if taking one’s life is spoken of like committing a crime - “unalive” feels like the wrong move.
Many also appropriately drew comparisons to George Orwell’s dystopian novel "1984" - in which everyone talks in “Newspeak”.
In the novel, “Newspeak” is a simplified, government-directed language intended to limit critical thinking. The language is made up of antonyms and includes tagging the prefix “un” onto words, instead of developing a broadened vocabulary.
“This is what george orwell was warning us about with 1984.”
“That moment when it wasn’t the government but youtube and social media which caused newspeak from 1984 to become a real thing lmfao,” one X user commented. “And people still say that ‘these are private companies, they don’t have to allow speech they don’t want!’ Yes they do, they are the town square now.”
All fair points. By Sunday night, the discussion string had a brand-new reply with an upgraded picture – one that revealed the phrasing on the placard apparently having been changed from “un-alived” to “died by suicide.”
