Mangos and Beyoncé: A Cross-Generational Conversation That Will Make You Smile

Ever wonder what teens are actually saying when they spout seemingly random phrases like "skibbity toilet" or greet each other with words like "mango"? This special episode features an enlightening conversation with my brilliant 14-year-old niece Carsyn that might forever change how you perceive Gen Z communication.

Recorded during our pre-Beyoncé concert excitement, our discussion takes an unexpected turn from Renaissance Tour merchandise tips to decoding what adults often dismiss as "brain rot" language. Carsyn brilliantly explains that what appears to be linguistic nonsense actually serves as a sophisticated tool for instant connection. These random phrases aren't about excluding adults or representing diminished language skills—they're innovative shortcuts to community building in a world where meaningful connection feels increasingly rare.

The most profound moment comes when Carsyn observes, "People are so used to being different that they don't even care about coming together." This wisdom from a high school freshman suggests something remarkable: perhaps today's teens are intuitively developing communication patterns that prioritize unity over division. While older generations might focus on precise language and careful self-expression, Gen Z understands that sometimes, the content matters less than the connection itself.

This episode will leave you with unexpected hope for our collective future. If Carsyn's generation values connection enough to invent entirely new ways of creating it, perhaps they truly will be the ones to "pull us all back together." Listen now and discover why those seemingly random phrases your teen uses might actually represent something beautiful about their approach to human connection.

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Transcript

Preparing for the Beyoncé Concert

Speaker 1 1:01

Hey, proven Not Perfect. I hope that you are enjoying the closeout of August and your summer. The closeout of your summer. I have to say that this one, this podcast that I'm about to share with you, is near and dear and incredibly special to me. Hopefully you got more than your fill of family time, making family memories, over the summer. I have to say, summer 2025 definitely served that way for me, and here I'm sharing with you a little tidbit when my family was traveling together for an experience and decided to do a podcast with my niece. My niece, who is a rising freshman in high school. She's the bomb, y'all. I am biased, full disclosure, but she is the bomb and she and I unpacked this new language that I hear all the kids between middle school and high school kind of murmuring around me and decided to double click on this with Carson, and she takes me down a little path to explain to me, on top of sharing with you, a little special experience that we had together, auntie and Niece. So here you go, enjoy and, hey, listen out for this.

Speaker 1 2:18

The question is generationally is there more to this new language that these young ones are bringing forward in this brain rot concept? Hmm, are they bringing forward a new concept, a new way of being, a new way of community building, a new way of putting barriers down and to seeing each other and to expressing themselves. Are they doing that? Am I going way too deep, or is it really real? I don't know. You tell me. Thanks for listening.

Understanding 'Brain Rot' Language

Speaker 1 2:55

Enjoy Proving Not Perfect. Hey, hey, hi, hey. Hey, I'm in the place to be with Carson. How are you doing, carson? I'm doing good. Yeah, you having a good day? Yes, why are you having a good day? Because I'm about to see Beyonce. What Not Beyonce Bebe? Does she call herself Bebe? Is that like a thing? I think she calls herself the queen, the queen, okay, that's what's up. She's the queen. Yeah, so here we go. We are going to go see Beyonce, and I know that you've been spending a little bit of time understanding some of the best practices. There's some cool things, like merch and all that stuff. Yeah, do you know what you're going to get? I either want to get like her Atlanta exclusive shirt and like another one, or just get like a sweatshirt, oh, wow. So let me ask you is it, do you have to know exactly what you want in advance? Like, should I expect to walk in. It's gonna be like a big, like buying frenzy kind of thing or um. I think it might be easier if you already know what they have, but they do have um. In the back of the um area they have like all the merch um up and they have it like like kind of laid out yeah, laid out and it's like labeled by like letters, so you just tell them what letter you want and they automatically know what that you want. So that's like a. That's a good tip. That's a really good tip.

Speaker 1 4:19

Alright, so what are the cool kids saying about the concert? Like what's the rule? I think like the vibes. Oh, so I actually heard some of the older folks that I listened to talking about oh my God, it was a spiritual experience. And I have to say, outside of church, I'm not sure that I understand what they're talking about. Like how could going to the Beyonce concert be a spiritual experience For me? That kind of walks the line. But are you hearing the kids say, oh my God, it was a spiritual experience? Yeah, I think, just because, like people like her so much. So seeing her, especially for the first time, makes them really excited about things. So it's more of an ethereal thing. Yeah, okay, that makes a lot of sense. Oh, so it's more of an ethereal thing. Yeah, okay, that makes a lot of sense.

Connection Over Communication

Speaker 1 5:13

All right, so I also want to talk to you about this, because I think that there are probably some people that are listening to this, that are in my age category, that are surrounded by little people who are in your age category, like you know, that high school vibe, that first year in high school, and if they happen to be around a group of you, there is a language, a new language that has crept up into this world. So crazy. What is it called? Brain rot? Oh, it's called brain rot. So there is actually a name for it. So, like what I want to understand from your perspective, is it truly because, like the kids are saying, our brains are rotting, or is it because you just can't be bothered to speak English and you think we have the rotting brains? Or you just want like a secret language? Like which one is it?

Speaker 1 6:07

It's just like a mix of just like memes and stuff over time for like for tiktok and social media. It is people making like random posts and just like flowing along with other people. So it's literally like you just kind of say what you feel and it doesn't actually even have to, yeah, really make sense in english language. Yeah, okay, so to be offensive, like I'm gonna say skibbity toilet and that's a thing. Yeah, but I'm going to say skibbity toilet and that's a thing, yeah, but like, why would I say skibbity toilet if I was hanging out with you and your friends? Like, what would be my reason for saying that? Just to be random and funny.

Speaker 1 6:41

So we're all sitting around, we're kind of bored. You know, we've asked mom if we can go to the mall. She didn't say yes. She's kind of like no, you guys hang out and watch whatever. And we're just sitting around, we're bored and I'm like skibbity toilet. And then everybody laughs, yeah, and then everybody's like okay, yeah, we feel the same. We're all like this is crazy. Yeah, all right.

Speaker 1 7:02

So mom witnessed you the other day in an environment where another kid your age was just kind of walking by, yeah, and he like greeted you and said mango. And you said mango, yeah, and then he said mango. I've seen him before, like on the cruise, because I would just say random things to people and he understood. So every single time I would see him in the cruise, I would say mango, yeah, oh, so you can't approach this new way of being as a language. You can maybe approach it as a connection.

Hope for Future Generations

Speaker 1 7:35

Yeah, okay, dang girl, that is so good, that is so helpful because, truly, like, I've heard people older people of course say oh yeah, there's a new language, and actually I actually think that's kind of stupid, wrong. Yeah, because it's not a language. Your language is English. You're really just developing a way for connection. Yeah, you know, I really, I really love thinking about that, because it tells me that your generation is going to be a generation that really puts connections above some of the selfish desires that, quite frankly, my generation is probably leaned into.

Speaker 1 8:13

Yes, okay, yeah, do you Like? Why do you think so? I feel like people are so used to being different that, like they don't even care about coming together. Yeah, wow, that's so cool. So, okay, so, here, here, here we go, here's to the future generation that's going to pull us all back together. Remind us that we are all precious in the sight and uniquely and wonderfully made, right? Yes, yeah, you are. You are uniquely and wonderfully made. Thank you, yeah, my beautiful niece Carson, I love you. Love you too. Thank you for podcasting. Thank you, guys. We've been that perfect.