Simpin’ Ain’t Easy
Imagine my shock when “simps” weren’t the long running nosedive of a FOX network series.
Like, that’s where your mind goes, right? If you’re a fan, you might have already busted a line from the show. I’m fairly sure “THE SIMPS” was even a running meme for a while. Thing is though, “simps” and “simp” has, as so many words before it, transformed in the modern vernacular. Just like your favorite show, it’s done a backflip into hell.
Today, I’d like to talk about “simps” and “simping”-and more importantly, how such phrases alter our reality.
Big Simpin’
Urban Dictionary offers a variety of definitions for “simp”. If you’re completely lost, start there. If you’re too lazy to click the link, think of “simp” as “white knighting”. Got it? Good. “Simp” is a reduced form of “simple minded” or “simpleton”. When I asked twitter their thoughts, I got the following:
“They’re Amusing”-Liz
“I think simp/simpleton is just been categorized with soy-boy, white knight and just basically degeneracy when you can say the original term is simpleminded but we love to take one word and use it in a thousand things. You can say that term blew up and now it’s a trend/current go to words too use like “yikes” etc. But it has been used in regards to sex works and women a lot. Like a guy could really be into a sex worker or sticking up for her and he gets pretty much called a degenerate (simp). It definitly has power in the areas of sex workers particularly men and who they support.”-@KhairiArt
It’s important to not rely on any one source for slang phrases, as such terms are a litmus test of culture. By its very nature, slang is a “sign of the times” and drops in or out of popularity depending on countless external factors. This grows even more complex when you take relative communication habits, physical location and endless other stuff into account. While there are some “eternal phrases” that stick in our minds, this is because of cultural bias. Saying “that’s cool” to an english speaker is a sign of approval. Other, more literal languages may result in someone being puzzled as to why you’re talking about the temperature.
Which brings us back to “simp”, and it’s reductive existence. It’s not just a mono-syllabic form of “simpleton/simple minded”. It’s a mutation from “white knight”, with an implied narrowed scope. The fact that an entire syllable has been dropped is actually significant-because it makes cross cultural understanding even easier.
Take this explanation of “OK, BOOMER” from a Japanese show. They explain the phrase to their best ability in under a minute, and I applaud them. They do this while having to explain the concept of “baby boomers” and so much more. In English speaking countries (specifically America), there’s an innate level of understanding already in place due to culture. For the record, the rough japanese explanation is “okay old man, we’ve heard enough”. Quite a bit different from the first thing that springs to mind here in the states. Imagine the confusion if it was dropped to simply “Boomer” or some dramatic eye roll as you say “okay”.
“Simp” isn’t like that. “Simp”, which rhymes so neatly with “wimp”, already brings a very specific image to mind if you’re aware of its existence. While it’s usage can and does vary, it’s reduction from “white knighting” has-as one of my friends on twitter said-in of itself been indicative of which “online generation” you’re a part of. What we’re seeing with “simp” isn’t just a reduction, but an ingraining of an idea within a culture.
Mental Magick
Symbolism-which encompasses all written language, signs, art and more-is an inherently meaningless thing. The value symbols have is what we, as a species, place in them. In a practical sense, symbolism regardless of medium or use is feces splattered on a cave wall (yes, that includes this blog). When that changes is when we take abstract concepts and refine them.
So how did we go from “white knighting”, with its widespread non-gendered specific usage, to “simp”? While it’s easy to confuse the two phrases, “white knighting” originally meant defending something without cause or reason. In effect, it was the “stanning” in the 90s-2000s internet culture. “Simp”, by comparison, is almost exclusively targeted towards men who reply in defense of women, and almost exclusively online.
It’s an extremely weird mutation of a concept, even with the two still more than capable of being used. The change is obviously culture-but what?
Alright, so I’m about to get extremely conspiratorial. Bust out your tinfoil hats if you like. But simping is a by-product of culture shifts due to smartphones. No, I’m not going to say technology is bad and that Thomas Edison was a witch. Rather, how we use our phones as a platform for individuality is what lead to “simping” being born. Social media has given literally everyone with a phone the capability to build a platform.
How many of your friends are on Twitch?
How many people do you know with Youtube channels, Instagrams, SoundClouds and more?
In surpassing “having a blog”, in creating a low-barrier, high-efficiency chance where anyone could literally “get lucky” and become famous? We’ve removed the artificial barriers we face in meat space. In effect, we’ve drastically changed human interaction by being users of a service. It’s a push-button, receive endorphins and validation kind of world out there. For a majority of users, this is a net positive. I myself can honestly say my mental state and social wellbeing is significantly better thanks to social media. My personal self-image has drastically changed. A decade ago, I wouldn’t have dreamt of showing my face on the internet. Now I have an IG and I’m seriously considering video content.
But-just as language doesn’t happen in a vacuum-neither does social interaction.
If any factors can lead to the refinement and mutation of a phrase, so too can they empower, reduce or mutate social concepts. The thing “simps” actually represent isn’t a simpleton mindset. It’s male entitlement placed on a stage for anyone to notice due to the open-forum nature of platforms.
Simpin’ Like Simp C
Let me be perfectly blunt: Simps are almost always exclusively male. They’re almost always noticeable in any popular female personality focus. They’re the kind of people that universally bring a cringe when you see their reply. It’s guys who-without all the social stigma they face in life-are able to be the guy they tell themselves they are, often without real-world repercussions. Hence the mutation from “white knight” and refinement to a single syllable. Simps simp simply because they think they’re entitled to someone’s time for any reason.
Speaking as a sex worker who has faced no shortage of simps, I would like to state the following:
No.
You absolutely are not.
Simping is parasocial relations given legs and a phone. Simps go beyond “white knighting” and “stanning”. They earnestly believe a single tweet will get them a DM, a phone number, nudes, whatever. Being on the receiving end of simping, I absolutely promise you that’s not how this works. With sex work specifically, this is a fucking job. Yes, we’re normal people who make friends. Yes, we totally get that our bodies are a commodity. But our time?
It’s the only resource we can never get back. It’s the only resource a simp can’t get back.
Instead of being a simp? Take a moment and read what you wrote before you hit “send”. Take a good, long look at your interactions with someone. Have they ever replied in a substantive way? Have they approached you aside from words directed at their content? Have they ever made an attempt at palpable social relations?
If the answer is “no” to any of those-you’re simping. Stop while you’re ahead. Take a moment of introspection, and try again. If you need assistance, read pinned tweets. Actually read and/or ask creators what you can, and can’t, approach them with. We’re not gods and goddesses, we just get paid to pretend we are. We’re flesh and bone like you. Human. So treat us as such, and you would be amazed at the doors that open.
Take care everyone. If you’d like to see more articles like this on niche parts of kink, I’d love to pen them.