There is a group of people who live among us, but are not like us. For all appearances, they’re just the same as everyone else. They look like us, they sound like us, they walk among us without turning heads or drawing attention to themselves. But they are not like us. And this October, once again, they’ve come out from the shadows and revealed their true colors to the rest of us.
They are The People Who Use “Fair” Puns in Their Instagram Captions of State Fair Pictures.
Odds are, you know some of these people. That guy from class who had a fair-ly good time at the State Fair this weekend. The girl that’s fair-ly into her boyfriend. The person who can’t seem to grasp that the obviousness of the pun coupled with its absurd over-usage makes any fair-based caption painfully groan-inducing, not to mention less worthy of earning a like from those who see it.
As much as they hurt all of us who follow them during these episodes, it’s important to remember that these are not bad people — well, not usually. Under any other circumstances they may be perfectly tolerable, even fun to be around. But something about the fair impairs their judgement and causes them to give in to their worst instincts. It turns seemingly normal people into uncreative, insufferably trite pun-prone versions of themselves.
Bad Instagram captions are not a victimless crime, and when considering such cases we often just focus on the poor followers who must see these puns. But we mustn’t forget the poster suffers too. While in the past, the follies of youth (and even beyond) didn’t necessarily affect the trajectory of one’s life, in today’s digital landscape, such mistakes follow people until the day they die. One seemingly innocuous pun caption and you’re labelled for the rest of your life.
So, look out for the warning signs in those you love. Do they go with the first caption idea they have for their pics? Do they consider YA books high art? Are they fans of the TV show “Friends” or other similarly uninspired and clichéd fare? Such behaviors suggest they may be seriously at risk.
Be sure to talk to those you know who meet the criteria. See if Instagram caption puns is a temptation they’ve struggled with, and if it is let them know that you’re here for them and will help them fight through those dark moments. You can provide alternative captions ideas for them, or, even better, ensure they’re kept away from potentially triggering situations, like the fair, semiformals or fishing trips with significant others.
With your help, they can overcome. And in doing so, you won’t just be helping them. You’ll be helping all of us.
